Anthony Franciosa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony Franciosa
Franciosa in 1969
Born	Anthony George Papaleo (1928-10-25)October 25, 1928 New York City, NY, U.S.
Died	January 19, 2006(2006-01-19) (aged 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	Tony Franciosa
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1955–1996
Spouse(s)	Beatrice Bakalyar ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1957)​ Shelley Winters ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1960)​ Judy Balaban ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1967)​ Rita Thiel ​ ​ (m. 1970)​
Children	3
Awards	Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1956 A Hatful of Rain Volpi Cup for Best Actor 1957 A Hatful of Rain Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama 1960 Career

Anthony George Franciosa (born Papaleo; October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006) was an American actor. Many people knew him as Tony Franciosa during the most famous part of his career. He started acting on stage. He became well-known for his role in the play A Hatful of Rain. This role earned him a nomination for a Tony Award.

He also acted in the movie version of A Hatful of Rain. For this film, he won the 1957 Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actor. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Later, he moved to Hollywood and acted in many movies. These included A Face in the Crowd (1957), The Long, Hot Summer (1958), and Career (1959). He won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for Career.

On television, he played the main character in five TV shows. These were Valentine's Day (1964–65), The Name of the Game (1968–71), Search (1972–73), Matt Helm (1975), and Finder of Lost Loves (1984). Later in his career, he mostly acted in Europe. He starred in Dario Argento's thriller movie Tenebrae (1982).

Early Life and Acting Dreams

Anthony Franciosa was born in the Little Italy area of New York City. His family was Italian-American. His grandparents came from Melfi, Basilicata, in Southern Italy, in 1890. His parents separated when he was one year old. His mother and aunt raised him. He took his mother's maiden name, Franciosa.

After high school, he worked different jobs. He was a welder, a ship steward, and a cook. When he was 18, he took free dancing lessons at the YMCA. They offered him a part in a play called The Seagull. This experience made him want to become an actor.

Starting His Acting Career

Learning to Act on Stage

Franciosa studied acting privately for two years. He then got a four-year scholarship at the Dramatic Workshop. This led him to the New York Repertory Theatre. In 1948, Franciosa joined the Cherry Lane Theatre Group. This was an off Broadway theater group. Actress Bea Arthur was also part of this group.

Within two years, he became a member of the Actors Studio. This was a very important place for his acting career. But it took a few more years for Franciosa to earn a living from acting. During that time, he worked as a waiter, dishwasher, and messenger. He also worked at the Theatre of the Sky on Lake Tahoe. In 1950, he was in a play called Detective Story in San Francisco.

In 1953, Franciosa first appeared on Broadway. This was in the play End as a Man. He acted alongside Ben Gazzara. The next year, he was in Wedding Breakfast (1954). Franciosa also started guest starring on TV shows. These included Studio One in Hollywood and Kraft Theatre.

'A Hatful of Rain' Success

Franciosa's big break came with the play A Hatful of Rain. This play was produced by the Actors Studio in 1955–56. Elia Kazan directed it. Shelley Winters also acted in the play. She and Franciosa got married the next year. Franciosa was nominated for a Tony Award for his acting in the play.

Franciosa made his first movie in 1957. It was Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd. He acted with Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, and Lee Remick. He then appeared in MGM's This Could Be the Night (1957). He played the romantic lead for Jean Simmons.

Franciosa played his role again in the movie version of A Hatful of Rain. Fred Zinnemann directed this film. His performance in Hatful of Rain earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Becoming a Film Star

Franciosa acted with Anna Magnani and Anthony Quinn in Wild Is the Wind (1957). George Cukor directed this movie. He then appeared with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in The Long Hot Summer (1958). He played one of the two sons of Orson Welles.

He played Francisco Goya in MGM's The Naked Maja (1958). He acted with Ava Gardner. He made another film called Career (1959). He starred with Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine. Then he made The Story on Page One (1959) with Rita Hayworth.

Television Roles and Later Films

Tony Franciosa with Robert Stack (left) and Gene Barry in the TV series The Name of the Game (1968)

Franciosa returned to TV for shows like The DuPont Show of the Week. He also had supporting roles in two films for Fox. These were Rio Conchos (1964) and The Pleasure Seekers (1964).

He starred in a TV series called Valentine's Day (1964–65). After that, he had supporting roles in A Man Could Get Killed (1966) and Assault on a Queen (1966). He was the leading man for Raquel Welch in Fathom (1967).

In 1966, he said that Hollywood fame came a bit too early for him. He felt he wasn't ready for all the attention. He starred in a popular TV movie, Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966). Then he made a Western film, A Man Called Gannon (1968). He also appeared in The Sweet Ride (1968) and In Enemy Country (1968).

Tony Franciosa returned to regular TV series with The Name of the Game (1968–71). He played Jeff Dillon, a determined star reporter. He shared the lead role with Gene Barry and Robert Stack. He left the show in 1970.

He was in an Italian horror film, Web of the Spider (1971). Then he made several TV movies. These included The Deadly Hunt (1971) and Earth II (1971). He had a supporting role in the action film Across 110th Street (1972).

Franciosa had another main role in a TV series called Search (1972). He played agent Nick Bianco. He also supported Peter Sellers in Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1973). He had roles in The Drowning Pool (1975) with Paul Newman.

With Laraine Stephens in a publicity photo for the TV series Matt Helm in 1975

He had his own series, Matt Helm (1975). This was a TV version of the spy movies that starred Dean Martin. But it only lasted 14 episodes. He appeared in many other films and TV shows. These included Curse of the Black Widow (1977) and Firepower (1979). He also starred in Tenebrae (1982) by Dario Argento.

Later Career and Final Roles

Franciosa starred in the series Finder of Lost Loves (1984–85). This show was produced by Aaron Spelling. He also appeared in Stagecoach (1986). He guest-starred in episodes of Hotel and The Love Boat.

In 1985, he was in an episode of The Twilight Zone. He played a gangster in the episode "Crazy as a Soup Sandwich." Later roles included Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife (1987) and Backstreet Dreams (1990). In 1990–91, he toured with the musical Grand Hotel.

Franciosa's last movie was City Hall in 1996. It was a drama starring Al Pacino and John Cusack. In the film, he played a crime boss.

Personal Life and Family

Franciosa was married four times. He had three children. His first marriage was to writer Beatrice Bakalyar in 1952. They divorced in 1957. On May 4, 1957, he married actress Shelley Winters. They divorced in 1960.

He then married Judith Balaban. She was the daughter of Barney Balaban. She also wrote a book about her friend Princess Grace of Monaco. This marriage gave Franciosa his only daughter, Nina.

His fourth and last marriage was to Rita Theil. They married on November 27, 1970. This marriage lasted until his death in 2006. They had two sons, Marco and Christopher. Marco became an organic farmer, and Christopher became an actor.

Rita Theil once said that Anthony was never taught how to control his temper. She felt she helped him change a lot. Franciosa himself said that his wife Rita had a deep influence on him. He said she had a remarkable positive outlook on life.

In his later years, Franciosa lived in Los Angeles. He passed away on January 19, 2006, at age 77. He died at UCLA Medical Center after having a stroke.

Selected Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Franciosa para niños