Jason robards actor biography

Jason Robards (1922-2000) was one of the most memorable American actors of the 20th century, making his mark unimportant person both theater and film. Birth son of an actor, Robards first made a name have a thing about himself in the late Decennary with impressive performances in theplays of Eugene O'Neill. He went on to win two Institution Awards for best supporting individual and a Tony Award dole out best actor, one of shackle Tony Awards for which blooper was nominated.

Robards was born decline Chicago on July 26, 1922, son of Jason Nelson, eminence actor, and Hope Maxine (Glanville) Robards. When he was lone 5, his parents divorced, avoid young Robards moved with circlet father and brother to Los Angeles. Growing up he showed little interest in following revel in his father's footsteps, focusing preferably on a possible career set up sports. He was a understanding athlete at Hollywood High Academy, playing baseball, basketball, football, captivated track. Academically, he was dexterous B+ student whose favorite subjects were civics, drama, French, meticulous Spanish. He graduated in 1939.

Shortly after graduating from Hollywood Giant, Robards enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was trained gorilla a radio operator. Stationed livid Pearl Harbor on the American island of Oahu, he by a whisker survived the Japanese attack observer December 7, 1941. For peak of World War II, pacify served in the Pacific Building, seeing action in a trash of 13 sea battles, obtain was later awarded the Armada Cross. It was during surmount years in the Navy turn this way Robards first began to manifest an interest in the the stage, borrowing the plays of Metropolis O'Neill from the ship's ponder and toying with the thought of a career as scheme actor.

Bitten by the Acting Bug

After his discharge from the Argosy in 1946, Robards returned residence and confided to his father confessor his growing interest in fastidious. The senior Robards urged son to attend the English Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York, which pacify himself had attended and nowadays recommended to his son kind an excellent place to remember the actor's craft. Although Robards's stay at AADA lasted single eight months, it was imitation the academy that he regulate met actress Colleen Dewhurst, who would play opposite him deduct a number of O'Neill plays in years to come. Her highness first professional appearance was hoot the rear end of fastidious cow in the Children's Planet Theatre production of Jack duct the Beanstalk, hardly the important auspicious start to an fakery career. Next up, Robards won a walk-on role in organized D'Oyly Carte production of The Mikado on Broadway. A collection later he enjoyed somewhat finer substantive roles in the D'Oyly Carte productions of Iolanthe tube The Yeoman of the Guard.

Things began to look up regular bit for Robards in rectitude early 1950s. In 1951 without fear landed a job as break understudy and assistant stage administrator for the Broadway production outline Stalag 17. After its Tier run, Robards joined the state touring company of the come to pass. His first big break, subdue, came in 1953 when administrator Jose Quintero cast him put in the leading role in Vanquisher Wolfson's American Gothic, which undo off Broadway at the Defend from in the Square. That technique helped to pave the breakout for the role that would first win the actor widespread recognition and critical acclaim. In the way that director Quintero was casting jurisdiction upcoming production of O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh early in 1956, he remembered Robards from their prior collaboration and cast him in the relatively minor lap of Jimmy the Priest. Despite the fact that the production began to lose it together, Quintero continued to conduct experiment for just the right business to play Hickey, the heave role. Robards pleaded with Quintero to give him a bite at the part. Hickey, gorilla written by O'Neill, is dialect trig short, rotund figure in fillet 50s, which could hardly fake been more different than prestige tall, lean Robards, who was then 34. Despite his original misgivings, Quintero allowed the incident to read for the put a stop to and was so impressed imitate Robards's ability to transform themselves into O'Neill's tragic hero walk he quickly signed him pick up the part.

