Jack Cassidy
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| Jack Cassidy | |||||||
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| Born | March 5, 1927 Richmond Hill, New York, USA |
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| Died | December 12, 1976 (aged 49) 1221 North Kings Roads, West Hollywood, California, USA |
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| Occupation | Actor, director | ||||||
| Spouse(s) | Shirley Jones (1956-1974) Evelyn Ward (1948-1956) |
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John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy (March 5, 1927 – December 12, 1976) was an American actor of stage, film and screen.
His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay. Cassidy perfected this character to such an extent that he was cast as the legendary John Barrymore in the feature film W.C. Fields and Me. Cassidy turned down the role of Ted Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but later appeared as a guest star in an episode as Ted's highly competitive and equally egocentric brother, Hal.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Cassidy was born in Richmond Hill, New York to William Cassidy, who was of Irish descent, and Charlotte Koehler, who was of German descent. He achieved his greatest success as a musical performer on Broadway, appearing in Alive and Kicking, Wish You Were Here, Shangri-La, Maggie Flynn, Fade Out - Fade In, It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman, and She Loves Me, for which he won a Tony Award. He also received Emmy Award nominations for his television performances in He & She (1967) and The Andersonville Trial (1970).
On television he became a frequent guest star, appearing in such programs as Bewitched, Get Smart, That Girl, Columbo, Hawaii Five-O, Match Game and McCloud. He lent his charming wit to game shows, and co-starred with Ronnie Schell in a TV revival of Hellzapoppin'. Cassidy also co-starred in the movie The Eiger Sanction with Clint Eastwood.
[edit] Personal life
Cassidy was married twice. His first wife was actress Evelyn Ward, who is the mother of his son David. After divorcing in 1956, he married actress Shirley Jones. They had three sons, Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan, and divorced in 1974. His son, David, wrote about his father's bisexuality in his autobiography, a fact he discovered only after his father's death.[1]
Cassidy died in an apartment fire while he slept on the couch, in West Hollywood, California. News reports at the time attributed the fire to a lit cigarette.[2]
[edit] Awards
Cassidy was nominated for two Emmy Awards: in 1968 for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy, and 1971 for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film The Andersonville Trial (1970). Cassidy was approved for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005 and fundraising efforts are currently under way to fund the dedication ceremony.
[edit] Stage
- Around the World (1946)
- Music in My Heart (1947)
- Small Wonder (1948)
- Inside U.S.A. (1948)
- Alive and Kicking (1950)
- Wish You Were Here (1952)
- Sandhog (1954)
- Shangri-La (1956)
- Oklahoma! (1956) (European tour with Shirley Jones)
- The Beggar's Opera (1957) (with Shirley Jones)
- Wish You Were Here! (1959) (Dallas State Fair Theater with Shirley Jones)
- She Loves Me (1963)
- Fade Out - Fade In (1964)
- It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman (1966)
- Wait Until Dark (1967) (with Shirley Jones)
- Maggie Flynn (1968)(Broadway with Shirley Jones)
- The Mundy Scheme (1969)
- The Marriage Band (1972) (with Shirley Jones)
- Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (1973)
- Murder Among Friends (1975)
[edit] Filmography
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[edit] References
- ^ McGlone, Jackie (2007-03-24). "Still a daydreamer". The Scotsman. Retrieved on 2008-07-06.
- ^ Ted Thackrey, Jr (13 December 1976). "Jack Cassidy Victim of West Hollywood Blaze" (PDF), The Los Angeles Times, pp. A4. Retrieved on 2008-07-06.
[edit] External links
- Jack Cassidy at Find A Grave
- Jack Cassidy at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jack Cassidy at the Internet Movie Database
- Jack Cassidy at TV.com
- A Star For Jack
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| Persondata | |
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| NAME | Cassidy, Jack |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Actor, director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1927-03-05 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Richmond Hill, New York, USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1976-12-12 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | 1221 North Kings Roads, West Hollywood, California, USA |
