Rex Everhart

Rex Everhart (June 13, 1920 – March 13, 2000) was an American actor.

Everhart appeared in such films as Superman, in 1978. He was also known for his role as Enos the Truck-Driver in the horror film, Friday the 13th (1980). He provided the voice of Maurice, Belle's father, in the 1991 musical animated Disney film, Beauty and the Beast.

Everhart performed in numerous roles on Broadway including 1776, Chicago, Woman of the Year and the revival of Anything Goes. He was nominated for a 1978 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Musical) for Working.

Early life and education Everhart was born on June 13, 1920, in Watseka, Illinois, to Dr. Arthur McKinley Everhart and Jeanette M. (née Dodson) Everhart. His mother died when Everhart was 15. Everhart attended Western Military Academy in 1935 and graduated in 1938. Everhart studied at the University of Missouri and received a degree in theater at the Pasadena Playhouse and a bachelor's and master's degrees at New York University. He studied acting in Manhattan with Paul Mann, Martin Ritt and Curt Conway.

Career Everhart started his theatre career in 1939, worked in regional and repertory theaters including the Phoenix Theater, Yale Repertory Theater and seven seasons at The American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. Everhart also served to 1st lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1947. He appeared in Pasadena Playhouse productions, acted and directed shows for NYU and acted at Sarah Stamms Theatre in Newport, Rhode Island, and at the Margo Jones Theatre in Dallas. Having made his 1955 Broadway debut in No Time for Sergeants, In 1969, he was the understudy to Howard Da Silva in the role of Benjamin Franklin in the musical 1776. Da Silva suffered a heart attack just before the show's opening, and Everhart took over the role until Da Silva was well enough to return. Because of Da Silva's illness, Everhart performed the role on the original Broadway cast recording (Da Silva was finally able to record the role when 1776 was filmed in 1972). When 1776 was revived on Broadway in 1997, Everhart again served as the understudy for the role of Benjamin Franklin. In 1978, Everhart was nominated for a Featured Actor Tony Award for his role in the musical, Working.

The actor's television career, which started back in days of live broadcasting, included series, plays, films, soap operas and TV commercials. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Everhart appeared in several commercials for Snickers and Snickers Munch Peanut Brittle. Appearing in 16 feature films, Everhart gave his last film performance as the voice of Belle's father, Maurice in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.

Personal life Everhart married Jill Reardon on February 11, 1944. The two divorced in 1957 and had no children. In 1960, he met actress Claire Violet (née Richard), when they were appearing in the Broadway musical Tenderloin. They were married on December 21, 1962 and had a daughter named Degan, born in 1966. Everhart lived for 37 years in Westport, Connecticut.

Death Everhart died at a Branford, Connecticut, hospice of lung cancer on March 13, 2000, at age 79, three months short of his 80th birthday.

Filmography and performances Stage Year Title Role Notes 1955–1957 No Time for Sergeants A Colonel, Lt. Abel, Sergeant King Also was Assistant Stage Manager. 1959 Tall Story Clark 1959 The Moonbirds Mr. Perisson 1959 Lysistrata Drunk 1959–1960 Pictures in the Hallway Principal 1960 Peer Gynt Aslak, Herr Von Eberkopf 1960 Henry IV, Part 1 Bardolph 1960 Henry IV, Part 2 Bardolph 1960–1961 Tenderloin Joe 1963 A Rainy Day in Newark Lionel Davis, John T. Kodiak 1965–1966 Skyscraper Stanley 1967–1968 How Now, Dow Jones Bradbury 1969–1972 1776 Benjamin Franklin Rex Everhart, who was Da Silva's understudy, replaced him on the original Broadway cast album after Da Silva suffered a mild heart attack, which required him to leave the show temporarily. Everhart would also play in the 1997 revival. 1973–1974 The Iceman Cometh Pat McGloin 1975–1977 Chicago Amos Hart 1978 Working Herb Rosen, Booker Page Nominated – Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical 1981–1983 Woman of the Year Maury 1985 The Playboy of the Western World Michael James Flaherty 1986 Rags "Big Tim" Sullivan 1987–1989 Anything Goes Elisha Whitney

Film Year Title Role Notes 1965 Who Killed Teddy Bear? Rude Customer 1973 The Seven-Ups Inspector Gilson 1978 Matilda ASPCA attendant #1 1978Superman Desk Sergeant (Superman's 1st Night) 1980 Friday the 13th Enos, The Truck Driver 1987 The Rosary Murders Father Skiarski 1989 Family Business Ray Garvey 1991 Beauty and the Beast Maurice Voice

Television