Thomas Ernest Aldredge (February 28, 1928 – July 22, 2011) was an American television, film and stage actor. He won a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

for playing the role of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

in ''

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler (born October 30, 1945) is an American actor, producer, director, and author. Widely known as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984), Winkler has distinguished himself as a character acto ...

Meets William Shakespeare'' (1978). His

Broadway stage Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

career spanned five decades, including five

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nominations. He played both the Narrator and the Mysterious Man in the original Broadway cast of ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

''. He also appeared on television in programs including ''

Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...

'', ''

Damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognized at ...

'', and ''

Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter for the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series sta ...

'', with a notable role as Hugh De Angelis,

Tony Soprano Anthony John Soprano, portrayed by James Gandolfini, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO crime drama television series ''The Sopranos''. He is a member of the American Mafia, Italian-American Mafia and, later in the series, ...

’s father-in-law, on ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

''.

Life and career

Aldredge was born in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, the son of Lucienne Juliet (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Marcillat) and William Joseph Aldredge, a colonel in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

. He originally planned to become a lawyer and was a Pre-Law student at the

University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a Private university, private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary (Marianists), Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the U ...

in the late 1940s. In 1947 he decided to pursue a career as an actor after attending a performance of the original Broadway production of ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

''. Aldredge carved out a respected career on the

that spanned five decades, garnering five

nominations. He made his Broadway debut as Danny in the 1959 musical ''

The Nervous Set ''The Nervous Set'' is a 1959 Broadway musical, written by Jay Landesman and Theodore J. Flicker, which centers on the Beat Generation. It tells the story of a wealthy publisher and his wife from a Connecticut suburb exploring the Greenwich Vil ...

''. In 1972 he won a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

for his portrayal of Ozzie, the father of a blinded Vietnam veteran, in David Rabe's '' Sticks and Bones''. He played Henry VIII's fool, Will Sommers, in

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

' penultimate musical '' Rex'' in 1976. He originated the role of Norman Thayer Jr. in '' On Golden Pond'' in 1978, earning a Drama Desk Award nomination. His best-known role, however, was that of the Narrator/Mysterious Man in

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

and

James Lapine James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', ''Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He ha ...

's ''

'', a role he originated on Broadway and later repeated in the PBS ''

American Playhouse ''American Playhouse'' is an American anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). It premiered on January 12, 1982, with ''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'', written and narrated by John Cheever and direc ...

'' production and the 1997 tenth anniversary concert. He also created the role of Doctor Tambourri in another Sondheim/Lapine collaboration, '' Passion.'' He was part of the 1997 all-star revival of '' Inherit the Wind'' produced by Tony Randall, playing Rev. Brown in an ensemble that also included George C. Scott,

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

, and

Anthony Heald Anthony Heald (born August 25, 1944) is an American character actor known for portraying Hannibal Lecter's jailer, Dr. Frederick Chilton, in '' The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991) and '' Red Dragon'' (2002), and for playing vice principal Scot ...

. In 1960 Theodore Flicker founded a professional Off-Broadway coffee house theater, The Premise at 154

Bleecker Street Bleecker Street is an east–west street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightlife, nightclub district. The street connects a neighborhood popular today for music venues and comedy as well as a ...

in Greenwich Village. He recruited Tom Aldredge along with Joan Darling,

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as '' Ship o ...

and Dolores Welber as the initial improvisational cast fielding and reacting to suggestions from their audience. He had a 50-year-long career working as a character actor on television and film. He won a

in 1978 for his portrayal of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

in the episode ''Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare'' on the program ''The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People''. His best-known television role was that of

's father-in-law, Hugh De Angelis, on the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

series ''

''.

Personal life

He was married to stage and screen costume designer Theoni V. Aldredge from 1953 until her death on January 21, 2011.

Death

Aldredge died July 22, 2011, under hospice in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

from lymphoma. He was 83 years old. Aldredge died during the filming of ''Boardwalk Empire'' episode " Two Boats and a Lifeguard", in which his character also died.

Filmography

Film

*''

The Mouse on the Moon ''The Mouse on the Moon'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the sequel to ''The Mouse That Roared (film), The Mouse That Roared''. It is an adaptation of the 1962 novel ''The Mouse on the Moon (novel), The Mouse on the Moon'' by Irish author Leona ...

