Tony Roberts

This tall, curly-haired son of longtime CBS radio announcer Ken Roberts debuted on Broadway in "Something About a Soldier" (1962). Twice-nominated for Tony Awards, Tony Roberts has had notable collaborations with Neil Simon (appearing in three Broadway productions, a film and a national tour) and Woody Allen (two plays and six films). Although Roberts' stage credits have outnumbered his film appearances, he is perhaps best recalled for his work with Allen. He reprised his stage success as the businessman and best friend whose wife (Diane Keaton) Allen covets in "Play It Again, Sam" (1972). Roberts' command of upwardly mobile mannerisms and affectations made him the perfect WASP foil to Allen's nebbish persona as evidenced by the best-friend roles he played in such films as "Annie Hall" (1977), "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" (1982) and "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986).

Roberts has acted in other films, including Sidney Lumet's "Serpico" (1973, again as an intimate of the title character), "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three" (1974, as a mayoral aide) and Lumet's "Just Tell Me What You Want" (1980, as a gay film executive). As the star of "Amityville 3-D" (1983), Roberts turned in a solid performance that complemented the competence at all levels that kept that sequel from being trashy. He took a few days' leave from the hit musical "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" (1990) to rush to L.A. to film his role as a nasty advertising executive in Blake Edwards' "Switch" (1991).

Despite his frequent Broadway appearances, Roberts has rarely been the first choice, originating few musical roles like his Tony-nominated turn in the unsuccessful "How Now, Dow Jones" (1967). While he was the first to play the parts on stage, he inherited two well-known roles, both involving drag: Joe/Josephine, the role originated by Tony Curtis in Billy Wilder's 1959 classic "Some Like It Hot", in "Sugar" (1972), and Toddy, the gay mentor of a down and out singer, in Blake Edwards' 1996 stage version of "Victor, Victoria". Roberts has also appeared in non-musical roles, most notably in "Absurd Person Singular" (1974) and in the revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1986). He also tried his hand at directing with the 1992 Off-Broadway staging of Charles Grodin's comedy "One of the All-Time Greats".

But whatever qualities that made him Woody Allen's favorite WASP for a while never translated to the small screen. His featured work as Lee Pollack on "The Edge of Night" (1963-67) and his starring turns on the short-lived series "Rosetti and Son" (NBC, 1977), "The Four Seasons" (CBS, 1984), "The Lucie Arnaz Show" (CBS, 1985) and "The Thorns" (ABC, 1988) all failed to captivate the public. The nondescript actor persevered all the same, carving out his niche as a working actor. In the 90s, he teamed with his future "Victor, Victoria" co-star Julie Andrews in her TV-movie debut "Our Sons" (ABC, 1991) and also acted in the ABC movie "Not in My Family" (1993), "Arthur Miller's American Clock" (TNT, 1993) and NBC's "Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester" (1995). He also provided voices for PBS documentaries "Buckminster Fuller: Thinking Out Loud" (1996) and "The Trial of Adolph Eichmann" (1997).

• Also Credited As:
  Anthony Roberts, David Anthony Roberts
• Born:
  October 22, 1939 in New York City, New York, USA
• Job Titles:
  Actor

Family

• Cousin: Everett Sloane.
• Daughter: Nicole Roberts.
• Father: Kenneth Roberts. radio credits included The Milton Berle Program , This is Nora Drake , The Shadow and Joyce Jordan: Girl Intern
• Mother: Norma Roberts.

Significant Others

• Companion: Pamela Jordan. appeared together in Follies in New Jersey in 1998

Education

• Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, drama, BS, 1961

Milestones

• 1962 Broadway debut in Something About a Soldier
• 1962 Had role in the national touring company of Neil Simon s Come Blow Your Horn
• 1964 Cast as newlywed Paul Bratter in Barefoot in the Park , first of three Broadway projects by Neil Simon; role originated by Robert Redford
• 1965 Played regular featured role on the daytime drama The Edge of Night
• 1965 Film acting debut in bit role in Beach Girls and the Monster
• 1966 First association with Woody Allen, playing Axel Magee in Don t Drink the Water on Broadway
• 1968 Received first Tony nomination for his leading role in the musical How Now, Dow Jones
• 1969 London stage debut as Chuck Baxter in the musical Promises, Promises (book by Neil Simon); won London Critcs Poll Award as Best Actor in a Musical
• 1969 Portrayed Dick Christie in Allen s Play It Again, Sam on Broadway; earned second Tony nomination as Best Featured Actor in a Play
• 1971 First major feature role, $1,000,000 Duck
• 1971 Reprised role in Promises, Promises in Broadway production; role originated by Jerry Orbach
• 1971 Starred opposite Sandy Duncan in the film version of Neil Simon s The Star Spangled Girl
• 1972 Appeared on Broadway in Sugar , a musical based on the Billy Wilder classic Some Like It Hot ; played role originated by Tony Curtis in the film
• 1972 First acted alongside Woody Allen in Play It Again, Sam ; reprised stage role
• 1973 Played Bob Blair in Serpico
• 1977 Appeared in Allen s Oscar-winning Annie Hall
• 1977 Co-starred in the short-lived NBC law drama Rosetti & Ryan
• 1979 Worked with Simon again on Broadway, They re Playing Our Song ; succeeded Robert Klein
• 1980 Continued association with Allen as Tony in Stardust Memories
• 1982 Portrayed Dr Maxwell Jordan in Allen s A Midsummer Night s Sex Comedy
• 1984 Was regular member of the ensemble cast of The Four Seasons , a CBS comedy/drama based on the hit film
• 1985 Co-starred opposite Lucie Arnaz in The Lucie Arnaz Show (CBS)
• 1986 Acted role of Mortimer Brewster in Broadway revival of Arsenic and Old Lace
• 1986 Appeared in fifth Allen movie, Hannah and Her Sisters
• 1987 Cast as Silver Dollar emcee in Allen s Radio Days
• 1987 Starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom The Thorns , produced by Mike Nichols
• 1990 Replaced Jason Alexander in the musical Jerome Robbins Broadway
• 1991 First association with Blake Edwards, the feature Switch
• 1991 Supported Julie Andrews in the ABC TV-movie Our Sons
• 1992 Off-Broadway directing debut, One of the All-Time Greats by Charles Grodin
• 1993 Acted in Off-Broadway production of John Patrick Shanley s Four Dogs and a Bone
• 1996 Starred opposite Julie Andrews in the Broadway production of Victor/Victoria ; also marked second association with director Blake Edwards
• 1999 Starred as Scrooge in the annual holiday production of A Christmas Carol in NYC
• 2006 Cast in Michael Cuesta s sophomore feature Twelve and Holding