- Robert Drivas
Infobox actor
name = Robert Drivas
imagesize =
birthname = Robert Choromokos
birthdate = birth date|1938|11|21|mf=y
birthplace =Chicago, Illinois ,U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|1986|6|29|1938|11|21|mf=n
deathplace =New York, New York ,U.S.
occupation = Actor, director
yearsactive = 1957-1983Robert Drivas (
November 21 ,1938 -June 29 ,1986 ) was an Americanactor andtheatre director .Drivas was born Robert Choromokos in
Chicago, Illinois , the son of Hariklia (née Cunningham-Wright) and James Peter Choromokos. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/33/Robert-Drivas.html Robert Drivas Biography (1938-) ] ] Drivas studied at theUniversity of Chicago and theUniversity of Miami . After further training at the Greek Playhouse inAthens, Greece and with theCoconut Grove Playhouse inMiami Beach , he made hisNew York City debut in the role of Rameses in 1958 in the play "The Firstborn", starringAnthony Quayle asMoses . He continued to perform on stage with "One More River" (1960), "The Wall" (1960), "The Irregular Verb to Love" (1963), and "And Things That Go Bump in the Night" (1965), which he also directed. In 1963 he won aTheatre World Award for his performance in "Mrs. Dally Has a Lover".Drivas was associated with many well-known theatrical figures of his time. These included
playwright sTerrence McNally , whose play "The Ritz" he directed in 1975, andEdward Albee , who directed Drivas in the 1983 premiere of Albee's harshly received play "The Man Who Had Three Arms ". Other directing credits include "Bad Habits", for which he won anObie Award , "Legend", "Cheaters", "It Had to Be You", a revival of the musical "Little Me ", and "Peg", a musical biography of songstressPeggy Lee , with lyrics and book by the star herself.Concurrent with his theater work, Drivas appeared in television, beginning in 1958. He showed great intensity and power in guest-starring roles on 1960s crime shows and dramas such as "Route 66", "
N.Y.P.D. ", "The Defenders", "The Fugitive" and "The F.B.I.".Drivas' first theatrical film appearance was in the role of "Loudmouth Steve" in the classic prison drama "
Cool Hand Luke " (1967). This debut led to more film work, Drivas soon sharing the screen withRod Steiger andClaire Bloom in the "The Illustrated Man" (1969). Though Drivas' performance was mezmerizing, the film was a commercial failure and was not the star-making role for Drivas it might otherwise have been. Drivas also excelled as the cool, but idealistic, son ofDavid Janssen in "Where It's At" (1969), but again, the film was dismissed and Drivas' career did not advance.Though he did not not become a star popular with general audiences, a cult following has grown up around his distinctive persona and unusual performances, and his premature death at age 47 of
AIDS -related complications includes him in the company of important artists lost to that epidemic.References
External links
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