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Anthony Heald

Anthony Heald was born Philip Anthony Mair Heald on August 25, 1944 in New Rochelle, New York. He graduated from Massapequa High School on Long Island, New York, in 1962, and from Michigan State University in 1970. Heald acted in plays throughout high school and college, and spent 15 years working in regional theater repertory companies before settling in New York. He quickly established himself, playing Tom in a 1980 off-Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie, and two years later made his Broadway debut alongside Holly Hunter in Beth Henley's The Wake of Jamey Foster. Since his debut, Heald's theater work has been both extensive and acclaimed. His performances in Anything Goes and Love! Valour! Compassion! earned him Tony Award nominations, and he was recognized with an Obie Award for his work in the productions of The Foreigner, Digby, Henry V and Quartermaine's Terms. He was a member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival acting company for the 1997-1999 seasons, and remains active in the Ashland, Oregon, film and theater communities.

Heald first got his foot in the Hollywood door in 1983 when he appeared in the Meryl Streep film Silkwood, though his first prominent role was not until 1987's Outrageous Fortune, where he appeared as Weldon, the government agent posing as an acting student. Of his more than 20 big-screen performances, Heald is probably best known to film audiences for his portrayal of Dr. Frederick Chilton in the 1991 Academy AwardÂ-winning film The Silence of the Lambs. Some of Heald's other film appearances include three film adaptations of John Grisham novels (The Pelican Brief,

The Client, and A Time to Kill), as well as the films Kiss of Death, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Postcards from the Edge and, most recently, Proof of Life.

Heald's television work has included appearances as a guest performer on many of television's top-rated programs, including The Practice; Frasier; Law & Order; The X-Files; Miami Vice; Murder, She Wrote; and Cheers. Most recently he was seen on Fox Television's Boston Public, as high-school vice principal Scott Guber, a role written specifically for him by series creator David E. Kelley.

In addition to his work onstage, onscreen and in film, Heald is one of the most prolific readers in the field of audiobooks. He has recorded more than 60 titles to date, including works as varied as the classic tale Where the Red Fern Grows, The New York Times bestsellers such as The Pelican Brief, Jurassic Park and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and a sizable number of titles in the Star Wars audiobook library.

Heald currently resides in Ashland, Oregon, with his family.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2006.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Anthony Heald Facts

OccupationActor
BirthdayAugust 25, 1944 (79)
SignVirgo
BirthplaceNew Rochelle, New York, USA
Height5' 7" (1m70)  How tall is Anthony Heald compared to you?

Selected Filmography

Not available.