Norman Lloyd, who went from Hitchcock villain to St. Elsewhere star in a decades-long career, dies at 106

Variety

Lloyd worked with everybody from Charles Chaplin to Alfred Hitchcock to Judd Apatow, starring in movies from the 1940s through the 2010s. On TV, he was best known for playing St. Elsewhere's wise old physician Dr. Daniel Auschlander, the chief of services at St. Eligius hospital, throughout its 1982-1988 run, appearing in the memorable snow globe final scene. Lloyd was a cornerstone of St. Elsewhere. His character was supposed to die in the pilot, but Lloyd's performance proved so good that he was written into the series. “He had enormous spunk,” said St. Elsewhere showrunner Tom Fontana. “He knew how to reserve his energy. When the director said ‘action’ he was ready to go. And whatever he did, he’d give it the old Norman twist that made what we’d written better for his performance.” Fontana adds: “He was completely open to any new adventure. Here’s a guy who had worked with Hitchcock and Welles and yet here he was with us doing this crazy show and breaking all the rules. He totally embraced it. He was the biggest cheerleader for the writers. He was totally game for the serious stuff and the crazy funny stuff.” Fontana also recalled Lloyd, then in his mid-70s, agreeing to film a scene where his character flies in a Superman-esque costume. Lloyd also starred on Hitchcock's TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents after memorable roles in the iconic director's films Saboteur and Spellbound. He went on to recur as a district attorney on The Practice and guest-starred on a 2015 episodes of Modern Family.