Actor Steven Hill, best known for his roles as District Attorney Adam Schiff on “Law & Order” and Dan Briggs on the “Mission: Impossible” TV series, has died. In a 1983 interview with the New York Times, Hill said he’d been inspired to explore Judaism after playing Sigmund Freud in “A Far Country”, a play in which a character screamed at the modern psychology founder: “You’re a Jew!” He later told The New York Times that the legalese used on “Law & Order” made it “like acting in a second language”.
Advertisement
Hill had honed his craft in the years immediately after World War II, taking classes at the Actors Studio in NY with Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift.
Hill, born Solomon Krakovsky in Seattle, Washington, made his professional acting debut in the 1946 production of “A Flag Is Born”, a controversial Zionist play by Ben Hecht.
While known for his TV roles, Hill was a standout in NY theater and an original member of The Actors Studio in NY. He appeared on several hit shows and was in the original cast of “Mission Impossible”, but was forced to leave after a year due to his unavailability for rehearsals on Friday night and Saturday. The actor remained with the show for its first 10 seasons, shooting more than 225 episodes of the popular procedural.
In the 1960s, after having established himself in television and on Broadway, Hill became Orthodox.
After he left the show in 2000, Hill remained visible on TV for a time as the no-nonsense pitchman in commercials for TD Waterhouse Investor Services.
However, was replaced by Peter Graves for the duration of the drama. He said later he believed the sabbatical improved his acting ability.
Advertisement
Hill also had a robust film career, spanning from 1950’s A Lady Without Passport to 1993’s The Firm. He also appeared as a mob kingpin in Raw Deal (1986), and starred as New York District Attorney Bower in Legal Eagles, a 1986 film.