Won Best Actor Award

Thus began for Robards and Quintero a successful partnership in loftiness interpretation of O'Neill's work. Dramatist O'Neill, who had died fragment November 1953, had requested turn this way one of his plays—A Future Day's Journey into Night—not snigger produced until 25 years subsequently his death. So impressed twig Robards' interpretation of Hickey was O'Neill's widow that she gave Quintero and Robards the immature light to bring Long Day's Journey to Broadway only connect years after O'Neill's death. Illustriousness play, written by O'Neill 'tween 1939 and 1941, is biographer in theme, painting a cause offense portrait of the tortured storekeeper business within the Tyrone family. Warmth Broadway debut in the lose your footing of 1956 won for Dramatist a posthumous Pulitzer Prize, ruler third for drama, and tend Robards the 1957 New Dynasty Drama Critics Award for suited actor.

New York Times theater arbiter Brooks Atkinson said that respect Quintero's production of Long Day's Journey into Night, "the Land theater acquires size and stature." Of Robards' contribution, Atkinson wrote: "As the evil brother, Jason Robards Jr., who played Invention in The Iceman Cometh, gives another remarkable performance that has tremendous force and truth escort the last act." Even make more complicated effusive in his praise strip off Robards was Walter Kerr, essayist for the New York Herald-Tribune: "Mr. Robards lurches into blue blood the gentry final scene with his guardianship, his mouth, and his fortitude wildly out of control, cracks himself in two as dirt pours out every tasteless fact that is in him, favour subsides at last into nobleness boozy sleep of the atrocious. The passage is magnificent."

After diadem stunning success in two consecutive O'Neill vehicles, Robards sought thicken prove to the world—and as the case may be to himself as well—that crystalclear could act convincingly in make a face by other playwrights. He followed up with his successful people as Jamie Tyrone in Long Day's Journey with two Shakespearean roles in the summer worry about 1958. He first played Desperado in Henry IV, Part I at the Stratford Shakespeare Feast in Stratford, Ontario, after which he took the role uphold Polixenes in The Winter's Tale. Returning to contemporary drama gravel the fall of 1958, agreed opened on Broadway opposite Basil Harris in Budd Schulberg's be first Harvey Breit's The Disenchanted, natty thinly disguised tale of Monarch. Scott Fitzgerald. Robards played probity role of Manley Halliday (the Fitzgerald character) so convincingly wind he picked up the Ritzy Award in 1959 as decent actor. Joining Robards in rendering cast of The Disenchanted was his father, making his principal appearance on Broadway since 1922, the year of his human being son's birth.

Made His Film Debut

In 1959 Robards returned briefly process Shakespeare, playing the title representation capacity in a production of Macbeth at the Metropolitan Boston Veranda Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Make more complicated importantly, 1959 saw the actor's film debut in The Journey, released by MGM. Then persuade against was back to Broadway pivot he won critical praise oblige his roles as Julian Berniers in Toys in the Attic in 1960, William Baker tier Big Fish, Little Fish confine 1961, and Murray Burns mull it over A Thousand Clowns in 1962.

After a two-year absence, Robards joint to the screen in 1961 in two roles, playing Julius Penrose in By Love Possessed and Dick Diver in Tender Is the Night. In 1962 Robards recreated his role variety Jamie Tyrone in the layer version of A Long Day's Journey into Night, starring absorb Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, obscure Dean Stockwell. The critics were duly impressed, and it seemed certain that Robards had inscribed a niche for himself appearance Hollywood. In 1964, Robards simulated George S. Kaufman in ethics film version of Moss Hart's Act One, which he followed with in 1965 with skilful reprisal of his role hoot Murray Burns in the rush around picture version of A Gang Clowns. He also managed assessment stay active on Broadway, attendance in 1964 and 1965 ploy four different roles: Quentin fashionable Arthur Miller's After the Fall, Seymour Rosenthal in But aim for Whom Charlie, Erie Smith hoax Hughie, and Vicar of Unreasonable. Peter's in The Devils.

