Yank Azman

Yank Azman (born October 19, 1947) is a Canadian television and film actor.

Yank Azman
Yank Azman
Born	Jankiel (Jank) Zajfman (aka Jack Zaifman) (1947-10-19) October 19, 1947 (age 77) Bad Wörishofen, Germany
Occupation(s)	Actor, voice actor, antique dealer
Years active	1969–present
Spouse	Pulver Zajfman ​ (m. 1969)​
Website	http://www.yankazman.com

Early life

Azman was born in a displaced persons camp in Bad Wörishofen, Germany to Cesia (née Waishand), a sales clerk, and Kuba Zajfman, a tailor and furrier, Holocaust survivors from Chmielnik, Poland.^[1] They emigrated to Canada in 1948 and settled in Toronto where he attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute and later the Ontario College of Art^[2] (now known as OCAD University) and the University of Toronto.

Career

Although his first stage appearance was at age six,^[3] his professional acting career began with the CBC Television series Toby^{[citation needed]} in 1968. By the 1970s after training at Young People's Theatre and The Second City, he was working in improvisational and children's theatre with Gilda Radner^[4] and in 1974 was cast as one of an ensemble (which included Valri Bromfield and Jayne Eastwood) to star on the CTV comedy series Funny Farm.^[5] During the 1970s he appeared on stage at: Factory Theatre's Hurray for Johnny Canuck^[6] with Maury Chaykin and Jim Henshaw; Theatre Passe Muraille in Bethune; and Theatre New Brunswick as Brighella in Goldoni's Servant of Two Masters^[7] among others. Since then he has worked steadily in film and television^[8] with such roles as Tom Shaughnessy on My Life as A Dog and frequent guest appearances on such shows as Murdoch Mysteries.

Second career

He began a lifelong interest in art and antiques after being inspired by Painters Eleven artist Harold Town while working together on the Canadian Centennial project at William Lyon Mackenzie C.I.^[9] In 1979, he started supplying antiques as props^[10] for the movies and to retail stores such as Polo Ralph Lauren^[11] and then opened a shop at the Harbourfront Antique Market. Toronto Life Magazine called him the "friendliest dealer in town."^[12] He has made numerous guest appearances as an antiques expert^[13] on such television shows as Room Service with Sarah Richardson on HGTV,^[14] Breakfast Television on Citytv and in 2002 he hosted a television pilot called Flea Market Millionaire^[15] for the Discovery Channel. Azman has also lectured on antiques at the CITT (Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology) at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University)^[16] and on Material Culture at the Faculty of Liberal Studies at Ontario College of Art & Design.

Voice acting

Azman has long worked as a voice actor and has voiced several characters in animated series such as Starcom: The U.S. Space Force and The Adventures of Tintin.

Personal life

Azman is married to Canadian artist^[17][18] & antique dealer Pulver Zajfman^[19] and lives in Toronto and Miami Beach. He is a member of Mensa^[20] and has a mild form of dyscalculia.

Filmography

Yank Azman film and television credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1968	Toby	Un­known		[citation needed]
1974	Funny Farm	(regular)	6 episodes. As Jank Zalfman	[5]
1989	Sing	Mr. Frye	Theatrical film	[21]
1989	Millennium	Evacuation Worker	Theatrical film	[21]
1990	My Secret Identity	Un­known	1 episode	[22]
1991	Mark Twain & Me	Reporter #3	Television film	[21]
1992	Counterstrike	Inspector Campbell	Episode: "Cyborg" (as Jank Azman)
1994	Seeds of Deception	Medical Board Member	Television film. AKA The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story	[21]
1994	My Breast	Dr Norton	Television film	[21]
1995	Butterbox Babies	Mr. Stone	Theatrical film	[21]
1995	Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story	Arnold Scopes	Television film	[22]
1995	The Wharf Rat	Funeral Director	Television film	[21]
1996	Gotti	Judge Nickerson	Television film	[21]
1996	Steve Martini's Undue Influence	Jack's Lawyer	Television film	[21]
1996	We the Jury	Henry Otis	Television film	[21]
1996	My Life as A Dog	Tom Shaughnessy	3 episodes
1998	More Tears	Larry Golden		[21]
1998	Bone Daddy	MacDougall	Theatrical film	[21]
1998	Giving Up the Ghost	Cousin Albert	Television film	[21]
1998	The Scandalous Me: Jacqueline Susann Story	Producer No 2	Television film	[21]
1999	Cruel Justice	Judge Conrad Simms	Television film	[21]
1999	Dash and Lilly	Doctor	Television film	[21]
1999	The Lady in Question	Medical Examiner	Television film	[21]
2000	Deliberate Intent	Trial Judge	Television film	[21]
2001	Haven	Papa Stern	Television film	[21]
2001	Judgment	Colin McMahon	Theatrical film
2004	Evel Knievel	Accountant	Television film	[21]
2018	Murdoch Mysteries	Peddler	1 episode