Anthony Ross

Anthony Ross was an American character actor whose versatile career spanned Broadway, film, and early television, earning him recognition for both his commanding stage presence and his nuanced supporting roles on screen. Born on February 23, 1909, in New York City, he was the son of Charles M. Rosenthal and Cora S. Rosenthal and was originally given the surname Rosenthal before legally changing it to Ross. After graduating from Brown University, Ross broadened his academic horizons in France, studying at both the Sorbonne and the University of Nancy, an experience that enriched his cultural perspective and later informed his theatrical work. He made his Broadway debut in Whistling in the Dark (1932) and quickly established himself as a reliable character actor, most famously originating the “Gentleman Caller” in the original 1944 production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, a role that demonstrated his ability to convey understated charm and complexity. Ross continued to thrive on stage, portraying a fictionalized Harold Ross in Wolcott Gibbs’s comedy Season in the Sun (1950) and taking on the role of the Professor in the production of Bus Stop just weeks before his untimely death. In addition to his theatrical achievements, Ross appeared in a number of notable Hollywood films, including Kiss of Death (1947), The Gunfighter (1950), the Warner Bros. courtroom drama Perfect Strangers (1950), Nicholas Ray’s noir On Dangerous Ground (1952), and the adventure serial Mysterious Island (1951). He also portrayed the “Producer” in the film adaptation of The Country Girl, showcasing his adaptability across media. On television, Ross became a familiar face to audiences when he starred as police captain Richard Hale in the 1954 CBS series The Telltale Clue. His personal life was marked by his marriage to Mary Jean Copeland, the assistant stage manager for The Glass Menagerie, and together they raised a son, Stephen. Ross’s career was cut short when he suffered a fatal heart attack on October 26, 1955, at the age of 46, just after performing in Bus Stop at New York’s Music Box Theatre, leaving a legacy of distinguished performances that continue to be celebrated by theatre and film historians.