Robert Prosky
{{short description|American actor (1930–2008)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Robert Prosky
| image = Golem-MET 2.jpg
| caption = Robert Prosky and Joseph McKenna in Fishelson's adaptation of The Golem at Manhattan Ensemble Theatre, 2002
| birth_name = Robert Józef Porzuczek
| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|12|13}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|12|8|1930|12|13}}
| death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.
| body_discovered =
| resting_place = Rock Creek Cemetery
Washington, D.C., U.S.
| education =
| alma_mater =
| other_names = Robert Józef Prosky
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1971–2008
| spouse = {{marriage|Ida Hove|1960}}
| domestic_partner =
| children = 3, including John Prosky
| parents =
| signature =
| website =
}}
Robert Prosky (born Robert Joseph Porzuczek, December 13, 1930 – December 8, 2008) was an American actor. He became a well-known supporting actor in the 1980s with his roles in Thief (1981), Christine (1983), The Natural (1984), and Broadcast News (1987).
Prosky's other notable movies include Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Hoffa (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Last Action Hero (1993), Rudy (1993), Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Dead Man Walking (1995), and Mad City (1997). His most notable television role was of Sgt. Stan Jablonski on the TV police drama Hill Street Blues.
Early life
Prosky, a Polish American,{{cite news| title=Television Jews: How Jewish Is Too Jewish?| url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/4790/| first=Sally Ogle| last=Davis| date=September 6, 2001| newspaper=The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles| access-date=December 11, 2019}} was born in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia,{{cite news| title=Robert Prosky, Phila.-born character actor| url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20081210_Robert_Prosky__Phila_-born_character_actor.html| first=Adam| last=Bernstein| newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer| date=December 10, 2008}} Pennsylvania, to Helen (Kuhn) and Joseph Porzuczek.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58BkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Joseph+and+Helen+(Kuhn)+Porzuczek%22| title=Who's who in Entertainment| volume=1| publisher=Marquis Who's Who| year=1989| isbn=9780837918501}} His father was a grocer and butcher.[http://www.filmreference.com/film/85/Robert-Prosky.html Robert Prosky biography] Film Reference.{{Cite web |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800021425/bio |title=Robert Prosky Biography |website=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=2017-01-15 |archive-date=2011-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522102318/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800021425/bio |url-status=dead }}{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/09/AR2008120902215_2.html?hpid=moreheadlines| title=Robert Prosky; D.C. Actor Appeared on 'Hill Street Blues'| first=Adam| last=Bernstein| newspaper=The Washington Post| date=December 10, 2008}} He was raised in a working-class neighborhood and studied at the American Theatre Wing, later graduating from Temple University. He performed at Old Academy Players, a small theater in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, adjacent to Manayunk. He also served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, but got a hardship discharge to help with the family store when his father died suddenly.
Career
Prosky appeared in Thief, Hanky Panky, The Natural, Hoffa, Broadcast News, Things Change, The Great Outdoors, Loose Cannons, Rudy, Mrs. Doubtfire, Green Card, and Dead Man Walking. He also appeared as Will Darnell, the man who owned the auto repair shop where Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) rebuilds the possessed car "Christine" in the film based on Stephen King's novel.
In addition to appearing in films, he appeared in many television shows, as a regular on Hill Street Blues, Danny, and Veronica's Closet. Prosky also portrayed Jake "the Snake" Connolly on a two-part 1991 episode of Coach. He was considered for the role of Martin Crane in Frasier and later made a guest appearance in the series as a reclusive writer who befriended the character. He was offered the role of Coach Ernie Pantusso on Cheers, but turned it down; he later portrayed Rebecca Howe's father on the same show.{{cite news |last=Simonson |first=Robert |author-link1=Robert Simonson |date=December 9, 2008 |title=Robert Prosky, Seasoned Actor of Stage, Film and Television, Dies at 77 |journal=Playbill |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/124139-Robert-Prosky-Seasoned-Actor-of-Stage-Film-and-Television-Dies-at-77 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131104420/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/124139-Robert-Prosky-Seasoned-Actor-of-Stage-Film-and-Television-Dies-at-77 |archive-date=January 31, 2013}} His role in Veronica's Closet was likely a nod to this, as in both shows he played the father of a character portrayed by Kirstie Alley.
In addition to his film and television career, he appeared in numerous productions at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., most notably as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. Prosky often performed at Arena Stage with over 100 stage credits to his name at that theatre alone. He played Shelly Levene in the 1984 Chicago and Broadway production of David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross. He was also a board member of the Cape May Stage in Cape May, New Jersey.
Prosky appeared in two films, Dead Man Walking and The Chamber, with actor Raymond J. Barry. He received or was nominated for two Tony awards, two Helen Hayes awards, an Emmy, the Drama Desk award, and the American Express Tribute To An American Actor. He continued to perform on stage and present lectures on his long career at universities, film festivals, for theater benefits, business groups and on cruises.
Personal life
In 1960, he married Ida Hove with whom he had three sons, Stefan, John and Andrew Prosky, the latter two being actors as well.
