NEW YORK – Tony Roberts, a flexible, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at residence in each performs and musicals and who appeared in a number of Woody Allen motion pictures — typically as Allen’s greatest pal — has died. He was 85.
Roberts’ demise was announced to The New York Instances by his daughter, Nicole Burley.
Roberts had a genial stage character excellent 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), wherein he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway within the stage model of her standard movie. He additionally was within the campy, roller-disco “Xanadu” in 2007 and “The Royal Household” in 2009.
“I’ve by no means been notably fortunate at card video games. I’ve by no means hit a jackpot. However I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate in life,” he write in his memoir, “Do You Know Me?” “In contrast to lots of my buddies, who didn’t know what they needed to change into once they grew up, I knew I needed to be an actor earlier than I obtained to highschool.”
Roberts additionally appeared on Broadway within the 1966 Woody Allen comedy “Do not Drink the Water,” repeating his function within the movie model, and in Allen’s “Play It Once more, Sam” (1969), for which he additionally made the film.
Different Allen movies wherein 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).
“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 gratifying to observe,” The Jewish Daily Forward wrote in 2016.
In Eric Lax’s e book “Woody Allen: A Biography,” Roberts recalled an advanced scene in “A Midsummer Night time’s Intercourse Comedy” that Allen shot time and again — even after the movie had been edited — to get his meant impact.
“Once you return to see (Allen’s work) two, three, 4 instances, you start to see the wonderful quantity of artwork in it, that nothing is unintended,” Roberts mentioned.
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.
Certainly one of Roberts’ greatest Broadway successes was Charles Busch’s hit comedy “The Story of the Allergist’s Spouse” (2000), wherein he performed the title character’s husband.
Roberts, who made his Broadway debut in 1962 within the short-lived “One thing A couple of Soldier,” additionally was a substitute in a few of its longest-running hits together with “Barefoot within the Park,” “Guarantees, “Guarantees,” “They’re Enjoying Our Track,” “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway,” “The Sisters Rosensweig” and the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Firm revival of “Cabaret.”
“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 top quality about it and nice conviction,” he told Broadway World in 2015.
In London, he starred with Betty Buckley within the West Finish manufacturing of “Guarantees, Guarantees,” taking part in the Jack Lemmon function on this stage model of “The Residence.”
Roberts’ tv credit embody the short-lived sequence “The 4 Seasons” (1984) and “The Lucie Arnaz Present” (1985) in addition to visitor spots on such well-known reveals as “Homicide, She Wrote” and “Regulation & Order.”
Roberts was born in New York on Oct. 22, 1939, the son of radio and tv introduced Ken Roberts.
“I used to be raised in the midst of plenty of actor speak,” he advised the AP in 1985. “My cousin was Everett Sloane, who was a really wonderful actor. My father’s mates had been principally actors. I am positive that in a roundabout way I wanted to show myself of their eyes.”
He attended the Excessive College of Music and Artwork in New York and graduated from Northwestern College in Illinois.
His marriage to Jennifer Lyons led to 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 instances for Allen’s first Broadway play, “Don’t Drink the Water.” Seeing Roberts carry out in “Barefoot within the Park” satisfied Allen that Roberts was value casting. In keeping with his memoir, Allen advised him, “You had been nice. How come you’re such a awful auditioner?”
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