Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers, and his film roles in Ocean's 11 (1960), The Graduate (1967), and Bullitt (1968). Early in his career, he was billed as Norman Feld.Norman Feld Internet Broadway Database.
Early life Fell was born on March 24, 1924, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Samuel and Edna Feld. His father was an Austrian Jewish immigrant, and his maternal grandparents were Russian Jews. He attended Central High School of Philadelphia. He studied drama at Temple University after serving as a tail gunner on a B-25 Mitchell in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He later honed his craft at The Actors Studio and the Black Hills Players.
Career Aside from Fell's best-known television work, he also played minor character roles in several films, including the original Ocean's 11 with the Rat Pack; It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World; PT 109 with Cliff Robertson as John F. Kennedy; Mike Nichols' The Graduate; Don Siegel's Charley Varrick; Bullitt with Steve McQueen; and Catch-22 (as Sergeant Towser). He appeared alongside Ronald Reagan in Reagan's last film, The Killers with Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager, in which Reagan portrays a villain who slaps Angie Dickinson. In 1992, he starred as a hotel owner in a comedy film titled Hexed.
On TV, Fell portrayed Mike in Joe and Mabel (1955–1956), Howie Fletcher in The Tom Ewell Show (1960–1961), Meyer Meyer in 87th Precinct (1961–1962), Charles Wilentz in Dan August (1970–1971), Nathan Davidson in Needles and Pins (1973), Bernie Solkin in Executive Suite (1976–1977), Richie's father in Richie Brockelman, Private Eye (1978), and Ben Cooper in Teachers Only (1982–1983).
From 1977 to 1979, Fell portrayed the main characters' landlord Stanley Roper on the hit sitcom Three's Company (a role with some similarities to hard-edged, suspicious landlord Mr. McCleery in The Graduate, who was on the lookout for reasons to evict Benjamin Braddock, like Mr. Roper was with Jack Tripper). He continued the role as the co-lead with Audra Lindley playing his wife, Helen, on The Ropers, a spin-off which lasted two seasons, airing from 1979 to 1980.
Fell won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Actor in a Supporting Role in 1979 for Three's Company. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his dramatic performance as the boxing trainer of Tom Jordache (Nick Nolte) in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. His final television appearance was a cameo as Mr. Roper on an episode of the sitcom Ellen in 1997.
Personal life On May 21, 1950, Fell married Dolores Pikoos in Philadelphia. They divorced in 1954 and Fell married and divorced two subsequent times. He had two daughters, Tracy and Mara, with his second wife and adopted a son with his third wife, Karen Weingard.
Illness and death On November 26, 1998 (Thanksgiving Day), Fell was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with multiple myeloma (plasma cell cancer) after becoming too weak to get out of bed at his Marina del Rey home. He died at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California on December 14, 1998, at the age of 74.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1954 Studio One Juror No. 1 "Twelve Angry Men" (TV episode; teleplay)1957 The Violators Ray 1959 Pork Chop Hill Sergeant Coleman 1960 Inherit the Wind WGN Radio Technician The Rat Race Telephone Repairman Ocean's 11 Peter Rheimer 1963 PT 109 Machinist Edmund Drewitch It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Detective at Grogan's Crash Site 1964 The Killers Mickey Farmer Quick, Before it Melts George Snell The Young Warriors Sergeant Wadley 1967 Fitzwilly Oberblatz The Graduate Mr. McCleery 1968 Sergeant Ryker Sergeant Max Winkler Archive footageThe Secret War of Harry Frigg Captain Stanley The Young Runaways Mr. Donford Bullitt Captain Baker 1969 If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium Harve Blakely 1970 Catch-22 First Sergeant Towser The Boatniks Max 1973 The Stone Killer Lieutenant Les Daniels Charley Varrick Mr. Garfinkle 1974 Airport 1975 Bill 1975 Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold Stanley Nagel 1976 Guardian of the Wilderness Doctor 1978 Rabbit Test Segoynia's Father The EndDr. Samuel Krugman 1981 Crunch On the Right TrackThe Mayor Heartbreak High Jack McGuire Paternity Larry 1985 Transylvania 6-5000 Mac Turner 1987 Stripped to Kill Ray 1989 C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. Tyler 1990 You're Driving Me Crazy Doctor 'F' 1991 With Friends Like These... Narrator Direct-to-videoThe Boneyard ShepardFor the Boys Sam Schiff 1992 The Naked Truth The Dentist 1993 Hexed Herschel Levine 1996 The Destiny of Marty Fine Daryl Beach House The Landlord
Television