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Anthony Heald

 
Actor: Anthony Heald
  • Born: Aug 25, 1944 in New Rochelle, New York
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Thriller
  • Career Highlights: The Silence of the Lambs, Deep Rising, Orphans
  • First Major Screen Credit: Orphans (1987)

Biography

Possessing an air of smug authority that isn't without a slight sense of self-conscious humor, actor Anthony Heald's supporting roles in such films as The Silence of the Lambs and Deep Rising have found him mastering the art of the overconfident character who audiences instinctively sense (often rightly so) will receive his comeuppance before the end credits roll. Born Philip Anthony Mair Heald in New Rochelle, NY, the aspiring actor with a keen eye for detail sought higher education at Michigan State University following graduation from New York's Massapequa High School. It was during his tenure at Michigan State that Heald became involved with a street theater troupe, honing his skills while simultaneously developing a unique style that he would continue to develop in the decade that followed. Making the leap to the big screen with a supporting role in the 1983 drama Silkwood, Heald also impressed small-screen viewers with occasional roles in Miami Vice, Tales From the Dark Side, and later, Cheers. Of course, it was feature films that provided the most exposure for Heald, though, his role as Dr. Frederick Chilton in The Silence of the Lambs offering the ideal celluloid personification of the actor's nervous confidence. Supporting roles in such high-profile releases as Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Pelican Brief, The Client, and 8MM kept Heald in the public eye throughout the 1990s, and with his role as buttoned-down Assistant Principal Scott Guber in the popular 2000 series Boston Public, Heald seemed to hit his stride on the small screen. On the high-school comedy drama, Heald embued his straight-laced, officious, authoritarian character with a surprising degree of sympathy, making Mr. Gruber somewhat more endearing than would be expected. In 2002, Heald reprised his role as Dr. Frederick Chilton in Red Dragon, the second sequel -- actually a prequel -- to The Silence of the Lambs. Though Boston Public would close its doors in 2004, Heald continued to act in addition to providing vocal work on a number of talking books. In 2006 Heald helmed the clichéd part of the unctuous Dean of the rival college in the comedy Accepted, as well as appearing in the third installment of the popular X-Men franchise. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Anthony Heald
Born Philip Anthony Mair Heald
August 25, 1944 (1944-08-25) (age 65)
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Spouse(s) Robin Herskowitz
Official website

Philip Anthony Mair Heald, known professionally as Anthony Heald (born August 25, 1944), is an American actor known for portraying Hannibal Lecter's jail nemesis, Dr. Frederick Chilton in The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon, and for playing assistant principal Scott Guber in David E. Kelley's Boston Public. He also had a recurring role as Judge Cooper on Kelley's The Practice and Boston Legal (The Practice had the character's name as "Wallace Cooper"; Boston Legal had the character's name as "Harvey Cooper").

Contents

Early life

Heald was born in New Rochelle, New York to an editor father.[1] He attended Michigan State University, from which he graduated in 1971.

Career

He has worked extensively on Broadway and has been twice nominated for the Tony Award for his work in Anything Goes (1988) and Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion! (1995). He also appeared in McNally's The Lisbon Traviata (1989) with Nathan Lane and Lips Together, Teeth Apart (1991) with Lane, Christine Baranski, and Swoosie Kurtz. In addition to his work on stage, screen and film, Heald has recorded over 60 audio books/books on tape, including works as varied as Where the Red Fern Grows, New York Times bestsellers such as The Pelican Brief, Jurassic Park and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, as well as a sizable number of titles in the Star Wars audio book library. Heald also had a brief appearance in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand, and on the Cheers final episode, "One for the road".

Heald also appeared in Unaccompanied Minors as a distressed, Christmas-hating airport employee.

Personal life

Heald lives in Ashland, Oregon, where he regularly performs in productions of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and lives with his daughter, Zoe.

References

External links




 
 

 

Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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