fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

Richard Robert Latessa (September 15, 1929 – December 19, 2016) was an American stage, film, and television actor.

Dick Latessa
Born	(1929-09-15)September 15, 1929 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	December 19, 2016(2016-12-19) (aged 87) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Resting place	Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio
Occupation	Actor
Notable credit(s)	The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N Hairspray Promises, Promises
Awards	Tony Award (2003) Drama Desk Award (2003)

Early life

Latessa was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1929.[1] After serving in the Army in maybe 1952, he began performing in Cleveland before moving to New York in 1959 to pursue acting professionally.[2]

Stage career

He made his Broadway debut in The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N in 1968. His subsequent theatre credits include Follies, Rags, The Cherry Orchard, Damn Yankees, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Awake and Sing!, Cabaret, The Will Rogers Follies and Hairspray, for which he won both the Tony- and Drama Desk awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2012, he appeared opposite Linda Lavin in the Nicky Silver drama, The Lyons.[3]

Latessa was featured in several Neil Simon plays, including Chapter Two, I Ought to Be in Pictures, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, Rumors and Proposals. He was featured in the 2010 revival of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David musical, Promises, Promises as Dr. Dreyfuss.[4]

Film and television career

Latessa's screen credits include The Substance of Fire, Alfie, and Stigmata. He appeared in numerous television movies, including Izzy and Moe, The Trial of Bernhard Goetz, and Pudd'nhead Wilson, and such primetime series as Get Smart, Mission: Impossible, Ironside, Spenser: For Hire, The Sopranos, Ed, and Law & Order. He is widely known as the second and most recognized actor to play Noel Douglas on The Edge of Night. He later played Neil Hayes on One Life to Live.

Death

Latessa died on December 19, 2016 of heart failure in New York City, aged 87.[2]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	The Substance of Fire	Mr. McCormack sr
1997	Better Than Ever	Mr. Mayhew
1999	Stigmata	Father Gianni Delmonico
2003	The Event	Uncle Leo
2004	Alfie	Joe
2005	The Great New Wonderful	Jerry Binder
2007	The Last New Yorker	Ruben
2010	A Buddy Story	Grandpa

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2003	Tony Award	Best Featured Actor in a Musical	Hairspray	Won
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical		Won
	Outer Critics Circle Award	Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical		Won
2010			Promises, Promises	Nominated

References

External links

• Dick Latessa at the Internet Broadway Database
• Dick Latessa at IMDb
• Dick Latessa at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• TonyAwards.com Interview with Dick Latessa
• Dick Latessa at Find a Grave

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