Fred Melamed

Fred Melamed, an American actor made a name for himself in Hollywood primarily as a voice artist before emerging as a character actor in subsequent years. He is noted for playing small roles in numerous films, prominently in seven pieces directed by Woody Allen. Born in Queens, New York, Melamed is the result of a fleeting affair between actress Nancy Zala and Stan Silverstone, a British psychoanalyst. He was adopted by Louis Melamed, a Manhattan TV producer, and his wife Syma, combining his biological and adoptive familes, Melamed found inspiration in the renowned Adler acting family. Melamed developed his distinctive stage presence in notable institutions like Hampshire College and Yale School of Drama. At Yale, Melamed was a Samuel F. B. Morse College Graduate Fellow and nominated for the Irene Ryan Award, a prize awarded to the most promising young actors in the United States. He left a mark on several resident theatre companies, including The Guthrie Theater, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, The Yale Repertory Theater, and on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning Amadeus. His voice became a familiar sound on television circling through featured TV programs, commercials, and even dubbing actors' performances in films. His array of work included roles in many esteemed films such as Lovesick (1983), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and importantly, A Serious Man (2009) where he played the role of Sy Ableman. Melamed's portrayal in A Serious Man won him the Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award and praises from esteemed critics and magazines. In the television sphere, notable stints include Lady Dynamite, Fargo, Casual, New Girl, and House of Lies. Lastly, in his personal life, Melamed and his ex-wife Leslee have twins who were diagnosed with autism.