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Robert Morse

Birth Place: Newton, MA, USA

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BIO

Robert Morse started his career as a star on Broadway acting in musicals and plays before expanding into film and television. He earned numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.



Morse may be best known to Broadway fans as the original J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, a role for which he won a Tony Award. He also went on to play Finch in the film adaptation of the musical in 1967.

Morse won a second Tony Award for playing Truman Capote in the 1989 production of the one-man play Tru. He went on to also win a Primetime Emmy Award for the role, in an airing of the play for American Playhouse in 1992.

Morse made his Broadway debut in Catherine Was Great in 1944. His subsequent Broadway credits include The Matchmaker; Say, Darling (Tony nomination); Take Me Along (Tony nomination); Sugar; So Long, 174th Street; Show Boat; and The Front Page.

He appeared on the US tour of Sugar Babies in 1980, and appeared in the world premiere production of Wicked as The Wizard in San Francisco in 2003.

Morse acted in the films The Matchmaker (1958), The Cardinal (1963), The Loved One (1965), and A Guide for the Married Man (1967). Known for his television roles, he played Robert Dickson in the ABC comedy series That's Life from 1968 to 1969, for which he was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series. Morse attained a career resurgence playing Bertram Cooper in the critically acclaimed AMC period drama series Mad Men from 2007 to 2015. The role earned him nominations for five Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He portrayed Dominick Dunne in the FX limited series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016).

Morse died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on April 20, 2022, at the age of 90.

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

The Front Page The Front Page
[Broadway]
Broadway Revival Production, 2016
Mr. Pincus
Wicked
[San Francisco (Regional)]
World Premiere, 2003
The Wizard
Du Barry Was A Lady
[Off-Broadway]
Encores! Concert, 1996
Louis Blore / His Most Royal Majesty, The King of France
Show Boat
[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 1994
Cap'n Andy [Replacement]
[Replacement]
Tru
[Broadway]
1989
Truman Capote
Mike
[Regional (US)]
World Premiere, 1988
Scooter Molloy
Sugar Babies
[US Tour]
1st National Tour, 1980
Performer
So Long, 174th Street
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1976
David
Performer
David
Sugar
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1972
Jerry
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1961
Finch
J. Pierrepont Finch
Finch
J. Pierrepont Finch
Take Me Along
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1959
Richard Miller
Say, Darling
[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1958
Ted Snow
The Matchmaker
[Broadway]
1955
Barnaby Tucker
Catherine Was Great
[Broadway]
1944
Councillor
Sugar
[Regional (US)]
West Coast Revival, 1974
Performer

Movies

The Matchmaker
[ 1958 ] Barnaby Tucker
Honeymoon Hotel
[ 1964 ] Jay Menlow
Quick, Before It Melts
[ 1964 ] Oliver Cromwell Cannon
The Loved One
[ 1965 ] Dennis Barlow
A Guide for the Married Man
[ 1967 ] Ed Stander
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
[ 1967 ] J. Pierpont Finch
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad
[ 1967 ] Jonathan
Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?
[ 1968 ] Waldo Zane
The Boatniks
[ 1970 ] Ensign Garland
Hunk
[ 1987 ] Garrison Gaylord
The Emperor's New Clothes
[ 1987 ] The Tailor
It's All About You
[ 2002 ] Dr. Flowers
The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez
[ 2012 ] Burt

TV Shows

Mad Men
Bertram Cooper
Pound Puppies
Howler, Mrs. Gugenfeller, Howler's Ancestor
Sofia the First
Gnuckles, Marshak
That's Life
Robert Dickson

Awards and Nominations


winner
Helen Hayes Awards - 1992 - Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production

Robert MorseTRU


winner
Drama League Awards - 1990 - Distinguished Performance Award

Robert Morse, Tru


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1990 - Best Actor - Play

Robert Morse , Tru


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1990 - Best Actor - Play

Robert Morse, Tru


winner
Tony Awards - 1990 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Robert Morse, Tru


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 1989 - Outstanding One Person Show

Robert Morse, Tru

Tony Awards - 1973 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Robert Morse, Sugar


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 1972 - Outstanding Performance

Robert Morse, Sugar


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1972 - Best Actor

Robert Morse, Sugar


winner
Tony Awards - 1962 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Robert Morse , How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Tony Awards - 1960 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Robert Morse , Take Me Along

Tony Awards - 1959 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Robert Morse, Say, Darling


winner
Theatre World Awards - 1958 - Performance

Robert Morse, Say, Darling

Videos

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Robert Morse been in?

Robert Morse has appeared on Broadway in 10 shows.

How many West End shows has Robert Morse been in?

Robert Morse has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Robert Morse been nominated for?

Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Helen Hayes Awards) for TRU, Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Tru, Best Actor - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Tru, Best Actor - Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Tru, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Tru, Outstanding One Person Show (Drama Desk Awards) for Tru, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Sugar, Outstanding Performance (Drama Desk Awards) for Sugar, Best Actor (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Sugar, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Take Me Along, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Say, Darling and Performance (Theatre World Awards) for Say, Darling.

What awards has Robert Morse won?

Robert Morse has received numerous awards throughout his career. He won the Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production at the Helen Hayes Awards for TRU. He received the Distinguished Performance Award from the Drama League Awards for Tru. He was honored with the Best Actor - Play award from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Tru. Additionally, he won the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for Tru. For the same show, he also earned Outstanding One Person Show at the Drama Desk Awards. He won Outstanding Performance at the Drama Desk Awards for Sugar, as well as Best Actor from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Sugar. Morse received the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Lastly, he was recognized with a Performance award from the Theatre World Awards for Say, Darling.

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