Danny Goldman

Danny Goldman
File:Danny Goldman.jpg
Born	Daniel Goldman (1939-10-30)October 30, 1939 New York City, U.S.
Died	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, voice actor, casting director
Years active	1963—2012

Daniel Goldman (October 30, 1939 – April 12, 2020) was an American actor, voice actor, and casting director. He is most widely recognized as the voice of Brainy Smurf in Hanna-Barbera's The Smurfs (1981–1989) and as the inquisitive medical student in the opening scene of Young Frankenstein (1974).

Early life

Goldman graduated from Far Rockaway High School in Queens, New York City, in 1957. He subsequently attended and graduated from Columbia University in Manhattan, in 1961.

Career

One of his first roles was that of Nick Dutton, the son of an industrialist who knew the truth about his family's new butler and housekeeper, and helped them get acquainted in their new jobs in the 1971 situation comedy The Good Life. Among his other early roles on television were appearances in the TV shows That Girl, Room 222, The Partridge Family, Love, American Style, Needles and Pins, Columbo, Baretta and Chico and the Man. He was a regular member of the cast of the situation comedy Busting Loose in 1977. Goldman was also featured as Ozzie the Answer in the 1980s detective drama Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and as Dr. Denton on Get Smart, Again! He acted in the episode "I'll Kill 'Em Again" of police drama Hawaii Five-O and in the episodes "Brain Child" and "42" in Trapper John, M.D. Goldman appeared as a panelist on the What's My Line? TV program during its syndicated run, and on the live stage version in Hollywood several years later. In 2005, he appeared in an episode of the sitcom The King of Queens.

His feature film debut was in MASH (1970). Other credits included a small role as a persistent medical student who asks Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) about his grandfather in Young Frankenstein (1974), and roles in Busting (1974), Linda Lovelace for President (1975), Tunnel Vision (1976), The Missouri Breaks (1976), Swap Meet (1979), Wholly Moses! (1980) and My Man Adam (1985). He also portrayed Captain Murrhardt in M*A*S*H (1970) and Porter in Where the Buffalo Roam (1980).

Goldman voiced the pedantic Brainy Smurf (1981–89) on the animated series The Smurfs. He returned to the voice of Brainy Smurf for the television show Robot Chicken in a segment titled "Murder in Smurf Town X" that parodied the movie Se7en. The show's creators remarked that of all the casting coups on their show, of which there are many, their greatest was getting Goldman to voice Brainy Smurf in The Smurfs. He would reprise the role several more times on Robot Chicken, whenever Brainy Smurf appears in a sketch, up until the sketch "House of Smurfs" (a parody of House of Cards), where, from here on, Brainy would be voiced by Skeet Ulrich.

For nearly 30 years, Goldman was a casting director of television commercials in Hollywood.

Death

Goldman died in his home in Los Angeles on 12 April 2020, from complications of two strokes.

Filmography

• MASH (1970) as Capt. Murrhardt
• The Strawberry Statement (1970) as Charlie
• Beware! The Blob (1972) as Bearded Teenager
• The World's Greatest Athlete (1973) as Leopold Maxwell
• The Long Goodbye (1973) as Bartender (uncredited)
• Why (1973) as The Businessman
• Busting (1974) as Mr. Crosby
• Win, Place or Steal (1974) as Froggy
• Young Frankenstein (1974) as Medical Student
• Linda Lovelace for President (1975) as Bruce Whippoorwill
• Tunnel Vision (1976) as Barry Flanken
• The Missouri Breaks (1976) as Baggage Clerk
• Beyond Death's Door (1979)
• Swap Meet (1979) as Ziggy
• Where the Buffalo Roam (1980) as Porter
• Wholly Moses! (1980) as Scribs
• Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1984–1987, TV Series) as Ozzie "The Answer"
• My Man Adam (1985) as Dr. Blaustein
• General Hospital (1991, TV Series) as Clarence Darrow
• Mighty Max (1994, TV Series) as Marlin Curt / Cyberskull (voice)
• Free (2001) as Dr. Franklin Gibbles
• The King of Queens (2005) as Jacob
• Criminal Minds (2011–2012, TV Series) as Detective Bob Zablonsky (final film role)

External links

• Danny Goldman at the Internet Movie Database