Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Kelsey Grammer
birth name	Allen Kelsey Grammer
birth date	February 21, 1955
birth place	Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
years active	1980–present
notable works	Dr. Frasier Crane on ''Cheers'' and ''Frasier''
occupation	Actor, comedian, producer, director, writer, voice artist
spouse	Doreen Alderman (1982–1990; divorced; 1 child)Leigh-Anne Csuhany (1992–1993; divorced)Camille Donatacci (1997–2011; divorced; 2 children)Kayte Walsh (2011–present) }}

Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcoms ''Cheers'' and ''Frasier''. He has been nominated for fourteen Emmy Awards, including one for playing his character on three sitcoms, and has also worked as a television producer, director, writer, and as a voice artist. He has also received many accolades for his role as the voice of Sideshow Bob on the Fox animated series ''The Simpsons''.

Early life and family tragedies

Grammer was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, the son of Sally (née Cranmer), a singer, and Frank Allen Grammer, Jr., a musician and owner of a coffee shop and a bar & grill called Greer's Place. His parents divorced when Grammer was only two years old. He attended Pine Crest School, a private preparatory school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Grammer later spent two years at the Juilliard School. Grammer's personal life has been plagued by several tragedies. In 1968, his father, whom he had seen only twice since his parents' divorce, was shot and killed. In 1975, his younger sister Karen was abducted, raped, and murdered. In 1980, his twin half-brothers died in a scuba diving accident, and in 2001, David Angell, close friend and producer of ''Frasier'', died in the 9/11 attacks.

Career

Stage

After leaving Juilliard, he had a three-year internship with the Old Globe Theatre, in San Diego, in the late 1970s, before a stint in 1980 at the Guthrie Theater, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He made his Broadway debut in 1981, as "Lennox", in ''Macbeth'', taking the lead role when Philip Anglim withdrew after receiving negative reviews. Grammer then played Michael Cassio in a Broadway revival of ''Othello'', with James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer. In 1983, he performed on the demo of the Stephen Sondheim–James Lapine production ''Sunday in the Park with George'', starring Mandy Patinkin. Also featured on the demo was Christine Baranski, who later starred as Mrs. Lovett to Grammer's Sweeney Todd in the 1999 LA Reprise! production of Stephen Sondheim's ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''. In 2000 Grammer again played ''Macbeth'' on Broadway.

On April 18, 2010, Grammer made his Broadway musical debut playing the role of Georges in a revival of the Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical ''La Cage aux Folles'', for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

Television

His television career began in the early 1980s when he portrayed Stephen Smith in the NBC miniseries ''Kennedy''. Grammer came to broader public attention as Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcom ''Cheers''. Grammer's former Juilliard classmate and Broadway co-star Patinkin suggested Grammer to the New York casting director, and he got what was supposed to be a six-episode job but ended up as a regular cast member. The character became the center of the spin-off ''Frasier'', arguably the most successful spinoff in TV history. In addition to starring, he also directed many episodes, especially during the second half of the series. In 2008, Grammer reprised his role of Dr. Frasier Crane in a commercial for Dr Pepper.

In 2001, he negotiated a US$700,000-per-episode salary for ''Frasier'', and his 20-year run playing Dr. Frasier Crane ties a length set by James Arness in playing Marshall Matt Dillon on ''Gunsmoke'' from 1955 to 1975.

In 2005, he returned to series television on Fox, by attempting to create an American adaptation of ''The Sketch Show'', a British sketch show. The main cast consisted of Malcolm Barrett, Kaitlin Olson, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Paul F. Tompkins, as well as Lee Mack from the British version of the show. Grammer appeared in only short opening and closing segments in each episode. Many of the sketches from the British version were recreated, such as the "California Dreamin'", "English Course", and "Sign Language" sketches. Only six episodes of the show were made, and it was canceled after only four of them had aired.

In addition to being producer, he guest-starred as the Angel of Death on ''Medium''.

In 2007, Grammer returned to the sitcom format as the central character in the American sitcom ''Back to You'', co-starring with Patricia Heaton. It was canceled by Fox after its first season.

Grammer's ABC sitcom ''Hank'' was canceled in its first season on November 11, 2009, with Grammer saying at the end, "Honestly, it just wasn't very funny."

In 2011, he will star in the cable drama series ''Boss'' as a fictional Mayor of Chicago in the mold of Richard J. Daley.

Voice work

Grammer's smooth, deep voice and Mid-Atlantic accent make him popular for voiceover work. He has provided the voice of Sideshow Bob on ''The Simpsons'', winning an Emmy for his work in the episode "The Italian Bob". He has appeared in twelve episodes since the show's inception in 1989, the most recent being "The Bob Next Door" that aired in May 2010. Grammer supplied the voices for "Stinky Pete the Prospector" in 1999 Disney/Pixar film ''Toy Story 2'', Vladimir in the Fox animated movie ''Anastasia'', (Rothbart) Barbie of Swan Lake, Zozi the Bear in the subsequently produced prequel ''Bartok the Magnificent'', and the title character in the short-lived animated series ''Gary the Rat''. He provided the opening speech and piano in The Vandals' song "Phone Machine" from the album ''Fear of a Punk Planet'', and sang a rewritten version of the "grinch" on an episode of ''Just Shoot Me!''. He was the voice of the mad scientist, Dr. Frankenollie, in the Mickey Mouse short ''Runaway Brain''.

Production work

His production company, Grammnet Productions, produces the CW sitcoms ''Girlfriends'' and ''The Game'' which is now on BET, the NBC drama ''Medium'', and is involved in many other projects.

Other work

His film work includes the role of Dr. Hank McCoy (also known as the Beast) in ''X-Men: The Last Stand'', and he was the voice of Snowball in the live-action film adaptation of the George Orwell book ''Animal Farm''. Grammer co-starred in the movie ''Swing Vote'', playing the Republican incumbent. He played General George S. Patton in ''An American Carol''. In 2010, he starred in "The Kelsey Grammer Bill Zucker Comedy Hour".

Grammer's voice has been featured in commercials. One of the earliest was a 1998 commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios, where he played the voice of the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. He was the voice of the original GEICO gecko, a talking reptile created by The Martin Agency in 1999. In the commercial, the gecko pleads for people to stop calling him in error, mistaking gecko for GEICO. Since 2006, Grammer has provided the voice for television commercials advertising Hyundai.

Personal life

Family

Grammer has been married four times and has four children.

His first marriage, to dance instructor Doreen Alderman, lasted from 1982 to 1990. They had one daughter, Spencer Grammer (born October 9, 1983), an actress on the CBS Daytime soap opera ''As the World Turns'' and the ABC Family show ''Greek''.

After this marriage, Grammer had a daughter, Kandace Greer (born February 15, 1992), with hair and makeup stylist Barrie Buckner.

