Hirsch grew up in New York and studied engineering at The City College of New York and architecture at Cooper Union before beginning his acting studies at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at the HB Studio in New York.

He began his stage career in 1964 at The Woodstock Playhouse playing Murray Burns in Herb Gardner's A Thousand Clowns. In 1966 he played the comic telephone man in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park on Broadway. His distinguished track record in the theater includes a string of Off-Broadway performances beginning in 1968-69 with Bruce Jay Friedman's Scuba Duba, followed by Jean Claude Van Itallie's King of the United States, Mystery Play (1972), Lanford Wilson's Hot L Baltimore (1973) and Jules Feiffer's Knock, Knock (1975). He created the role of Matt Friedman in Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning Talley's Folly (1979), and won an Obie Award for his achievements Off-Broadway in 1979. In 1983 he played Trigorin in The Seagull. Two years later, he starred with his old friend Cleavon Little in Gardner's I'm Not Rappaport, winning the Outer Critics Circle Award. In 1996, he appeared in Below the Belt.

On Broadway, he won the Drama Desk Award for Knock Knock (1976); appeared as George Schneider in Neil Simon's Chapter Two (1977); was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk awards for his performance in Lanford Wilson's Talley's Folly (1980), and won the Tony for I'm Not Rappaport (1986). He starred in Broadway and won the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Tony once more for creating the part of Eddie Ross, the overpowering bartender, in Gardner's Conversations with My Father (1992), then took the play to Los Angeles, Scarborough, England, and eventually the Old Vic in London (1995). In 1996, he appeared as Murray Burns in A Thousand Clowns for the Roundabout Theatre. In 1998-99, he starred in Art on Broadway, and then went to London and on the national tour with the show.

Hirsch launched his television career as Public Defender Murray Stone in the Emmy Award - winning telefilm The Law. He starred in the drama series Delvecchio and was Alex Rieger in the critically acclaimed classic series Taxi. He was nominated for a Best Actor Emmy every season of the show's run and won twice (1981, 1983). From 1988-92, he was John Lacey in the hit TV comedy series Dear John, which brought him the Golden Globe for Best Actor in 1988. In 1997-98, he starred in the comedy series George Leo with Bob Newhart.

Hirsch was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Ordinary People (1980). His film credits also include King of the Gypsies (1978), Without a Trace (1983), Teachers (1984), Herb Gardner's The Goodbye People (1984), Sidney Lumet's critically acclaimed Running on Empty (1988), Independence Day (1996) and Man on the Moon (1998).

Filmography

• "Numb3rs" (54 episodes, 2005-2007)
• "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (1 episode, 2006)
• "Tom Goes to the Mayor" (1 episode, 2006)
• Brother's Shadow (2006)
• Zeyda and the Hitman (2004)
• Who Killed the Federal Theatre (2003)
• "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (1 episode, 2003)
• "Street Time" (1 episode, 2003)
• "Regular Joe" (1 episode, 2003)
• "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1 episode, 2003)
• "Philly" (1 episode, 2002)
• A Beautiful Mind (2001)
• "Family Law" (1 episode, 2001)
• "Welcome to New York" (1 episode, 2000)
• Out of the Cold (1999)
• Rocky Marciano (1999)
• "George & Leo" (1 episode, 1997)
• Color of Justice (1997)
• "Caroline in the City" (1 episode, 1996)
• Independence Day (1996)
• Betrayal of Trust (1994)
• Lights: The Miracle of Chanukah (1993)
• "Dear John" (36 episodes, 1988-1992)
• She Said No (1990)
• The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988)
• Running on Empty (1988)
• Brotherly Love (1985)
• First Steps (1985)
• "Detective in the House" (1985)
• Teachers (1984)
• The Goodbye People (1984)
• "Taxi" (114 episodes, 1978-1983)
• Without a Trace (1983)
• The Robert Klein Show (1981)
• Ordinary People (1980)
• Marriage Is Alive and Well (1980)
• The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (1979)
• Sooner or Later (1979)
• King of the Gypsies (1978)
• "Rhoda" (2 episodes, 1977)
• "Delvecchio" (1 episode, 1977)
• "Visions" (1 episode, 1976)
• The Keegans (1976)
• Two Brothers (1976)
• The Legend of Valentino (1975)
• "Medical Story" (1 episode, 1975)
• Fear on Trial (1975)
• "The Law" (1975)
• The Law (1974)
• Serpico (1973)
• Jump (1971)

Awards

• Tony Leading Actor in a Play "Conversations With My Father" 1992
• Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Series-Musical or Comedy "Dear John" 1989
• Tony Leading Actor in a Play "I'm Not Rappaport" 1986
• Emmy Outstanding Lead in a Comedy Series "Taxi" 1982 - 83
• Emmy Outstanding Lead in a Comedy Series "Taxi" 1980 - 81
• OBIE Award Performance "Talley's Folly" 1978 - 79
• Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play "Knock, Knock" 1976