Humbert Allen Astredo

Humbert Allen Astredo, Jr. (April 4, 1929 – February 19, 2016) was an American actor who worked in stage, film, and television. Born in Pasadena, California, to Humbert Allen and Bess Houston Astredo, he spent his early childhood in Pasadena before his family relocated to San Francisco. Known from an early age by the nickname "Bud," Astredo was introduced to the arts by both parents: his mother taught him piano, and his father cultivated his broader artistic interests alongside outdoor pursuits such as sailing, hunting, and fishing.

After completing high school, Astredo enrolled at the University of San Francisco to study law, but left the program after finding that he disliked public speaking. He subsequently worked as a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush Company, and it was a customer he encountered during that work who suggested he pursue acting and arranged for him to meet a talent agent. A visit to the 20th Century Fox studio that followed persuaded Astredo to commit to the profession, and in 1950 he enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse. His training was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War, during which he served in the Special Services division of the 8th Army, an entertainment unit, where he became recognized for his acting, singing, dancing, and comedy work.

Returning to Los Angeles after the war, Astredo resumed his acting career. In 1957 he co-founded the Hollywood Center Theatre, and from 1962 to 1963 he managed the Los Angeles Repertory Theater Company. His New York stage career began in 1964 when he made his Off-Broadway debut playing Cassio opposite James Earl Jones in the title role of Othello at the Martinique Theater. He subsequently studied at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. In June 1967 he appeared as Sergius in Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park production of Arms and the Man, and later that year performed Off-Broadway alongside Gene Hackman in Murray Schisgal's comedy Fragments at the Cherry Lane Theater.

Astredo auditioned for the Gothic daytime soap opera Dark Shadows in late 1967 or early January 1968. Though not cast in the role he originally read for, the producers were sufficiently impressed to create a larger part for him. He made his first appearance on the series on June 25, 1968, as the warlock Nicholas Blair, the role for which he became best known. Over the course of 100 episodes he also portrayed Charles Dawson, set in the show's 1840s timeline, and Evan Hanley, set in the 1890s. His final appearance on the series was January 25, 1971. During production he was known among colleagues for his backstage wit and formed a close friendship with co-star Lara Parker. In 1970, while still appearing on the series, he played Dr. Forbes in the Dark Shadows feature film House of Dark Shadows.

Also in 1970, while continuing his work on Dark Shadows, Astredo made his Broadway debut playing the Belgian doctor in Lorraine Hansberry's Les Blancs at the Longacre Theatre, a production starring James Earl Jones, Lili Darvas, and Earle Hyman. Theater critic Walter Kerr described his performance as "impressively dimensional, rich in overtone," while critic Clayton Riley called it "the finest work among the secondary players" and "splendidly conceived and executed." At the end of that year, Kerr named Astredo the Most Promising Newcomer on Broadway.

Following Dark Shadows, which ended its run on April 2, 1971, Astredo returned to Broadway in May 1972 in Gore Vidal's An Evening with Richard Nixon at the Shubert Theater, where he played the Vidal-like character and received favorable notice from critic Clive Barnes. Throughout the 1970s he appeared in stage productions across the country and took on roles in several daytime soap operas, including One Life to Live, Another World, The Edge of Night, The Guiding Light, Love of Life, and Loving. In 1981 he was part of the original Broadway cast of The Little Foxes, appearing alongside Elizabeth Taylor, and traveled with the production to London for its West End run in 1982. In 1985 he played Dr. Abraham Van Helsing in the national touring company production of Dracula, opposite Martin Landau in the title role. His Broadway credits also include Equus and Murderous Angels.

Astredo continued performing in Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional productions until his retirement from acting in 1990. In the years that followed he pursued his longstanding interest in boating, sailing along the East Coast of the United States before settling in Guilford, Connecticut, in 2000. He had married Jane M. Small in 1960; the couple divorced in 1968. His daughter, Jennifer MacFarland Astredo, born in 1961, died of breast cancer in 2008. Humbert Allen Astredo, Jr. died in Guilford on February 19, 2016, at the age of 86.