His second marriage, to stripper Leigh-Anne Csuhany in 1992, lasted one year. Grammer says that she was abusive and fired a gun at him, and that, after talk of divorce, she attempted suicide, which resulted in the miscarriage of their child.

In 1994, he met 28-year-old Tammy Baliszewski, also known as Tammy Alexander, at a bar in Manhattan Beach, California. In December 1994, the two of them appeared on the cover of ''People'' magazine, announcing their engagement and Grammer's substance abuse problems. They broke up in 1995.

In August 1997, Grammer married Camille Donatacci, a former ''Playboy'' model. They met on a blind date in 1996. They have a daughter, Mason Olivia (born October 24, 2001), and a son, Jude Gordon (born August 28, 2004), both born to a surrogate mother. Grammer and Donatacci have several homes that have been featured in InStyle magazine and Architectural Digest. Some are: Malibu, California (February 2001, InStyle magazine), Maui (May 2004, InStyle magazine), Long Island, New York (April 2008, InStyle magazine), Denver, Colorado (Architectural Digest), and Bel Air, Los Angeles (Architectural Digest). On June 14, 2010, Donatacci and Grammer appeared together at the Tony Awards. It was announced on July 1, 2010 that Donatacci had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Grammer and Donatacci's divorce was finalized on February 10, 2011.

On August 12, 2010, Grammer announced that he was going to be a father for the fifth time with girlfriend Kayte Walsh. On October 9, 2010, Grammer announced that Walsh had miscarried six weeks earlier. On December 28, 2010, Grammer announced their engagement. At the beginning of February, Grammer and Walsh booked the ballroom at the Plaza Hotel on February 25, 2011 for their marriage, at a cost of more than $100,000 for the reception, despite rumors of Grammer's divorce not being finalized. On February 25, 2011, he married Walsh.

Sex tape lawsuit

In 1998, Grammer filed a lawsuit against Internet Entertainment Group, which Grammer claimed had stolen from his home a videotape of him having sex with a woman. IEG countersued Grammer, denying they were in possession of such a tape, and Grammer's suit was eventually dropped. IEG President Seth Warshavsky told the ''New York Post'', "We have been presented with another Kelsey Grammer tape. But we have no plans to air it. We are still evaluating it at this time." Grammer later told Maxim, "Whether or not you’re a celebrity—even if you’re just an old slob with a video camera—you don’t realize you shouldn’t do it. So you throw the tape in the back of a dark closet until your old girlfriend remembers it’s there because you’re famous now and she’s not. But if you’re not prepared to do the time, don’t do the crime."

Substance abuse and legal issues

Grammer began drinking at age nine and became a frequent abuser of alcohol.

In 1988, Grammer was arrested for drunk driving and cocaine possession and sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Grammer was arrested again for cocaine possession in August 1990 and was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $500, and given 300 hours of community service.

In January 1991, Grammer was given an additional two years' probation for violating his original probation through additional cocaine use.

In 1995, Grammer was sued by ex-girlfriend Cerlette Lamme for defamation of character and invasion of privacy over content he included in his autobiography ''So Far''.

In September 1996, he flipped his Dodge Viper while intoxicated and subsequently checked into the Betty Ford Center for 30 days.

In August 2008, Bradley Blakeman, a former aide to George W. Bush, filed a copyright lawsuit in federal court on Long Island over Grammer's movie ''Swing Vote'', claiming that parts of its plot and marketing had been stolen from him. The lawsuit claimed that Blakeman had given a copyrighted screenplay called ''Go November'' to Grammer in 2006, and that Grammer agreed to develop the project and star as a Republican president but instead ended up playing a similar role in ''Swing Vote'', which was released on August 1, 2008. Grammer's spokesman dismissed the claims as "frivolous" and a "waste of time". The lawsuit claims that Blakeman's copyrighted screenplay had the same basic plot as ''Swing Vote''.

Health problems

Grammer suffered a heart attack on May 31, 2008. He told Jay Leno on the July 24, 2008, airing of ''The Tonight Show'' that he had to wait one and a half hours for paramedics to arrive. He was hospitalized in Hawaii after he had symptoms while paddleboarding with his then wife, Camille. He was released on June 4, 2008, and was listed as "resting comfortably" at his Hawaiian residence. Seven weeks after his attack, Grammer told ''Entertainment Tonight'' that, although at the time his spokesman described the attack as mild, it was in fact more severe, almost leading to his death, as his heart had stopped.

Grammer thought Fox's decision to cancel his TV sitcom ''Back to You'' contributed to his health problems, stating that "It was a very stressful time for me, and a surprise that it was cancelled. But you know, everything that doesn't kill us—which it almost did—makes us stronger!".

On June 28, 2008, Grammer checked into an undisclosed New York hospital after complaints of feeling faint. His publicist said that it may have been due to a reaction to medication.

Politics

Grammer is a member of the Republican Party and has expressed an interest in someday running for United States Congress. Grammer was a guest at President George W. Bush's first inauguration. Grammer endorsed Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 presidential primary and later campaigned for John McCain in the general election. RightNetwork, a conservative start-up American television network, is promoted by Grammer.

Awards

He won a number of Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globes for his work on ''Frasier''. He was the first American actor ever to be nominated for multiple Emmy awards for portraying the same character on three different television shows (''Cheers'', ''Frasier'', and ''Wings'').

Grammer has received at least 45 nominations for major awards and has won on 18 occasions. He has received 14 individual Emmy Award nominations for 4 different television shows (plus an additional 2 as part of the ''Frasier'' ensemble) and has won on 5 occasions. At the Golden Globes, he has received eight nominations and twice been victorious. He has received two People's Choice Awards, and in 1999 his directorial skills were recognized with a nomination for a Directors Guild of America award for directing an episode of ''Frasier''. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''X-Men: The Last Stand''. On May 22, 2001, he was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television. On April 20, 2009, Grammer was presented the inaugural Television Chairman's Award at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. In 2010, Grammer enjoyed his first Tony Award nomination for "La Cage Aux Folles" as Best Leading Actor in a Musical.

The following table gives a selection of the awards he has won.

