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William LeMassena
William LeMassena
William LeMassena
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William LeMassena (May 23, 1916 – January 19, 1993) was an American actor.[1] He was best known for his roles in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, the film All That Jazz (1979), and the soap opera As the World Turns (1985–1992).

Key Information

Early life and career

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LeMassena was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey on May 23, 1916, the son of Margery L. (1883–1942) and William Henry LeMassena (1874–1944). He graduated from New York University.[1]

LeMassena made his acting debut in the 1940 Broadway production of The Taming of the Shrew, starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. He then became a regular part of the Lunt's unofficial rep company of actors, including Sydney Greenstreet, Thomas Gomez, and Montgomery Clift, with whom he appeared in There Shall Be No Night and Mexican Mural.[2]

In the later part of his career, LeMassena did several seasons of regional work at Meadowbrook Theatre in Rochester, Michigan, and also had a long run in Broadway's Deathtrap. He appeared in Broadway's first all nude play, Grin and Bare It in 1970,[3][4] which closed in less than three weeks.[5]

He appeared as the Heavenly Friend who serves as a guide to Gordon MacRae on his return trip to Earth in the 1956 film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. LeMassena appeared in other roles, however, including a stint towards the end of his life as Ambrose Bingham, on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns.

He also appeared throughout the 1960s in several television adaptations of stage plays on the Hallmark Hall of Fame, including a 1960 production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, starring Maurice Evans, Lee Remick, Roddy McDowall, and Richard Burton (LeMassena was Antonio), as well as a 1967 production of Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, starring Geneviève Bujold in her American television debut as Joan of Arc, and featuring LeMassena as Jean d'Estivet.

He also appeared in the first (and so far, the only) television production of the operetta Naughty Marietta, in the role of Rudolfo.

Personal life and death

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LeMassena served with the United States Army, 1942–1946.[6][7]

LeMassena was a close friend of Montgomery Clift, with whom he was in a relationship for three years during the early 1940s. Although Clift publicly dated Phyllis Thaxter, he and LeMassena continued to see each other privately during the run of There Shall Be No Night. The relationship ended when LeMassena left to serve overseas. LeMassena said of his relationship with Clift, "…over the course of three years we bared our souls, and found out everything about each other."[8] "Our affair was for me the most beautiful experience in my life."[9]

He died of lung cancer at his home in New Suffolk, New York on January 19, 1993, at age 76.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1956 Carousel Heavenly Friend
The Wrong Man Sang Uncredited
1964 The World of Henry Orient
1970 Where's Poppa? Judge
1979 All That Jazz Jonesy Hecht
1985 Stephen King's Golden Tales Charles Pennywell Direct-to-video
Segment: "Do Not Open This Box"
1989 See You in the Morning Mr. Livingstone

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1955 Max Liebman Spectaculars Episode: "Good Times"
Naughty Marietta Rudolfo Television film
Studio One Episode: "The Voysey Inheritance"
1957 Stanley Francisco Episode: "Stanley and Mr. Phillips' Plot"
J.B. King Episode: "Married Friends"
On Borrowed Time Dr. Evans Television film
1958 Armstrong Circle Theatre James M. Hermann Episode: "The House of Flying Objects"
1960 The Tempest Antonio Television film
1962 The Defenders Mr. Graham Episode: "The Point Shaver"
Golden Showcase Poliakoff Episode: "Tonight in Samarkand"
Naked City Mr. Hanley Episode: "The Multiplicity of Herbert Konish"
The Teahouse of the August Moon Capt. McLean Television film
1963 Naked City Dr. Thomanini Episode: "Howard Running Bear Is a Turtle"
The Patriots Col. Humphreys Television film
Route 66 Mr. Spofford Episode: "Come Home Greta Inger Gruenschaffen"
1964 The Patty Duke Show Mr. Cameron Episode: "The Continental"
1965 Inherit the Wind Radio Man Television film
1967 Saint Joan Jean D'Estivet
1974 Lincoln Senator Remley Episode: "Mrs. Lincoln's Husband"
1982 Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn Judge Thatcher Television film
One More Try Judge
1988 Tales from the Darkside Charles Pennywell Episode: "Do Not Open This Box"
1985–1992 As the World Turns Ambrose Bingham Recurring role
Final role

References

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William LeMassena

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William LeMassena (May 23, 1916 – January 19, 1993) was an American renowned for his versatile performances in theater, particularly on Broadway and , where he appeared in over 40 productions from 1940 to 1988. Born in , LeMassena made his Broadway debut in the 1940 production of There Shall Be No Night, establishing himself as a reliable in a wide range of genres, including drama, comedy, and musicals. His career highlights include standout roles such as Nonno in the 1988 revival of Tennessee Williams's , Doctor Bradman in the 1987 production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Howard Cavanaugh in the 1959 musical Redhead, for which the original cast won a , though LeMassena himself received no individual honors. He also took on supporting parts in notable revivals and tours, such as Max Detweiler in a 1977 production of and Colonel Martin Hopkins in the 1974–1975 Broadway comedy All Over Town. While primarily a stage performer, LeMassena ventured into film and television with memorable supporting roles, including the Heavenly Friend in the 1956 musical adaptation of Carousel and Jonesy Hecht in Bob Fosse's 1979 semi-autobiographical drama All That Jazz. Additional screen credits encompassed The World of Henry Orient (1964), Where's Poppa? (1970), and television appearances such as Antonio in the 1960 Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Shakespeare's The Tempest and D'Estivet in the 1967 adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. LeMassena's work often highlighted his skill in portraying eccentric or authoritative figures, contributing to his reputation as a seasoned ensemble player in New York's theater scene. He passed away from lung cancer at his home in New Suffolk, New York, at the age of 76.

Early life and education

Family background and childhood

William LeMassena was born on May 23, 1916, in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He was the son of Margery L. LeMassena (1883–1942) and William Henry LeMassena (1874–1944). His father, a resident of Glen Ridge, had been born in nearby Newark, New Jersey. LeMassena also had an older sister, Nancy LeMassena Cummings (1911–1992).

Education

William LeMassena graduated from .

Acting career

Stage career

LeMassena made his Broadway debut on February 5, 1940, in a one-week benefit revival of William Shakespeare's at the Alvin Theatre, portraying A Pedant alongside stars and , who directed and played and Katharina, respectively. Later that year, he appeared as Frank Olmstead in Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama There Shall Be No Night, first in its original run and then in a return engagement. His early momentum was briefly interrupted by military service during , after which he resumed stage work in 1946 with roles as the Player King and Norwegian Captain in a revival of . In the late 1940s, LeMassena transitioned into musical theater, performing multiple ensemble roles—including 3rd Pollster, Hotel Manager, and others—in the revue Inside U.S.A. (1948). During the 1950s, LeMassena continued building his reputation in both plays and musicals, including a 1955 regional production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel at the State Fair Musicals, where he played the Starkeeper and Dr. Seldon—a stage involvement that directly preceded his casting in the 1956 film adaptation. He also took on the role of William Danbury in the 1956 Broadway revival of Noël Coward's Fallen Angels. In 1958, LeMassena appeared off-Broadway as Major Gordon Lillie (Pawnee Bill) in a City Center revival of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. His mid-career highlight came in 1959 with the role of Howard Cavanaugh in the original Broadway production of Redhead, a musical comedy that earned the Tony Award for Best Musical. Three years later, in 1962, he showcased his character-acting range in The Beauty Part by Robert Sylvester, tackling multiple roles such as the Bailiff, Boris Pickwick, Hagedorn, Hennepin, and Emmett Stagg. In the 1970s, LeMassena sustained his Broadway presence with comedic and dramatic supporting parts, including Colonel Martin Hopkins in the 1974 farce All Over Town by Murray Schisgal. He followed this in 1976 with the portrayal of Major Leroy W. Ketchum in Preston Jones's A Texas Trilogy: The Oldest Living Graduate, serving as standby for Colonel J. C. Kinkaid. By 1978, he joined the long-running thriller Deathtrap by as a replacement for the character Porter Milgrim, contributing to its four-year run. LeMassena's later stage work emphasized his affinity for classic revivals, including Doctor Bradman in the 1987 production of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit. His final Broadway appearance came in 1988 as the poet Nonno in a revival of Williams's , marking the end of his nearly five-decade theater career that spanned from 1940 to 1988. Throughout this period, LeMassena excelled as a versatile ensemble player in comedies, dramas, and musicals, relying on steady character work rather than leading roles or major awards like the Tony.

Film career

LeMassena's film career was marked by a limited number of appearances, totaling fewer than ten credits across four decades, where he primarily took on roles that added depth to ensembles in musicals and dramas. His work emphasized reliability as a versatile capable of portraying authoritative or whimsical figures without drawing focus from leads. He made his film debut in 1956 with a supporting role as the Heavenly Friend in the musical adaptation , directed by Henry King, where he guided the protagonist's ethereal journey, drawing from his prior stage experience in a 1955 regional production. This role showcased his ability to blend warmth and otherworldliness in a star-studded cast featuring and . Other credits included a role in (1964). In 1970, LeMassena appeared as the Judge in the black comedy Where's Poppa?, directed by , contributing to the film's satirical take on family dysfunction through his dry, authoritative delivery in courtroom scenes. His performance enhanced the ensemble's chaotic dynamics, supporting leads and in a exploring generational conflicts. One of his most notable roles came in 1979 as Jonesy Hecht in Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical musical drama All That Jazz, where he portrayed a colleague to Roy Scheider's choreographer protagonist, adding layers to the film's introspective portrayal of artistic ambition and mortality.

Television career

LeMassena began his television career in the late 1950s with guest appearances in anthology series, including the role of Dr. Thomanini in an episode of Naked City in 1958. His early television work often drew from his Shakespearean stage background, leading to a prominent supporting role as Antonio in the 1960 Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, directed by George Schaefer and starring Maurice Evans as Prospero. This live broadcast production marked one of his first significant televised dramatic roles. Throughout the 1960s, LeMassena continued with episodic guest spots and television films, such as Mr. Spofford in an episode of Route 66 in 1963 and Mr. Cameron in The Patty Duke Show in 1964. He also appeared as the Radio Man in the 1965 television adaptation of Inherit the Wind and in a supporting role as D'Estivet in the 1967 adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. These roles highlighted his versatility in dramatic and period pieces, though they remained sporadic amid his primary focus on stage work. In the , LeMassena took on more sustained television employment. His most notable television contribution came as the recurring character Ambrose Bingham, a lawyer affiliated with Walsh Enterprises, on the from 1985 to 1992, appearing in 34 s. This role provided his longest screen tenure and showcased his skills in serialized storytelling. He also made a as Charles Pennywell in the "Do Not Open This Box" of the anthology series .

Personal life and death

Military service

LeMassena served in the U.S. Army during , which interrupted his theatrical career until after his honorable discharge in 1946.

Relationships

LeMassena maintained a three-year romantic relationship with actor in the early 1940s, a period when Clift was establishing his career on Broadway prior to his Hollywood breakthrough. This connection reflected LeMassena's private life as a gay man during an era when same-sex relationships were heavily stigmatized and often concealed to avoid professional and social repercussions. Throughout his life, LeMassena exercised significant discretion regarding his personal affairs, aligning with the broader experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in mid-20th-century America who lived "" to safeguard their careers and personal safety. Later in life, LeMassena shared a long-term companionship with Marian Tuthill Connolly, who was with him at the time of his death and publicly identified as his companion. LeMassena never married and had , structuring his around close, non-familial bonds rather than traditional marital or parental roles.

Death

In the early 1990s, following the conclusion of his role as Ambrose Bingham on the As the World Turns in 1992, William LeMassena retired from acting. He succumbed to on January 19, 1993, at the age of 76, at his home in New Suffolk, New York. The cause of death was confirmed by his long-term companion, Marian Tuthill Connolly, who was noted as his primary survivor.
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