As possibly the oldest actor originating in Chicago, Mike Nussbaum dies at ninety-nine. On Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, the veteran actor was only a few days shy of turning one hundred before passing from natural causes.
His daughter, Karen Nussbaum, confirmed his passing as comfortably at home as she stayed by his side at the time of death. Unknowingly to others, the actor spent the past year under the care of a medical hospice. For nearly a century Nussbaum made himself a staple of the Chicago acting scene.
The veteran actor found himself a recipient of many accolades for movies, however, most of his influence came in theater. He can only be described as a titan of the acting theatre by coworkers and students. Northlight Theatre Art Director, BJ Jones, a longtime friend and coworker, saw Nussbaum’s experience in the career as something akin to a “theatre father,” At Nussbaum’s passing, Jones could only describe it as the “end of an era.”
Mike was the dean of the Chicago school of acting…His approach was as pure and as simple, yet as difficult, as truth. He could not lie on stage.
For a brief year, Nussbaum held the same position as his friend Jones. However, he still visits frequently to monitor the ongoings of the theatre. Nussbaum worked at popular theatres such as the Chicago Shakespeare, Stephen Wolf, and Goodman theatre.
He also cofounded a the Northlight Theatre, with two close coworkers, Gregory Kandel, and Frank Galata, in 1975. The Northlight Theatre is a recipient of many awards as a non-profit theatre company. The theatre serves as a company responsible for the many elements you see in a producing theatre. This includes work on casting, set constructions, Director and design collaborations, and show production elements, like ticketing, promotional images, and post-show production.
Nussbaum Awards and Show Highlights
Despite his old age surpassing what we commonly see in the show business, Nussbaum’s last role was not that long ago. Age the ripe age of ninety-five, he appeared in the theater “Hamlet” in 2019.
He appeared in more shows than a person can count on one hand. He is most notable for his work in the movie, Men in Black, as well as “Field of Dreams.” However, Nussbaum recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the League of Chicago Theaters in 2019. During that year he gained the title as the oldest working member of Actor’s Equity.
Interviews in 2019 gave insight into Nussbaum’s ambition to continue playing roles in his old age:
I’m lucky. Genetic luck. I work out and I try to eat sensibly. I gave up smoking about 50 years ago. It’s just pure luck – I’m lucky: Chicago has given me chances that I don’t think I would’ve gotten in New York. There’s no real fame here, not like in New York. And your salary doesn’t go up when you win a Jeff, not like when you win a Tony. But I’ve gotten steady work, great work, and all I ever wanted to do was act.
Just a handful of the plays that Nussbaum appears in are, “Life in the Theater,” “The Shawl,” “American Buffalo,” and the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Glengarry Glen Ross.”
In the end, Nussbaum’s claim for not leaving L.A. like the rest of his close coworkers, was because of the “inauthenticity.” He found that his life is more balanced in Chicago and even recalls certain encounters with joy such as boarding the bus and “someone come up and say ‘I loved you in such-and-such’.”
Written by Brielle R. Buford
Sources
Chicago Sun-Times: Mike Nussbaum, veteran Chicago stage actor, dies at 99
Hindustan Times: Men in Black star Mike Nussbaum dies at 99 after one year in hospice
Daily Herald: Chicago titan’s final bow: Actor, director, Northlight co-founder Mike Nussbaum dies
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Devyn Caldwell’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Melinda Young Stuart’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
