E.M. Margolese (1920-2001) was a Canadian character actor who appeared in Jim Henson's experimental TV drama The Cube (billed as Moe Margolese), in the dual roles of the father-in-law and Dr. Bingham. Margolese began his career as a child actor in the Montreal Yiddish Theatre. He appeared in 1950s television plays on the likes of General Electric Theater, and made his film debut in Sidney Lumet's 1964 race drama The Pawnbroker, playing Rod Steiger's brother-in-law. He subsequently appeared on such CBC series as The Forest Rangers, Seaway, Corwin, and the historical mini-series Reluctant Nation as Premier John Norquay of Manitoba. On stage, he directed productions of West Side Story, The Threepenny Opera, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for the University of Toronto.
In the 1970s, Margolese migrated to America, where he picked up guest roles on The Jeffersons, Little House on the Prairie (as a comic Jewish father-in-law), The Powers of Matthew Star, T.J. Hooker (with William Shatner), and MacGyver. He returned to Canada in the late 1980s, making further appearances on such shows as Night Heat and Katts and Dogs. His final on-camera role was in a 1999 episode of Due South, as a kindly hot dog vendor.
Character Gallery[]
