Robert Drivas (born Robert Choromokos; November 21, 1935 – June 29, 1986) was an American actor and threatre director.

Life and early career

Drivas was born Robert Choromokos in Coral Gables, Florida, the son of Hariklia (née Cunningham-Wright) and James Peter Choromokos. Drivas studied at the University of Chicago and the University of Miami with further training at the Greek Playhouse in Athens, Greece. He made his stage debut in ''Night Must Fall'' in Coral Gables, Florida, and then appeared in ''Tea and Sympathy'' in the role of Tom Lee at the

Coconut Grove Playhouse The Coconut Grove Playhouse was a theatre in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It opened on January 3, 1927, as a part of ...

in Miami, and in ''The Lady's Not for Burning'', ''Death of a Salesman'', ''Thieves' Ball'', and ''A View from the Bridge'' at the Highland Park Playhouse in Chicago. According to Thomas W. Ennis writing in ''The New York Times'',

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thr ...

saw Drivas in ''Tea and Sympathy'' and asked him to take the lead in his play ''

Sweet Bird of Youth ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' is a 1959 play by Tennessee Williams which tells the story of a gigolo and drifter, Chance Wayne, who returns to his home town as the companion of a faded movie star, Alexandra del Lago (travelling incognito as Princess ...

,'' which had its premiere in Coconut Grove at George Keathley's Studio M Playhouse in 1956.

Broadway

He made his Broadway debut in the role of Ramses in 1958 in the play ''The Firstborn'', directed by and starring

Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor and theatre director. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969 ...

as Moses. He continued to perform on stage, as Jacko in the

Beverley Cross Alan Beverley Cross (13 April 1931 – 20 March 1998) was an English playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Early life Born in London into a theatrical family, and educated at the Nautical College Pangbourne, Cross started off by writ ...

play ''One More River'' (1960), with

George C. Scott George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...

in the

Warsaw Ghetto The Warsaw Ghetto (german: Warschauer Ghetto, officially , "Jewish Residential District in Warsaw"; pl, getto warszawskie) was the largest of the Nazi ghettos during World War II and the Holocaust. It was established in November 1940 by the G ...

play ''The Wall'' (1960), as

Alfred Drake Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer. Biography Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Broo ...

's son Giorgio in the Italian Renaissance set ''Lorenzo'' (1963), as the British beatnik son of

Cyril Ritchard Cyril Joseph Trimnell-Ritchard (1 December 1898 – 18 December 1977), known professionally as Cyril Ritchard, was an Australian stage, screen and television actor, and director. He is best remembered today for his performance as Captain Hook in ...

in ''The Irregular Verb to Love'' (1963), and in '' And Things That Go Bump in the Night'' (1965), which he also directed. In 1963 he won a

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

for his performance in ''Mrs. Dally Has a Lover'' (opposite Estelle Parsons). Drivas was associated with many well-known theatrical figures of his time. These included playwrights

Terrence McNally Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...

, whose play '' The Ritz'' he directed in 1975, and Edward Albee, who directed Drivas in the 1983 premiere of Albee's harshly received play '' The Man Who Had Three Arms''. Other directing credits include '' Bad Habits'', for which he won an Obie Award, ''Legend'', ''Cheaters'', ''It Had to Be You'', the 1982 revival of the musical '' Little Me'' (with his work there praised by theater critic

Clive Barnes Clive Alexander Barnes (13 May 1927 – 19 November 2008) was an English writer and critic. From 1965 to 1977, he was the dance and theater critic for ''The New York Times'', and, from 1978 until his death, '' The New York Post.'' Barnes had sig ...

who wrote "The whole balance is set right by the present production's firmer sense of form and continuity. The sense once had of a series of black-out sketches has gone and the staging... is smooth, inventive, and comic.") and ''Peg'', a musical biography of songstress Peggy Lee, with lyrics and book by the star herself.

Film and television

Concurrent with his theater work, Drivas appeared in television, beginning in 1957, on such crime shows and dramas as '' Route 66'', '' N.Y.P.D.'', '' The Defenders'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'', '' The Wild Wild West'', ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'', ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'', and ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' Drivas' first film appearance was in the role of Loudmouth Steve in '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967). This debut led to more film work in ''

The Illustrated Man ''The Illustrated Man'' is a 1951 collection of 18 science fiction short stories by American writer Ray Bradbury. A recurring theme throughout the stories is the conflict of the cold mechanics of technology and the psychology of people. It was ...

'' (1969) and the generation-gap drama '' Where It's At'' (1969), written and directed by

Garson Kanin Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films. Early life Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He attended ...

Death

Drivas died June 29, 1986, of AIDS-related complications at age 50.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drivas, Robert 1935 births 1986 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors University of Chicago alumni University of Miami alumni American gay actors LGBT people from Florida American people of Greek descent Male actors from Chicago AIDS-related deaths in New York (state) American theatre directors 20th-century American male actors 20th-century LGBT people