William LeMassena
William LeMassena | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 23, 1916 Glen Ridge, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | January 19, 1993 (aged 76) New Suffolk, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Billy LeMassena William Le Massena |
| Education | New York University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1940–1992 |
William LeMassena (May 23, 1916 – January 19, 1993) was an American actor.[1] He was best known for his roles in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, the film All That Jazz (1979), and the soap opera As the World Turns (1985–1992).
Early life and career[]
LeMassena was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey on May 23, 1916, the son of Margery L. (1883–1942) and William Henry LeMassena (1874–1944). He graduated from New York University.[1]
LeMassena made his acting debut in the 1940 Broadway production of The Taming of the Shrew, starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. He then became a regular part of the Lunt's unofficial rep company of actors, including Sydney Greenstreet, Thomas Gomez, and Montgomery Clift.
In the later part of his career, LeMassena did several seasons of regional work at Meadowbrook Theatre in Rochester, Michigan, and also had a long run in Broadway's Deathtrap.
He appeared as the Heavenly Friend who serves as a guide to Gordon MacRae on his return trip to Earth in the 1956 film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Massena appeared in other roles, however, including a stint towards the end of his life as Ambrose Bingham, on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns.
He also appeared throughout the 1960s in several television adaptations of stage plays on the Hallmark Hall of Fame, including a 1960 production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, starring Maurice Evans, Lee Remick, Roddy McDowall, and Richard Burton (LeMassena was Antonio), as well as a 1967 production of Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, starring Geneviève Bujold in her American television debut as Joan of Arc, and featuring LeMassena as Jean d'Estivet.
He also appeared in the first (and so far, the only) television production of the operetta Naughty Marietta, in the role of Rudolfo.
Personal life and death[]
LeMassena was a close friend of Montgomery Clift, with whom he was possibly in a relationship.
He died of lung cancer at his home in New Suffolk, New York on January 19, 1993, at age 76.[1]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Carousel | Heavenly Friend | |
| The Wrong Man | Sang | Uncredited | |
| 1964 | The World of Henry Orient | ||
| 1970 | Where's Poppa? | Judge | |
| 1979 | All That Jazz | Jonesy Hecht | |
| 1985 | Stephen King's Golden Tales | Charles Pennywell | Direct-to-video Segment: "Do Not Open This Box" |
| 1989 | See You in the Morning | Mr. Livingstone |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Max Liebman Spectaculars | Episode: "Good Times" | |
| Naughty Marietta | Rudolfo | Television film | |
| Studio One | Episode: "The Voysey Inheritance" | ||
| 1957 | Stanley | Francisco | Episode: "Stanley and Mr. Phillips' Plot" |
| J.B. King | Episode: "Married Friends" | ||
| On Borrowed Time | Dr. Evans | Television film | |
| 1958 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | James M. Hermann | Episode: "The House of Flying Objects" |
| 1960 | The Tempest | Antonio | Television film |
| 1962 | The Defenders | Mr. Graham | Episode: "The Point Shaver" |
| Golden Showcase | Poliakoff | Episode: "Tonight in Samarkand" | |
| Naked City | Mr. Hanley | Episode: "The Multiplicity of Herbert Konish" | |
| The Teahouse of the August Moon | Capt. McLean | Television film | |
| 1963 | Naked City | Dr. Thomanini | Episode: "Howard Running Bear Is a Turtle" |
| The Patriots | Col. Humphreys | Television film | |
| Route 66 | Mr. Spofford | Episode: "Come Home Greta Inger Gruenschaffen" | |
| 1964 | The Patty Duke Show | Mr. Cameron | Episode: "The Continental" |
| 1965 | Inherit the Wind | Radio Man | Television film |
| 1967 | Saint Joan | Jean D'Estivet | |
| 1974 | Lincoln | Senator Remley | Episode: "Mrs. Lincoln's Husband" |
| 1982 | Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn | Judge Thatcher | Television film |
| One More Try | Judge | ||
| 1988 | Tales from the Darkside | Charles Pennywell | Episode: "Do Not Open This Box" |
| 1985–1992 | As the World Turns | Ambrose Bingham | 9 episodes Final role |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "William LeMassena, Actor, 76". The New York Times. January 21, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
External links[]
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- 1916 births
- 1993 deaths
- 20th-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- Male actors from New Jersey
- People from Glen Ridge, New Jersey
- New York University alumni
- Deaths from lung cancer
- American actor stubs