Roger Rees

Roger Rees (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor. He is best known to American audiences for playing the characters Robin Colcord on the American television sitcom show Cheers and Lord John Marbury on the American television drama The West Wing. He won a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

Early life

Rees was born in Aberystwyth, Wales, the son of Doris Louise (née Smith), a shop clerk, and William John Rees, a police officer.^[1]

Career

Rees started his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and attended the Slade School of Fine Arts.^[2] He played Malcolm in the acclaimed Trevor Nunn 1976 stage and 1978 television production of Macbeth. Rees created the title role in the original production of the play The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, winning both an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1982. He also starred in the original production of The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard in London in 1984.

Rees began to work in television during the 1970s, appearing opposite Laurence Olivier in The Ebony Tower (1984). From 1988 to 1991 he starred in the late 80s/early 90s British sitcom Singles, with actress and co-star Judy Loe. From 1989 to 1991 and in 1993, he also appeared intermittently on the long-running American TV series Cheers as the English tycoon Robin Colcord. Later television appearances include My So-Called Life as substitute teacher Mr Racine, British Ambassador Lord John Marbury on The West Wing and James MacPherson on Warehouse 13.

His film career beginning in the 1980s, Rees played the Sheriff of Rottingham in Mel Brooks' 1993 film, Robin Hood: Men in Tights. More recent film appearances include Frida (2002) and The Prestige (2006).

Continuing his work in the theatre through the 1990s, both as an actor and a director, Rees was awarded an Obie award for his 1992 performance in the off-Broadway play The End of the Day. In 1995 he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in Indiscretions.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2004, Rees was named artistic director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival, only the fourth person to hold the post in its half century history. He left the position in October 2007.

In October 2010, it was announced that on 22 March, he would be portraying the role of Gomez in the Broadway musical adaptation of The Addams Family, following the departure of Nathan Lane.^[3] On 19 September, it was announced that Rees will extend his run in the show through closing on 31 December 2011.^[4]

Personal life

Rees became a naturalized United States citizen in 1989.^{[citation needed]}

Openly gay, Rees's longtime partner is writer/producer Rick Elice.^[5][6] Rees and Elice have also collaborated professionally, most notably as co-playwrights of the comedic thriller Double Double. Elice is also the co-author (with Marshall Brickman) of the book of the Addams Family musical, the cast of which Rees had joined on 22 March 2011.

Work

Film

• Star 80 (as Aram Nicholas), 1983
• A Christmas Carol (as Fred Hollywell), 1984
• God's Outlaw: The Story of William Tyndale (as William Tyndale), 1986
• If Looks Could Kill - Teen Agent (as Augustus Steranko), 1991
• Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot as J. Parnell, 1992
• Robin Hood: Men in Tights (as Sheriff of Rottingham), 1993
• Trouble on the Corner (as McMurtry), 1997
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (as Peter Quince), 1999
• The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (as Dr Croft), 1999
• The Crossing (as Hugh Mercer), 2000
• BlackMale (as Bill Fontaine), 2000
• Frida (as Guillermo Kahlo), 2002
• The Scorpion King (as King Pheron), 2002
• Return to Never Land as Edward, 2002
• Going Under (as Peter), 2004
• Crazy Like a Fox (as Nat Banks), 2004
• Game 6 (as Jack Haskins), 2005
• Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (as solicitor Mr. Hobbs), 2006
• The Pink Panther (as Larocque), 2006
• The Prestige (as Owens), 2006
• The Invasion (as Yorish), 2007
• Falling for Grace (as Andrew Barrington, Sr.), 2007
• Happy Tears (as antiques dealer), 2010

Television

• A Christmas Carol (as Fred Holywell/Narrator), 1984
• Singles (as Malcolm), 1988–1991
• Cheers (as Robin Colcord), 1989–1993
• The Young Riders (in episode "Lady for a Night" as Tyler Dewitt), 1990
• M.A.N.T.I.S. (as Dr. John Stonebrake), 1994–1995
• My So-Called Life (in episode "The Substitute" as Vic Racine), 1994
• Titanic (as J. Bruce Ismay), 1996
• Boston Common (as Harrison Cross), 1997
• Liberty! The American Revolution 1997
• Extreme Ghostbusters (as The Piper), 1997
• Oz (in episode "Medium Rare" as Jack Aldridge), 2001
• Law & Order (in episode "Kid Pro Quo" as Wyatt Scofield), 2003
• The West Wing (as Lord John Marbury), 2000–2005
• Grey's Anatomy (in episodes "Scars and Souvenirs", "My Favourite Mistakes" and "Time After Time" as Dr. Colin Marlow), 2007
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (in episode "Alpha Dog" as Duke DeGuerin), 2009
• Warehouse 13 (in episodes "Implosion", "Breakdown", "Nevermore" and "MacPherson" (as James MacPherson), 2009
• The Good Wife (in episode "Nine Hours" as Dr. Todd Grossman), 2010

Theater

• The Comedy of Errors (as Antipholus of Syracuse), Stratford-on-Avon and London, 1976
• Three Sisters (as Tusenbach) Stratford-upon-Avon London and tour, 1979^[7]
• Cymbeline (as Posthumus), Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-on-Avon 1979 ^[8]
• Cymbeline (as Posthumus), Royal National Theatre, 1980
• The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (as Nicholas Nickleby), Royal Shakespeare Company

• Aldwych Theatre, London, June 1980-June 1981 ^[9]
• Plymouth Theatre, Broadway, September 1981–March 1982

• The Real Thing (as Henry), London, 1982
• The End of the Day (as Graydon Massey), Playwrights Horizons, off-Broadway, 1992
• Indiscretions (as George), Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway, 1995
• A Man of No Importance (as Alfie Byrne), Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, off-Broadway, 2002
• Waiting for Godot (as Vladimir, replacing Patrick Stewart), Haymarket Theatre, London, 2010
• Waiting for Godot (as Vladimir), His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, 2010
• Waiting for Godot (as Vladimir), Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, 2010^[10]
• The Addams Family (musical) (as Gomez [Replaced Nathan Lane]), Broadway, 2011

References

Notes

External links

• Roger Rees at the Internet Broadway Database
• Roger Rees at the Internet Movie Database
• Article on appointment to Williamstown Theater Festival
• Roger Rees - Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org