{{Short description|American actor (1956–2009)}} {{Infobox person |name = Antony Alda |image = AntonyAldaPic.jpg |image_size = |caption = |birth_name = Antonio Joseph D'Abruzzo |birth_date = {{birth date|1956|12|9}} |birth_place = Saint-Julien, Var, France |death_date = {{death date and age|2009|07|03|1956|12|9}} |death_place = Los Angeles, California, USA. |alma_mater = Juilliard School |occupation = Actor |years_active = 1965–2004 |parents = Robert Alda<br />Flora Marino |spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Leslie Clark|1975|1977|end=divorced}} * {{marriage|Lori Carrell|1981|1992|end=divorced}} }} |children = 2 |relatives = Alan Alda<br />(paternal half-brother)<br />Beatrice Alda (niece)<br />Elizabeth Alda (niece) }}
'''Antony Alda''' (born '''Antonio Joseph D'Abruzzo'''; December 9, 1956 – July 3, 2009), sometimes called '''Tony''', was an American actor who grew up in a popular acting family. The son of Robert Alda and younger half brother of Alan Alda, his early studies were in Rome and he finished at The Juilliard School in New York City. He appeared on stage, in film, and on television. His career culminated in writing, directing, and performing in ''Role of a Lifetime''.
==Early life== Alda was born Antonio Joseph D'Abruzzo in Saint-Julien, Var, France, into what would later be called an acting dynasty.<ref name="people1">{{cite journal |last=Gliatto |first=Tom |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20113903,00.html |title=Tony Alda, Alan's Half Brother, Is Angling to Make a Name for Himself as Days of Our Lives's Sexy Shark |journal=People |date=1990-12-10 |access-date=2019-11-27 |archive-date=2015-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711090259/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20113903,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> His father was well known in the United States both in film and on Broadway, where he earned a Tony. Alda's mother, Flora Marino, was an Italian actress. His half-brother was Alan Alda.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=aldaalan |title=ALDA, ALAN - The Museum of Broadcast Communications |publisher=Museum.tv |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-date=2012-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310145824/http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=aldaalan |url-status=dead }}</ref>
About growing up within the dynasty, Antony once explained, "The theater has always been a comfortable place for me. I spent all my summers on Broadway. Dad would be in one play and Alan would be in another. I used to hang out with the lighting guys." He found that being an Alda had its professional ups and downs. "People figure you know what you're doing because you grew up around acting. Other people think you got the part because of your name."<ref name="latimes1990">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-03-02-ca-1601-story.html |title=Actor Antony Alda Lands a Position in the Family Business |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=1990-03-02 |access-date=2012-06-04 |first=David |last=Wharton}}</ref>
Antony Alda finished his high school studies at Notre-Dame International in Rome, and completed his academic career studying musical composition at The Juilliard School in New York City.<ref name="latimes1990"/> He was married twice, first in 1975 to Leslie Clark at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church in New York City at Fifth Avenue.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1975/08/10/356372382.pdf |title=Antony Alda, TV Actor, Marries Leslie Clark |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1975-08-10 |access-date=2012-06-04}}</ref> Their reception was held at the old Biltmore Hotel. The marriage lasted until 1977. His sons were born during his marriage to actress Lori Carrell,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.limewire.co.nz/movies/actors/l/lori-carrell.html |title=music-downloads-info.info |publisher=Limewire.co.nz |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423085048/http://www.limewire.co.nz/movies/actors/l/lori-carrell.html |archive-date=2012-04-23 |url-status=dead}}</ref> to whom he was married from 1981 to 1992. During this time his mother commented, "Marriage was good for Tony. It changed him and made him more mature."<ref name="people1"/>
== Career== Throughout his career, Alda played in seven films, including the Oscar-winning ''Melvin and Howard'', ''Homeboy'', ''Hot Child in the City'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/575295/Antony-Alda/biography |title=Antony Alda - About This Person - Movies & TV |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605182524/http://movies.nytimes.com/person/575295/Antony-Alda/biography |archive-date=2009-06-05 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=The New York Times |date=2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and two TV "shorts" including ''Bungle Abbey''. He was cast in several television series and appeared in more than 200 episodes including two on ''Knots Landing'' as Rick Elliot.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800025914/bio |title=Alan Alda Biography |website=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430163815/http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800025914/bio |archive-date=2009-04-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1980, he was cast along with Robert Alda in an episode of ''M*A*S*H''. Alan Alda, the show's lead actor, co-wrote and directed episode 20 of season 8, "Lend A Hand".<ref> {{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638344/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_sm_3#cast |title=Lend A Hand |website=Internet Movie Database |access-date=2025-09-12 }}</ref> Antony Alda played a medic at a front-line aid station, urging two visiting surgeons, Robert and Alan Alda, to stop bickering and focus on a critically wounded patient.<ref> {{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/mash/episodes-season-8/1000382692/ |title=M*A*S*H Season 8 Episodes |website=TV Guide |access-date=2025-09-12 }}</ref>
