Michael Patrick Higgins Jr. (January 20, 1920 – November 5, 2008) was an American actor who appeared in film and on stage, and was best known for his role in the original Broadway production of '' Equus''.

Early life

Higgins was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

on January 20, 1920, the son of Mary Katherine (née McGowan) and Michael Peter Higgins, a poet and grocer who worked in the insurance business. He made efforts as a teenager to rid himself of his Brooklyn accent, hoping for a future career in theater. His father gave him an early a love of Shakespeare. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

in Italy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, where he earned a

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

and a

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

.Fox, Margalit
"Michael Higgins, an Actor Popular on New York Stages, Dies at 88"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', November 10, 2008. Accessed November 11, 2008.

Career

After returning from military service, Higgins made his Broadway debut on February 18, 1946, in a production of ''

Antigone In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., ...

'' (1946), starring

Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by critic A ...

and Sir Cedric Hardwicke in a modern-dress adaptation of the

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...

play based on Jean Anouilh's French version. Higgins played the role of the Third Guard. Simonson, Robert
"Michael Higgins, Obie-Winning Actor, Dies at 88"
, ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's p ...

'', November 11, 2008. Accessed November 11, 2008. Higgins appeared in the original Broadway production of Peter Shaffer's '' Equus'' in the role of Frank Strang, the father of a youth who blinds horses, alongside Peter Firth as the youth, Frances Sternhagen as Alan's mother and

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

as his psychiatrist. As part of cast that Clive Barnes called "exemplary",

Walter Kerr Walter Francis Kerr (July 8, 1913 – October 9, 1996) was an American writer and Broadway theatre critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals as well as the author of several books, genera ...

found Higgins "excellent as a father turned ashen when caught out at a skin flick". Kerr, Walter
"'Equus' Takes Risks and Emerges Victorious; STAGE VIEW"
''

'', November 3, 1974. Accessed November 11, 2008. Among his Broadway performances are ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' as Benvolio with

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

in 1951, Jean Anouilh's '' The Lark'' in 1955 with Julie Harris and Christopher Plummer,

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

's ''

The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perf ...

'' with

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

Circle in the Square Theatre The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, in the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is one of two Broadway theaters that use a thrust stage that extends ...

in 1973, and the 1980 production of ''Mixed Couples'', his final Broadway appearance. In 1963, he starred in ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' ( First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in aroun ...

'' opposite

Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...

, in

Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in Lower Manhattan. There Papp created a ...

's Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. He won two

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...

s for his work

Off Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

; for his 1958 performance as John Proctor in '' The Crucible'' and in 1980 in David Mamet's play ''Reunion''. He won a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

in 1978 for his role in ''Molly'', earning honors as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. He appeared in early live television productions including ''

Kraft Television Theatre ''Kraft Television Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series running from 1947 to 1958. It began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. It first promoted MacLaren's Imperial Chees ...

'', ''

Academy Theatre ''Academy Theatre'' is an American drama anthology series that aired on NBC in 1949. It ran for eight weeks as the summer replacement for '' Chevrolet on Broadway''. Format The series utilized a different cast each week who appeared in short w ...

'' and '' Studio One'', as well as on '' Ben Casey'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'' and ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom, situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in colo ...

''. From 1949 to 1951, he played the role of Johnny Roberts on the NBC television series '' One Man's Family''. Later in his career he worked primarily on screen, appearing in over 50 films. He co-starred in Coppola's '' The Conversation'' and

Barbara Loden Barbara Ann Loden (July 8, 1932September 5, 1980) was an American actress and director of film and theater.''The Hollywood Reporter'', Barbara Loden obituary, September 8, 1980. Richard Brody of ''The New Yorker'' described Loden as the "female co ...

's '' Wanda''. He appeared in '' Angel Heart'', ''

The Black Stallion The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...

'', '' The Seduction of Joe Tynan'', '' The Stepford Wives'', David Mamet's '' State and Main'', and Charlie Kaufman's ''

Synecdoche, New York ''Synecdoche, New York'' (pronounced ) is a 2008 American postmodern psychological drama film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman in his directorial debut. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ailing theater director who works on an incr ...

'', among many others.

Death

Higgins died at age 88 on November 5, 2008, at Beth Israel Medical Center of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

Selected filmography

Film

*''Shades of Gray'' (1948) - U.S. Army Soldier *'' Edge of Fury'' (1958) - Richard Barrie *'' Chūshingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki'' (1962) - Narrator (1963 US version) (voice) *''Terror in the City'' (1964) - Carl *'' The Arrangement'' (1969) - Michael Anderson *'' Wanda'' (1970) - Norman Dennis *''

Desperate Characters ''Desperate Characters'' is a 1970 novel by Paula Fox. Plot Sophie and Otto Bentwood are a childless, upper-middle class married couple who live in a brownstone in Brooklyn. She is a translator, he an attorney, currently preoccupied by the ac ...

