LATESSA, Dick 1930(?)–

PERSONAL

Born c. 1930; raised in Cleveland, OH; mother, an automotive upholstery maker; children: Gina.

Career: Actor. Dancer in stage productions. Also worked as a machinist and newspaper delivery person.

Awards, Honors: Obie Award, Village Voice, outstanding performance, 1975, for Philemon; Helen Hayes Award, Washington Theatre Awards Society, outstanding supporting actor in a non–resident production, 2000, for Cabaret; Antoinette Perry Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award, all best featured actor in a musical, 2003, for Hairspray; Grammy Award (with others), National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, best musical show album, 2003, for Hairspray; Neil–Man Award from Neil Simon and Manny Eisenberg.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Giovanni Pastora, The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N (musical), Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1968.

Major domo and understudy for Gene Nelson, Follies (musical), Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1971–1972.

Clown, Philemon, off–Broadway production, c. 1975.

Nicolo Polo, Marco Polo, Marymount Manhattan Theatre, New York City, 1976–1977.

Leo Schneider, Chapter Two, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1978–1979.

Renzo, Passione, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1980.

Herb, I Ought to Be in Pictures, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 1980–1981.

Myron Berger, Awake and Sing!, Circle in the Square, New York City, 1984.

Diamonds, Circle in the Square Downtown, New York City, 1984–1985.

Crossing the Bar, 1985.

Jack Jerome, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Forty–Sixth Street Theatre, New York City, 1985–1986.

Avram Cohen, Rags (musical), Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1986.

Jack, Broadway Bound, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, between 1986 and 1988.

Ernie Cusak, Rumors, Broadhurst Theatre, between 1988 and 1990.

Clem Rogers, The Will Rogers Follies (musical), Palace Theatre, New York City, between 1991 and 1993.

Daniel Shannon, Man in His Underwear, Playwrights' Horizons Theatre, New York City, 1992.

Captain Jack Boyle, Juno, Vineyard Theatre, New York City, 1992–1993.

Whitey McCoy, Sophistry, Playwrights' Horizons Theatre, 1993.

Van Buren, Damn Yankees (musical), Marquis Theatre, New York City, 1994–1995.

Carl, Fit to Be Tied, Playwrights' Horizons Theatre, 1996.

Dr. Michel, Du Barry Was a Lady (concert performance), City Center Theatre, New York City, 1996.

Senex, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (musical), St. James Theatre, New York City, between 1996 and 1998.

Dr. Dreyfuss, Promises, Promises (concert performance), City Center Theatre, 1997.

Burt Hines, Proposals, Eisenhower Theatre, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1997, then Broadhurst Theatre, 1997–1998.

Nunzio Christano, Over the River and through the Woods, John Houseman Theatre, New York City, between 1998 and 2000.

Herr Schultz, Cabaret (musical), Roundabout Theatre Company, Wilshire Theatre, Los Angeles, 1999, also Warner Theatre, Washington, DC, and Kit Kat Klub, New York City.

Ron, Chaucer in Rome, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, New York City, 2001.

Heart Song: The Heroes' Concert (two benefit performances), Bottom Line, New York City, 2001.

Wilbur Turnblad, Hairspray (musical), Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle, WA, 2002, then Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, beginning 2002.

Broadway Barks 5 (benefit performance), Shubert Alley, New York City, 2003.

Appeared as Hucklebee, The Fantasticks (musical), Sullivan Street Playhouse, New York City; appeared in The King and I and L'il Abner, City Center Theatre; appeared in The King and I and other productions in Ohio; appeared in Encores!; performed at the Huntington Theatre, Boston, MA, and the Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT.

Television Appearances; Series:

Noel Douglas, The Edge of Night, CBS, 1975, then ABC, 1975–1976.

Mike Duffy, True Blue, NBC, 1989–1991.

Neil Hayes, One Life to Live, ABC, 1997.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Fred, The Family Man, CBS, 1979.

Charlie, A Question of Honor, CBS, 1982.

The Neighborhood (also known as Breslin's Neighborhood ), NBC, 1982.

Mr. Pugliese, Trackdown: Finding the Goodbar Killer, CBS, 1983.

"Boss" Tom Messenger, Out of the Darkness, CBS, 1985.

Lieutenant Murphy, Izzy and Moe, CBS, 1985.

Malcolm Sterling, Rockabye, CBS, 1986.

Jack Karney, Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story (also known as Shattered Trust ), NBC, 1993.

Joe Ciccilone, Thicker Than Blood, TNT, 1998.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Paul Wescott, And They All Lived Happily Ever After, 1981.

Creech, Pudd'nhead Wilson, PBS, 1984.

Charles Hirsch, The Trial of Bernhard Goetz, PBS, 1988.

Coach Schneider, Over the Limit, ABC, 1990.

Appeared in Philemon, PBS.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Woodman, "One Nation Invisible," Get Smart, NBC, 1968.

General Tamaar, "Nitro," Mission: Impossible, CBS, 1969.

"Resurrection," Spenser: For Hire, ABC, 1985.

George Kendrick, "Personal Demons," Spenser: For Hire, ABC, 1987.

Admiral Miles Coty, "Conduct Unbecoming," Law & Order, NBC, 1993.

Dr. Kyle Rose, "Mairmaids Strike Better," Central Park West (also known as CPW ), CBS, 1996.

Dr. Kyle Rose, "You Belong to Me!," Central Park West (also known as CPW ), CBS, 1996.

"Judgement in LA: D–Girl," Law & Order, NBC, 1997.

Mr. Dunn, "Just the Three of Us," Soul Man, ABC, 1998.

Mr. Dunn, "Raising Heck," Soul Man, ABC, 1998.

Ike Munro, Talk to Me, ABC, 2000.

Father L'Oiseau, "The Army of One," The Sopranos, HBO, 2001.

Jerry Waldrop, "Closure," Ed, NBC, 2001.

Bishop Burning, "The Collar," Law & Order, NBC, 2002.

Bishop Burning, "Under God," Law & Order, NBC, 2003.

Played Mr. Giamelli in "Surprise! I Hate Your Friend!," an unaired episode of Working It Out, NBC.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Conti, "Everybody's Favorite Bagman" (original pilot for series), Law & Order, CBS, aired as an episode of series on NBC, 1990.

Gus, The Circle Game, ABC, 1993.

Film Appearances:

Cul–de–Sac, 1995.

Mr. McCormack, Sr., The Substance of Fire, Miramax, 1996.

Mr. Mayhew, Better Than Ever, Panorama Entertainment, 1997.

Father Gianni Delmonico, Stigmata, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1999.

Uncle Leo, The Event, ThinkFilm, 2003.

RECORDINGS

Albums; Original Cast Recordings:

The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue, Sony, 1991.

Hairspray, Sony, 2002.

OTHER SOURCES

Electronic:

Theatermania.com, http://www.theatermania.com, July 20, 2000.