Dick Latessa

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1996 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

Stage + Year Title Role Notes 1964 Pimpernel! 1st Spy Gramercy Theatre, Off-Broadway 1968 The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N Giovanni Pastora Alvin Theatre, Broadway 1971 Follies Major-Domo Winter Garden Theatre, Broadway 1975 Philemon Cockian Portfolio Theatre, Off-Broadway 1978 Chapter Two George Schneider/Leo Schneider (Standby) Imperial Theatre, Broadway 1980 I Ought to be in Pictures Herb (Repalcement) Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Broadway 1980 Passione Renzo Morosco Theatre, Broadway 1983 Brighton Beach Memoirs Jack Jerome (Replacement) Alvin Theatre, Broadway 1983 American Kicks Up Its Heels Boris Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 1984 Awake and Sing! Myron Berger Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway 1984 Diamonds Performer Circle in the Square, Off-Broadway 1986 Rags Avram Cohen Mark Hellenger Theatre, Broadway 1986 Broadway Bound Jack (Replacement) Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 1988 Rumors Ernie Cusack (Replacement) Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 1991 The Will Rogers Follies Clem Rogers Palace Theatre, Broadway 1992 A Man in his Underwear Daniel Shannon Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 1992 Juno Jack Boyle Long Wharf Theatre 1994 Damn Yankees Van Buren Marquis Theatre, Broadway 1996 Fit to be Tied Carl Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 1996 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Senex (Replacement) St. James Theatre, Broadway 1997 Proposals Burt Hines Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 1998 Cabaret Herr Schultz (Replacement) Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway 2001 Chaucer in Rome Ron Lincoln Center Theater, Off-Broadway 2002 Hairspray Wilbur Turnblad Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway 2010 Promises, Promises Dr. Dreyfuss Broadway Theatre, Broadway 2012 The Lyons Ben Lyons Cort Theatre, Broadway

Awards and nominations