'' (1971) - Francis Early *'' The Conversation'' (1974) - Paul *'' The Stepford Wives'' (1975) - Mr. Cornell *''Death Play'' (1976) - Sam *''

An Enemy of the People ''An Enemy of the People'' (original Norwegian title: ''En folkefiende''), an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, followed his previous play, '' Ghosts'', which criticized the hypocrisy of his society's moral code. That response in ...

'' (1978) - Billing *''

King of the Gypsies The title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the p ...

'' (1978) - Traffic Court Judge *'' The Seduction of Joe Tynan'' (1979) - Senator Pardew *''

'' (1979) - Neville *'' Fort Apache, The Bronx'' (1981) - Heffernan *'' A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy'' (1982) - Reynolds *'' Staying Alive'' (1983) - Dancer *'' Rumble Fish'' (1983) - Mr. Harrigan *''

Girls Just Want to Have Fun "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a song written, recorded and performed by American musician Robert Hazard, who released it as a single in 1979. It is best known for the version of American singer Cyndi Lauper, who covered the song in 1983. It ...

'' (1985) - Featured Dancer *''

1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...

'' (1985) - Mr. Vaughn *'' Seven Minutes in Heaven'' (1985) - Senator Peterson *''

On Valentine's Day ''On Valentine's Day'' is a 1986 American drama film directed by Ken Harrison. It is the sequel of Harrison's ''1918''. It was entered into the main competition at the 43rd Venice International Film Festival and was screened at the 1986 Toronto I ...

'' (1986) - Mr. Vaughn *'' Angel Heart'' (1987) - Dr. Albert Fowler *''Courtship'' (1987) - Mr. Vaughn *'' Crusoe'' (1988) - Dr. Martin *'' New York Stories'' (1989) - Robber (segment "Life without Zoe") *''

Dead Bang ''Dead Bang'' is a 1989 American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Don Johnson, Penelope Ann Miller, William Forsythe, Bob Balaban, and Tim Reid. Johnson's character, based on real-life LASD Detective Jerry Beck, ...

'' (1989) - Reverend Gebhardt *''Forced March'' (1989) - Andras Bereg *''

The Local Stigmatic ''The Local Stigmatic'' is a 1990 film directed by David Wheeler and produced by and starring Al Pacino. It was filmed and edited during the late 1980s. It had a showing at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in March 1990, but was never re ...

'' (1990) - Drunk man *''An Empty Bed'' (1990) - Man in 50's Restaurant *'' Death Becomes Her'' (1992) - Dancer *''

Wind Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ...

'' (1992) - Artemus *'' School Ties'' (1992) - Mr. Gierasch *'' The Impostors'' (1998) - Older Man who Drops Dead *'' Just the Ticket'' (1999) - Confessional Priest *'' State and Main'' (2000) - Doc Wilson *''

Swimfan ''Swimfan'' is a 2002 American teen psychological thriller film directed by John Polson and written by Charles Bohl and Phillip Schneider. Starring Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, and Shiri Appleby, the film is about a high school swimming ...

'' (2002) - Mr. Tillman *''Messengers'' (2004) - Poor Old Man from Room 410 *''

Off the Black ''Off the Black'' is a 2006 American drama film starring Nick Nolte and Trevor Morgan. It was written and directed by James Ponsoldt, who also has a small role in the film, and is his feature directorial debut. Plot Ray Cook ( Nolte) is a bitte ...

'' (2006) - Al Cook *'' The Savages'' (2007) - Resident #1 *'' The Favor'' (2007) - Mr. Ritter *''

'' (2008) - Actor Playing Man with Nose Bleed *''

An American Carol ''An American Carol'' (released as ''Big Fat Important Movie'' in other territories) is a 2008 American satirical comedy film directed by David Zucker and written by Zucker, Myrna Sokoloff and Lewis Friedman. Using the framework of Charles Dicke ...

'' (2008) - Parent

Television

*'' One Man's Family'' (1949–1951) - Johnny Roberts *'' The Outer Limits'' " The Mice" (1963) - Dr. Thomas Kellander *''

'' "Two of a Kind" (1963) - Irish Immigrant Finnegan *''

'' "Barney Hosts a Summit Meeting" (1968) - Mr. Clifford *''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...

'' "In Memory of" (1991) - Thad Messimer "Ramparts" (1999) - Darryl Grady

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Michael 1920 births 2008 deaths American male film actors United States Army personnel of World War II American male stage actors People from Brooklyn United States Army soldiers 20th-century American male actors American expatriates in Italy it:Michael Higgins