Death
Prosky died on December 8, 2008, just 5 days before his 78th birthday, while living in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C.{{cite news |first=Patricia |last=Sullivan |title=Actor Robert Prosky Dies |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/2008/12/actor_robert_prosky_dies.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308204449/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/2008/12/actor_robert_prosky_dies.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 8, 2012 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 9, 2008 |access-date=9 December 2008}} His son John said that the cause was complications of heart surgery at the Washington Hospital Center.Martin, Douglas. (December 11, 2008). [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/theater/11prosky.html "Robert Prosky, 77, an Actor of Wide Range and Acumen, Is Dead"] The New York Times. The New York Times described him: "a craggy-faced, heavyset character actor who, after 23 years in regional theater, became a familiar face on Broadway, in movies and on television, notably as a gruff desk sergeant in the later years of Hill Street Blues."
Playbill described him: "He was best suited to playing salt-of-the-earth characters, sometimes with a mischievous or slightly sinister edge."
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
!Title !Role !Notes |
|---|
| 1978
| Cop in Police Lineup | Uncredited |
| 1981
| Thief | Leo | |
| 1982
| Hiram Calder | |
| 1982
| Bishop Walkman | |
| 1983
| LTC Thomas "The Bear" Berrineau | |
| 1983
| Will Darnell | |
| 1983
| The Keep | Father Fonescu | |
| 1984
| The Judge (team owner) | |
| 1985
| Into Thin Air | Jim Conway | |
| 1987
| Stanislav Korzenowski | |
| 1987
| Keegan | |
| 1987
| Ernie Merriman | |
| 1988
| Wally | |
| 1988
| Joseph 'Don Giuseppe' Vincent | |
| 1989
| Dancer | |
| 1990
| Von Metz | |
| 1990
| Grandpa Fred | |
| 1990
| Emil Thomas "E.T." Bergman | |
| 1990
| Brontë's Lawyer | |
| 1991
| Grandpa Irving | |
| 1992
| Daniel Christie | |
| 1992
| Hoffa | Billy Flynn | |
| 1993
| Nick | |
| 1993
| Rudy | Father John Cavanaugh | |
| 1993
| Jonathan Lundy | |
| 1994
| Judge Henry Harper | |
| 1995
| Horace Stonehall | |
| 1995
| Hilton Barber | |
| 1996
| E. Garner Goodman | |
| 1997
| Mad City | Lou Potts | |
| 1998
| The Lake | Herb | |
| 1999
| Inspector Fenwick | |
| 2002
| McKenzie | |
| 2002
| Network Chairman | Uncredited |
| 2005
| Suits on the Loose | Bishop Hollister | |
| 2009
| Father Wymond | Final film role; Released posthumously |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year
!Title !Role !Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–1987
| Sgt. Stan Jablonski | Main cast | |||
| 1987 | Murder She Wrote | Bishop Patrick Shea | |
| 1988 | The Murder of Mary Phagan | Tom Watson[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/470228/the-murder-of-mary-phagan Murder of Mary Phagan] Turner Classic Movies, accessed December 18, 2015 | |
| 1989 | From the Dead of Night | Dr Walter Hovde[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/466155/from-the-dead-of-night From the Dead of Night] Turner Classic Movies, accessed December 18, 2015 | |
| 1990 | A Green Journey | Bishop Baker | |
| rowspan=2|1991 | Mr. Joseph Cardini, the neighborhood grocer. | ||
| Coach
| Jake "The Snake" Connolly | Episodes: "The Pineapple Bowl: Parts 1 & 2" | |||
| 1992 | Cheers | Navy Captain Franklin Howe | |
| 1996 | Frasier | T.H. Houghton | |
| 1997–1998 | Veronica's Closet | Pat Chase | |
| 1998
| The Lake | Herb | Television movie | |||
| 1998
| LateLine | Boone LeGarde | Episode: "Pilot" | |||
| 1999
| Chief Justice of the United States | Television movie | |||
| 2000
| Dr. Robert Harrigan | Episode: "The Grudge" | |||
| 2001
| Danny | Lenny | Main cast | |||
| 2003
| K Street | Tommy's Dad | 3 episodes | |||
| 2007
| ER | Wayne Rutley | Episode: "Family Business"; Final television role |
=Stage=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Location/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| | 1971 | Moonchildren (American premiere) | Mr. Willis | Arena Stage, Washington, D.C./later moved to Broadway in 1972 |
| | 1975 | The Dybbuk | Rabbi Az ielke | Arena Stage, Washington, D.C./with Dianne Wiest |
| | 1983 | A View from the Bridge | Alfieri | New York City |
| | 1984 | Glengarry Glen Ross | Shelly Levene | John Golden Theatre, New York City/Tony Award Nomination/ Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble |
| | 1988 | A Walk in the Woods | Andrei Botvinnik | Booth Theatre, New York City/Tony Award Nomination |
| | 1996 | Camping with Henry and Tom | Thomas Edison | Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City |
| | 2002 | An American Daughter | Alan Hughes | Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. |
| | 2004 | Democracy | Herbert Wehner | Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City |
| | 2006 | Awake and Sing! | Jacob | Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. |
| | 2008 | The Price | Solomon | Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia; Theater J, Washington, D.C. (joint production) |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{portal|biography}}
- [https://scrc.gmu.edu/finding_aids/prosky.html Robert Prosky Papers at GMU]
- {{IMDb name|698764|Robert Prosky}}
- {{Tcmdb name}}
- {{Find a Grave|32096827}}
- [http://www.legacy.com/Philly/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonID=121214952 AP Obituary in The Philadelphia Inquirer]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prosky, Robert}}
Category:Male actors from Philadelphia
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American people of Polish descent
Category:Drama Desk Award winners
Category:Temple University alumni
Category:Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery