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Humbert Allen Astredo

January 15, 2023

Humbert Allen "Bud" Astredo, Jr. (April 4, 1929 – February 19, 2016) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He made several notable Broadway and Off Broadway theatrical performances, but was best known for the numerous roles he performed on the daytime Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows, most notably that of the warlock Nicholas Blair.

Humbert Allen Astredo, Jr.
Born(1929-04-04)April 4, 1929
Pasadena, California, U.S.
DiedFebruary 19, 2016(2016-02-19) (aged 86)
Guilford, Connecticut, U.S.
Burial placeWoodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery
NationalityAmerican
Alma materPasadena Playhouse
OccupationActor
Years active1948–1990
TelevisionDark Shadows (1968–1971)

Early life

Astredo was born on April 4, 1929, in Pasadena, California to Humbert Allen and Bess Houston (née Alley) Astredo.[1] His early childhood was spent in Pasadena, before the family moved to San Francisco. His mother taught him to play the piano, and he often performed at parties hosted by friends. His father took him sailboating, hunting, and fishing, and inculcated in him a passion for the arts. From an early age, his nickname was "Bud".[2]

After graduating from high school, Astredo studied law at the University of San Francisco, but dropped out after discovering he hated public speaking.[3] He then sold home-care products for the Fuller Brush Company door-to-door. A woman he'd contacted during a sales pitch suggested he go into acting. She arranged for him to meet a talent agent, who took him on a tour of the 20th Century Fox studio. The tour convinced Astredo that acting was something he wanted to do,[4] and in 1950 he enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse.[1][4]

Astredo was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War, and served in the Special Services of the Eighth United States Army, an entertainment unit.[1] Astredo became well known in the Army for his acting, song, and dance skills, particularly for his comedy routines.[2]

Early career

He left the military after the war ended,[5] and returned to Los Angeles to take up acting. In 1957, he helped co-found the Hollywood Center Theatre[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] there.[2] He later managed the Los Angeles Repertory Theater Company from 1962 to 1963.[5]

Broadway and Dark Shadows

Astredo made his Broadway debut in the role of Cassio in Othello at the Off-Broadway Martinique Theater in 1964,[1] in which James Earl Jones played the title role.[20] He then studied at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg.[21] His big break came in June 1967, when he played Sergius in Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park production of Arms and the Man.[2][22] Later that same year, he appeared Off-Broadway with Gene Hackman in Murray Schisgal's comedy Fragments at the Cherry Lane Theater.[23][24]

Astredo auditioned for the highly popular Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in either December 1967 or January 1968. The producers didn't hire him for the role he tried out for, but were so impressed with him that they decided to write a bigger part for him to play.[21] On June 25, 1968, Astredo made his first appearance on Dark Shadows, performing the role of the warlock Nicholas Blair. He appeared in 100 episodes,[25] also appearing as the character Charles Dawson (who lived, in the show's timeline, in the 1840s) and as the character Evan Hanley (who lived, in the show's timeline, in the 1890s). His last appearance on the series was on January 25, 1971.[3] During his time on Dark Shadows, Astredo was known for his backstage wit, and he became close friends with his co-star, Lara Parker.[3] Astredo played the role of "Dr. Forbes" in the 1970 Dark Shadows feature film, House of Dark Shadows.[26]

While continuing to appear on Dark Shadows, Astredo also performed the role of the Belgian doctor in Lorraine Hansberry's Les Blancs, produced on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, and starring James Earl Jones, Lili Darvas, and Earle Hyman. It was a triumphant performance for him. Theater critic Walter Kerr called Astredo's performance "impressively dimensional, rich in overtone".[27] Critic Clayton Riley praised his performance as "the finest work among the secondary players", and "splendidly conceived and executed".[28] At the end of the year, Kerr named Astredo as the "Most Promising Newcomer on Broadway".[29]

