Lee Wilkof (born June 25, 1951) is an American character actor who has been appearing on stage, film and television for 6 decades.

Early life

Wilkof is from Canton, Ohio. He is the middle child of Anne Louise and Darwin Wilkof. He has two brothers, Todd and Robert. Wilkof is Jewish. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1972 and studied acting with Austin Pendleton in New York City.

Career

After graduating college, Wilkof co-wrote and performed in a comedy revue, The Present Tense, in 1977 at the Park Royal Theatre in New York City. Shortly after its closing, Wilkof moved to Los Angeles and landed small film and television roles. His big break came in 1982 with the leading role as Seymour in the original Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. Wilkof directed the film No Pay, Nudity with a cast that stars Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, and Frances Conroy. In 2023 he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in Terence Blanchard's Champion, as The Announcer. He starred in the short film Dig Deeper alongside Victor Williams written and directed by Girault Seger, which premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival, followed by screenings at the Soho International Film Festival, Tennessee Indie Independent Film Festival, and the New York Indie Shorts Awards. He wrote, directed, and appears in the short film Teenage Waistband which was shot in October of 2024. Wilkof plays the banjo and sings in the musical quartet Twenty Mule Team Weiner Train. He is the winner of the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest # 217.

Personal life

Wilkof lives in Gardiner, New York with his wife, painter Connie Grappo. They have a daughter.

Theater

Broadway

Off-Broadway, Regional and Tour

Select filmography

Selected television

Awards and nominations

Drama Desk Award nomination for The Present Tense Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for "Champion"