Born in New York City; educated at CCNY, Columbia (Graduate School of Engineering). Big little character player of the American stage, screen and TV. As a youngster, he appeared with his mother, Ada Steinberg Jaffe, on the Yiddish stage. He was a teacher, then dean of math at the Bronx Cultural Institute before resuming his stage career with the Washington Square Players in 1915. He subsequently appeared in numerous stage productions, making his film debut in 1934 in THE SCARLET EMPRESS. A spunky, dynamic character player, he achieved enormous screen and stage presence despite his small, frail physique. He won the Venice Festival best actor award for his performance as a cool-headed crime mastermind in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950). Also memorable as the ancient Lama in LOST HORIZON (1937) and in the title role of GUNGA DIN (1939). Other notable credits during this period include 13 RUE MADELEINE and GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (both 1947), THE ACCUSED (1949), and I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (both 1951). For a time during the 1950s Jafee was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses supposedly for being a Communist sympathizer. Despite being blacklisted, he was hired by director William Wyler for his role in the Academy Award-winning version of BEN-HUR (1959). Subsequent notable films include THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY (1969), BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS (1971), and his last film, NOTHING LASTS FOREVER (1984). He played Dr. Zorba in the "Ben Casey" TV series, which also featured his scond wife, Bettye Ackerman. His first wife, actress Lillian Taiz Jaffe, died in 1941. (Not to be confused with a talent agent by the same name who produced a number of films.)  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1950: THE ASPHALT JUNGLE 1 nomination