Jack cassidy7/9/2023 ![]() ![]() The role and his screen persona would later inspire the creators of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (CBS, 1970-1977) to fashion the character of vain TV announcer Ted Baxter with Cassidy in mind. On television, Cassidy earned an Emmy nomination for "He & She" as a supremely self-confident actor in a fictional television series who made life miserable for Richard Benjamin, who had created the cartoon on which the program was based, and his wife, played by Benjamin's real-life spouse, Paula Prentiss. It's a Plane.It's Superman" (1966) and later as a roguish Irish actor opposite Jones in "Maggie Jones" (1969), which won him his second Tony Award. He had begun playing such roles on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor as a suave ladies' man in "She Loves Me" (1963), and would continue to reap Tony nods for similar roles in "Fade Out/Fade In" (1964), as a jealous columnist who vied with Clark Kent for the hand of Lois Lane in "It's a Bird. Cassidy's theatrical demeanor made him ideal for urbane, larger-than-life personas, especially those with a highly inflated ego. The couple would produce two more sons, Patrick and Ryan, all of whom would pursue entertainment careers to varying degrees of success in the 1970s and beyond.īy this time, he had also begun to make forays into television, most notably in live anthologies before becoming a staple of episodic series. The pair soon fell in love, and after divorcing Ward, Cassidy asked Jones to marry him between acts of a 1956 production of "The Beggar's Opera." Their first son, Shaun, was born in 1958, shortly before Cassidy reprised his turn in "Wish You Were Here" for a 1959 production co-starring Jones. ![]() Blessed with matinee idol looks and a rich, baritone voice, he was a leading man of choice for high-profile musicals, including a 1955 State Department European tour of "Oklahoma!" which cast him opposite a young actress named Shirley Jones. Three years later, Cassidy made his debut as a leading man in the Tony-winning musical "Wish You Were Here" (1953), which was soon followed by a star-making turn as an Irish immigrant in the play "Sandhog" (1954). ![]() Larger supporting roles on stage preceded his marriage to dancer-choreographer Evelyn Ward, with whom he had a son, David, in 1950. But he developed an interest in performing from an uncle who had been a circus contortionist, and by his mid-teens, Cassidy had made his Broadway debut as a member of the chorus in the Cole Porter musical "Something for the Boys" (1943). Like many children of the Depression, Cassidy spent his formative years working in a variety of menial labor jobs to help support his large family. He left behind an acclaimed body of work in three mediums, as well as a cache of amusing and accomplished performances that underscored his status as one of the busiest and most appreciated actors of his generation.īorn John Joseph Cassidy on Main Richmond Hill, NY, Jack Cassidy was one of five children born to immigrants William Cassidy, who hailed from Ireland, and his German wife, Charlotte. Cassidy remained active on the small screen until late 1976, when a fire in his West Hollywood apartment claimed his life. His performance set the tone for future, more substantive roles in features and television, though personal problems, including bouts with alcoholism and mental illness, began to erode his career in the mid-1970s. Television gave Cassidy his biggest showcase, and he would net an Emmy nod for his turn as an egotistical actor on the critically acclaimed "He & She" (CBS, 1967-68). While appearing in a production of "Oklahoma!" Cassidy met Shirley Jones, who became his second wife and mother to sons Shaun, Patrick and Ryan, who would all follow in their parents' showbiz footsteps. Cassidy's rich, mellifluous voice and fair-haired good looks made him a popular leading man on Broadway in the late 1940s and early '50s, where he met his first wife, dancer Evelyn Ward, who would give birth to their son, future pop star David Cassidy. A star of stage and television for over two decades, actor Jack Cassidy embodied the vainglorious, self-absorbed side of his profession in a series of Tony-winning and Emmy-nominated turns that made him a much-loved performer until his tragic death.
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