After Dark Shadows

After leaving Dark Shadows (the series left the air on April 2, 1971),[30] Astredo appeared in Gore Vidal's An Evening with Richard Nixon on Broadway in May 1972 at the Shubert Theater as the Vidal-like character, for which critic Clive Barnes had positive remarks.[31] Throughout the 1970s, Astredo appeared in a number of television commercials and stage productions throughout the country, as well as short runs in various roles in the daytime soap operas One Life to Live, Another World, The Edge of Night, The Guiding Light, Love of Life, and Loving.[32]

In 1981, Astredo appeared in the original Broadway cast of The Little Foxes, appearing with Elizabeth Taylor,[24] and traveled to London for the West End production in 1982.[1][33][34]

In 1985, Astredo performed the role of Dr. Abraham Van Helsing in the national touring company production of Dracula, opposite Martin Landau in the title role.[35]

Retirement and death

Astredo continued acting in plays on Broadway, Off Broadway, and in regional productions until his retirement in 1990.[36] After leaving acting, he indulged his passion for boating by sailing up and down the East Coast of the United States for several years before retiring in 2000 to a home in Guilford, Connecticut.[2][37]

Humbert Allen Astredo, Jr. died in Guilford on February 19, 2016, at the age of 86.[2]

Personal life

Astredo married some time between 1953 and 1960. He and his wife divorced about 1964.[5]

Astredo's daughter, Jennifer MacFarland Astredo, was born in 1961. She died of breast cancer in 2008.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e O'Donnell 1984, p. 22.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Humbert Astredo". The New York Times. February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Hamrick & Jamison 2012, p. 22.
  4. ^ a b Hamrick & Jamison 2012, p. 23.
  5. ^ a b c d Hamrick & Jamison 2012, p. 25.
  6. ^ "Hollywood Playhouse, 1445 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  7. ^ "Humbert Allen Astredo". newfederaltheatre.com. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  8. ^ "Gerald Gordon Renaissance Man". Canyon News. March 19, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  9. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths ASTREDO, HUMBERT ALLEN JR "BUD"". The New York Times. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  10. ^ "Box 36, Folder 15 Hollywood Center Theatre (Los Angeles) 1962-1963". Guide to the Samuel Stark theater program collection M1149. Online Archive of California. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  11. ^ "Parade, 1961: Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Hollywood Center Theatre, Hollywood California". American Theatre Playbills Collection 1871-2014. azarchivesonline.org. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  12. ^ "'Are You Now or Have You Ever Been' (1975)". MATRIX THEATRE COMPANY. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  13. ^ . eBay. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  14. ^ "Side view of exterior of Hollywood Center Theatre". Photo Collection. Los Angeles Public Library. 1961. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  15. ^ "'Summer Shorts'". Los Angeles Times. July 30, 1994. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  16. ^ "Theatre - "The Desperate Hours"". Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  17. ^ "Hollywood Playhouse / Hollywood Center Theatre". Los Angeles Theatres. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  18. ^ Hood, Amy (May 14, 2020). "Adds Rachel Rosenthal Archive". Getty Iris. Getty Research Institute. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  19. ^ "Los Angeles Free Press : Film". ad sausage. Retrieved June 8, 2022. Los Angeles Free Press
  20. ^ Kolin 2002, p. 41.
  21. ^ a b Hamrick & Jamison 2012, p. 26.
  22. ^ Sullivan, Dan (June 23, 1967). "Theater: Shaw's 'Arms and the Man'". The New York Times. p. A44.
  23. ^ Barthel, Joan (October 1, 1967). "If You Didn't Know It Was... By Pinter". The New York Times. pp. D1, D3.
  24. ^ a b Willis 1992, p. 170.
  25. ^ Pierson, Jim; Scott, Kathryn Leigh, eds. (2000). The Dark Shadows Almanac: Millennium Edition. Pomegranate Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-0938817185.
  26. ^ Browning & Picart 2011, p. 100.
  27. ^ Kerr, Walter (November 29, 1970). "Kerr on 'Les Blancs': 'Vivid, Stinging, And Alive'". The New York Times. p. D3.
  28. ^ Riley, Clayton (November 29, 1970). "A Black Critic on 'Les Blancs': 'An Incredibly Moving Experience' About 'Les Blancs'". The New York Times. p. D3.
  29. ^ Hamrick & Jamison 2012, p. 29.
  30. ^ Benshoff 2011, p. 14.
  31. ^ Barnes, Clive (May 1, 1972). "'Evening With Nixon' Is for Radical Liberals". The New York Times. p. A41.
  32. ^ Hamrick & Jamison 2012, pp. 29–30.
  33. ^ Kashner & Schoenberger 2010, p. 411.
  34. ^ Walker 1990, pp. 347–362.
  35. ^ Sullivan, Dan (January 10, 1985). "Stage Review : 'Dracula' at the Bat at Royce Hall". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  36. ^ Hamrick & Jamison 2012, pp. 30–31.
  37. ^ Hamrick & Jamison 2012, p. 30.

Bibliography

  • Benshoff, Harry M. (2011). Dark Shadows. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814334393.
  • Browning, John Edgar; Picart, Caroline Joan (2011). Dracula in Visual Media: Film, Television, Comic Book and Electronic Game Appearances, 1921-2010. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 9780786433650.
  • O'Donnell, Monica M. (1984). Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television. Detroit: Gale Research Co. ISBN 9780810320642.
  • Hamrick, Craig; Jamison, R.J. (2012). Barnabas and Company: The Cast of the TV Classic 'Dark Shadows'. Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse. ISBN 9781475910346.
  • Kashner, Sam; Schoenberger, Nancy (2010). Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century. London: JR Books. ISBN 9781907532221.
  • Kolin, Philip C. (2002). "Blackness Made Visible: A Survey of Othello in Criticism, on Stage, and on Screen". Othello: Critical Essays. New York: Garland Press. ISBN 9780815335740.
  • Walker, Alexander (1990). Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor. New York: Grove Press. ISBN 9780802137692.
  • Willis, John (1992). Theatre World, 1990-1991 Season. New York: Applause Theatre Book Publishers. ISBN 9781557831255.

External links

January 15, 2023
humbert, allen, astredo, humbert, allen, astredo, april, 1929, february, 2016, american, stage, film, television, actor, made, several, notable, broadway, broadway, theatrical, performances, best, known, numerous, roles, performed, daytime, gothic, horror, soa. Humbert Allen Bud Astredo Jr April 4 1929 February 19 2016 was an American stage film and television actor He made several notable Broadway and Off Broadway theatrical performances but was best known for the numerous roles he performed on the daytime Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows most notably that of the warlock Nicholas Blair Humbert Allen Astredo Jr Born 1929 04 04 April 4 1929Pasadena California U S DiedFebruary 19 2016 2016 02 19 aged 86 Guilford Connecticut U S Burial placeWoodlawn Memorial Park CemeteryNationalityAmericanAlma materPasadena PlayhouseOccupationActorYears active1948 1990TelevisionDark Shadows 1968 1971 Contents 1 Early life 2 Early career 3 Broadway and Dark Shadows 4 After Dark Shadows 5 Retirement and death 6 Personal life 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External linksEarly life EditAstredo was born on April 4 1929 in Pasadena California to Humbert Allen and Bess Houston nee Alley Astredo 1 His early childhood was spent in Pasadena before the family moved to San Francisco His mother taught him to play the piano and he often performed at parties hosted by friends His father took him sailboating hunting and fishing and inculcated in him a passion for the arts From an early age his nickname was Bud 2 After graduating from high school Astredo studied law at the University of San Francisco but dropped out after discovering he hated public speaking 3 He then sold home care products for the Fuller Brush Company door to door A woman he d contacted during a sales pitch suggested he go into acting She arranged for him to meet a talent agent who took him on a tour of the 20th Century Fox studio The tour convinced Astredo that acting was something he wanted to do 4 and in 1950 he enrolled at the Pasadena Playhouse 1 4 Astredo was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War and served in the Special Services of the Eighth United States Army an entertainment unit 1 Astredo became well known in the Army for his acting song and dance skills particularly for his comedy routines 2 Early career EditHe left the military after the war ended 5 and returned to Los Angeles to take up acting In 1957 he helped co found the Hollywood Center Theatre 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 there 2 He later managed the Los Angeles Repertory Theater Company from 1962 to 1963 5 Broadway and Dark Shadows EditAstredo made his Broadway debut in the role of Cassio in Othello at the Off Broadway Martinique Theater in 1964 1 in which James Earl Jones played the title role 20 He then studied at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg 21 His big break came in June 1967 when he played Sergius in Joseph Papp s Shakespeare in the Park production of Arms and the Man 2 22 Later that same year he appeared Off Broadway with Gene Hackman in Murray Schisgal s comedy Fragments at the Cherry Lane Theater 23 24 Astredo auditioned for the highly popular Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in either December 1967 or January 1968 The producers didn t hire him for the role he tried out for but were so impressed with him that they decided to write a bigger part for him to play 21 On June 25 1968 Astredo made his first appearance on Dark Shadows performing the role of the warlock Nicholas Blair He appeared in 100 episodes 25 also appearing as the character Charles Dawson who lived in the show s timeline in the 1840s and as the character Evan Hanley who lived in the show s timeline in the 1890s His last appearance on the series was on January 25 1971 3 During his time on Dark Shadows Astredo was known for his backstage wit and he became close friends with his co star Lara Parker 3 Astredo played the role of Dr Forbes in the 1970 Dark Shadows feature film House of Dark Shadows 26 While continuing to appear on Dark Shadows Astredo also performed the role of the Belgian doctor in Lorraine Hansberry s Les Blancs produced on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre and starring James Earl Jones Lili Darvas and Earle Hyman It was a triumphant performance for him Theater critic Walter Kerr called Astredo s performance impressively dimensional rich in overtone 27 Critic Clayton Riley praised his performance as the finest work among the secondary players and splendidly conceived and executed 28 At the end of the year Kerr named Astredo as the Most Promising Newcomer on Broadway 29 After Dark Shadows EditAfter leaving Dark Shadows the series left the air on April 2 1971 30 Astredo appeared in Gore Vidal s An Evening with Richard Nixon on Broadway in May 1972 at the Shubert Theater as the Vidal like character for which critic Clive Barnes had positive remarks 31 Throughout the 1970s Astredo appeared in a number of television commercials and stage productions throughout the country as well as short runs in various roles in the daytime soap operas One Life to Live Another World The Edge of Night The Guiding Light Love of Life and Loving 32 In 1981 Astredo appeared in the original Broadway cast of The Little Foxes appearing with Elizabeth Taylor 24 and traveled to London for the West End production in 1982 1 33 34 In 1985 Astredo performed the role of Dr Abraham Van Helsing in the national touring company production of Dracula opposite Martin Landau in the title role 35 Retirement and death EditAstredo continued acting in plays on Broadway Off Broadway and in regional productions until his retirement in 1990 36 After leaving acting he indulged his passion for boating by sailing up and down the East Coast of the United States for several years before retiring in 2000 to a home in Guilford Connecticut 2 37 Humbert Allen Astredo Jr died in Guilford on February 19 2016 at the age of 86 2 Personal life EditAstredo married some time between 1953 and 1960 He and his wife divorced about 1964 5 Astredo s daughter Jennifer MacFarland Astredo was born in 1961 She died of breast cancer in 2008 5 References Edit a b c d e O Donnell 1984 p 22 a b c d e f Humbert Astredo The New York Times February 28 2016 Retrieved February 28 2016 a b c Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 p 22 a b Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 p 23 a b c d Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 p 25 Hollywood Playhouse 1445 N Las Palmas Avenue Los Angeles CA 90028 Cinema Treasures Retrieved June 8 