Robert Morse
Birth Place: Newton, MA, USA
Video: How Jesse Tyler Ferguson Is Preparing to Play Truman Capote in TRU (Mar 2, 2026)
TRU Starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Truman Capote Extends (Mar 2, 2026)
Charlotte d'Amboise Joins the Cast of TRU Starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Feb 26, 2026)
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
Christopher McDonald, John Goodman, Halley Feiffer, Patricia Conolly, Dylan Baker, John Slattery, Nathan Lane, Robert Morse, Jack O’Brien, Holland Taylor, Lewis J. Stadlen, Clark Thorell, John Magaro and David Pittu
From: Photo Coverage: THE FRONT PAGE's John Goodman and John Slattery Get Immortalized at Sardi's!
Christopher McDonald, John Goodman, Halley Feiffer, Patricia Conolly, Dylan Baker, John Slattery, Nathan Lane, Robert Morse, Jack Oâ€Brien, Holland Taylor, Lewis J. Stadlen, Clark Thorell, John Magaro and David Pittu
From: Photo Coverage: THE FRONT PAGE's John Goodman and John Slattery Get Immortalized at Sardi's!
STAGE CREDITS
Movies
[ 1958 ] Barnaby Tucker
[ 1964 ] Jay Menlow
[ 1964 ] Oliver Cromwell Cannon
[ 1965 ] Dennis Barlow
[ 1967 ] Ed Stander
[ 1967 ] J. Pierpont Finch
[ 1967 ] Jonathan
[ 1968 ] Waldo Zane
[ 1970 ] Ensign Garland
[ 1987 ] Garrison Gaylord
[ 1987 ] The Tailor
[ 2002 ] Dr. Flowers
[ 2012 ] Burt
TV Shows
Bertram Cooper
Howler, Mrs. Gugenfeller, Howler's Ancestor
Gnuckles, Marshak
Robert Dickson
Awards and Nominations
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Robert MorseTRU
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Robert Morse, Tru
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Robert Morse , Tru
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Robert Morse, Tru
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Robert Morse, Tru
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Robert Morse, Tru
Robert Morse, Sugar
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Robert Morse, Sugar
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Robert Morse, Sugar
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Robert Morse , How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Robert Morse , Take Me Along
Robert Morse, Say, Darling
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Robert Morse, Say, Darling
Videos
VIDEO: Micah Stock Visits Backstage LIVE with Richard Ridge- Watch Now!
by Backstage With Richard Ridge - 2021-03-27 13:01:00
VIDEO: Norm Lewis, Holland Taylor Guest Star As Actors in a Play on FX's BETTER THINGS
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-04-30 15:43:47
VIDEO: Johnny Depp Channels Donald Trump in All-New 'Art of the Deal' FUNNY OR DIE
by Caryn Robbins - 2016-02-10 09:34:19
TV Exclusive: BACKSTAGE WITH RICHARD RIDGE- Watch Michele Lee Transform Into Madame Morrible!
by Nicole Rosky - 2015-09-06 10:00:50
TV Exclusive: BACKSTAGE WITH RICHARD RIDGE- Stage and Screen Star Michele Lee- Part 1!
by Backstage With Richard Ridge - 2015-09-01 10:30:02
TV: Leslie Bibb, Christopher Gattelli & More Preview Powerhouse Summer Season!
by Nicole Rosky - 2014-06-04 16:50:35
News
by Josh Sharpe - Mar 2, 2026
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who will star as Truman Capote in the first New York revival of Jay Presson Allen’s play Tru, visited Good Morning America to speak about the production, also sharing insights about how he has found his own version of Capote among all of the other portrayals. Watch the interview now.
by Stephi Wild - Mar 2, 2026
Due to demand, Tru, starring Tony Award winner & five-time Emmy-nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Truman Capote, has been extended to May 3, 2026. Learn more here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 26, 2026
Two-time Tony nominee Charlotte d’Amboise has joined the production of Jay Presson Allen’s Tru, starring Tony Award winner & five-time Emmy-nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 11, 2026
Jesse Tyler Ferguson will star as Truman Capote in the first New York revival of Jay Presson Allen’s play Tru.
by Josh Sharpe - Feb 2, 2026
Tony Award-winner Jesse Tyler Ferguson has revealed that he will be performing in a production of Tru, the 1989 solo play about writer Truman Capote, in New York this Spring.
by R. Scott Reedy - Jan 28, 2026
To say that the Tony Award-winning 2022 musical “Some Like It Hot,” which Broadway in Boston is presenting at Citizens Opera House through February 8, has quite a pedigree is putting it mildly.
by Josh Sharpe - Jan 6, 2026
Jesse Tyler Ferguson is looking ahead to his next theater project. During a recent episode of his Dinner's on Me podcast, the Tony winner shared that he has purchased the rights to Tru, the 1989 play about writer Truman Capote.
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Aug 30, 2025
June Squibb is a beloved actor with an incredibly long career—but does 96 make her the oldest actor to play Broadway in a regular production with 8 performances a week? According to our research, that is indeed the case!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 27, 2025
D’Jamin Bartlett, the award-winning actress who made her Broadway debut singing “The Miller’s Son” in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, will present Confessions of a Retired Witch at The Studio at Mizner Park. Learn how to attend.
by R. Scott Reedy - Dec 6, 2024
Boston has a long history with “A Christmas Carol.” Victorian-era author Charles Dickens gave his first American reading of the holiday classic at Tremont Temple in December 1867 while he was living just a block away at the Parker House.
by Stephi Wild - May 29, 2024
The Al Hirschfeld Foundation is celebrating Pride Month with its latest online exhibition, “Hirschfeld’s Drag Show,” now live online through August 15. The special guest curator for the exhibition is Tony-nominated playwright, actor, director, novelist and drag legend, Charles Busch.
by Melissa Heckscher - Apr 15, 2024
BroadwayWorld spoke with Broadway alumn Megan McGinnis about coming back to SoCal, doing an exorcism in front of her 7-year-old son, and keeping a straight face while acting alongside Justin Collette’s Beetlejuice.
by R. Scott Reedy - Dec 12, 2023
What did our critic think of A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A MUSICAL GHOST STORY at North Shore Music Theatre?
by Rob Lester - Jul 19, 2023
There was a lot of history crossing that stage, with performers reprising numbers they’d sung on the Great White Way as far back as the 1970s. Giving the proceedings a uniquely touching quality was the sweet meeting of the generations, with these still very vital veterans being welcomed by — and conversing with — a respectful master of ceremonies who’s still in his teens, but is immersed in musical theatre lore.
by Stephi Wild - May 17, 2023
Following the box office successes of Camelot and Church Basement Ladies, The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre will continue its 2023 Season this summer with the Broadway classic How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Feb 5, 2023
This month, the reader question was: 'What are the longest running musicals that haven't been revived?'
by Blair Ingenthron - Dec 12, 2022
Critics are weighing in on SOME LIKE IT HOT, the brand-new Broadway musical comedy featuring a book by Matthew López & Amber Ruffin, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, which opened on Broadway Sunday, December 11th at the Shubert Theatre.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 26, 2022
Birdland Jazz Club will present Billy Gilman – the platinum-selling country music artist known for his run on NBC’s “The Voice” — in “A Billy Gilman Christmas” on Monday, December 5 at 7:00 PM.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 19, 2022
Birdland Jazz Club will present the New York concert debut of actress and vocalist Maddie Baillio – best known for her appearances in the Amazon film Cinderella and NBC’s “Hairspray Live!” – on Monday, November 21 at 7:00 PM.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 13, 2022
Birdland Theater will present Nashville vocalist Wendy Moten – best known for her 2021 run on NBC’s “The Voice” – in an exclusive six-show concert engagement from Friday, November 18 to Sunday, November 20 with performances at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM each night.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Robert Morse has appeared on Broadway in 10 shows.
Robert Morse has not appeared in the West End.
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.
Robert Morse has won several prestigious awards throughout his career. He received the Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production at the Helen Hayes Awards for TRU. He also earned the Distinguished Performance Award from the Drama League Awards for Tru. Morse won Best Actor - Play twice at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Tru. He was honored with the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for Tru. Additionally, he received the Outstanding One Person Show award from the Drama Desk Awards for Tru. For Sugar, he won the Outstanding Performance award at the Drama Desk Awards and Best Actor at the Outer Critics Circle Awards. Morse also earned 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.
Videos