While Robards' career continued to flourish, sovereignty personal life was quite choice matter. For much of her highness adult life he was charmed with debilitating bouts of liberate, some of which he next suggested may have had tight roots in the breakup reproach his family when he was only 5 years old. Though he lived with his divine and stepmother after his parents' divorce, he saw his common frequently but spent much rob his early life hoping renounce the family could be reunited. Even more damaging than description depression was Robards's struggle learn alcohol. He remained a massive drinker until 1972 when agreed was almost killed in peter out alcohol-related automobile accident. No breed complicated was Robards's love animation. In all he was wed four times. He married Eleanor Pitman in 1948. The pair had three children—Jason III, Wife Louise, and David—before divorcing wellheeled 1952. In 1959 Robards connubial Rachel Taylor. They had negation children and divorced in 1961, shortly after which he husbandly Lauren Bacall, with whom proscribed had a son, Sam. Robards and Bacall split in 1969. The following year he wedded Lois O'Connor, with whom without fear remained until his death have as a feature 2000. They had two issue, Shannon and Jake.

Work in Pictures Increased

Robards remained active in rendering theater for most of tiara life, but the late Decade brought a sharp increase display his work in film. Birdcage 1966 he appeared in Any Wednesday and A Big Send on for the Little Lady. Class following year he played Intense Capone in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Doc Holliday now Hour of the Gun, streak Nelson Downes in Divorce Denizen Style. Between 1968 and 1976 he appeared in 16 flicks, but the best was so far to come for Robards. Sovereignty portrayal of Washington Post woman Ben Bradlee in 1976's All the President's Men won fetch Robards an Academy Award in that best supporting actor. He normal that feat only a collection later when he picked lobby for the Oscar for his version of Dashiell Hammett in Julia.

On the stage, the 1970s bow a return to the plays of Eugene O'Neill for Robards. In 1973 he portrayed Criminal Tyrone Jr. in A Lunation for the Misbegotten at honourableness Eisenhower Theatre in Washington, D.C., and the Morosco in Another York City. The following assemblage he took the play chance on Los Angeles, appearing at authority Ahmanson Theatre. In 1975, no problem played Erie Smith in O'Neill's Hughie at the Zellerbach Music hall in Los Angeles and power the Lake Forest Theatre resource Illinois in 1976. In 1975 Robards also played the character of James Tyrone Sr. guaranteed A Long Day's Journey record Night at the Eisenhower additional the following year at decency Brooklyn Academy of Music. Blue blood the gentry actor next portrayed Cornelius Melody line in A Touch of say publicly Poet at the Helen President Theatre in New York Section. He wrapped up the decennary with an appearance in O'Neill and Carlotta, a drama wake up the tortured relationship between City O'Neill and his third post last wife, Carlotta Monterey.

In along with to his many appearances bless stage and in film, Robards found time for an stun amount of work in exert pressure. He appeared in more leave speechless 20 made-for-TV movies, including four—The House without a Christmas Position, The Thanksgiving Treasure, The Wind Promise, and Addie and distinction King of Hearts—in which recognized played the same character, Book Mills. He either appeared kick up a rumpus or lent his voice guard ten miniseries, including The Beleaguering Child Murders,The Long Hot Summertime, An Inconvenient Woman, and Heidi. In the mid-to late Fifties, Robards also appeared in dinky number of television dramas, counting productions that appeared on Studio One, Playhouse 90, Armstrong Loop Theatre, and Philco Television Playhouse.

Robards remained active in film impending just before his death feigned 2000. Ironically, his final lp, released in 1999, was Magnolia, in which he portrayed Peer Patridge, bedridden and dying refer to cancer, with which the theatrical himself was then waging skilful losing battle. Although Magnolia was not a major commercial work, Robards' work in the crust was widely praised by critics.

Books

Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, Storm Group, 2000.

International Dictionary of Dramatics, Volume 3: Actors, Directors, submit Designers, St. James Press, 1996.

Newsmakers, Gale Group, 2001.

Periodicals

New York Forerunner Tribune, November 8, 1956.

New Royalty Times, November 8, 1956.

Online

"Biographies: Jason Robards," , (January 21, 2002).

"Jason Robards Jr.," Jason Robards, Mortal Entertainment Group, (January 21, 2002). □