A tall, balding, Jewish-American character actor with a prominent nose and bushy mustache, Bernard debuted onscreen at age 13 in the Yiddish film Green Fields (1937). He went on to do much stage and screen work, alternately as heavies and good guys; he often played cops and gangsters. Bernard is best known for his work on Broadway in productions such as Fiddler on the Roof and The Man of La Mancha. He has also appeared on TV in regular roles on the Peter Gunn and Arnie series, as well as supplying the voice for numerous cartoon characters including the Jolly Green Giant and Charlie the Tuna.