Robert Morse

With that impish, gap-toothed grin, nervous bundle of energy, 'Robert Morse' (qv) could never be contained long enough to become a film star. The live stage would be his calling.Born Robert Allen Morse on May 18, 1931, in Newton, Massachusetts, and 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. He made his debut with the musical, "On the Town", in 1949, and trained with 'Lee Strasberg' (qv), before making his inauspicious film debut in _The Proud and Profane (1956)_ (qv), 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)_ (qv)), 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)_ (qv), 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)_ (qv), and as 'Walter Matthau' (qv)'s philandering buddy/advisor in _A Guide for the Married Man (1967)_ (qv). His offbeat musical talents were used for the intriguing experimental 'James Thurber' (qv)-like TV series, _That's Life (1968)_ (qv), with 'E.J. Peaker' (qv), 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)_ (qv), 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)_ (qv), he came back in grand style in the one-man tour de farce, _American Playhouse: Tru (1992)_ (qv), based on the life of the equally-eccentric 'Truman Capote' (qv) - 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' (qv).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)_ (qv). 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)_ (qv) and earned five Emmy nominations. More recently he impressed as Dominick Dunne on the series _American Crime Story (2016)_ (qv) and also provided the TV voice of Santa Claus in the animated short series _Teen Titans Go! (2013)_ (qv).Married twice, his five children include actresses 'Andrea Doven' (qv), 'Hilary Morse' (qv) and 'Robin Morse' (qv).::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]