In the TV pilot of Superior Donuts, we meet donut-shop owner Arthur Przybyszewski. He’s grumpy because his Chicago neighborhood is changing, experiencing gentrification. When he hires young Franco Wicks (Jermaine Fowler) to work at the donut shop, Franco promises to bring Superior Donuts into the 20th century. Arthur corrects him, “You mean the 21st century.” Franco says with a smug smile, “No.”
Arthur is portrayed by Judd Hirsch. He’s known for his roles on The Goldbergs (Pop Pop Goldberg), The Big Bang Theory (Leonard’s father Dr. Alfred Hofstadter), Damages (Bill Herndon), Numb3rs (Alan Eppes), Dear John (John Lacey), and Taxi (Alex Reiger), among many others. Hirsch is also well recognized for his roles in the films A Beautiful Mind (Helinger), Ordinary People (Berger), and Without a Trace (Al Menetti). Fun fact: Hirsch won 2 Emmys, 2 Tonys, and was nominated for an Oscar (Ordinary People). Superior Donuts airs Thursdays at 8:30pm on CBS.