'' (1963) - Wendover *'' The Troublemaker'' (1964) - Jack Armstrong *'' Who Killed Teddy Bear?'' (1965) - Adler *'' The Boston Strangler'' (1968) - Harold Lacey (uncredited) *''

The Rain People ''The Rain People'' is a 1969 American road drama film written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and starring Shirley Knight, James Caan and Robert Duvall. The film centers on a middle-class housewife (Knight), who runs away from her husband ...

'' (1969) - Mr. Alfred *'' The Rehearsal'' (1974) *'' Countdown at Kusini'' (1976) - Ben Amed *'' Full Moon High'' (1981) - Jailer *'' Seize the Day'' (1986) - Rappaport *'' Batteries Not Included'' (1987) - Sid Hogenson *'' See You in the Morning'' (1989) - Beth's Father *'' Brenda Starr'' (1989) - (fake) Captain Borg *'' What About Bob?'' (1991) - Mr. Guttman *''

Other People's Money ''Other People's Money'' is a 1991 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Norman Jewison, starring Danny DeVito, Gregory Peck, and Penelope Ann Miller. It was adapted by screenwriter Alvin Sargent from the 1989 play of the same nam ...

'' (1991) - Ozzie *'' The Adventures of Huck Finn'' (1993) - Dr. Robinson *'' The Stars Fell on Henrietta'' (1995) - Grizzled Old Man *'' Commandments'' (1997) - Mr. Mann *'' Lawn Dogs'' (1997) - Trent's Father *''

Rounders Rounders is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a wooden, plastic, or metal bat that has a cylindrical end. The players score b ...

'' (1998) - Judge Marinacci *'' Message in a Bottle'' (1999) - Hank Land *'' A Stranger in the Kingdom'' (1999) - Elijah Kinneson *''Camouflage'' (2001) - Lionel Pond *'' The American Astronaut'' (2001) - Old Man *''

Intolerable Cruelty ''Intolerable Cruelty'' is a 2003 American romantic comedy film directed, co-written and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, and produced by Brian Grazer and the Coens. The script was written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone and Ethan and Joel Co ...

'' (2003) - Herb Myerson *'' Cold Mountain'' (2003) - Blind Man *''Wrigley'' (2004, Short) - Tony *'' Game 6'' (2005) - Michael Rogan *'' Twilight's Last Gleaming'' (2005, Short) - Virginia's Husband *''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U. ...

'' (2006) - Banker *'' Delirious'' (2006) - Carl Galantine - Les's Father *'' The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'' (2007) - Major George Hite *''

Diminished Capacity In criminal law, diminished responsibility (or diminished capacity) is a potential defense by excuse by which defendants argue that although they broke the law, they should not be held fully criminally liable for doing so, as their mental fun ...

'' (2008) - Wendell Kendall *''

My Sassy Girl ''My Sassy Girl'' () is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Kwak Jae-yong, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Cha Tae-hyun. The film is based on a true story told in a series of blog posts written by Kim Ho-sik, who later adapted them into ...

'' - Old Man *''A Magic Helmet'' (2010, Short) - David / Wotan

Television

*''The Seasons of Youth'' (1961) - Premise Player *''Ten Blocks on the Camino Real'' (1966) - Baron de Charlus *'' N.Y.P.D.'' - Mr Mahoney (1 episode, 1969) *'' The Happiness Cage'' (1972) *'' Sticks and Bones'' (1973) *''Wide World Mystery'' - Nemith (1 episode, 1974) *''King Lear'' (1974) - Fool *''

The Adams Chronicles ''The Adams Chronicles'' is a thirteen-episode miniseries by PBS that aired in 1976 to commemorate the American Bicentennial. Synopsis The series chronicles the story of the Adams political family over a 150-year span, including John Adams (dr ...

'' (1976) -

James McHenry James McHenry (November 16, 1753 – May 3, 1816) was an Irish American military surgeon, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland, initiated the recommendation ...

