The cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth

April 24, 2022 11:51 AM

Robert Morse, two-time Tony-winning actor, passed away on April 20th at age 90.

Best known in his youth for playing the lead role in the musical How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, he later won a second Tony award for his tour de force transformation into author Truman Capote in the one man play, Tru. He was a longtime cast member on Mad Men, where in his final episode, he showed that he still had the moves that made him famous in a fantastical song and dance performance of The Best Things in Life are Free.

From the AP article linked above: “He radiated a wicked joy; it was impossible to watch him without instantly sharing his giddy delight,” wrote playwright Paul Rudnick. Jason Alexander tweeted: “His work was infused with joy and it was joyous to be with him.”

posted by merriment (19 comments total)

I was lucky enough to see Robert Morse live when he was touring Tru in the early '90s. It was an extraordinary embodiment that kindled a fascination with Truman Capote and introduced me to one of my early queer literary heroes. His be-socked portrayal of Bert Cooper in Mad Men was always a highlight of that show for me, but I will always associate him most with his quirky, funny, joyful performance in How to Succeed in Business....

May his memory be for a blessing.
posted by merriment at 12:05 PM on April 24, 2022 [4 favorites]

I just watched The Loved One recently. He was brilliant.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:11 PM on April 24, 2022 [6 favorites]

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posted by brujita at 12:31 PM on April 24, 2022

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posted by BlahLaLa at 12:43 PM on April 24, 2022

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posted by riruro at 12:52 PM on April 24, 2022

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posted by Splunge at 1:08 PM on April 24, 2022

I saw him on bway in How to Suceed....Great!
posted by Czjewel at 1:17 PM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by mstokes650 at 1:26 PM on April 24, 2022

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posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 1:41 PM on April 24, 2022

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posted by theora55 at 2:19 PM on April 24, 2022

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posted by jim in austin at 2:55 PM on April 24, 2022

I always thought it was funny that Mad Men sent off Bert Cooper, a cranky Ayn Rand capitalist, with "The Best Things In Life Are Free."
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 3:15 PM on April 24, 2022 [5 favorites]

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posted by dannyboybell at 3:43 PM on April 24, 2022

Loved him in Mad Men. I've always been meaning to check out his earlier stuff.

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posted by rhizome at 8:35 PM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

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posted by kitten kaboodle at 8:52 PM on April 24, 2022

I'm stuck on the fact that he won Best Actor for both musical and play. A rare feat.

Godspeed, Robert. You always were my favourite.
posted by Capt. Renault at 6:44 AM on April 25, 2022

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posted by humbug at 7:06 AM on April 25, 2022

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posted by allthinky at 9:03 AM on April 25, 2022

I was lucky enough to see him in Tru - he was amazing! It worked so well as a one man play because poor Truman had lost most of his friends by the time it was supposed to take place, and Morse did a sadly accurate job of portraying the loneliness he must have felt. I also remember that someone in the audience had a coughing fit at one point, and Morse nicely interacted with them without ever breaking character, then went right back on script.
posted by Furnace of Doubt at 12:00 PM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]