! Year	! Award	! Category
1994	Emmy
1995	Emmy	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (''Frasier'')
1995	American Comedy Award	Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (''Frasier'')
1996	Golden Globe
1996	American Comedy Award	Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (''Frasier'')
1998	Emmy	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (''Frasier'')
2001	Golden Globe	Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical (''Frasier'')
2004	Emmy	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (''Frasier'')
2006	Emmy

Filmography

+ Films
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1992	''Galaxies Are Colliding''	Peter
1995	''Runaway Brain''	Dr. Frankenollie	Short film
1996	''Down Periscope''	Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge
1997		Vladimir
1998	''''	Howard Spitz
1999	''Animal Farm''	Snowball
1999	''New Jersey Turnpikes''	Unknown
1999	''Standing on Fishes''	Verk
1999	''Toy Story 2''	"Stinky Pete" the Prospector
1999	''Bartok the Magnificent''	Zozi	Direct-to-video release
1999	''Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas''	Narrator	Direct-to-video release
2001	''15 Minutes''	Robert Hawkins
2001		Narrator	Uncredited
2003	''''	Agent Banks
2003	''Barbie of Swan Lake''	Rothbart	Direct-to-video release
2004		Dr. Ivan Krank
2005	''''	Mr. Skibness	Also executive producer
2006	''X-Men: The Last Stand''
2007		Detective Brunner
2008		President Andrew Boone
2008	''An American Carol''	General George S. Patton
2009		Joel Cranston
2010	''Crazy on the Outside''	Frank
2010	''Bunyan and Babe''	Norm Blandsford	Post-production
2010		Frank Griffin
2010	''Alligator Point''	Director	TBA

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1982	''Macbeth''	Ross	TV film
1983			TV miniseries
1984	''Kate & Allie''	David Hamill	Episode 1.1: "Allie's First Date"
1984		Lt. Stewart	TV miniseries
1984–1985		Dr. Canard	Recurring role
1984–1993	''Cheers''	Dr. Frasier Crane	Appeared in 201 episodes
1986	''Crossings''	Craig Lawson	TV miniseries
1987		George Washington	Episode: "Benedict Arnold"
1987	''J.J. Starbuck''	Pierce Morgan	Episode 1.3: "Murder in E Minor"
1988	''Dance 'til Dawn''	Ed Strull	TV film
1989	''Top of the Hill''	Unknown	TV film
1989		Mr. Anderson	Episode 4.24: "For Sale"
1990	''''	Mr. Brenna	Episode 4.12: "Maria and the Mister"
1990–''present''	''''	Sideshow Bob	Has appeared in twelve episodes, Recurring Role.
1991		Russell	Episode 1.7: "One Night with Elliot"
1992		Dr. Frasier Crane	Episode 3.16: "Planes, Trains and Visiting Cranes"
1992	''Star Trek: The Next Generation''	Captain Bateson
1993		Detective Rush	Episode 2.25: "To Love and Die on Emerson Street: Part 2"
1993	''Beyond Suspicion''	Ron McNally	TV film
1993	''Mike & Spike''	Super Dog	Episode: "Person To Sea Creature" (voice only)
1993–2004	''Frasier''	Dr. Frasier Crane	Appeared in all 264 episodes;also executive producer and director of 37 episodes
1994	''''	Det. Frank Barlow	TV film
1995	''''	Dr. Frasier Crane	Episode 3.1: "More Changes"
1996	''London Suite''	Sydney Nichols	TV film
1997		Tom Whitman	Episodes 1.3: "Who's the Boss" and 2.3: "You Don't Know Jack"; also executive producer
1998	''''	Major General Partridge	TV film
1998	''Just Shoot Me!''	Narrator	Episode 3.10: "How the Finch Stole Christmas"
1999			TV film
2000		Professor Tuttle	1.17: "The Grade"
2001	''Neurotic Tendencies''	N/A	TV film; executive producer, director and writer
2000–2008	''Girlfriends''	himself	Executive producer
2001	''''	Howard Greene	TV film
2002	''Mr. St. Nick''	Nick St. Nicholas/Santa Claus the 21st	TV film
2002–2003	''In-Laws''	N/A	Executive producer
2003	''Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor''	George Washington	TV film
2003		Rick Cooper	Episode 5.13: "But I've Got Friends I Haven't Used Yet"
2003	''Gary the Rat''	Gary "The Rat" Andrews	Appeared in all 13 episodes;also executive producer
2004	''''	Ebenezer Scrooge	TV film
2004	''''	N/A	TV film; executive producer
2005		Various characters	Appeared in all four aired episodes;also executive producer
2005	''Out of Practice''	N/A	Directed episodes 1.1 and 1.18
2006		Angel of Death/Bob	Episode 2.21: "Death Takes a Policy"Also executive producer/Double Role
2006	''My Ex Life''	N/A	Director
2006–2009	''''	N/A	Executive producer
2007	''Dash 4 Cash''	N/A	TV film; executive producer
2007	''Everybody Hates Chris''	N/A	Directed episode 2.22: "Everybody Hates the Last Day"
2007–2008	''Back to You''	Chuck Darling	Appeared in all 17 episodesAlso executive producer
2009		Lead role	Also executive producer
2010	''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills''	Himself
2010	''30 Rock''	Himself
2010	''The Troop''	Dr. Cranius

; Video games : ''The Simpsons Game'' (2007) – Sideshow Bob

References

External links

His Autobiography.

Category:1955 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American television directors Category:American television producers Category:American voice actors Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Living people Category:Republicans (United States) Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:United States Virgin Islands actors

ca:Kelsey Grammer cs:Kelsey Grammer cy:Kelsey Grammar da:Kelsey Grammer de:Kelsey Grammer es:Kelsey Grammer fr:Kelsey Grammer ga:Kelsey Grammer id:Kelsey Grammer it:Kelsey Grammer he:קלסי גראמר lv:Kelsijs Gramers nl:Kelsey Grammer ja:ケルシー・グラマー no:Kelsey Grammer pl:Kelsey Grammer pt:Kelsey Grammer ro:Kelsey Grammer ru:Грэммер, Келси sq:Kelsey Grammer sh:Kelsey Grammer fi:Kelsey Grammer sv:Kelsey Grammer tl:Kelsey Grammer tr:Kelsey Grammer

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
birthname	Frank A. Langella, Jr.
birth date
birth place	Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.
yearsactive	1965–present
occupation	Actor
domesticpartner	Whoopi Goldberg (1996-2001)
spouse	Ruth Weil (1977–1996) }}

Frank A. Langella, Jr. (born January 1, 1938) is an American stage and film actor.

Early life

Langella, an Italian American, was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Angelina and Frank A. Langella Sr., a business executive who was the president of the Bayonne Barrel and Drum Company. Langella attended Washington Elementary School and Bayonne High School in Bayonne. after the family moved to South Orange, New Jersey he graduated from Columbia High School, in the South Orange-Maplewood School District, in 1955, and graduated from Syracuse University in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama. He remains a brother of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity.

Career

Langella appeared off-Broadway before he made his first foray on a Broadway stage in New York in Gacia-Lorca's "Yerma" at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center, on December 8, 1966. He followed this role by appearing in William Gibson's ''A Cry of Players'', playing a young, highly fictionalized William Shakespeare, opposite Anne Bancroft at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre in 1968, and won film fame in two 1970 films: Mel Brooks' ''The Twelve Chairs'' and Frank Perry's ''Diary of a Mad Housewife'', being nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for the latter. Langella won his first Tony Award for his performance in Edward Albee's ''Seascape'' and 1975 and was nominated for another for what may have been the performance for which he was best known for in the early part of his career: the title role of the 1977 Broadway production of ''Dracula''. Despite his initial misgivings about continuing to play the role, he was persuaded to star opposite Laurence Olivier in the subsequent film version directed by John Badham.