*''The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People'' -

(1 episode, 1977) *''The Storyteller'' (1977) - Frank Eberhardt *''

'' - Matt Pearse (34 episodes between 1979 and 1982) *'' The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg'' (1980) - Edward Richards *''Nurse'' (1980) - Kelly O'Brien *''The Gentleman Bandit'' (1981) - Monsignor *'' Love, Sidney'' (1981) *''CBS Library'' - Host/Washington Irving (1 episode, 1982) *''The American Snitch'' (1983) - Captain Crackers *''Puddn'head Wilson'' (1984) - Judge Driscoll *''Doubletake'' (1985) - Glendon Lane *''Heartbreak House'' (1985) - Mazzini *''A Special Friendship'' (1987) - Jefferson Davis *''

CBS Schoolbreak Special ''CBS Schoolbreak Special'' is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from December 1978 to January 1996. The series began under the title ''CBS Afternoon Playhouse'', and was changed during the 1984–85 season A season ...

'' - Joseph Hauptmann (1 episode, 1989) *''

'' - Older Edward (1 episode, 1990) *''Into the Woods'' (1991) - Narrator / Mysterious Man *''

Separate but Equal Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law, according to which racial segregation did not necessarily violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which nominally guaranteed "equal protectio ...

'' (1991) *''Lincoln and the War Within'' (1992) - William H. Seward *'' O Pioneers!'' (1992) - Ivar *'' Barbarians at the Gate'' (1993) - Charlie Hugel *'' In the Best of Families: Marriage, Pride & Madness'' (1994) *''

New York News ''New York News'' is an American newspaper drama television series created by Michelle Ashford, which was broadcast in the United States by CBS from September 28 to November 30, 1995 as part of its 1995 fall lineup. Cast * Gregory Harriso ...

'' - (1 episode, 1995) *'' Andersonville'' (1996) - Sgt Horace Trimble *'' Harvest of Fire'' (1996) - Jacob Hostetler *''Passion'' (1996) - Dr Tambourri *'' Earthly Possessions'' - Spry Old Man (1 episode, 1999) *'' Now and Again'' - Mr Leflin (1 episode, 1999) *''

Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 23, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...

'' - (1 episode, 2000) *''

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

'' - Retired Props Clerk (1 episode, 2000) *''

'' - Hugh DeAngelis (23 episodes between 2000 and 2007) *'' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' - Attorney George Knowles (1 episode, 2001) *'' Line of Fire'' - Senator Glenn Boulder (1 episode, 2004) *'' Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns'' - Professor (1 episode, 2008) *''

Taking Chance ''Taking Chance'' is a 2009 American historical drama television film directed by Ross Katz, from a screenplay by Michael Strobl and Katz, based on the journal of the same name by Strobl, who also serves as military consultant. Kevin Bacon's p ...

'' (2009) - Charlie Fitts *''

'' - Uncle Pete (13 episodes between 2007 and 2012) (final appearance) *''

'' - Ethan Thompson (5 episodes, 2010–2011)

Other works

*Original Broadway Cast Album: ''

'' (1991) - (performer: "Prologue: Into the Woods", "Ever After", "Act II Prologue: So Happy", "No More") *Self: ''The 58th Annual Tony Awards'' (2004) (TV) - Nominee: Best Featured Actor in a Play

Theatre

* ''

'' (1959) *''Stock up on Pepper 'Cause Turkey's Going to War'' (1967) *'' Sticks and Bones'' (1972) *''

Where's Charley? ''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play '' Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway ...

'' (1975) *'' Rex'' (1976) *'' Vieux Carré'' (1977) *'' On Golden Pond'' (1979) *'' The Little Foxes'' (1981) *''

'' (1987-89) *'' Passion'' (1994) * '' Inherit the Wind'' (1996) * ''

1776 Events January–February * January 1 – American Revolutionary War – Burning of Norfolk: The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces. * January ...

'' (1997) *''

The Time of the Cuckoo ''The Time of the Cuckoo'' is a play by Arthur Laurents. It focuses on the bittersweet romance between Leona Samish ( Shirley Booth), a single American executive secretary vacationing in Europe and Renato Di Rossi, a shopkeeper she meets in Venic ...

'' (2000) *''

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (also simply known as ''Tom Sawyer'') is a novel by Mark Twain published on June 9, 1876, about a boy, Tom Sawyer, growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1830s-1840s in the town of St. Petersbu ...

'' (2001) *''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' (2002) *'' Twentieth Century'' (2004) *'' Twelve Angry Men'' (2004)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aldredge, Tom 1928 births 2011 deaths American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male stage actors American male television actors Daytime Emmy Award winners Deaths from lymphoma in Florida Drama Desk Award winners Male actors from Dayton, Ohio