Lee J. Cobb (December 9, 1911 – February 11, 1976) was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men (1957) and his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront (1954). He also held the role of Willy Loman in the original Broadway performance of Arthur Miller's 1949 play Death of a Salesman under the direction of Elia Kazan..