Tony Roberts, a flexible, Tony Award-nominated theatre performer at dwelling in each performs and musicals and who appeared in a number of Woody Allen motion pictures – usually as Allen’s finest pal – has died. He was 85.
Roberts’ loss of life was introduced to The New York Occasions by his daughter, Nicole Burley.
Roberts had a genial stage persona good for musical comedy and he originated roles in such numerous Broadway musicals as How Now, Dow Jones (1967); Sugar (1972), an adaptation of the film Some Like It Sizzling, and Victor/Victoria (1995), by which he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway within the stage model of her in style movie. He additionally was within the campy, roller-disco Xanadu in 2007 and The Royal Household in 2009.
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“I’ve by no means been significantly fortunate at card video games. I’ve by no means hit a jackpot. However I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate in life,” he wrote in his memoir, Do You Know Me?, “Not like lots of my buddies, who did not know what they needed to develop into after they grew up, I knew I needed to be an actor earlier than I acquired to highschool.”
Roberts additionally appeared on Broadway within the 1966 Woody Allen comedy Do not Drink the Water, repeating his position within the movie model, and in Allen’s Play It Once more, Sam (1969), for which he additionally made the film.
Different Allen movies by which Roberts appeared had been Annie Corridor (1977), Stardust Recollections (1980), A Midsummer Night time’s Intercourse Comedy (1982), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Radio Days (1987).
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“Roberts’ assured onscreen presence – to not point out his tall body, broad shoulders and brown curly mane – was the right foil for Allen’s varied neurotic characters, making them extra humorous and satisfying to look at,” the Jewish Every day Ahead wrote in 2016.
In Eric Lax’s guide Woody Allen: A Biography, Roberts recalled a sophisticated scene in A Midsummer Night time’s Intercourse Comedy that Allen shot again and again – even after the movie had been edited – to get his meant impact.
“If you return to see (Allen’s work) two, three, 4 occasions, you start to see the superb quantity of artwork in it, that nothing is unintentional,” Roberts mentioned.
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Amongst his different motion pictures had been Serpico (1973) and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).
He was nominated twice for a Tony Award – for How Now, Dow Jones and Play It Once more, Sam, when he was billed as Anthony Roberts.
One in every of Roberts’ largest Broadway successes was Charles Busch’s hit comedy The Story of the Allergist’s Spouse (2000), by which he performed the title character’s husband.
Roberts, who made his Broadway debut in 1962 within the short-lived One thing A few Soldier, additionally was a alternative in a few of its longest-running hits together with Barefoot within the Park, Guarantees, Guarantees, They’re Taking part in Our Tune, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, The Sisters Rosensweig and the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Firm revival of Cabaret.
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“I used to be fortunate sufficient to get in on the final years of the Golden Age of Broadway. In that period there was much more occurring that appeared to have prime quality about it and nice conviction,” he instructed Broadway World in 2015.
In London, he starred with Betty Buckley within the West Finish manufacturing of Guarantees, Guarantees, enjoying the Jack Lemmon position on this stage model of The Condo.
Roberts’ tv credit embody the short-lived collection The 4 Seasons (1984) and The Lucie Arnaz Present (1985) in addition to visitor spots on such well-known exhibits as Homicide, She Wrote and Legislation & Order.
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Roberts was born in New York on October 22, 1939, and is the son of radio and tv announcer Ken Roberts.
“I used to be raised in the midst of lots of actor discuss,” he instructed the AP in 1985. “My cousin was Everett Sloane, who was a really high quality actor. My father’s mates had been largely actors. I am positive that not directly I wanted to show myself of their eyes.”
He attended the Excessive Faculty of Music and Artwork in New York and graduated from Northwestern College in Illinois.
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His marriage to Jennifer Lyons resulted in divorce. He’s survived by his daughter, the actor Nicole Burley.
He first met Allen backstage when he was starring in Barefoot within the Park, having changed Robert Redford. Roberts had unsuccessfully auditioned 4 occasions for Allen’s first Broadway play, Do not Drink the Water. Seeing Roberts carry out in Barefoot within the Park satisfied Allen that Roberts was value casting. In accordance with his memoir, Allen instructed him, “You had been nice. How come you are such a awful auditioner?”
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