One of Patti LuPone's twin older brothers, Robert LuPone performed with siblings William and Patti as The LuPone Trio during the 1960s. He made his Broadway debut in "Minnie's Boys" in 1970 and later acted onstage in "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1971), as well as appearing in the 1973 film version. His role as the choreographer-director Zach in the original Broadway production of "A Chorus Line" (1975) earned him a Tony nomination as Featured Actor in a Musical, and his subsequent Broadway parts included the Dauphin in a revival of George Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan" (1977) and David in "Late Night Comic" (1987). Off-Broadway he appeared as John Lennon (and other parts) in "Lennon" (1982), and he acted in Joseph Abady's world premiere of "On the Waterfront" at the Cleveland Playhouse in 1989. Like many NYC-based performers, LuPone amassed extensive credits in daytime serials but he is perhaps best recalled for his Emmy-nominated portrayal of relentless extortionist Zach Grayson on ABC's "All My Children" from 1984 to 1985 and as Roger Thorpe's sleazy attorney Leo Flynn on "Guiding Light", a part he's essayed on and off since 1991.
Though primarily a stage actor, LuPone portrayed the stockbroker who falls for Sally Kirkland's hooker with a heart of gold in "High Stakes" (1989) and played Attorney Salvatore Rizzo in "Dead Presidents" (1995), among his feature roles. On primetime TV, he essayed Andre Previn in the Fox miniseries "Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story" (1995), appeared over the years in multiple episodes of the NBC series "Law & Order" and had a recurring role as Tony Soprano's next-door neighbor, Dr. Cusamano, in HBO's popular "The Sopranos". LuPone co-founded the Manhattan Class Company in 1984 and has shared executive director duties with Bernard Telsey since, not to mention helming several productions for the theater company. As for stage acting, he portrayed the puritanically stiff Hermocrates in the regional production of the musical "Triumph of Love" (1997) and on Broadway played the charming world-weary lawyer Alfieri in a revival of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" (1998) and appeared as movie producer Saul Kimmer in Sam Shepard's "True West" (2000).
- Also Credited As:
Bob LuPone
- Born:
July 29, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York
-
Job Titles:
Actor, Singer, Choreographer, Dancer, Teacher
Family
-
Brother: William LuPone. twin brother
-
Father: Orlando Joseph LuPone. divorced LuPone's mother in 1961
-
Mother: Angela Louise LuPone. divorced LuPone's father in 1961
-
Sister: Patti LuPone. starred on Broadway as "Evita", for which she earned a Tony Award; born on April 21, 1949
Education
-
The Juilliard School, New York, New York, music
Milestones
-
1967 Appeared as a dancer in "Arabian Nights" at Jones Beach Theatre, Long Island, New York
-
1968 Played A-Rab in NYC revival of "West Side Story"
-
1970 Broadway debut, "Minnie's Boys"
-
1971 Performed in NYC stage production of "Jesus Christ Superstar"
-
1973 Appeared in film version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" as an apostle
-
1973 Received a Joseph Jefferson Award for his performance in "The Tooth of Crime" at Chicago's Goodman Theatre Center
-
1975 Played Zach in the original Broadway production of "A Chorus Line"; received Tony nomination for featured actor in a musical role; toured USA as Zach in 1976
-
1977 Portrayed the Dauphin in Broadway production of "Saint Joan"
-
1980 Appeared as Chester Wallace on ABC's soap "Ryan's Hope"
-
1980 Co-directed (with Myra Turley) "It's Me Marie" at NYC's Actors Studio
-
1981 Taught acting at New York University
-
1982 Appeared as John Lennon (and other parts) in Off-Broadway production of "Lennon"
-
1983 Acted part of Tom Bergman on the NBC daytime drama "Search for Tomorrow"
-
1984 Portrayed Zach Grayson in daytime drama "All My Children"; nominated for a 1985 Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
-
1984 Served as executive director (with Bernard Telsey), Manhattan Class Company (MCC), NYC
-
1987 Played David in Broadway production of "Late Night Comic"
-
1989 Appeared in Josephine Abady's world premiere of "On the Waterfront" at the Cleveland Playhouse
-
1989 Portrayed the stockbroker who falls for Sally Kirkland's hooker with a heart of gold in "High Stakes"
-
1990 Made first appearance on NBC's "Law & Order"
-
1994 Helmed MCC production of "D Train"
-
1995 Acted the part of Attorney Salvatore Rizzo in "Dead Presidents"
-
1995 Essayed Andre Previn in Fox miniseries, "Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story"
-
1996 Served as choreographer of "Romeo and Juliet" at the Hartford Stage Company
-
1997 Offered a wonderful stage turn as the puritanically stiff Hermocrates in the musical "Triumph of Love" in Baltimore
-
1998 Played the charming, world-weary lawyer Alfieri in a NYC Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" (succeeded Stephen Spinella in the role)
-
1999 Directed the play "The English Teachers"
-
1999 Had recurring role as Tony Soprano's next-door neighbor, Dr. Cusamano in HBO's "The Sopranos"
-
2000 Cast as lawyer Robert Kardashian in CBS miniseries, "An American Tragedy", based on Lawrence Schiller and James Willwerth's book about the O J Simpson defense team; Schiller directed from screenplay by Norman Mailer
-
2000 Portrayed movie producer Saul Kimmer in Broadway production of Sam Shepard's "True West"
-
2000 Reprised role of Leo Flynn on "Guiding Light"
-
Cast as Neal Cory on the NBC daytime serial "Another World"
-
Had recurring role as Roger Thorpe's shady lawyer Leo Flynn on "Guiding Light" (CBS)
-
Performed with twin brother William and sister Patti as The LuPone Trio during the mid-1960s