2022 Humbert Allen Astredo newfederaltheatre com Retrieved June 8 2022 Gerald Gordon Renaissance Man Canyon News March 19 2010 Retrieved June 8 2022 Paid Notice Deaths ASTREDO HUMBERT ALLEN JR BUD The New York Times Retrieved June 8 2022 Box 36 Folder 15 Hollywood Center Theatre Los Angeles 1962 1963 Guide to the Samuel Stark theater program collection M1149 Online Archive of California Retrieved June 8 2022 Parade 1961 Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman Hollywood Center Theatre Hollywood California American Theatre Playbills Collection 1871 2014 azarchivesonline org Retrieved June 8 2022 Are You Now or Have You Ever Been 1975 MATRIX THEATRE COMPANY Retrieved June 8 2022 1960s THE LOS ANGELES YOUTH THEATRE FLYER PROMO HOLLYWOOD CENTER THEATRE eBay Archived from the original on June 8 2022 Retrieved June 8 2022 Side view of exterior of Hollywood Center Theatre Photo Collection Los Angeles Public Library 1961 Retrieved June 8 2022 Summer Shorts Los Angeles Times July 30 1994 Retrieved June 8 2022 Theatre The Desperate Hours Retrieved June 8 2022 Hollywood Playhouse Hollywood Center Theatre Los Angeles Theatres Retrieved June 8 2022 Hood Amy May 14 2020 Adds Rachel Rosenthal Archive Getty Iris Getty Research Institute Retrieved June 8 2022 Los Angeles Free Press Film ad sausage Retrieved June 8 2022 Los Angeles Free Press Kolin 2002 p 41 a b Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 p 26 Sullivan Dan June 23 1967 Theater Shaw s Arms and the Man The New York Times p A44 Barthel Joan October 1 1967 If You Didn t Know It Was By Pinter The New York Times pp D1 D3 a b Willis 1992 p 170 Pierson Jim Scott Kathryn Leigh eds 2000 The Dark Shadows Almanac Millennium Edition Pomegranate Press p 51 ISBN 978 0938817185 Browning amp Picart 2011 p 100 Kerr Walter November 29 1970 Kerr on Les Blancs Vivid Stinging And Alive The New York Times p D3 Riley Clayton November 29 1970 A Black Critic on Les Blancs An Incredibly Moving Experience About Les Blancs The New York Times p D3 Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 p 29 Benshoff 2011 p 14 Barnes Clive May 1 1972 Evening With Nixon Is for Radical Liberals The New York Times p A41 Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 pp 29 30 Kashner amp Schoenberger 2010 p 411 Walker 1990 pp 347 362 Sullivan Dan January 10 1985 Stage Review Dracula at the Bat at Royce Hall Los Angeles Times Retrieved February 28 2016 Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 pp 30 31 Hamrick amp Jamison 2012 p 30 Bibliography EditBenshoff Harry M 2011 Dark Shadows Detroit Wayne State University Press ISBN 9780814334393 Browning John Edgar Picart Caroline Joan 2011 Dracula in Visual Media Film Television Comic Book and Electronic Game Appearances 1921 2010 Jefferson N C McFarland amp Co ISBN 9780786433650 O Donnell Monica M 1984 Contemporary Theatre Film and Television Detroit Gale Research Co ISBN 9780810320642 Hamrick Craig Jamison R J 2012 Barnabas and Company The Cast of the TV Classic Dark Shadows Bloomington Ind iUniverse ISBN 9781475910346 Kashner Sam Schoenberger Nancy 2010 Furious Love Elizabeth Taylor Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century London JR Books ISBN 9781907532221 Kolin Philip C 2002 Blackness Made Visible A Survey of Othello in Criticism on Stage and on Screen Othello Critical Essays New York Garland Press ISBN 9780815335740 Walker Alexander 1990 Elizabeth The Life of Elizabeth Taylor New York Grove Press ISBN 9780802137692 Willis John 1992 Theatre World 1990 1991 Season New York Applause Theatre Book Publishers ISBN 9781557831255 External links EditHumbert Allen Astredo at IMDb Humbert Allen Astredo at the Internet Broadway Database Humbert Allen Astredo at the Internet Off Broadway Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Humbert Allen Astredo amp oldid 1093506826, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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