Jan 5, 2023 20:16:02 GMT -5. The New York Times has reported that stage and screen actor Nehemiah Persoff has passed away at 102 years old. According to his IMDb, he had begun acting in 1948 all the way through 2003. Nehemiah Persoff (born August 2, 1919) was a former American film and television character actor. Discovered by Charles Laughton and cast in his production of "Galileo" in 1947, Persoff made his film debut a year later with an uncredited bit in The Naked City (1948).Short, dark, chunky-framed and with a distinct talent for dialects, Persoff became known primarily for his ethnic villainy, usually playing authoritative Eastern Europeans.In a formidable career which had him portraying everything from cab drivers to Iosif Stalin, standout film roles would include Leo in The Harder They Fall (1956) with Humphrey Bogart, Gene Conforti in Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956), Albert in The Sea Wall (1957) and gangster Johnny Torrio in Al Capone (1959). I recited the portion I knew by heart, and I ad-libbed, he wrote. Im not running down the joys I had in my life, he writes. Nehemiah Persoff Birthday. Peter Pan (Apr 24, 1950 - Jan 27, 1951) Performer: Nehemiah Persoff [Cecco . Nehemiah Persoff, an actor who went from the uncredited role of a cab driver in On The Waterfront 's iconic "coulda been a contender" scene to become one of the busiest character actors in. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 1919-08-02. He lived in the town of Cambria on the central Californian coast. Persoff's son. Almost 30 years ago, Persoff quit acting after suffering a minor stroke and found it almost impossible to stand on his feet for any length of time. Adding up the ages of questioner and responder yielded a total of almost two centuries, matching the longevity of some of their Biblical ancestors. In Barbra Streisands Yentl (1983), Mr. Persoff played the father of an Orthodox Jewish girl (Ms. Streisand) who poses as a boy so that she can study in a yeshiva. Travis Scott punches 52-year-old sound engineer in the face and causes $12,000 of damage at . Jonathan tries to reunite a Soviet emigre and her long-lost son; guests Nehemiah Persoff, Liam Sullivan. See Nehemiah Persoff full list of movies and tv shows from their career. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. He left behind the only friends he knew. When Persoff was 10, his family left Israel and moved to New York, all but shattering the boy. Nehemiah Persoff Height and Physical Info. He coolly tells a furious Bogart that out of the $1 million gate for a championship fight, the storys overmatched boxer will receive $49.07. contestant stuns fans with cringey hobby: 'I know I'm old', 2023 Billboard Women in Music Awards: Lana Del Ray, Kim Petras, & more, RHOA star Drew Sidora accuses ex Ralph Pittman of cheating, mental abuse, Original Gone With The Wind script reveals secret war over slavery, cut scenes, Kanye West and 'wife' Bianca Censori look surprisingly happy on dinner date. If John Wayne, as the hero, rides up and calmly pumps the other guy full of lead, the victim must be a really bad guy so that the audience will stay on the heros side that means Ive played a lot of gangsters in my life, observed Persoff. Nehemiah Persoff, a character actor who appeared in dozens of films and television shows including "Some Like It Hot" and "Yentl," died Tuesday. Courteney Cox tries viral 'Friends' filter and fails t Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Mike McCarthy shreds ex-Cowboys coordinator after firing, 'Jeopardy!' Known for his roles in such classic films as Some Like It Hot (as "Little Bonaparte") and Yentl (as Rebbe Mendel), this 20th-century screen actor also appeared in episodes of television series such as Route 66, Five Fingers, and Mission: Impossible. Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine [now Jerusalem, Israel], Thia Persov (22 August1951 - present)( 4 children), Norma Newton (5 December1945 - ?) Persoff died Tuesday night at an acute care facility in San Luis Obispo, California, his son Dan told The Hollywood Reporter. The great character actor Nehemiah Persoff, whose many roles included the mobster 'Little Bonaparte' in Some Like It Hot, has died at the grand old age of 102. In 1959s Judgment Night, the 10th episode of CBS The Twilight Zone, Persoff starred as a U-Boat captain condemned to a horrible, recurring afterlife after he orders the sinking of a British cargo liner in 1942. Nehemiah Persoff was born on August 2, 1919 and is 103 years old now. Nehemiah Persoff, Jewish character actor who played over 200 roles, dies at 102 Persoff was adept at portraying gangsters and other assorted no-goodniks in classics such as 'Some Like It Hot'. Barbra Streisand paid tribute to her Yentl co-star Nehemiah Persoff following his death at age 102; . As of his centenary in August 2019 he and his wife. She said, Lets read,' he recalled in a 2008 interview forFilmsof the Golden Age. Movie Actors. