Lee J. Cobb Lee J. Cobb Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby, December 8, 1911February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He is best known for his performances in "12 Angry Men" (1957), "On the Waterfront" (1954), and "The Exorcist" (1973). He also played the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway production of Arthur Miller's 1949 play "Death of a Salesman" under the direction of Elia Kazan. On television, Cobb starred in the first four seasons of the Western series "The Virginian". He typically played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but often had roles as respectable figures such as judges and
Fredric March whereupon director Elia Kazan cast Lee J. Cobb as Willy, and Arthur Kennedy as one of Willy's sons, Biff Loman, two men that the director had worked with in the film "Boomerang" (1947). March later regretted turning down the role and finally played Willy Loman in Columbia Pictures's 1951 film version of the play, directed by Laslo Benedek, receiving his fifth and final Oscar nomination as well as a Golden Globe Award. March also played one of two leads in "The Desperate Hours" (1955) with Humphrey Bogart. Bogart and Spencer Tracy had both insisted upon top billing and Tracy withdrew,