Michael Wager
American actor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Wager (born Emanuel Weisgal,[1] April 29, 1925 – c. January 2012)[2] was an American film and television actor.
Photo by Carl Van Vechten
Wager was born in New York, New York, and nicknamed "Mendy". He was the son of Meyer Weisgal, a journalist, publisher, playwright, fundraiser, and Zionist activist, and Shirley (Hirshfeld).[3]
He appeared in the war films, Hill 24 Doesn't Answer and Exodus, and he appeared in a recurring role, as Jonas Roving, on the soap opera Ryan's Hope. One of his roles was Thomas the Apostle in King of Kings. He also appeared in the soap opera Search for Tomorrow and made TV commercials.[4]
Personal life
Wager married Susan Blanchard on October 9, 1962.[5] He was bisexual.[citation needed]
Wager was a good friend of composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia. He lived above them in The Dakota in New York City.[citation needed]
In popular culture
He was hugely into opera and the opera queen Mendy in Terrence McNally's play The Lisbon Traviata was based on him.[6]
He was portrayed by Zachary Booth in Bradley Cooper's 2023 film Maestro.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Hill 24 Doesn't Answer | Allan Goodman | |
| 1960 | Exodus | David Ben Ami | |
| 1961 | King of Kings | Thomas | |
| 1976 | The Adams Chronicles | Albert Gallatin | Miniseries |
| 1980 | Jane Austen in Manhattan | George Midash | |
| 1981 | Ryan's Hope | Jonas Roving | Recurring role |
References
External links
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