BLAISDELL, Nesbitt 1928–

PERSONAL

Born December 6, 1928, in New York, NY; son of Donald C. (a diplomat and teacher) and Dorothea (a linguist and hostess; maiden name, Chambers) Blaisdell; married Marlene DeKay, May 26, 1956 (divorced, 1975); married Ann Mathews (a stage manager), October 29, 1984; children (first marriage) Geoffrey, Andrew, Robert, Jenny. Education: Amherst College, B.A., 1951; Columbia University, M.F.A., 1958; attended University of Iowa; studied at Paul Mann Actors Workshop.

Career: Actor and teacher. Instructor at the college level, 1960–70; University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, associate professor of theatre, 1970–75. Military service: U.S. Marine Corps, 1951–54.

Member: Actors' Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild, Canadian Actors' Equity Association, Sierra Club.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Abe Lincoln, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Illinois Sesquicentennial Celebration, New Salem, IL, 1968.

Dogberry, Much Ado about Nothing, Court Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1975.

Howie Newsom, Our Town, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1975.

Seth Beckwith, Mourning Becomes Electra, Goodman Theatre, 1975.

Bill Skittles, Sitcom, St. Nicholas Theatre Company, Chicago, IL, 1976.

Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet, Court Theatre, 1976.

Chamberlain, cloth dyer, father of the groom, and understudy for Joseph, Old Man Joseph and His Family, Colonnades Theatre Lab, Chelsea Theatre, New York City, 1977, then Westside Theatre Upstairs, New York City, 1978.

Max Abramson, Ballroom in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Colonnades Theatre Lab, New York City, between 1977 and 1981.

One-eyed musketeer, Moliere in Spite of Himself, Colonnades Theatre Lab, between 1977 and 1981.

Sergeant Belcher, Guests of the Nation, Colonnades Theatre Lab, between 1977 and 1981.

Count d'Orssini, Moliere in Spite of Himself, New York City, 1978.

Sea captain, Twelfth Night (also known as Twelfth Night, or What You Will), American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1979.

Soothsayer, Julius Caesar, American Shakespeare Festival, 1979.

Gibbet, The Beaux' Stratagem, Hartford Stage Company, Hartford, CT, 1980.

One of the Black and Tans, The Irish Hebrew Lesson, Colonnades Theatre Lab, 1980.

Bennie, Getting Out, A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle, WA, 1981.

Major Reno, Custer, A Contemporary Theatre, 1981.

Slim, Of Mice and Men, Philadelphia Drama Guild, Philadelphia, PA, 1981.

D. J. Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland, OH, 1982.

Major Brigg, Savages, Center Stage, Baltimore, MD, 1982.

Peter Stockmann, An Enemy of the People, Alaska Repertory Theatre, Anchorage, AK, 1982.

Peter Shirley, Major Barbara, Alaska Repertory Theatre, 1983.

Psychiatrist, Invitation from the Asylum, Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 1983.

Understudy for Don and young Roy Eames, Elba, Manhattan Theatre Club Stage II, New York City, 1983.

Abner Spragg, Custom of the Country, Shakespeare and Company, Lennox, MA, 1984.

Big Daddy, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Center Stage, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1984.

Reverend Charlie Bowers, Ballad of Soapy Smith, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Estelle R. Newman Theatre, New York City, 1984.

Abner Spragg, The Custom of the Country, Second Stage Theatre, McGinn-Cazale Theatre, New York City, 1985.

Candy, Of Mice and Men, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 1985.

Duncan, Macbeth, American Stage Festival, Milford, NH, 1985.

Inspector Thomas, The Unexpected Guest, American Stage Festival, 1985.

Huck Finn, Boys in Autumn: Huck 'n' Tom Grow'd Up, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, 1986.

Old man, Fool for Love, Citadel Theatre, 1986.

The Tempest, Virginia Stage Company, Norfolk, VA, 1986–87.

The Winter's Tale, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1986–87.

Milton Perry, The Immigrant, American Jewish Theatre, Susan Bloch Theatre, New York City, 1989.

Reverend Tooker, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 1990.

Drunken Santa and judge, Here's Love, Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT, 1991.

Ferapont, The Three Sisters, Atlantic Theatre, New York City, 1991.

Priest, Yokohama Duty, Soho Repertory Theatre, New York City, 1991.

Conductor, Grandchild of Kings, Theatre for the New City, New York City, 1992.

Milton Perry, The Immigrant, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, 1992–93.

Ben Mattling, soldier, and townsperson, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Lincoln Center, Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City, 1993–94.

Salesperson, older man, premier, choir master, and Roger, WASPs and Other Plays, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Martinson Hall, New York City, 1995–96.

At Sea between the Wars, Forty-Fifth Street Theatre, New York City, 2003.

Appeared in other productions, including A Cup of Coffee and Quincy Blues.

Film Appearances:

Police officer number five, Ragtime, Paramount, 1981.

Sheriff Nightblack, Eddie Macon's Run, Universal, 1982.

Bass, Summer Heat, Atlantic Releasing, 1987.

Hank, Funny Farm, Warner Bros., 1988.

Grandfather, Reckless, Samuel Goldwyn, 1995.

Mr. Cole, The Journey of August King, Miramax, 1995.

Old Fritz, Palookaville, Samuel Goldwyn, 1995.

Warden Hartman, Dead Man Walking, Gramercy Pictures, 1995.

Homeless man, Mrs. Winterbourne, TriStar, 1996.

Billy's father, In & Out, Paramount, 1997.

Ed Green, Addicted to Love (also known as Forlorn), Miramax, 1997.

Homeless man, Mambo Cafe, Unapix Entertainment, 1999.

Fred Shepard, Frequency, New Line Cinema, 2000.

Voice, Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, Social Media Productions, 2000.

Chief Josh Jarrett, The Mothman Prophecies (also known as Mothman and The Mothman), Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2002.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Lyndon Baines Johnson, Kennedy, NBC, 1983.

The Murder of Mary Phagan (also known as The Ballad of Mary Phagan), NBC, 1988.

Father Tom, Empire Falls, HBO, 2005.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Mr. Defeo, The Confession, Cinemax, 1999.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Sergeant Belcher, "Guests of the Nation," Great Performances, PBS, 1991.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

John Tierney, "Progeny," Law & Order, NBC, 1995.

Dr. Kochurn, "To Your Health," Oz, HBO, 1997.

Mr. McLeish, "The Third Horseman," Law & Order: Criminal Intent (also known as Law & Order: CI), NBC, 2002.