Tovah Feldshuh, born Terri Sue Feldshuh on December 27, 1948, in New York City, is an American actress, singer, and playwright renowned for her remarkable contributions to theater, film and television.
Raised in Scarsdale, New York, in a Jewish family, she is the daughter of Lillian and Sidney Feldshuh, a lawyer.
Feldshuh’s journey into the performing arts began with a name change inspired by a youthful romance—adopting her Hebrew name “Tovah” over her birth name Terri Sue.
A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, she initially performed under the stage name “Terri Fairchild” before embracing her heritage and original surname as Tovah Feldshuh.
Siblings
Tovah has one sibling, her brother David Feldshuh, who has also made a significant mark in the arts.
Born to, Lillian and Sidney Feldshuh, David is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright best known for his powerful work Miss Evers’ Boys.
The play, which explores the ethical dilemmas of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, earned critical acclaim and was later adapted into a television movie featuring Laurence Fishburne and Alfre Woodard.
David’s theatrical roots, like Tovah’s, were nurtured during their time in Minnesota, where both siblings credit the Guthrie Theater as a launching pad for their careers.
Career
Feldshuh’s career spans an impressive range of mediums and genres, showcasing her as a dynamic force in entertainment.
She made her Broadway debut in 1973 in the musical Cyrano, opposite Christopher Plummer, and soon rose to prominence with her starring role in Yentl, first off-Broadway and later on Broadway, embodying the spirited Jewish woman defying tradition.
Also Read: Kevin Grevioux Siblings: Getting to Know Steve Grevioux
Her portrayal of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in Golda’s Balcony became the longest-running one-woman show in Broadway history, cementing her status as a theatrical icon.
Other notable Broadway roles include the trapeze-swinging Berthe in Pippin, Mama Rose in Gypsy, and Mrs. Brice in the 2022 revival of Funny Girl, where she succeeded Jane Lynch.
Beyond the stage, Feldshuh has left an indelible mark on television and film.
She gained international recognition for her role as Helena Slomova in the 1978 miniseries Holocaust and portrayed defense attorney Danielle Melnick across multiple seasons of Law & Order, later reprising the character as a judge in Chicago Justice.
Her film credits include A Walk on the Moon, Kissing Jessica Stein, and Brewster’s Millions, while her television work extends to recurring roles like Deanna Monroe in The Walking Dead and Naomi Bunch in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Feldshuh’s versatility also shines in her cabaret performances, such as Tovah: Out of Her Mind!, which toured globally, and her memoir Lilyville: Mother, Daughter, and Other Roles I’ve Played, published in 2021, offering a personal lens on her life and career.
Accolades
Feldshuh is a six-time Emmy and Tony nominee, with four Tony nominations for Best Actress in a Play (Yentl, Golda’s Balcony), Best Actress in a Musical (Sarava), and Best Featured Actress in a Play (Lend Me a Tenor).
Her two Emmy nods came for her performances in Holocaust and Law & Order.
Feldshuh has won four Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, three Dramalogues, an Obie, a Theatre World Award, and both the Helen Hayes and Lucille Lortel Awards for Best Actress.
Her role as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Sisters-in-Law garnered two Best Actress nominations in Los Angeles.
Beyond awards, she has received three honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters, the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award, the Israel Peace Medal, and Hadassah’s Myrtle Wreath and Mother of the Year Award, reflecting her impact both on and off the stage.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
