Robert Morse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Morse
Morse at PaleyFest in 2014
Born	Robert Alan Morse (1931-05-18)May 18, 1931 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	April 20, 2022(2022-04-20) (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–2022
Spouse(s)	Carol Ann D'Andreá ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1981)​ Elizabeth Roberts ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	5

Robert Alan Morse (born May 18, 1931 – died April 20, 2022) was an American actor. He was famous for his roles on Broadway and in movies and TV shows.

He starred in the 1961 Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He also played the same role in the 1967 movie version. For his Broadway performance, he won a Tony Award.

Later in his career, he became well-known for playing Bertram Cooper in the TV show Mad Men (2007–2015). He won another Tony Award for playing Truman Capote in the play Tru in 1989. When he played Capote again for TV in 1992, he won an Emmy Award.

Early Life

Robert Morse was born on May 18, 1931, in Newton, Massachusetts. His mother, May, was a pianist. His father, Charles, worked at a record store and managed movie theaters.

Robert went to different schools. He found his passion for acting thanks to a music teacher named Henry Lasker at Newton High School. Morse said Lasker "knew what I had burning in me and wanted to express."

After high school, Robert moved to New York City to become an actor. His older brother, Richard, was already studying acting there. Robert got a small, uncredited role in the 1956 movie The Proud and Profane. Soon after, he got a big break playing Barnaby Tucker in the Broadway play The Matchmaker. This role helped start his acting career.

Career Highlights

Robert Morse won many awards during his five-decade career. These included Tony, Drama Desk, and Emmy awards. He was well-known for his work in musicals and plays on Broadway. He also had many roles in movies and television shows.

His most famous role was J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He played this young, ambitious businessman in the 1961 Broadway show and the 1967 film. In the late 2000s, he became popular again for his role as the older businessman Bertram Cooper in the TV show Mad Men.

Early Success on Stage and Screen

Morse first played Barnaby Tucker in The Matchmaker on Broadway. He played this role again in the 1958 movie version. In the same year, he won the Theatre World Award. He was also nominated for a Tony Award for his role in Say, Darling.

In 1959, he received another Tony nomination for Take Me Along. His performance as J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying made him a big star. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 1962 for this role. He also helped create the Grammy Award-winning cast album for the musical.

Photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1958

Film and Television Roles

In 1964, Morse was in the comedy movie Quick, Before It Melts. The next year, he appeared in the dark comedy The Loved One. This movie made fun of the funeral business in Los Angeles. In 1967, he co-starred with Walter Matthau in A Guide for the Married Man. In 1968, he was in the comedy Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? with Doris Day. That same year, he starred in the TV series That's Life.

Morse also appeared in the 1987 movie The Emperor's New Clothes.

Later Stage and Voice Acting

In 1972, Morse was in the Broadway musical Sugar, based on the movie Some Like It Hot. He was nominated for another Tony for this role. He won a Tony and a Drama Desk Award for playing Truman Capote in the play Tru in 1989.

In 1992, he played Capote again for the PBS TV series American Playhouse. He won an Emmy Award for this performance. In 1999, Morse was honored by being added to the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Morse also did voice work for children's shows. He was the voice of Howler in Pound Puppies. He also voiced Jack in the 1979 animated special Jack Frost. In The First Easter Rabbit, he was the voice of the main character, Stuffy.

Return to Television

Starting in 2007, Morse had a regular role in the popular AMC show Mad Men. He played Bertram Cooper, one of the founders of an advertising agency. He was nominated for an Emmy Award several times for this role.

In 2016, Morse played journalist Dominick Dunne in the TV series The People v. O.J. Simpson. At 85 years old, he returned to Broadway in the 2016 play The Front Page.

Personal Life and Death

Robert Morse was married twice and had five children. He passed away at his home in Los Angeles, California, on April 20, 2022. He was 90 years old.

Theatre

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

• Prototype 2 (2012) – Doctor Anton Koening (voice)

Awards and Nominations

Tony Awards

Primetime Emmy Awards

Screen Actors Guild Award

See also

In Spanish: Robert Morse para niños