Jordan Charney
Appeared in over 200 television episodes and 50 films between 1968 and 2015, often as the bureaucratic foil in a suit.
Born 1937 (age 89)·American character actor·Birthday: April 1·The Silent Generation
Biography
Jordan Charney played Nathan Hertzberg on the soap opera 'One Life to Live' for 284 episodes from 1979 to 1989, a role that embedded his precise, officious delivery into daily American culture. His face first gained recognition as the dismissive network executive who cancels the Mary Tyler Moore show in the 1974 series finale of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show.' Charney specialized in roles projecting institutional authority or mild menace: police captains, doctors, lawyers, and corporate executives. He logged guest appearances on every major procedural of the 1970s and 80s, including 'Kojak,' 'Hill Street Blues,' 'Cagney & Lacey,' and 'Murder, She Wrote.' His film credits include the district attorney in 'The Andromeda Strain' (1971) and a senator in 'All the President's Men' (1976). Charney's consistency stemmed from an economical style—he conveyed backstory through a tightened jaw or a weary sigh, never superfluous gesture. He provided the necessary friction that made protagonists seem more heroic, a utility player in the engine of narrative conflict.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Jordan was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jordan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Jordan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 89 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed Nathan Hertzberg on 'One Life to Live' for a decade (1979-1989)
- Appeared in the landmark series finales of both 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (1974) and 'Newhart' (1990)
- Guest-starred on over 100 different television series throughout his career
Did You Know?
Served in the United States Army before studying acting at the Actors Studio.
His brother, actor Zvee Scooler, was a noted Yiddish theater performer.
Played two different characters on 'Law & Order' 18 years apart (1991 and 2009).
“The job is to say the lines truthfully and get out of the way. The suit does half the work.”
