- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRobert Alan Morse
- Nickname
- Bobby
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- With that impish, gap-toothed grin, nervous bundle of energy, Robert Morse could never be contained long enough to become a film star. The live stage would be his calling.
He was born Robert Allen Morse on May 18, 1931, in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of May (Silver) and Charles Morse, who worked at a record store. His father was of German Jewish descent and his mother was of Russian Jewish ancestry. He developed an interest in performing in high school. Moving to New York, he joined elder brother Richard who was already studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Robert made his debut with the musical "On the Town", in 1949, and trained with Lee Strasberg, before making his inauspicious film debut in The Proud and Profane (1956), but movie offers were few. Instead, he brightened up the lights of Broadway as "Barnaby Tucker" in "The Matchmaker" (and in the film version of The Matchmaker (1958)), as well as in "Say, Darling" (Tony nomination in 1958), "Take Me Along" (Tony nomination in 1959) and his best-known role as the ever-ambitious "J. Pierpont Finch" in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", in which he finally won the Tony, in 1961, while singing his signature song, "I Believe in You", to himself in the mirror. He took that role to film, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967), six years later.
Morse's best movie roles also came in the 60s, as a Britisher arranging his uncle's funeral in the cult favorite, The Loved One (1965), and as Walter Matthau's philandering buddy/advisor in A Guide for the Married Man (1967). His offbeat musical talents were used for the intriguing experimental James Thurber-like TV series, That's Life (1968), with E.J. Peaker, which combined sketches, monologues and musical interludes, but the show lasted only one season.
Overall, Bobby's work has never been less than interesting with no gray areas in his performances -- ranging from bizarre to irritating, from frenzied to fascinating. After earning acclaim and another Tony-nomination as the cross-dressing musician on the lam in "Sugar", a Broadway musical version of Some Like It Hot (1959), Morse appeared less and less -- his eccentricities proving both difficult to cast and to deal with.
Following an unfulfilling stint on the daytime soap, All My Children (1970), he came back in grand style in the one-man tour de farce, Tru (1992), based on the life of the equally-eccentric Truman Capote - a perfect fit, if ever there was one, between actor and role. With this role, Bobby became one of the choice few to ever win Tony awards for both a musical and dramatic part. At the age of 85, Morse returned to the lights of Broadway in the 2016 revival of "The Front Page" starring Nathan Lane.
Robert continued to be seen in odd roles from time to time, such as "Grandpa" in the revamped TV movie, Here Come the Munsters (1995). Into the millennium, he focused on TV work. He made a huge dramatic impression as an advertising agency founder Bertram Cooper on the popular series Mad Men (2007) and earned five Emmy nominations. He also impressed as Dominick Dunne on the series American Crime Story (2016) and provided the TV voice of Santa Claus in the animated short series Teen Titans Go! (2013).
Married twice, his five children include actresses Andrea Doven, Hilary Morse and Robin Morse. Robert Morse died on April 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. He was 90.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
- SpousesElizabeth Cosby Roberts(1989 - April 20, 2022) (his death, 2 children)Carole D'Andrea(April 8, 1961 - 1981) (divorced, 3 children)
- Children
- Gap between two front teeth
- Short stature
- Father, with Carole D'Andrea, of actresses Andrea Doven, Hilary Morse, and Robin Morse. Father with his second wife Elizabeth Cosby Roberts, of Allyn Morse and Charles Robert Morse.
- Had won two Tony Awards: in 1962, as Best Actor (Musical) for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," a role he recreated in the film version, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967); and in 1990 as Best Actor (Play) for "Tru," a one-man show in which he played Truman Capote and a performance he recreated on television as Tru (1992). He was also nominated for Tony Awards three other times: once as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic), in 1959 for "Say, Darling;" and twice as Best Actor (Musical), in 1960 for "Take Me Along" (an Award won by co-star Jackie Gleason) and in 1973 for "Sugar.".
- Hollywood, CA: The Egyptian Theater as a guest star to answer questions after the showing of the movie, The Loved One (1965).
- Friends with, among others, Michele Lee and Angela Lansbury.
- His great-great-uncle, his great-grandfather's brother, was Leopold Morse, a Democratic Party politician who was a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts, from 1877 to 1885, and 1885 to 1887. Leopold was born in Wachenheim, Bavaria and moved to the U.S. c. 1849, where he was among New Hampshire's early Jewish residents.
- John Lithgow was absolutely wonderful in 'Dexter,' there's no doubt about it.
- I think you always have to keep your eye open and take advantage of anything that may come your way.
- I think I'm pretty much down to earth, and I'm not really way, way out there.
- I like the normal things of life: I like the Mets, and the Celtics, and the N.Y. Rangers. I like to watch C-Span; I love Costco.
- I lead a simple life. I get residuals. I have a family; we're doing alright.
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