Press photo · PD-US

George Segal became a leading man in the 1960s and 70s while keeping his unchanged Jewish surname, at a time when that was still unusual in Hollywood, helping open the door for actors after him. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and worked steadily across comedy and drama for half a century, from California Split to The Cable Guy. He was also an accomplished banjoist.