He eschewed the career of a traditional film star by always making the stage the focal point of his career, appearing on Broadway in such plays as ''Sherlock's Last Case,'' Strindberg's ''The Father'' (winning a Drama Desk Award), ''Match'' (Tony Award nomination), and ''Fortune's Fool,'' for which he won a second Tony Award.

But Langella would continue to juggle film and television with his stage work, playing Sherlock Holmes in an HBO adaptation (1981) of William Gillette's famous stage play. He repeated the role on Broadway in 1987 in Charles Marowitz's play ''Sherlock's Last Case''. That same year, Langella would also portray the villain Skeletor in ''Masters of the Universe''. In 1988, Langella co-starred in the film ''And God Created Woman''. In 1993, he made a memorable three-episode appearance on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' as the devious Jaro Essa. He also appeared as Al Baker in "Dominance", a 2003 episode of ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' and had a recurring role as Pino in the 2005 short-lived sitcom ''Kitchen Confidential''. On film, he played Clare Quilty in Adrian Lyne's adaptation of ''Lolita'' and appeared as a villainous pirate in the summer 1995 release ''Cutthroat Island''. His film work also includes roles in George Clooney's ''Good Night, and Good Luck'' (2005) as former CBS chief executive William S. Paley and Bryan Singer's ''Superman Returns'' (2006) as ''Daily Planet'' editor Perry White. Langella received critical acclaim as well as the Boston Society of Film Critics Award in 2007 for his sensitive portrayal of an elderly novelist in ''Starting Out in the Evening''.

He was cast as Richard Nixon in Peter Morgan's ''Frost/Nixon'', which received enthusiastic reviews during a run at the Donmar Warehouse and Gielgud Theatre in London before moving to New York's Bernard B. Jacobs Theater in April 2007, culminating in Langella's third Tony Award. He reprised the role of Nixon in the 2008 film ''Frost/Nixon'', directed by Ron Howard. He received Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA nominations for Best Actor for his performance. He was also nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actor category for the role, losing to Sean Penn's performance in ''Milk''.

In 2000, he played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in a musical version of ''A Christmas Carol'' at Madison Square Garden. He has also appeared in notable off-Broadway productions, including in the title role of Robert Kalfin's Chelsea Theater Center production of ''The Prince of Homburg'', which was filmed by PBS for the Theatre in America series. He starred as Sir Thomas More in the 2008 Broadway revival of ''A Man for All Seasons''.

In late 2009, he starred alongside Cameron Diaz and re-united with ''Superman Returns'' co-star James Marsden in the Richard Kelly film ''The Box''.

Langella starred in the drama thriller ''Unknown'', which was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and was released in 2011.

Personal life

Langella was married to Ruth Weil from June 14, 1977 to their divorce in 1996. They have two children. He lived with actress/comedian Whoopi Goldberg, whom he met on the set of ''Eddie'' in 1996, until they separated in March 2001.

Awards

His awards include the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance in John Webster's ''The White Devil'' (1965), a Tony for Best Leading Actor in a Play for ''Frost/Nixon'', and two Tonys for Best Featured Actor in a Play, for Edward Albee's ''Seascape'' (1975), and Ivan Turgenev's ''Fortune's Fool'' (2002). He also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Richard Nixon in the film ''Frost/Nixon'' (2008). Langella was nominated for two other Best Leading Actor in a Play Tonys; first in 1978 for the Edward Gorey-designed revival of Bram Stoker's ''Dracula'' and again in 2004 for Stephen Belber's ''Match''.

Filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Diary of a Mad Housewife''	George Prager	National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor also for ''The Twelve Chairs (1970 film)
	[[Ostap Bender	National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor also for ''Diary of a Mad Housewife''
1971	''The Deadly Trap''	Philippe
1972	''The Wrath of God''	De La Plata
1974		Don Diego de la Vega / Zorro
1979		Count Dracula	Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actor
1980	''Those Lips, Those Eyes''	Harry Crystal
	''Sherlock Holmes''	Sherlock Holmes
	Akmed Khazzan
1987		Skeletor
1988		James Tiernan
1991	''True Identity''	Leland Carver
1992	''1492: Conquest of Paradise''	Santangel
		Jeffrey Roston
	White House Chief of Staff Bob Alexander
	''Brainscan''	Detective Hayden
''Doomsday Gun''	Gerald Bull
	Noah Banes
		Vic Grimes
''Cutthroat Island''	Dawg Brown
		Wild Bill Burgess
''The Greatest Pharaohs''	Himself
1997		Clare Quilty
	''Small Soldiers''	Archer	(voice)
	Fleur
1999	''The Ninth Gate''	Boris Balkan
2000	''Cry Baby Lane''	Mr. Bennett
		Edgar Price
	Jackson Burns	TV series
	''House of D''	Reverend Duncan
''The Novice''	Father Tew
		Lt. Bill Hudson
''Now You See It...''	Max
''Sweet William''	Professor Driskoll
''Good Night, and Good Luck.''	William S. Paley	Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
	''Superman Returns''	Perry White
''10.5 Apocalypse''	Dr. Earl Hill
2007	''Starting Out in the Evening''	Leonard Schiller	Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best ActorNominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead MaleNominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
		Jimmy Stevens
	Richard Nixon	African-American Film Critics Association for Best ActorLas Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorSant Jordi Awards Best Foreign ActorSan Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best CastNominated — Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading RoleNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated — London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the YearNominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture DramaNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading RoleNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
	The Mayor	(voice only)
2009		Arlington Steward	Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
	''Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps''	Louis Zabel
	Sanford Marks
2011		Rodney Cole

See also

List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees

References

External links

Star File: Frank Langella

Category:1938 births Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:American film actors Category:American stage actors Category:American voice actors Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Living people Category:People from Bayonne, New Jersey Category:People from South Orange, New Jersey Category:Syracuse University alumni Category:Tony Award winners

cs:Frank Langella da:Frank Langella de:Frank Langella es:Frank Langella fa:فرانک لانگلا fr:Frank Langella it:Frank Langella he:פרנק לנגלה la:Franciscus Langella hu:Frank Langella nl:Frank Langella ja:フランク・ランジェラ no:Frank Langella pl:Frank Langella pt:Frank Langella ru:Ланджелла, Фрэнк fi:Frank Langella sv:Frank Langella tl:Frank Langella tr:Frank Langella

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
birth date	February 21, 1946
birth place	Hammersmith, London, England
birth name	Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman
occupation	Actor
years active	1978–present
partner	Rima Horton (1965–present) }}

Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (born 21 February 1946) is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Rickman is known for his film performances as Hans Gruber in ''Die Hard'', Severus Snape in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, Eamon de Valera in ''Michael Collins'', and Metatron in ''Dogma''.

He is also known for his prominent roles as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 film, ''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'', Alexander Dane in the 1999 sci-fi/comedy Galaxy Quest and as Colonel Brandon in Ang Lee's 1995 film ''Sense and Sensibility''. More recently he played Judge Turpin in Tim Burton's ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' and voiced the Caterpillar in Burton's ''Alice in Wonderland''.

Early life

Rickman was born in South Hammersmith, London, to a working class family, the son of Margaret Doreen Rose (née Bartlett), a housewife, and Bernard Rickman, a factory worker. Rickman's mother was from Wales and a Methodist, and his father was of Irish Catholic background. He has one elder brother, David (b. 1944), a graphic designer, a younger brother, Michael (b. 1947), a tennis coach, and a younger sister, Sheila (b. 1949). Rickman attended Derwentwater Primary School, in Acton, a school that followed the Montessori method of education.

When he was eight, his father died, leaving his mother to bring up four children mostly alone. She married again, but divorced his stepfather after three years. "There was one love in her life," Rickman later said. Rickman excelled at calligraphy and watercolour painting, and from Derwentwater Junior School he won a scholarship to Latymer Upper School in London, where he started getting involved in drama. After leaving Latymer, Rickman attended Chelsea College of Art and Design and then The Royal College of Art. This education allowed him to work as a graphic designer for the radical newspaper the ''Notting Hill Herald'', which he considered a more stable occupation than acting. "Drama school wasn't considered the sensible thing to do at 18," he said.

After graduation, Rickman and several friends opened a graphic design studio called Graphiti, but after three years of successful business, he decided that if he were to ever explore acting professionally, it was now or never. This led him to write a letter to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) requesting an audition and was awarded a place in RADA which he attended from 1972–74. While there, he studied Shakespeare's works and supported himself by working as a dresser for Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Sir Ralph Richardson, and left after winning several prizes such as the Emile Littler Prize, the Forbes Robertson Prize, and the Bancroft Gold Medal.

Career

After graduating from RADA, Rickman worked extensively with various British repertory and experimental theatre groups on productions including ''The Seagull'' and Snoo Wilson's ''The Grass Widow'' at the Royal Court Theatre, and has appeared three times at the Edinburgh International Festival. In 1978, he played with the Court Drama Group, performing in several plays, most notably ''Romeo And Juliet'' and ''A View from the Bridge''. While working with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) he starred in, among other things, ''As You Like It''.

In 1982, British television audiences came to know Alan Rickman as the Reverend Obadiah Slope in the BBC's adaptation of ''Barchester Towers'' known as The Barchester Chronicles. In 1985, Rickman was given the male lead, Le Vicomte de Valmont, in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'', directed by Christopher Hampton. When the show went to Broadway in 1987, Rickman earned both a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance.

Rickman's career has been filled with a wide variety of roles. He has played romantic leads like Colonel Brandon in ''Sense and Sensibility'', and Jamie in ''Truly, Madly, Deeply'', as well as numerous villains in Hollywood big budget films: German terrorist Hans Gruber in ''Die Hard'' (1988), the Sheriff of Nottingham in ''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' (1991), and most recently Severus Snape, the potions master in the ''Harry Potter'' series (2001–2011). In 1995, Rickman turned down the role of Alec Trevelyan in the James Bond film ''GoldenEye''.

His role in ''Die Hard'' earned him a spot on the AFI's 100 years...100 Heroes & Villains as the 46th best villain in film history. His performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham in ''Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' also made him known as one of the best actors to portray a villain in films. In 2007, ''Entertainment Weekly'' named him one of their favourite people in pop culture, saying that in the ''Harry Potter'' films, "he may not be on screen long – but he owns every minute," and that he is capable of "turning a simple retort into a mini-symphony of contempt." He has taken issue with being typecast as a "villain actor", citing the fact that he has not portrayed a stock villain character since the Sheriff of Nottingham in 1991. He has further said that he has continued to portray characters of complex and varying emotions.

During his long career Rickman has also played a number of comedic roles, sending up classically trained British actors who take on "lesser roles" as the character Sir Alexander Dane / Dr. Lazarus in the science fiction spoof ''Galaxy Quest'', portraying the angel Metatron, the voice of God, in ''Dogma'', appearing as Emma Thompson's foolish husband Harry in ''Love Actually'', providing the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android in ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'', and the egotistical, Nobel Prize-winning father in ''Nobel Son''.

Rickman has also received acclaim for two biographical pieces he did for HBO. He won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his performance as ''Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny'' in 1996, and was also nominated for an Emmy for his work as Dr. Alfred Blalock in 2004's ''Something the Lord Made''. He also starred in the independent film ''Snow Cake'' (with Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss) which had its debut at the Berlinale, and also ''Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'' (with Dustin Hoffman), directed by Tom Tykwer.

In 2007, Rickman appeared in the critically acclaimed ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' directed by Tim Burton, alongside ''Harry Potter'' co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Timothy Spall; he played antagonist Judge Turpin. ''The Miami Herald'' praised Rickman's performance, saying he "makes the judge's villainy something to simultaneously savour and despise" with his "oozing moral rot and arrogance". Rickman also appeared as Absolem the Caterpillar in Burton's 2010 film ''Alice in Wonderland''.

Rickman has performed on stage in Noël Coward's romantic comedy ''Private Lives'', which transferred to Broadway after its successful run in London at the Albery Theatre and ended in September 2002. Rickman had reunited with his ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' co-star Lindsay Duncan and director Howard Davies for this Tony Award-winning production.

His previous stage performance was as Mark Antony, opposite Helen Mirren as Cleopatra, in the Royal National Theatre's production of ''Antony and Cleopatra'' at the Olivier Theatre in London, which ran from 20 October to 3 December 1998. Before that, he performed in Yukio Ninagawa's ''Tango at the End of Winter'' in London's West End and the Riverside Studio production of ''Hamlet'' in 1991, directed by Robert Sturua.

Rickman had also directed ''The Winter Guest'' at London's Almeida Theatre in 1995 and the film version of the same play in 1996 starring Emma Thompson and her real life mother Phyllida Law. He also compiled (with Katharine Viner) and directed the play ''My Name Is Rachel Corrie'' in April 2005 at the Royal Court Theatre, London, and won the Theatre Goers' Choice Awards for best director. In May 2010, he finished directing Strindberg's play ''Creditors'' at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Harvey Theatre after its previous run at London's Donmar Warehouse in 2008.

In October and November 2010, Rickman starred in the eponymous role in Henrik Ibsen's ''John Gabriel Borkman'' at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin alongside Lindsay Duncan and Fiona Shaw. The ''Irish Independent'' called Rickman's performance breathtaking. This production subsequently travelled to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for performances in January and February 2011.

In 2009 Rickman was given the James Joyce Award by University College Dublin’s Literary and Historical Society.

Rickman is to star with Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz in a remake of ''Gambit'' by the Coen brothers. He is also scheduled to appear in ''Seminar'', a new play by Theresa Rebeck, that opens on Broadway in autumn 2011.

In the media

Rickman was chosen by ''Empire'' as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (No 34) in 1995 and ranked No 59 in ''Empire'''s "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in October 1997. In 2009 and 2010 Rickman ranked once again as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars by ''Empire'', both times Rickman was placed 8th out of the 50 actors chosen. Rickman became Vice-Chairman of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2003. He was voted No 19 in ''Empire'' magazine's Greatest Living Movie Stars over the age of 50 and was twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actor (Play): in 1987 for ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'', and in 2002 for a revival of Noel Coward's ''Private Lives''. ''The Guardian'' named Rickman as an "honorable mention" in a list of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.

Two researchers, a linguist and a sound engineer, found "the perfect [male] voice" to be a combination of Rickman's and Jeremy Irons's voices based on a sample of 50 voices. Coincidentally, the two actors played brothers in the ''Die Hard'' series of films.

Rickman has also been featured in several musical works – most notably in a song composed by the English songwriter Adam Leonard entitled "Not Alan Rickman". Moreover, the actor played a "Master of Ceremonies" part in announcing the various instruments in Mike Oldfield's ''Tubular Bells II'' on the track ''The Bell''. Rickman was one of the many artists who recited Shakespearian sonnets on the 2002 album'' When Love Speaks'', and is also featured prominently in a music video by the band Texas entitled "In Demand", which premiered on Europe MTV in August 2000. In the video, lead singer Sharleen Spiteri danced the tango with Rickman: the clip was nominated for Best British Video at the Brit Awards.

Personal life

In 1965, at the age of 19, Rickman met his partner Rima Horton, a London Labour party politician and former economics professor. They began living together in 1977.

Filmography and awards

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1978		Tybalt	BBC Television Shakespeare
		1980	Thérèse Raquin	Vidal	BBC Miniseries
1980		Clive	Episode #1.7
1982	Busted	Simon	BBC TV Movie
1982	''Smiley's People''	Mr. Brownlow	Episode #1.2
1982	''''	The Rev. Obadiah Slope	BBC Miniseries
1985		Narrator	British Audiobook Publishing Association's "Talkie Award" for Best Unabridged Classic Recording
1985	Summer Season	Croop	BBC TV Series
1985	''Girls On Top''	Dimitri / Voice of RADA	CIT TV Series
1988	''Die Hard''	Hans Gruber
1989	Revolutionary Witness	Jacques Roux	BBC TV Short
1989	''''	Ed, the painter
1989	Screenplay	Israel Yates	BBC TV Series
1990	''Quigley Down Under''	Elliot Marston
1991	''Truly, Madly, Deeply''	Jamie	Evening Standard British Film Awards#1991 Winners
1991	''[[Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves''	Sheriff of Nottingham	BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting RoleEvening Standard British Film Awards#1991 Winners
1991		Sinclair Bryant	[[Evening Standard British Film Awards#1991 Winners
1991	''[[Closet Land''	The Interrogator
1992	''Bob Roberts''	Lukas Hart III
1993		Dwight Billings	Propaganda Films TV Series
1994		Franz Anton Mesmer	Montreal World Film Festival for Best Actor
1995	''''	P.L. O'Hara
1995		Colonel Brandon	Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting RoleNominated - Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1996	''Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny''	Grigori Rasputin	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a MovieGolden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television FilmSatellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television FilmScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
1996		Éamon de Valera	Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1996	''Castle Ghosts of Ireland''	Living Tyde	Documentary
1997	''''	Man in street (uncredited)	Director, co-writerBrussels International Film Festival: Audience AwardChicago International Film Festival: Gold Hugo Award for Best FilmVenice Film Festival: 'CinemAvvenire' Award and OCIC AwardNominated - Chlotrudis Award for Best DirectorNominated - Czech Lion Award for Best Foreign Language FilmNominated - Golden Lion Award
1998		Detective David Friedman
1998	''Dark Harbor''	David Weinberg
1999		The Metatron
1999	''Galaxy Quest''	Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus	Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
2000	''Help! I'm a Fish''	Joe	Voice
2001		Man
2001	''Blow Dry''	Phil Allen
2001	''''	John Gissing
2001		Severus Snape	Known as ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the United States
2002		Severus Snape	Nominated - Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2002	''King of the Hill''	King Philip	Voice
2003	''Love Actually''	Harry	Nominated - Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2004	''Something the Lord Made''		Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a MovieNominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
2004		Severus Snape
2005		Severus Snape
2005	''''	Marvin the Paranoid Android	Voice
2006		Antoine Richis
2006	''Snow Cake''	Alex Hughes
2007	''Nobel Son''	Eli Michaelson
2007		Severus Snape
2007		Judge Turpin	Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated - Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
2008	''Bottle Shock''		Seattle International Film Festival: Golden Space Needle Award for Best Actor
2009		Severus Snape	Spike TV Scream Award for Best Ensemble
2010			Voice
2010	''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1''	Severus Snape
2010	''''	Noel Odell	National Geographic documentaryVoice
2010	''''	He	''BBC Drama Production''
2011	''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2''	Severus Snape	MTV World Cup Award For Favorite Harry Potter Character Portrayal
2011	''The Boy in the Bubble''	Narrator	Animated short film
2012		Lord Shahbandar	Filming

References

External links

Category:1946 births Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English film actors Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:English voice actors Category:English theatre directors Category:Living people Category:Old Latymerians Category:People from Hammersmith Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English people of Welsh descent Category:Royal National Theatre Company members Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Category:Alumni of the University of the Arts Category:Alumni of Chelsea College of Art & Design

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Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Harvey Fierstein
birth name	Harvey Forbes Fierstein
birth date	June 06, 1952
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
years active	1982–present
occupation	Actor/Playwright
website	}}

Harvey Forbes Fierstein (born June 6, 1952) is a U.S. actor and playwright, noted for the early (1982) distinction of winning Tony Awards for both writing and playing the lead role in his long-running play ''Torch Song Trilogy'', about a gay drag-performer and his quest for true love and family, as well as writing the award-winning book to the musical ''La Cage aux Folles''. He has since become a champion for gay civil rights.

