Anita Morris

Anita Morris
As Claudette Katzenback in Radioland Murders(1994).
Born	March 14, 1943(1943-03-14) Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	March 2, 1994 (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1972–1994
Spouse(s)	Grover Dale (1973–1994) (her death)

Anita Rose Morris (March 14, 1943 – March 2, 1994) was an American actress.

Career

Among many roles, Morris's most prominent film role was as Carol Dodsworth, the mistress to Danny DeVito, in Ruthless People and for her sensual performance as Carla in the musical Nine opposite Raul Julia. While nominated for a Best Featured Actress Tony Award as Carla, she lost to Liliane Montevecchi, also in Nine. 21 years later, Jane Krakowski won the Tony in the same category as Morris, playing Carla in a revival with Antonio Banderas.

Her signature number in Nine was "A Call From the Vatican," and she also sang "Simple," late in act two. She was scheduled to perform the former at the Tony Awards in 1982, but the TV censors found her outfit too revealing. Her stage work began in the American Mime Theatre, and carried her to Broadway both for Nine, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Morris portrayed the lover of Rob Lowe in 1984's The Hotel New Hampshire. Other film work included Bloodhounds of Broadway with Madonna, Randy Quaid, and Matt Dillon, Ruthless People with Danny DeVito and Bette Midler, 18 Again! with George Burns and Charlie Schlatter and Radioland Murders, which was her final film role.

During the 1980s and early 1990s she played guest roles in sitcoms and dramas, including Miami Vice, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, and Cheers in the 80's and Melrose Place, Matlock, Tales From the Crypt, and A Different World in the 1990s. In 1984, Morris appeared in The Rolling Stones' video "She Was Hot."

Personal life

She was the mother of actor James Badge Dale and was married from 1973 to actor Grover Dale. She died in Los Angeles, aged 50, after a long struggle with ovarian cancer, which was first diagnosed in 1980.

External links

• Anita Morris at the Internet Movie Database
• ANITA MORRIS RETRO 1981 from Eubie Blake Special (1981)

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