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).
William LeMassena | |
|---|---|
 Publicity Photo of 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 |
Early life and career
editLeMassena 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, with whom he appeared in There Shall Be No Night and Mexican Mural.[2]
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 in Broadway's first all nude play, Grin and Bare It in 1970,[3][4] which closed in less than three weeks.[5]
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. LeMassena 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
editLeMassena served with the United States Army, 1942–1946.[6][7]
LeMassena was a close friend of Montgomery Clift, with whom he was in a relationship for three years during the early 1940s. Although Clift publicly dated Phyllis Thaxter, he and LeMassena continued to see each other privately during the run of There Shall Be No Night. The relationship ended when LeMassena left to serve overseas. LeMassena said of his relationship with Clift, "…over the course of three years we bared our souls, and found out everything about each other."[8] "Our affair was for me the most beautiful experience in my life."[9]
He died of lung cancer at his home in New Suffolk, New York on January 19, 1993, at age 76.[1]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| 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
edit| 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 | Recurring role Final role |
References
edit- ^ a b c "William LeMassena, Actor, 76". The New York Times. January 21, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ Capua, Michelangelo (September 16, 2015). Montgomery Clift: A Biography. McFarland. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7864-8033-3.
- ^ Gussow, Mel (March 2, 1970). "Broadway's First All‐Nude Play Due Next Week". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "William LeMassena". playbill. Archived from the original on January 1, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "DON'T WAIT FOR SMILES". www.paulturgeon.com. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ LaGuardia, Robert (1978). Monty: A Biography of Montgomery Clift. Avon. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-380-01887-1.
- ^ Bosworth, Patricia (1978). Montgomery Clift: A Biography. Bantam Books. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-553-12455-2.
- ^ LaGuardia, p. 36.
- ^ Bosworth, p. 81.