Dick Latessa
Richard Robert Latessa (September 15, 1929 – December 19, 2016) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life. Latessa was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1929. After serving in the Army in maybe 1952, he began performing in Cleveland before moving to New York in 1959 to pursue acting professionally. Stage career. He made his Broadway debut in "The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N" in 1968. His subsequent theatre credits include "Follies", "Rags", "The Cherry Orchard", "Damn Yankees", "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", "Awake and Sing!", "Cabaret", "The Will Rogers Follies" and "Hairspray , for which he won both the Tony- and Drama Desk awards for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2012, he appeared opposite Linda Lavin in the Nicky Silver drama, The Lyons". Latessa was featured in several Neil Simon plays, including "Chapter Two", "I Ought to Be in Pictures", "Brighton Beach Memoirs", "Broadway Bound", "Rumors" and "Proposals". He was featured in the 2010 revival of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David musical, "Promises, Promises" as Dr. Dreyfuss. Film and television career. Latessa's screen credits include "The Substance of Fire", "Alfie", and "Stigmata". He appeared in numerous television movies, including  Izzy and Moe, "The Trial of Bernhard Goetz", and "Pudd'nhead Wilson", and such primetime series as "Get Smart", "", "Ironside", "", "The Sopranos", "Ed", and "Law & Order". He is widely known as the second and most recognized actor to play Noel Douglas on "The Edge of Night". He later played Neil Hayes on "One Life to Live". Death. Latessa died on December 19, 2016 of heart failure in New York City, aged 87.