Personal life

Fierstein was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jacqueline Harriet (née Gilbert), a school librarian, and Irving Fierstein, a handkerchief manufacturer. Raised Jewish, Fierstein is now an atheist.

Fierstein occasionally writes columns about gay issues. He was openly gay at a time when very few celebrities were. His careers as a stand-up comic and female impersonator are mostly behind him. Fierstein resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Career

The gravel-voiced actor is perhaps best known for the play and film ''Torch Song Trilogy'', which he wrote and starred in both Off-Broadway (with the young Matthew Broderick) and on Broadway (with Estelle Getty and Fisher Stevens). The 1982 Broadway production won him two Tony Awards, for Best Play and Best Actor in a Play, two Drama Desk Awards, for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Actor in a Play, and the Theatre World Award, and the film adaptation earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination as Best Male Lead.

Fierstein also wrote the book for ''La Cage aux Folles'' (1983), winning another Tony Award, this time for Best Book of a Musical, and a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Book. ''Legs Diamond'', his 1988 collaboration with Peter Allen, was a critical and commercial failure, closing after 72 previews and 64 performances. His other playwriting credits include ''Safe Sex'', ''Spookhouse'', and ''Forget Him''.

In 2007, Fierstein wrote the book to the musical ''A Catered Affair'' in which he also starred. After tryouts at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in Fall 2007, it began previews on Broadway in March 2008 and opened on April 17. He received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and the show won the Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical.

In 2010, it was revealed that Fierstein will be adapting ''Newsies'', a Disney movie musical, for the stage, along with Alan Menken (music) and Jack Feldman (lyrics).

Acting

thumb|left|Harvey Fierstein (left) with Anthony Rapp at the Annual Flea Market and Grand Auction hosted by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, September, 2006.Fierstein made his acting debut at La MaMa, E.T.C. in Andy Warhol's only play, ''Pork''. Fierstein continued to appear at La MaMa and other venues but also, having some aspirations to become a painter, enrolled at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Pratt in 1973. Fierstein appeared three times in "The Haunted Host" by Robert Patrick: in Boston in 1975, and at La MaMa and then Off-Broadway in 1991. In addition to ''Torch Song Trilogy'', ''La Cage aux Folles'' and ''A Catered Affair'', Fierstein's Broadway acting credits include playing the mother, Edna Turnblad in ''Hairspray'' (2002), for which he won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He later replaced Alfred Molina as Tevye in the 2004 revival of ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Fierstein and Tommy Tune are the only individuals to have won Tony Awards in four different categories.

Besides his leading role in the film version of ''Torch Song Trilogy'' co-starring Matthew Broderick and Anne Bancroft, Fierstein's film roles include Woody Allen's ''Bullets Over Broadway'', Robin Williams' makeup-artist brother in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'', and Merv Green in ''Death to Smoochy'', in addition to parts in ''Garbo Talks'', ''Duplex'', ''Kull the Conqueror'', and ''Independence Day''. He narrated the documentary ''The Times of Harvey Milk'', for which he won a News & Documentary Emmy Award. He also voiced the role of Yao in Disney's animated feature ''Mulan'', a role he later reprised for the video game ''Kingdom Hearts II'' and the direct-to-DVD sequel ''Mulan II''.

On television, Fierstein was featured as the voice of Karl, Homer Simpson's assistant, in the "Simpson and Delilah" episode of ''The Simpsons'' and the voice of Elmer in the 1999 HBO special based on his children's book ''The Sissy Duckling'', which won the Humanitas Prize for Children's Animation. Fierstein became the first openly gay actor to play a principal gay character in a television series when he appeared as fashion designer Dennis Sinclair in the short-lived CBS series ''Daddy's Girls''. Additional credits include ''Miami Vice'', ''Murder, She Wrote'', the Showtime television movie ''Common Ground'' (which he also wrote), and ''Cheers'', which earned him an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He sang a tribute to Katie Couric on the ''Today Show'' on May 31, 2006, her last day as anchor. He appeared as Heat Miser in the live-action remake of ''The Year Without a Santa Claus'' in December 2006. More recent television performances include an episode of ''Family Guy'', in which he played an overweight, chainsmoking mother and an episode of the second season of the series Nurse Jackie in which he played a man whose husband is dying. He also gave the voice-over for Lily in the "Last Cigarette Ever" episode of ''How I Met Your Mother'' when she gets a sore throat due to smoking.

Fierstein returned to the theatre when he toured as Tevye, replacing Chaim Topol in ''Fiddler on the Roof'' starting in December 2009. On February 15, 2011, he replaced Douglas Hodge as Albin/Zaza in the Broadway revival of ''La Cage aux Folles'' playing opposite Jeffrey Tambor who plays Georges, although days later Tambor pulled out, which the producers have stated was due to "complications from a recent hip surgery"; Christopher Sieber quickly replaced Tambor. The show closed on May 1, 2011 due to low box office results; It played 433 performances and 15 previews in all.

Filmography

''Garbo Talks'' (1984) - Bernie Whitlock

''Miami Vice'' (1986, one episode "The Fix") - Benedict

''Apology'' (1986) - The Derelict

''Tidy Endings'' (1988) - Arthur

''Torch Song Trilogy'' (1988) - Arnold Beckoff

''ABC Afterschool Specials'' (1991, one episode "In the Shadow of Love: A Teen AIDS Story") - Andrew

''Cheers'' (1992, one episode "Rebecca's Lover... Not") - Mark Newberger

''The Harvest'' (1992) - Bob Lakin

''Murder, She Wrote'' (1992, one episode "The Dead File") - Stan Hatter

''Mrs. Doubtfire'' (1993) - Uncle Frank Hillard

''Bullets Over Broadway'' (1994) - Sid Loomis

''Daddy's Girls'' (1994, three episodes "Pilot", "American in Paris... Cool", and "Keep Your Business Out of My Business") - Dennis Sinclair

''Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde'' (1995) - Yves DuBois

''Elmo Saves Christmas'' (1996) - Easter Bunny

''Independence Day'' (1996) - Marty Gilbert

''Everything Relative'' (1996) - The Moyle

''White Lies'' (1997) - Art hoarder

''Fame L.A.'' (1997, one episode "Do or Die") - Jeremy Pinter

''Kull the Conqueror'' (1997) - Juba

''Safe Men'' (1998) - Leo

''Jump'' (1999) - Dish Macense

''Double Platinum'' (1999) - Gary Millstein

''Common Ground'' (2000) - Don

''Playing Mona Lisa'' (2000) - Bennett

''Death to Smoochy'' (2002) - Merv Green

''Duplex'' (2003) - Kenneth

''The Year Without a Santa Claus'' (2006) - Heat Miser

''Nurse Jackie'' (2010, one episode "Monkey Bits") - John Decker

;Voice only

''The Demon Murder Case'' (1983, ''voice'') - Demon

''The Times of Harvey Milk'' (1984) - Narrator

''The Simpsons'' (1990, one episode "Simpson and Delilah") - Karl

''Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child'' (1997, one episode "Thumbelina") - Mrs. Leaperman