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Horror legend dead at 93: Ricou Browning was Creature From the Black Lagoon, Vanessa Bryant awarded $29M in suit over Kobe helicopter crash photos, Sizemores family deciding end-of-life matters after brain aneurysm, Hayden Panettieres brothers cause of death revealed, Charles Laughtonand cast in his production of Galileo.. He had four children (Jeff, Perry, Dan and Dahlia) with his wife, jewelry designer Thia Persoff; they were married from 1951 until her death from cancer in February 2021. He played the uncredited taxi driver in Elia Kazan's The Law of Silence and, due to his imposing physical appearance, often played villainous roles. He also is survived by his grandchildren, Bridget, Stacey, Joey, Michelle and Jacqueline. scene with, When the Actors Studio was formed in 1947 he was in the first "beginner's" class directed by. When Persoff was 10, his family left Israel and moved to New York, all but shattering the boy. 10:00 AM. I couldve been a somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.. It was submitted by Byrle, 29 years old. MikaelaArsenault. Richard Belzer was a Jewish comedian. . Nehemiah Persoff, best known for his roles in Yentl and Some Like It Hot, has died at the age of 102. Persoff got his first part as an extra in The Naked City (1948). Some of his more legendary TV roles during that time included on The Untouchables, The Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Marcus Welby, M.D., Baretta, The Six Million Dollar Man, Little House on the Prairie, Hawaii Five-0 and Star Trek: The Next Generation., Not just a star on the small screen, the prolific dramatist appeared in a slew of hit films as well, including Humphrey Bogarts final movie roleThe Harder They Fall(1956), Some Like It Hot, The Greatest Story Ever Told and Yentl, in which he portrayed Mendel, the father of Barbra Streisands titular character. He is 102 years old and is a Leo. especially being that this version of the board turns 10 years old in late June. His initial job at a motor repair shop earned him just a handful of dollars, but he upped this to a princely $35 a week when he landed a job as a New York subway electrician. 157. The late actor came to the United States with his family in 1929 and, after showing off his acting chops during his bar mitzvah, spent many summers working in theater before breaking into the film and television industry. Gary Brumburgh / gr-home, Other Works 10/30/62), Los Angeles. Thanks for contacting us. After doing tons of research, his name is Nehemiah Persoff and he is a whopping 102 years old! This Orthodox Jewish model made history at New York Fashion Week, 80 years later, Thessalonikis documentary film festival to pay tribute to deported Jews, Why American Eagle now has a mezuzah at its Times Square flagship. Following schooling at the Hebrew Technical Institute of New York, he found a job as a subway electrician doing signal maintenance until an interest in the theater altered the direction of his life. He was 102. Most Popular #28197. In more light-heartened turns, Persoff voiced the violin-playing Papa Mousekewitz inAn American Tail(1986) and its sequels and an exiled Latin American dictator named Pancho Hernando Gonzalez Enriques Rodriguez on Gilligans Islandon a 1965 episode said to be series creator Sherwood Schwartzs favorite. In Elia Kazans On the Waterfront (1955), audiences got a glimpse of Persoff as the cab driver in the iconic I cudda been a contender scene between Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger. Birthday: August 2, 1919. Persoff has popped up with guest roles in countless iconic TV shows like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mission: Impossible and Gunsmoke. He has also voiced Papa Mouskewitz, the patriarch of beloved cartoon mouse immigrant Fievel, across the American Tail franchise, spanning four films and multiple video games. Gilligans Island Cast Then And Now 2022, Frasier Star John Mahoney Was A Man Of The Stage And Screen Before His Death In 2018, A House Hunters Star Alleges Just How Staged The Show Can Be. He celebrated his 100th birthday in 2019. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 102 years old? The rest of his family was not so fortunate, so when he came home for dinner, he acted out all the parts for an audience consisting of his parents and siblings. From 1949-59, Persoff was in 11 Broadway plays, includingPeter Panwith Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff,Peer Gynt with Garfield, andTiger at the Gateswith Michael Redgrave. Kazan began to speak and told us his aim was to create a group of actors who work as he does, who speak his language, and that the people assembled in this room were the cream of the talent available. Performer: Nehemiah Persoff [Ingrid's Father, The Troll King] PlayRevival. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? LOS ANGELES ( JTA) When actor, painter and writer Nehemiah Persoff, at times dubbed "the last survivor of Hollywood's golden age," was a 3-year old growing up in Jerusalem, he fell in love. Official Sites. (He got $75 for that gig. . " Nehemiah Persoff Popularity . Almost 30 years ago, Persoff quit acting after suffering a minor stroke and found it almost impossible to stand on his feet for any length of time. Why didnt his obituaries say so? Yet he was most associated with the dapper gangsters he portrayed in the movies and on television. It was true that Persoff was a centenarian. Bob Stack was so nose-in-the-air stuck up, he was so correct and superior, so aristocratic, that without any effort on my part it brought out the rebel in me, he told the magazine Cinema Retro. His first role was as a walk-on as Karl Marx, for a show attended mainly by Communist party members. Can you guess who it is? Movie Actor. Nehemiah Persoff, a prolific character actor known for his roles in The Twilight Zone, Yentl and countless others, died Tuesday at 102. Actor Nehemiah Persoff, who started out as an uncredited, silent cab driver in the "On the Waterfront" "contender" scene and went on to become a prolific character actor, has died at age 102. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff emigrated with his family to America in 1929. Nehemiah Persoff is a character actor whose prolific career in film and television spanned 50 years, from the late 1940s to the end of the '90s. LOS ANGELES (JTA) When actor, painter and writer Nehemiah Persoff, at times dubbed the last survivor of Hollywoods golden age, was a 3-year old growing up in Jerusalem, he fell in love with his kindergarten teacher. Arriving in New York in 1929, at the start of the Great Depression, Persoff and his parents soon discovered that, contrary to mythology, the streets of America were not paved with gold. In his early career he worked under the name "Nick Perry" because he was afraid his Jewish name would alienate some prejudiced people. Yet there is a price to pay for everything My understanding at this point is that the actor should not have to live the part Acting is a distillation of certain moments in life, but its not life itself., But looking back, I am so happy that I became an actor. Nehemiah Persoff was a prolific character actor whose many memorable roles included Rebbe Mendel, the father of Barbra Streisand's character in "Yentl." Died: April 5, 2022 ( Who else died on. Persoff retired from acting in 1999 and pursued painting, specialising in watercolours. Persoff also voiced Papa Mousekewitz in the 1986 animated film An American Tail and its three subsequent films, which were among his final film credits ahead of his 1999 retirement. 10/23/56), New York City. Over five decades in the industry, Persoff appeared in a variety of films including Humphrey Bogart's final film The Harder They Fall (1956), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), The People Next Door (1970), Psychic Killer (1975), Yentl with Barbra Streisand (1983) Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Twins (1988) and 4 Faces (1999). All my life I promised myself that if Israel were to fight for its existence, I would be fighting alongside my brothers and sisters, he said. He was 102 years old. He was one of the last living actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Published on February 27, 2023 12:45 PM. He joined amateur groups and subsequently won a scholarship to the Dramatic Workshop in New York. After declining health and high blood pressure forced him to slow down, Persoff took up painting in 1985, studying sketching in Los Angeles. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After Persoff retired from acting, he pursued painting, specializing in watercolors. Update Soon. He rented a 200-seat theater, but on opening night only 11 seats were filled. Im not running down the joys I had in my life, he writes. he is one of famous Actor with the age 101 years old group. Long "bombarded" with Zionism, he felt that his true. Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine [now Jerusalem, Israel], View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Nehemiah attended the Hebrew Technical Institute to study the electricians trade, and his first job was as a signal maintenance worker on the old IND subway line. While there, he also met his future wife, Thia, whom he credited with keeping my feet on the ground. She died earlier this spring. His most prominent roles included three tenderly caring parents: a Jewish refugee escaping the Nazis and hoping to reunite with his daughter in Havana in the 1976 film Voyage of the Damned; the father of an Orthodox Jewish girl in early-20th-century Poland who poses as a boy so that she can study in a yeshiva, in Barbra Streisands Yentl (1983); and the voice of the father of Fievel Mousekewitz, the Russian Jewish mouse who emigrates to the United States to escape marauding cats, in the 1986 animated feature An American Tail and its sequels. A family friend shared Persoff's passing with Deadline. August 22, 1951 - 2021 (her death, 4 children), An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster, An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island, Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine [now Jerusalem, Israel]. Nehemiah Persoff Is A Member Of . 5/18/55), New York City. Persoff is still alive as of mid-January 2022. Born in what is now part of Israel, Persoff emigrated with his family to the United States in 1929. The fledgling actor went on to appear in a smorgasbord of iconic TV series of the decade, including Goodyear Playhouse, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Playhouse 90 and The Twilight Zone. In the latter, he played Carl Lanser in the 1959 episode Judgment Night, in which a man finds himself on a ship in the Atlantic, not knowing who he is, nor how he got there., Persoffs career blossomed in the 60s, 70s, 80s and even into the 90s. His name is Nehemiah Persoff, who is 102 years old. Nehemiah was born in Jerusalem in 1919. A family friend confirmed the screen icon's passing. Per Deadline and THR, Persoff's death comes one year after his wife Thia died of cancer, and he is survived by children Daniel, Jeff, Perry and Dahlia, and grandchildren Bridget, Stacey, Joey, Michelle and Jacqueline. ( divorced). Two of his lines from that movie are often quoted by film buffs. It was a wonderful 60 years, he said, but at this time in my life, I love solving problems on the canvas; trying to find the beauty and essence of a subject. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff immigrated with his family to America in 1929. Later stage work included well-received productions of "I'm Not Rappaport" and his biographical one-man show "Sholem Aleichem".After declining health and high blood pressure forced him to slow down, Persoff took up painting in 1985, studying sketching in Los Angeles. | Nehemiah Persoff, Jewish character actor, dies at 102 The Israeli-born performer, who died Tuesday from heart failure in his home of San Luis Obispo, California, at the age of 102, appeared in . Some people are indeed interested in the weight and height of celebrities, but there is a more important question to ask. So, how much is Nehemiah Persoff worth at the age of 102 years old? . His first bit part was in the 1948 film noir Naked City, but it was another small part that brought him to widespread attention: He was the silent cabdriver in the memorable taxi scene in On the Waterfront (1954). Adding up the ages of questioner and responder yielded a total of almost two centuries, matching the longevity of some of their Biblical ancestors. The veteran character actor died earlier this month at the age of 102. While there, he also met his future wife, Thia, whom he credited with keeping my feet on the ground. She died earlier this spring. On the Waterfront. Nehemiah Persoff was born in Jerusalem, Israel on August 2, 1919. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Nehemiah Persoff was a Jewish-American actor who worked frequently as an actor in the 40s, 50s and 60s, appearing in more than 200 television series, films, and plays in a career spanning over 50 years, beginning after World War II. Photo: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty, Richard Belzer, 'Law & Order: SVU' Star, Dead at 78, Barbra Streisand Mourns Yentl Costar Nehemiah Persoff After His Death at 102: 'I'll Miss You Papa', Our Favorite (Underrated!) He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and plays in a career spanning over 50 years, beginning after World War II. Born 102 years ago in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff was the son of two founding members of the first Hebrew-language theater company in pre-state Israel. Now, with some 200 stage, film and television credits on his resume, including roles in screen classics Some Like It Hot, Yentl, The Wrong Man and An American Tail, Persoff sits in an easy chair propping up his legs at his home in the California coastal community of Cambria, recalling the high and low points of a very full life. Persoff is not religious but, he declared, I am part of the whole Jewish experience Its great to be a Jew.. But the visit to Israel reopened an old scar for Persoff his failure to return to his home country to fight in the 1948-49 War of Independence. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and theatre productions and also performed as a voice artist in a career spanning 55 years, beginning after his service in the United States Army during World War II. Nehemiah Persoff Dies: Prolific Actor Of 'Yentl', 'The Twilight Zone', 'Gunsmoke' & Many More Was 102. At this point, he has completed some 250 watercolors, which have drawn considerable praise and buyers. Persoff's son. Dahlia Persoff (b. Arriving in New York in 1929, at the start of the Great Depression, Persoff and his parents soon discovered that, contrary to mythology, the streets of America were not paved with gold. Below the table, you can find all the information about his birthday. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 14 August. >> Read more trending news Persoff. His face appears briefly after one of film lores most famous conversations, when Marlon Brando tells Rod Steiger: I couldve had class, I couldve been a contender. DK. In 1975, he was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his supporting role in The Dybbuk at the Mark Taper Forum. He left behind the only friends he knew. He demonstrated some acting skills during his bar mitzvah, he wrote in his 2021 autobiography, The Many Faces of Nehemiah. The Stars of That '70s Show: Where Are They Now? Perry Erez Persoff (b. And hes perfected that mode of acting, with a wide variety of credits playing gangsters, villains and other stock character types, along with his fair share of rabbis. All my life I promised myself that if Israel were to fight for its existence, I would be fighting alongside my brothers and sisters, he said. Birth Place: Jerusalem, Israel Country: United States. Hub is smitten with Alice; Del is partner in a new bus line; the boy's basketball team is challenged to an exhibition game. Following schooling at the Hebrew Technical Institute of New York, he found a job as a subway electrician doing signal maintenance until an interest in the theater altered the direction of his life. Nehemiah Persoff (2 August 1919 - 5 April 2022) was an American centenarian, actor, and painter. I was in heaven., Nearly a century later, the now-102-year old reminisced, I learned then that I could make people believe my exaggerations and make fiction accepted as truth. Born in Jerusalem and immigrated to the United States in 1929, he is the second oldest living actor and the other Hollywood centenarian. As he related in a memoir even as a three year old in Jerusalem, he realized that . | That same year he played another gangster, the small role of Little Bonaparte, in Some Like It Hot (1959).He was a durable performer during TV's "Golden Age" (Gunsmoke (1955), The Twilight Zone (1959)) and well beyond (Chicago Hope (1994), Law & Order (1990)), playing hundreds of intense, volatile and dominating characters.In later years, his characters grew a bit softer as Barbra Streisand's Jewish father in Yentl (1983) and the voice of Papa Mousekewitz in the An American Tail (1986) will attest. His most memorable supporting role may have been his outsize parody of a mobster, Little Bonaparte, in the classic Billy Wilder comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff emigrated with his family to America in 1929. In 1947, he was accepted into the Actors Studio and . It paid him $38 a week, more than his father earned. His four children with his wife Thia Persov (b. Persoff spent most of his fortune visiting the neighborhood movie theater. , money, salary, income, and assets. Generation generation). Persoff was born in Jerusalem, British mandate Palestine on 2 August 1919. When Barbra Streisand sang the Oscar-nominated song "Papa, . He starred in a 1965 episode of Gilligan's Island titled The Little Dictator. Currently, Nehemiah Persoff is 103 years, 6 months and 23 days old. He also was on CBS Mission: Impossiblethree times, though to one observer, he appeared to be on much more. Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff immigrated with his family to America in 1929. As we read, I looked at her and thought, What courage you have to take on this film, to write, direct, act and sing. I read, Yentl, Im so proud of you, and at that moment, the emotion welled up in me., He had told this story in 2001 when Streisand received her Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. Persoff's grandson, Joey Persoff, shared that he passed away due to heart failure. Hollywood film veteran Walter Mirisch has died at 101 years old. Nehemiah Persoff, a charter member of the Actors Studio who appeared in dozens of notable films and TV shows, fromSome Like It HotandOn the WaterfronttoThe Twilight ZoneandThe Untouchables, has died. A family friend confirmed the screen icons passing in a statement to Deadline. When Persoff was 10, his family left Israel and moved to New York, all but shattering the boy. On stage, the actor has to project vocally so he can be heard in the last seats of the balcony. For decades Mr. Persoff was one of most recognizable faces on television, by face if not by name; he was seen on hundreds of shows, beginning in the late 1940s. A post shared by JustinLBush (@justinlbush). 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Murray Abraham Tapped for Performer of the Year Award (Exclusive), Rihannas Puma x Fenty Is Coming Back Heres Where You Can Still Buy Those Cult-Fave Creepers, The Best Bridesmaid Dresses for Every Budget, From Under-$100 Gowns to Hollywood-Inspired Classics, BTS Army: Heres When and Where Legos Dynamite-Inspired Set Arrives Online and In Stores, From Makeup Must-Haves to Skin Care Superstars, These Black-Owned Beauty Brands Are Best-Sellers, Lord of the Rings: Amazon, Warner Bros. Ready for Tolkien Battle, How the Landscape of Native-Led Stories Has Changed Between Avatars: Were Flexing Our Sovereignty, The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News. Mr. Persoff as the real-life mobster Jake Guzik in a 1962 episode of the TV series The Untouchables. He portrayed the gangster Waxey Gordon in another episode. Very few actors, living or dead, could claim to have the career of Nehemiah Persoff. After an extensive make-up job, but not a single line of dialogue, Persoff walked on the stage. But just at this time my career in the United States was really opening up, so I stayed here. Nehemiah Persoff, best known for being a Movie Actor, was born in Jerusalem on August 2, 1919. Danny DeVito. When actor, painter and writer Nehemiah Persoff, at times dubbed the last survivor of Hollywoods golden age, was a 3 year old growing up in Jerusalem, he fell in love with his kindergarten teacher. His big-screen rsum also includedThis Angry Age(1957),Never Steal Anything Small(1959),Green Mansions(1959),The Hook(1963),Fate Is the Hunter(1964),The Greatest Story Ever Told(1965),The People Next Door(1970),Psychic Killer (1975), Martin ScorsesesThe Last Temptation of Christ(1988),Twins(1988) and4 Faces(1999). Renowned TV and film actor Nehemiah Persoff, known for "The Twilight Zone," "Gunsmoke," and more, is dead at 102 years old. Nehemiah Persoff played Barbra Streisand's father in her 1983 film Yentl. Persoff starred in the one-man showSholem Aleichemon regional stages and inFiddler on the Roof, too. When it was time for my close-up, Kazan whispered in my ear to imagine that the guy behind you killed your mother. When I saw the film, I was surprised to see how effective the close-up turned out.. Publicity Listings (Nehemiah Persoff/Photo illustration by Grace Yagel) (JTA) When actor, painter and writer Nehemiah Persoff, at times dubbed "the last survivor of Hollywood's golden age," was a three-year. 5/4/60), Los Angeles. Dan Deckel Persoff (b. Film Yentl living actor and the Other Hollywood centenarian only 11 seats filled. Spends money, more than his father earned indeed interested in the and! 102 years old now the Naked City ( 1948 ) his four children with family! The real-life mobster Jake Guzik in a 1965 episode of Gilligan & # x27 ; s passing with.! Actor has to project vocally so he can be heard in the movies and on television worth. 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