Wesley Addy

Robert Wesley Addy, born August 4, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska, was an American actor whose career spanned stage, television, and film across six decades. He died on December 31, 1996. His father, John Roy Addy, was a minister, and his mother, Maren S. Nelson, was a Danish-born nurse. The family had roots in Ohio, where his father and older sister were born, before relocating to Inglewood, California after his father suffered a nervous breakdown while the family was en route to China as missionary recruits. Addy attended Inglewood Union High School, where he played the oboe, graduating in January 1930.

He enrolled at UCLA in the spring of 1930 as an economics major but shifted to dramatics after his freshman year, becoming active in the university's Dramatic Society from his sophomore year onward. During his junior year he played Orestes in Choephoroe, earning notice from the Los Angeles Times drama critic. As a senior, he took on the role of Sebastian in Twelfth Night and the Earl of Essex in Elizabeth the Queen, sharing the cast with classmates Lloyd Bridges and Russell Zink. He also reprised the role of Orestes in Eumenides before graduating in 1934.

Following graduation, Addy relocated to the East Coast at the invitation of family friend Phidelah Rice, who operated a theater on Martha's Vineyard. He joined the Vineyard Players summer stock company at the Rice Playhouse, a professional company that likely provided him his first Equity card. His Broadway debut came in March 1935 with Panic, a Depression-themed production directed by John Houseman that starred a young Orson Welles, with Richard Whorf, Paula Trueman, Abner Biberman, and Karl Swenson in supporting roles. Addy appeared in two minor capacities: as one of the Unemployed and as a male chorus member under the direction of Martha Graham. A second early Broadway credit followed with the short-lived How Beautiful with Shoes, again in a minor role.

Addy's first significant Broadway opportunity came through a Federal Theatre revival of There's Always Juliet, in which he replaced the leading male at the last moment and drew prominent critical attention. When director John Houseman was enlisted to help stage Leslie Howard's production of Hamlet, he recalled Addy from Panic and recommended him for the role of Marcellus. After a tryout week in Boston, the production opened at the Imperial Theatre in November 1936, where Addy also took on the role of Fortinbras. The production ran for 39 performances before touring to Chicago and eventually closing in San Francisco in February 1937.

In September 1937, Addy joined Margaret Webster's Broadway production of Richard II, starring Maurice Evans, replacing another actor in two minor roles. While still performing in that production, he began rehearsals for Henry IV, Part 1, in which he played Hotspur opposite Evans as Falstaff. Tryout performances in Philadelphia drew strong praise from critic Linton Martin of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who described Addy's Hotspur as headlong, heroic, and humorous, noting he came close to stealing the show. Similar acclaim followed in Detroit, St. Louis, and Chicago, where reviewers consistently ranked his performance second only to Evans' Falstaff. Despite this reception, Evans and Webster chose not to bring Henry IV, Part 1 to Broadway in 1938, with newspaper rumors suggesting Evans was dissatisfied with the attention Addy was receiving, though at least one critic attributed the decision to American audiences' unfamiliarity with the Henriad.

After a summer with the Surry Players in rural Surry, Maine, Addy returned to Broadway in the fall of 1938 for Evans and Webster's production of Hamlet, which ran from October 1938 through January 1939. Henry IV, Part 1 was finally mounted at that point, with Addy again playing Hotspur to strong critical praise, one reviewer singling out his performance as the highlight of the evening for its youthful enthusiasm and understanding of the character. He spent the summer of 1939 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, where his known role was in the world premiere of Flight Into China by Pearl S. Buck. He returned to Broadway in November 1939 with Summer Night, directed by Lee Strasberg, which closed after four performances.

In 1940, Addy was cast as Benvolio in Laurence Olivier's production of Romeo and Juliet, which starred Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Tryout performances took place in San Francisco and Chicago, where critics including Wood Soanes of the Oakland Tribune and Cecil Smith of the Chicago Tribune praised Addy's work. The production opened on Broadway on May 9, 1940, at the 51st Street Theater, where critic Arthur Pollock singled out Addy for praise and Burns Mantle called him outstanding. The production closed in early June 1940 after 36 performances.

Addy was subsequently cast as Orsino in a Theatre Guild production of Twelfth Night, another Evans and Webster collaboration, after Robert Speaight was called up for wartime service in the United Kingdom. Helen Hayes played Viola in the production. His Broadway career continued through 1970 and included appearances in The Traitor, King Lear, The Leading Lady, and The First Gentleman, among other productions.