I was deeply saddened when I opened up the paper yesterday to see that Robert Prosky, one of my favorite actors, had passed away at the not-that-old age of 77. Most people probably don't know Prosky by name. He is one of hundreds of supremely talented character actors who get little recognition, but who have more talent than all of the George Clooneys and Leonardo DiCaprio's combined.
Personally, my favorite roles of Prosky's were as a kindly priest in "Rudy", a viciously cantankerous garage owner in "Christine" (picture above), and as shadowy baseball team owner in "The Natural." Really, he was a man whose versatility and sunny demeanor defined him. In one of the obits I read, it noted that in back-to-back films, he played the head of the CIA and the KGB. Now that's versatility! To me, a versatile actor is far more talented, more likeable, and more interesting than a hollow leading man or woman (hello Nicole Kidman). Apparently, Prosky had been a talented stage actor as well, and he lived right here in Washington. Two facts I did not know.
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