Lenny Baker

Infobox actor
name = Lenny Baker


imagesize = 180px
caption = from "Next Stop, Greenwich Village", 1976
birthname = Leonard Joel Baker
birthdate = birth date|1945|1|17|mf=y
birthplace = Boston, Massachusetts, USA
deathdate = death date and age|1982|4|12|1945|1|17|mf=y
deathplace = Hallandale, Florida, USA
occupation = Actor
yearsactive =
tonyawards = Best Featured Actor in a Musical
1977 "I Love My Wife"

Leonard Joel “Lenny” Baker (January 17, 1945 – April 12, 1982) was an American actor of stage and film and screen best known for his Tony Award-winning performance in "I Love My Wife" in 1977.cite web | author= | title=Tony Legacy Search Results: "I Love My Wife" | url=http://www.tonyawards.com/p/tonys_search?start=0&year=&award=&lname=&fname=&show=%3Ci%3EI+Love+My+Wife%3C%2Fi%3E | publisher=The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards | date= | accessdate=2008-07-06]

Biography

Early life

Baker was born January 17, 1945 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Bertha and William Baker. A 1962 graduate of Brookline High School, he received his college degree from Boston University, and performed in regional theater. He spent several summers at the O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut.

Career

He appeared Off Broadway in plays such as "Conerico Was Here to Stay," "Paradise Gardens East," "The Year Boston Won the Pennant," and "Summertree," debuting on Broadway in 1974 in "The Freedom of the City," performing in repertory in "Secret Service" and "Boy Meets Girl," and in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, The Merry Wives of Windsor, "Henry V" and "Measure for Measure" with the Joseph Papp New York Shakespeare Festival. He devoted himself to the production of new plays at The O'Neill Center's National Playwirght's Conference where he worked with Werner Liepolt and many other young playwrights. He was highly praised by critics Clive Barnes and Walter Kerr and won the Tony Award for his performance in "I Love My Wife".

In the course of his career Baker appeared in a number of television shows, such as Kojak,Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files. and Taxi.

Far and away most prominent amongst his film roles, which included Hospital and The Paper Chase, was Next Stop, Greenwich Village, for which he was widely praised by critics and for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Personal life

Baker died of cancer brought on by AIDS on April 12, 1982. [cite news | author=David Ehrenstein | title=Re: Farrow and Mazursky | url=http://www.fredcamper.com/afilmby/0001201.html | work=a_film_by | date=17 August 2003 | accessdate=2008-07-06] [cite news | author=Akiva Gottlieb | title=Paul Mazursky: Middle-class Champion | url=http://www.forward.com/articles/paul-mazursky-middle-class-champion | work=Jewish Daily Forward | date=27 April 2007 | accessdate=2008-07-06] He had two brothers, Alan and Malcolm.

Work

tage

;Broadway
* "The Freedom of the City" – Alvin Theatre, 1974
* "Secret Service" – Playhouse Theatre, 1976 – Henry Dumont
* "Boy Meets Girl" – Playhouse Theatre, 1976 – Robert Law
* "I Love My Wife" – Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1977 – Alvin

;Off Broadway
* "Conerico Was Here to Stay" – Fortune Theatre, 1969 – Young Man
* "Paradise Gardens East" – Fortune Theatre, 1969 – Brother
* "The Year Boston Won the Pennant" – Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, 1969 – Dillinger/Peabody
* "Barbary Shore" – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1973 – Mike Lovett
* "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1974 – Thailard/Knight of Ephesus/Boult
* "The Merry Wives of Windsor" – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1974 – Abraham Slender
* "Henry V" – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1976 – Dauphin
* "Measure for Measure" – oseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1976 – Lucio

Television

* "The Teaching", 1970 – Samuel Golden
* "Pueblo", 1973 – Ensign T.L. Harris
* , 1974 – Joyce Harrington
* , 1975 – Jinx
* "Secret Service" – Henry Dumont, 1977
* "The Rubber Gun Squad", 1977 – Eddie
* , 1979 – Damon
* , 1979 – Ronny Martz
* , 1979 – Baschi

Film

* "The Hospital", 1971 – Dr Schaefer
* "A.W.O.L.", 1972 – Sidney Feitel
* "Malatesta's Carnival of Blood", 1973 – Sonja
* "The Paper Chase", 1973 – William Moss
* "Next Stop, Greenwich Village", 1976 – Larry Lapinsky

References

External links

*amg name|2:3423
*ibdb|89746
*imdb|0048689
* [http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&keyword=name&first=Lenny&last=Baker&middle= Lenny Baker] at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
*movieTome person|80299

###@@@KEY@@@### s-ach|awsuccession box
title=Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
years=1976-1977
for "I Love My Wife"
before=Ian Richardson
for "My Fair Lady"
after=Ken Page
for "Ain't Misbehavin'"