Alda later played Johnny Corelli during two years (1990–1991) on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives''.{{citation needed| date=November 2019}}
Like Johnny Corelli, Alda saw himself as something of a jokester. He said, "I always played practical jokes on people." One prank involved his donning a wig and passing himself off as one of his mother's church friends to a visiting aunt.<ref name="people1"/>
===''Role of a Lifetime''=== His most notable accomplishment is the film ''Role of a Lifetime'' released in 2001. Alda wrote, directed, and acted in the film, which is about a formerly successful actor, Bobby. Bobby seems to be egotistical at first, but is soon rendered a sympathetic persona by the starring actor, Scott Bakula. Bobby has lost his wife in the Hollywood rat race and is on his way to becoming a "has-been".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.movieslead.com/Movies/Role-Of-A-Lifetime.html |title=Archived copy |website=www.movieslead.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055942/http://www.movieslead.com/Movies/Role-Of-A-Lifetime.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He has an accident that results in a disappearance long enough for Hollywood to assume he is dead and to begin to cast a movie based on his life. Bobby takes on a different identity, that of Texan Buck Steele, in order to audition for and, eventually, play himself in the movie. In the persona of Buck Steele, Bobby interacts with his ex-wife, his best friend and a mysterious old Hispanic gentleman. These experiences, while disturbing, enable Bobby to re-examine many aspects of his life. (Alda both credited and quoted Socrates in the film; he inconspicuously placed Socrates' quote "An unexamined life is not worth living" in several scenes.)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/234972 |title=Role of a Lifetime DVD Rental, Rent Role of a Lifetime Movie Online |publisher=Blockbuster.com |date=2012-05-28 |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-date=2012-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329223236/http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/234972 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Death== Antony died in Los Angeles from cirrhosis on July 3, 2009, aged 52.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi |title=RootsWeb: Database Index |publisher=Ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com |access-date=2012-06-04 |archive-date=2018-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518103044/http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 1970 || ''Three Coins in the Fountain'' || Gino || TV Movie |- |rowspan="2"| 1978 || ''Nowhere to Run'' || Neft || TV movie |- | ''Fame'' || Italian Street Cop || TV movie |- | 1980 || ''Melvin and Howard'' || Terry || |- |rowspan="2"| 1986 || ''Smart Alec'' || Rodney || |- | ''Sweet Liberty'' || Film Crew Member || |- | 1987 || ''Hot Child in the City'' || Charon || |- | 1988 || ''Homeboy'' || Ray || |- | 1991 || ''Driving Me Crazy'' || Jack || |- | 1993 || ''Killing Device'' || Kyle || |- | 2002 || ''Role of a Lifetime'' || Joey || As "Tony Alda". Also Director and writer. |- | 2004 || ''National Treasure'' || Guard Ferguson || (final film role) |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- |rowspan="2"| 1968 || ''Daniel Boone'' || Rudi || 1 Episode: "Orlando, the Prophet" Credited as "Anthony Alda" |- | ''Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'' || Gus || 2 episodes: "The Treasure of San Bosco Reef: Part 1" <br /> "The Treasure of San Bosco Reef: Part 2" |- | 1976 || ''Switch'' || Terry || 1 Episode: "The Pirates of Tin Pan Alley" |- | 1978 || ''Columbo'' || Mario || 1 Episode: ''Murder Under Glass'' |- | 1980 || ''M*A*S*H'' || Corporal Jarvis || 1 Episode: "Lend a Hand" |- |rowspan="3"| 1981 || ''Bungle Abbey'' || || TV Short |- | ''Homeroom'' || Crazy Willie || TV Short |- | ''CHiPs'' || Robby Burstad || TV series; 1 Episode: "The Killer Indy" |- | 1983 || ''Quincy, M.E.'' || Paramedic #1 || TV series; 1 Episode: "Women of Valor" |- | 1985 || ''Knots Landing'' || Rick Elliot || 2 episodes: "Rise and Fall", "A Question of Trust" |- |rowspan="2"| 1986 || ''Throb'' || Zeus || TV series; 1 Episode: "Pilot" |- | ''Too Close for Comfort'' || Derrick Bond || TV series; 1 Episode: "Rock Around Henry" |- | 1987 || ''Hunter'' || Dino || TV series; 1 Episode: "Double Exposure" |- | 1990–1991 || ''Days of Our Lives'' || Giovanni 'Johnny' Corelli || TV series |- | 1993 || ''Renegade'' || Barry Mellman || TV series; 1 Episode: "The Rabbit and the Fox" |- |}
==As writer== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 2002 || ''Role of a Lifetime'' || Joey || |- |}
==As director== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 2002 || ''Role of a Lifetime'' || Joey || |- |}
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|17372}} *{{IMDb title|0294881|Role of a Lifetime (2002)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alda, Antony}} Category:1956 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Deaths from cirrhosis Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Male actors from Manhattan Category:Male actors from Rome Category:French emigrants to the United States Category:Film directors from New York City Category:20th-century American male actors Category:Alcohol-related deaths in California