In the 1980s, Orbach shifted to film and TV work full-time. Prominent roles included tough, corrupt NYPD narcotics detective Gus Levy in Sidney Lumet's "Prince of the City"; he was the 1981 runner-up for the NSFC Best Supporting Actor award. He also portrayed gangsters in both the action-thriller "F/X" and the Woody Allen drama "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (the latter of which also featured his future "Law & Order" co-star Sam Waterston). In 1985, Orbach became a regular guest star on "Murder, She Wrote" as private detective Harry McGraw, which led to him starring in the short-lived spin-off series "The Law & Harry McGraw". In 1987, he was featured in the hit film "Dirty Dancing" as Dr. Jake Houseman, the father of Jennifer Grey's character "Baby". He made further TV appearances on popular shows such as "The Golden Girls" (for which he received his first Emmy nomination), "Who's the Boss?", and "Frasier" (as a guest caller).