''Stories from My Childhood'' (1998, one episode "Alice and the Mystery of the Third Planet") - Grambo

''Mulan'' (1998, ''voice'') - Yao

''Mulan Story Studio'' (1998, video game) - Yao

''X-Chromosome'' (1999, TV series) - Mom/Little Mom Head

''The Sissy Duckling'' (1999, ''voice'') - Elmer

''Mulan II'' (2004, ''voice'') - Yao

''Kingdom Hearts II'' (2005, video game) - Yao

''Farce of the Penguins'' (2006, ''voice'') - Sheila the panda

''Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+'' (2007, video game) - Yao

''Family Guy'' (2008, one episode "The Former Life of Brian") - Tracy

''Foodfight!'' (2009, ''voice'') - Fat Cat Burglar

''How I Met Your Mother'' (2009, one episode "Last Cigarette Ever") - Lily's smoking voice

References

External links

Review of Torch Song Trilogy, with information about Fierstein

TonyAwards.com Interview with Harvey Fierstein

Donald L. Brooks' memoir of early casting of Fierstein and commissioning and directing Fierstein's first play.

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:American dramatists and playwrights Category:American film actors Category:American atheists Category:Jewish atheists Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American stage actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Drag queens Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Gay actors Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish dramatists and playwrights Category:American Jews Category:LGBT Jews Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Ridgefield, Connecticut Category:Pratt Institute alumni Category:Tony Award winners Category:Jewish American dramatists and playwrights

de:Harvey Fierstein es:Harvey Fierstein fr:Harvey Fierstein it:Harvey Fierstein he:הארווי פירסטיין nl:Harvey Fierstein ja:ハーヴェイ・ファイアスタイン pl:Harvey Fierstein pt:Harvey Fierstein sh:Harvey Fierstein

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Marlo Thomas
birth name	Margaret Julia Thomas
birth date	November 21, 1937
birth place	Detroit, Michigan, United States
yearsactive	1960–present
occupation	Actress, producer, activist
spouse	Phil Donahue (1980–present) }}

Margaret Julia “Marlo” Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, and social activist known for her starring role on the TV series ''That Girl'' (1966–1971). She also serves as National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Early life

Thomas was born in Detroit, Michigan, the eldest child of Lebanese-American comedian Danny Thomas (1912–1991) and his wife, the former Rose Marie Cassaniti (1914–2000). On her mother's side, she is also the granddaughter of drummer and percussionist, Marie "Mary" Cassaniti (1896–1972). Her brother, Tony Thomas, is a television and film producer, and her sister, Terre Thomas, is a former actress.

Marlo Thomas was raised in Beverly Hills, California. Her parents called her Margo as a child, though she soon became known as Marlo, she told ''The New York Times'', because of her childhood mispronunciation of the nickname. She attended Marymount High School in Los Angeles. Thomas graduated from the University of Southern California with a teaching degree; "I wanted a piece of paper that said I was qualified to do something," she said. She was also a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.

Career

Thomas was a regular on ''The Joey Bishop Show'' from 1961 to 1962, playing Joey's star-struck sister, Stella Barnes. She followed the series with guest appearances on ''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'', ''Ben Casey'', ''My Favorite Martian'', and ''Bonanza''. But not until 1966 did she achieve the role for which she is still known today: New York actress Ann Marie on the ABC sitcom ''That Girl''. The series ran until 1971, garnering her a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations.

After ''That Girl'', Thomas released a children's book, ''Free to Be… You and Me,'' which was inspired by her young niece Dionne Thomas. She went on to create multiple recordings and television specials of and related to that title: ''Free to Be… You and Me'' (1972 and 1974) and ''Free to Be… A Family'' (1987), with Christopher Cerf.

In 1973, Marlo Thomas joined Gloria Steinem, Patricia Carbine, and Letty Cottin Pogrebin as the founders of the country’s first women’s fund, the Ms. Foundation for Women. The organization was created to deliver funding and other resources to organizations that were presenting women’s voices in communities nationwide.

Adept at drama as well as comedy, Thomas appeared in the television movies ''It Happened One Christmas'' (1977) (a remake of ''It's a Wonderful Life'' with Thomas in the rewritten James Stewart role), ''Nobody's Child'' (1986) , and ''The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck'' (1984) while she starred in films ''Jenny'' (1970) and ''Thieves'' (1977).

Thomas's Broadway theatre credits include ''Thieves'' (1974), ''Social Security'' (1986, in which she also toured), and ''The Shadow Box'' (1994). In 1993 she toured in ''Six Degrees of Separation''. In 2007, she starred as Doreen in Elaine May's comedy ''Roger Is Dead'' at George Street Playhouse. She returned to George Street Playhouse in the spring of 2008 in Arthur Laurents's play ''New Year's Eve'' with Keith Carradine and Natasha Gregson Wagner.

Thomas appeared as Margaret (as the client with a vicious dog) in an uncredited role in the film ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'' (1999).

Marlo Thomas is also active with the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where she serves as the national outreach director. She is donating all royalties from her 2004 book and CD, ''Thanks & Giving: All Year Long'' (also produced with Cerf), to the hospital, which was started by her late father, Danny Thomas. The organization helps gravely ill young children.

Thomas has further supported charity through her publications of the two volumes of ''The Right Words at the Right Time''.

In recent years, Thomas has made guest appearances on ''Ally McBeal'', ''Friends'' (as Rachel's mother, Sandra Green), as well as on ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (she played Judge Mary Conway Clark, a mentor of former ADA Casey Novak). She also appeared in the 2000 comedy ''Playing Mona Lisa''.

Thomas is a contributor to Web site wowOwow.com.

Honors

Thomas is the recipient of four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and the George Foster Peabody Award.

In 1996, she was awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television.

Personal life

She had a rhinoplasty procedure between the time of her appearing on her father's television show and the debut of ''That Girl.'' After her relationship with playwright Herb Gardner, Thomas married talk show host Phil Donahue in 1980. Through the marriage, she gained five stepchildren.

References

External links

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Marlo Thomas at wowOwow

All About Marlo Thomas at StJude.org

Our History at Ms. Foundation for Women

Marlo Thomas at AOL

Marlo Thomas Book Signing, Oak Brook, IL, October 26, 2010

Category:1937 births Category:Actors from Connecticut Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:Actors from Michigan Category:Actors from New York City Category:American film actors Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of Lebanese descent Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:Bell Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Detroit, Michigan Category:People from Westport, Connecticut Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

fr:Marlo Thomas ru:Томас, Марло tl:Marlo Thomas