Edward Albert
Encyclopedia
Edward Albert was an American film
and television
actor. He was also known as Edward Laurence Albert, Laurence Edward Albert (to further avoid confusion with his same-named father) and occasionally Eddie Albert, Jr.
, to actor Eddie Albert
, and Mexican actress Margo Albert. His godfather was a family friend, Laurence Olivier
, which is where Albert got his middle name.
. He is best known for his work in the 1972 film Butterflies Are Free
, in which he played a blind man, starring opposite Goldie Hawn
. The performance earned him a Golden Globe Award
as Most Promising Male Newcomer. The following year he starred opposite Liv Ullman in the film adaptation of the play 40 Carats
. Albert appeared as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot in the epic film Midway
, portraying the son of a famous (and fictitious) naval captain (played by Charlton Heston
).
He was also well-loved for his recurring role in the 1980s television series Beauty and the Beast
, in which he played Elliot Burch, the millionaire New York developer who loved series heroine Catherine Chandler (played by Linda Hamilton
). He may also be remembered as Mr. Collins, father to Wesley Collins, the Red Ranger from Power Rangers: Time Force
. Albert also voiced the blind
superhero Daredevil
in two episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series
in the 1990s.
In the film Guarding Tess
(1994), he played the son of kidnapped former First Lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine
), also starring Nicolas Cage
. Throughout his life, he appeared in numerous films, television shows and soap operas, often playing a debonair gentleman with villainous tendencies.
in 1978, and they had one daughter, Thaïs "Tai" Carmen (poet and singer/songwriter of indie rock band Sugar in Wartime).
During what would turn out to be his final years, Albert devoted an increasing amount of time to environmental and humanitarian causes. He served on both the California Coastal Commission
and the state's Native American Heritage Commission. He lived on a ranch in the mountains above Malibu, for many years, and as a resident of the area, took a leading role in preserving the mountains and canyons that remained undeveloped. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
has named the Escondido Canyon area the Edward Albert Escondido Trail and Waterfalls, in his honor before his death.
He died of lung cancer
in his home on September 22, 2006 at the age of 55, one year after his father's death. His wife said he had suffered from lung cancer for 17 months. Despite his illness he had tended to his ailing father, who died at the age of 99 in 2005.
He had an adopted sister, Maria, who was not in show business
.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
and television
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
actor. He was also known as Edward Laurence Albert, Laurence Edward Albert (to further avoid confusion with his same-named father) and occasionally Eddie Albert, Jr.
Early life
Albert was born Edward Laurence Heimberger in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, to actor Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
, and Mexican actress Margo Albert. His godfather was a family friend, Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
, which is where Albert got his middle name.
Career
Albert made his motion picture debut in the unusual and offbeat 1965 drama The Fool Killer. In the film he played a runaway orphan who crosses paths with a disturbed Civil War veteran, played by Anthony PerkinsAnthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
. He is best known for his work in the 1972 film Butterflies Are Free
Butterflies Are Free
Butterflies Are Free is a 1972 film based on a play by Leonard Gershe. The 1972 film was produced by M.J. Frankovich, released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Milton Katselas and adapted for the screen by Gershe. It was released on 6 July, 1972 in the USA.Goldie Hawn and Edward Albert starred...
, in which he played a blind man, starring opposite Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
. The performance earned him a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
as Most Promising Male Newcomer. The following year he starred opposite Liv Ullman in the film adaptation of the play 40 Carats
Forty Carats
Forty Carats is a play by Jay Allen.Adapted from the French original by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy, the comedy revolves around a 40-year-old American divorcee who is assisted by a 22-year-old when her car breaks down during a vacation in Greece...
. Albert appeared as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot in the epic film Midway
Midway (film)
Midway is a 1976 war film directed by Jack Smight and produced byWalter Mirisch from a screenplay by Donald S. Sanford. The music score was by John Williams and the cinematography by Harry Stradling, Jr...
, portraying the son of a famous (and fictitious) naval captain (played by Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
).
He was also well-loved for his recurring role in the 1980s television series Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (TV series)
Beauty and the Beast is an American drama series which first aired on CBS in 1987. Creator Ron Koslow's updated version of the fairy tale has a double focus: the relationship between Vincent , a mythic, noble man-beast, and his Catherine , a savvy assistant District attorney in New York; and a...
, in which he played Elliot Burch, the millionaire New York developer who loved series heroine Catherine Chandler (played by Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton
Linda Carroll Hamilton is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Sarah Connor in The Terminator and its sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Catherine Chandler in the television series Beauty and the Beast, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globes and an Emmy...
). He may also be remembered as Mr. Collins, father to Wesley Collins, the Red Ranger from Power Rangers: Time Force
Power Rangers: Time Force
Power Rangers Time Force is the 2001 incarnation of the Power Rangers series, based on the Super Sentai series Mirai Sentai Timeranger, running for 40 half-hour episodes from February to November 2001. It was the 9th season of Power Rangers...
. Albert also voiced the blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
superhero Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
in two episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
in the 1990s.
In the film Guarding Tess
Guarding Tess
Guarding Tess is a 1994 film starring Shirley MacLaine and Nicolas Cage, directed by Hugh Wilson.MacLaine plays the part of a fictional former First Lady protected by an entourage of Secret Service bodyguards led by a reluctant Doug Chesnic ....
(1994), he played the son of kidnapped former First Lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
), also starring Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
. Throughout his life, he appeared in numerous films, television shows and soap operas, often playing a debonair gentleman with villainous tendencies.
Personal life
Albert was an accomplished photographer, stone-carver and musician. He married Katherine WoodvilleKatherine Woodville (actress)
Katharine Woodville , also known as Catherine Woodville and Kate Woodville, is a British film and television actress. She was known as Catherine Woodville in the UK. She changed her professional name to Kate Woodville on her move to America...
in 1978, and they had one daughter, Thaïs "Tai" Carmen (poet and singer/songwriter of indie rock band Sugar in Wartime).
During what would turn out to be his final years, Albert devoted an increasing amount of time to environmental and humanitarian causes. He served on both the California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory oversight over land use and public access in the California coastal zone....
and the state's Native American Heritage Commission. He lived on a ranch in the mountains above Malibu, for many years, and as a resident of the area, took a leading role in preserving the mountains and canyons that remained undeveloped. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1980 and dedicated to the acquisition of land for preservation as open space, for wildlife and California native plants habitat Nature Preserves, and for public recreation...
has named the Escondido Canyon area the Edward Albert Escondido Trail and Waterfalls, in his honor before his death.
He died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in his home on September 22, 2006 at the age of 55, one year after his father's death. His wife said he had suffered from lung cancer for 17 months. Despite his illness he had tended to his ailing father, who died at the age of 99 in 2005.
He had an adopted sister, Maria, who was not in show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
.