Wesley Addy(1913-1996)
- Actor
Character actor Wesley Addy began his prolific career as a prime player
on the classical stage before coming to occasional films and TV in the
early 1950s. Known for his intelligent, white-collar demeanor and lean,
icy, cultivated menace, the silver-haired performer, who was actually
born in Omaha, Nebraska, was often mistaken as British.
Majoring in economics at the University of California in Los Angeles,
Wesley switched gears and trained in summer theater on Martha's
Vineyard before trekking to New York City to pursue a professional
career. In 1935, the actor made his Broadway stage debut with
Orson Welles in
Archibald Macleish's "Panic". He
continued with roles as both "Marcellus" and "Fortinbras" in
Leslie Howard's production of
"Hamlet". Other Shakespearean roles during this early period included
"Hotspur" in "Henry IV, Part I", "Benvolio" in "Romeo and Juliet" and
"Orsino" in "Twelfth Night". He often performed the Bard in the company
of such legendary interpreters as
Orson Welles,
Laurence Olivier and, more frequently,
Maurice Evans.
World War II interrupted Addy's early momentum but he eventually
returned to the theatre following his tour of duty and played opposite
Katharine Cornell in "Antigone" and
"Candida". A continued presence on Broadway, he had strong stage roles
in "The Traitor", "Another Part of the Forest", "King Lear" and "The
Leading Lady".
In 1951, the 38-year-old Addy made his film debut in the drama,
The First Legion (1951), and
would be seen from time to time throughout the decade in such dramatic
fare as Scandal Sheet (1952),
My Six Convicts (1952) and
Time Table (1956). Some of his
chillier roles came in films directed by
Robert Aldrich, who utilized the
actor quite often --
Kiss Me Deadly (1955),
The Big Knife (1955),
The Garment Jungle (1957),
Ten Seconds to Hell (1959)
and the Grand Guignol classics,
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
and
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).
Never acquiring a strong footing in the movies, Wesley changed his
on-camera focus in the 1960s to TV and also sought out theatre roles,
as well. In 1961, Wesley married actress
Celeste Holm. Together, they proved a
strong stage coupling in both comedies and dramas -- "Invitation to a
March", "A Month in the Country", "Mame", "Candida", "Light Up the
Sky", "Mama" and "With Love and Laughter".
A reliable, durable performer, Wesley played suave gents and villains
on TV. A major portion of his work came from daytime soaps -- including
The Edge of Night (1956),
Days of Our Lives (1965),
Ryan's Hope (1975) and
Loving (1983). Later films included
Seconds (1966),
Network (1976),
The Europeans (1979) and
The Verdict (1982). He continued to
act close to the end. His last film role was as a judge in
Before and After (1996) starring
Meryl Streep and
Liam Neeson, which was released in the year
of his death. He was 83.
on the classical stage before coming to occasional films and TV in the
early 1950s. Known for his intelligent, white-collar demeanor and lean,
icy, cultivated menace, the silver-haired performer, who was actually
born in Omaha, Nebraska, was often mistaken as British.
Majoring in economics at the University of California in Los Angeles,
Wesley switched gears and trained in summer theater on Martha's
Vineyard before trekking to New York City to pursue a professional
career. In 1935, the actor made his Broadway stage debut with
Orson Welles in
Archibald Macleish's "Panic". He
continued with roles as both "Marcellus" and "Fortinbras" in
Leslie Howard's production of
"Hamlet". Other Shakespearean roles during this early period included
"Hotspur" in "Henry IV, Part I", "Benvolio" in "Romeo and Juliet" and
"Orsino" in "Twelfth Night". He often performed the Bard in the company
of such legendary interpreters as
Orson Welles,
Laurence Olivier and, more frequently,
Maurice Evans.
World War II interrupted Addy's early momentum but he eventually
returned to the theatre following his tour of duty and played opposite
Katharine Cornell in "Antigone" and
"Candida". A continued presence on Broadway, he had strong stage roles
in "The Traitor", "Another Part of the Forest", "King Lear" and "The
Leading Lady".
In 1951, the 38-year-old Addy made his film debut in the drama,
The First Legion (1951), and
would be seen from time to time throughout the decade in such dramatic
fare as Scandal Sheet (1952),
My Six Convicts (1952) and
Time Table (1956). Some of his
chillier roles came in films directed by
Robert Aldrich, who utilized the
actor quite often --
Kiss Me Deadly (1955),
The Big Knife (1955),
The Garment Jungle (1957),
Ten Seconds to Hell (1959)
and the Grand Guignol classics,
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
and
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964).
Never acquiring a strong footing in the movies, Wesley changed his
on-camera focus in the 1960s to TV and also sought out theatre roles,
as well. In 1961, Wesley married actress
Celeste Holm. Together, they proved a
strong stage coupling in both comedies and dramas -- "Invitation to a
March", "A Month in the Country", "Mame", "Candida", "Light Up the
Sky", "Mama" and "With Love and Laughter".
A reliable, durable performer, Wesley played suave gents and villains
on TV. A major portion of his work came from daytime soaps -- including
The Edge of Night (1956),
Days of Our Lives (1965),
Ryan's Hope (1975) and
Loving (1983). Later films included
Seconds (1966),
Network (1976),
The Europeans (1979) and
The Verdict (1982). He continued to
act close to the end. His last film role was as a judge in
Before and After (1996) starring
Meryl Streep and
Liam Neeson, which was released in the year
of his death. He was 83.