Tony Roberts (actor)
Tony Roberts | |
---|---|
![]() Roberts in 2019 | |
Born | David Anthony Roberts October 22, 1939 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1962–present |
Spouse |
Jennifer Lyons
(m. 1969; div. 1975) |
Children | 1 |
David Anthony "Tony" Roberts (born October 22, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in six Woody Allen movies—most notably Annie Hall—often playing Allen's best friend.
Early life
Roberts was born in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Norma (née Finkelstein), an animator, and CBS radio announcer Ken Roberts.[1][2] His family is Jewish.[3][4][5] He had a sister, Nancy, and is the cousin of late actor Everett Sloane.[6] Roberts attended The High School of Music & Art[7] and Northwestern University, and made his Broadway debut in 1962, with a role in the play Something About a Soldier.
Career
Film
Roberts is best known for his collaborations with Woody Allen. In Annie Hall, he portrayed Alvy Singer's best friend Rob. Other Allen films and/or plays in which he has appeared include both the Broadway and film versions of Play It Again, Sam (directed by Herbert Ross), Radio Days (in which his father had a voice role), Stardust Memories, Hannah and Her Sisters, A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, and Woody Allen's segment for The Concert for New York City.
Roberts memorably portrayed the badgering Deputy Mayor Warren LaSalle in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. He also appeared in the Sidney Lumet films Serpico and Just Tell Me What You Want. Roberts was in the 1983 horror film Amityville 3-D portraying John Baxter, the owner of the infamous possessed house.
Roberts was featured in 2014's The Longest Week opposite Jason Bateman.
Theater
Roberts's Broadway credits include Barefoot in the Park; How Now, Dow Jones; Murder at the Howard Johnson's; Promises, Promises; Sugar (the musical version of the movie Some Like It Hot); The Sisters Rosensweig; They're Playing Our Song; Victor/Victoria; The Tale of the Allergist's Wife; Arsenic and Old Lace; and Cabaret. In 1998 he played Buddy Plummer in Stephen Sondheim's Follies at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. In 2007, Roberts returned to Broadway in the roller-disco rock musical Xanadu.
Television and radio
On television, Roberts was the third actor to play Lee Pollock on The Edge of Night. He has appeared in numerous series such as The Carol Burnett Show, Matlock, and Law & Order. In 1977, he starred in the short-lived series Rosetti and Ryan with Squire Fridell.
In 1978, he guest starred on The Love Boat; he and Lauren Tewes's character, cruise ship director Julie McCoy, fell in love but didn't pursue a relationship. (Roberts's character, a widowed father of two girls, eventually married someone else, much to Julie's regret).
He starred (with Penny Fuller, who had played his wife on The Edge of Night) on the ABC comedy The Thorns. (Millee Taggart, who had succeeded Fuller in the role on The Edge of Night was the co-creator and co-producer of the series.) He was a regular performer on the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Roberts also provides the narration on many of the audiobooks in Stuart Woods's Stone Barrington novels.
Filmography
- The Trials of O'Brien (1965) - Charlie
- The Edge of Night (1965–1966) - Lee Pollock
- A Guide for the Married Man (1969, TV Movie)
- Men at Law (1970) - Jack Halbert
- The Million Dollar Duck (1971) - Fred Hines
- Star Spangled Girl (1971) - Andy Hobart
- Play It Again, Sam (1972) - Dick
- Serpico (1973) - Bob Blair
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) - Warren LaSalle
- Le Sauvage (1975) - Alex Fox
- Annie Hall (1977) - Rob
- The Girls in the Office (1979, TV Movie) - Mike Holden
- Just Tell Me What You Want (1980) - Mike Berger
- Stardust Memories (1980) - Tony
- A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982) - Maxwell
- Amityville 3-D (1983) - John Baxter
- Key Exchange (1985) - David Slattery
- Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) - Norman - Mickey's Ex-partner (uncredited)
- Seize the Day (1986) - Bernie Pell
- Radio Days (1987) - 'Silver Dollar' Emcee
- 18 Again! (1988) - Arnie Watson
- Fist Fighter (1989)
- Law & Order (1991–2010) - Senator Bryce Peterson, Paul Redfield, Nicholas Bennett, Lucas Pollard
- Popcorn (1991) - Mr. Davis
- Switch (1991) - Arnold Freidkin
- Our Sons (1991) - Harry
- Apologies to Bunuel (1996) - Steve
- Dead Broke (1998) - Walter
- The Concert for New York City: "Sounds from a Town I Love" (2001) - Man on Bench
- My Best Friend's Wife (2001) - Mr. Epstein
- Twelve and Holding (2005) - Doctor
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2008) - Ziggy Gold
- The Longest Week (2014) - Barry the Therapist
- Dirty Dancing (2017) - Max Kellerman
References
- ^ "Tony Roberts, Star File: Broadway.com Buzz". Broadway.com. 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ^ Shapiro, T. Rees (2009-06-28). "Golden-Throated Announcer Introduced Soap Operas". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ^ "'Death rattle of the world – with laughs'". Thevillager.com. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ^ HighBeam
- ^ http://www.jewishjournal.com/hollywood/article/woody_allens_sidekick_shares_all
- ^ Movie Reviews, Showtimes and Trailers - Movies - New York Times
- ^ "Notable Alumni," Alumni & Friends of LaGuardia High School website. Accessed Feb. 29, 2016.
External links
- Tony Roberts at IMDb
- Tony Roberts at the TCM Movie Database
- Tony Roberts at the Internet Broadway Database
- Tony Roberts at Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Tony Roberts - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org
- Tony Roberts article in The New York Observer
- 1939 births
- Male actors from New York City
- American male film actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- Jewish American male actors
- Living people
- People from Manhattan
- Northwestern University School of Communication alumni
- The High School of Music & Art alumni
- American male comedy actors