Tony Roberts, a renowned stage and screen actor known for his roles in several Woody Allen films, has passed away.
The Tony Award-nominated actor had a diverse career, featuring in both plays and musicals on the big screen, often portraying Allen’s best friend. His daughter, Nicole Burley, announced his passing and paid tribute to her father. She revealed to The New York Times that the cause of death was complications from lung cancer.
The actor passed away at his Manhattan home on Friday, aged 85. Over his illustrious career, Roberts participated in numerous Broadway productions, including musicals such as How Now Dow Jones, Sugar, and an adaptation of the film Some Like It Hot.
He also shared the stage with Dame Julie Andrews in the Broadway version of the popular film Victor/Victoria. In 1966, he appeared in the Woody Allen comedy Don’t Drink the Water, a role he reprised for the film adaptation.
Roberts featured in several Woody Allen films, including Play It Again Sam, a production he also participated in on stage. His exceptional work in theatre earned him two Tony Award nominations; one for How Now, Dow Jones and another for Play It Again, Sam, reports the Mirror.
Tony Roberts, the actor known for his roles in several Woody Allen films such as Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Radio Days, Stardust Memories and A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy, also made a name for himself on television. He appeared in The Four Seasons, The Lucie Aranz Show and made guest appearances in Murder, She Wrote and Law and Order.
Despite the success he found working with Woody Allen, Tony has spoken about the challenges it presented. In a 1997 interview with The Los Angeles Times, he said: “I was always so vividly the guy Woody wrote, that everybody in the business – casting agents, for instance – would think of me that way.”
He added, “The persona I was for Woody is a hard thing to break out of.”
Born in New York in October 1939, Tony’s father, Ken Roberts, was a television and radio announcer.
As he told AP in 1985, showbiz was very much a part of his upbringing: “I was raised in the middle of a lot of actor talk.”
Tony reflected on his family’s influence on his career choice, mentioning, “My cousin was Everett Sloane, who was a very fine actor. My father’s friends were mostly actors. I’m sure that in some way I needed to prove myself in their eyes.”
He then pursued his education at the High School of Music and Art in New York, followed by Northwestern University in Illinois. In his 2015 memoir, Do You Know Me, he mused over his life’s journey, stating, “I’ve never been particularly lucky at card games. I’ve never hit a jackpot. But I have been extremely lucky in life.”
Tony also shared his early clarity about his career path, adding, “Unlike many of my pals, who didn’t know what they wanted to become when they grew up, I knew I wanted to be an actor before I got to high school.”
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