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Jason Robards

American actor (1922–2000)

Jason Robards

Summary

American actor (1922–2000)

FieldValue
nameJason Robards
imageJason Robards 1956 Obie Awards (cropped).jpg
captionRobards in 1956
birth_nameJason Nelson Robards Jr.
birth_date
birth_placeChicago, Illinois, U.S.
death_date
death_placeBridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
resting_placeOak Lawn Cemetery
Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
occupationActor
years_active1947–2000
other_namesJason Robards Jr.
educationHollywood High School
alma_materAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts
spouse{{plainlist
* {{marriageEleanor Pittman19481958enddivorced}}
* {{marriageRachel Taylor19591961enddivorced}}
* {{marriageLauren Bacall19611969enddivorced}}
children6, including Sam Robards
parentsJason Robards Sr. (father)
module{{Infobox military personembed=yes
allegianceUnited States
branchUnited States Navy
serviceyears1940–1946
rank[[File:PO1 NOGC.png25px]] Radioman first class
unitUSS Northampton (CA-26)
USS Nashville (CL-43)
battlesWorld War II
awards[[File:United States Navy Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svgborder23px]] Navy Good Conduct Medal
[[File:American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svgborder23px]] American Defense Service Medal
[[File:American Campaign Medal ribbon.svgborder23px]] American Campaign Medal
[[File:Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svgborder23px]] Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal
[[File:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svgborder23px]] World War II Victory Medal

Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S.

USS Nashville (CL-43)

  • Pacific Theater
  • Battle of Tassafaronga

Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he gained a reputation as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robards received numerous accolades and is one of 24 performers to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting having earned competitive wins for two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award. He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1979, earned the National Medal of Arts in 1997, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999.

Robards started his career in theatre, making his Broadway debut playing James Tyrone Jr. in the 1956 revival of the Eugene O'Neill play Long Day's Journey into Night earning a Theatre World Award. He earned the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his role in the Budd Schulberg play The Disenchanted (1959). His other Tony-nominated roles were in Long Day's Journey into Night (1956). Toys in the Attic (1960), After the Fall (1964), Hughie (1965), The Country Girl (1972), A Moon for the Misbegotten (1973), and A Touch of the Poet (1978).

He made his feature film debut in The Journey (1959). He went on to win two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for playing Ben Bradlee in All the President's Men (1976), and Dashiell Hammett in Julia (1977). He was Oscar-nominated for playing Howard Hughes in Melvin and Howard (1980). His other notable films include Long Day's Journey into Night (1962), A Thousand Clowns (1965), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Parenthood (1989), Philadelphia (1993), Enemy of the State (1998), and Magnolia (1999).

On television, Robards won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance as Henry Drummond in the NBC television adaptation Inherit the Wind (1988). His other Emmy-nominated roles were in Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1964), A Moon for the Misbegotten (1975), Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977), and F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980).

Early life

Family

[[Jason Robards Sr.]] circa 1915

Robards was born July 26, 1922, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of actor Jason Robards Sr. and Hope Maxine Robards (née Glanville). He was of German, English, Welsh, Irish, and Swedish descent. The family moved to New York City when Jason Jr. was still a toddler, and then moved to Los Angeles when he was six years old. Later interviews with Robards suggested that the trauma of his parents' divorce, which occurred during his grade-school years, greatly affected his personality and world view. From his parents' first marriage together, he had a younger brother named Glenn. He had little or no contact with his mother after the divorce. She later married a second time to Arthur Milburn, making him his stepfather, although he may or may not have known about it at the time. His father married a second time to Agnes Lynch. He was probably closer to his stepmother than his biological one. From his father's second marriage, he had a half-sister named Laurel.

As a youth, Robards also experienced the decline of his father's acting career. The elder Robards had enjoyed considerable success during the era of silent films, but he fell out of favor after the advent of sound film, leaving the younger Robards soured on the Hollywood film industry. The teenage Robards excelled in athletics at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles. Although his prowess in sports attracted interest from several universities, Robards decided to enlist in the United States Navy upon his graduation in 1940.

Following the completion of recruit training and radio school, Robards was assigned to the heavy cruiser in 1941 as a radioman 3rd class. On December 7, 1941, Northampton was at sea in the Pacific Ocean about 100 mi off Hawaii. Contrary to some stories, he did not see the devastation of the Japanese attack on Hawaii until Northampton returned to Pearl Harbor two days later. Northampton was later directed into the Guadalcanal campaign in World War II's Pacific theater, where she participated in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.

During the Battle of Tassafaronga in the waters north of Guadalcanal on the night of November 30, 1942, Northampton was sunk by hits from two Japanese torpedoes. Robards found himself treading water until near daybreak, when he was rescued by an American destroyer. For its service in the war, Northampton was awarded six battle stars. Two years later, in November 1944, Robards was radioman aboard the light cruiser , the flagship for the invasion of Mindoro in the northern Philippines. On December 13, she was struck by a kamikaze aircraft off Negros Island in the Philippines. The aircraft hit one of the port five-inch gun mounts, while the plane's two bombs set the midsection of the ship ablaze. With this damage and 223 casualties, Nashville was forced to return to Pearl Harbor and then to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, for repairs.

Robards served honorably during the war, but was not a recipient of the U.S. Navy Cross, contrary to what has been reported in numerous sources. The inaccurate story derives from a 1979 column by Hy Gardner. Aboard Nashville, Robards first found a copy of Eugene O'Neill's play Strange Interlude in the ship's library. Also while in the Navy, he first started thinking seriously about becoming an actor. He had emceed for a Navy band in Pearl Harbor, got a few laughs, and decided he liked it. His father suggested he enroll in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York City, from which he graduated in 1948. Robards left the Navy in 1946 as a Petty officer first class. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal of the Navy, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.

Career

1947–1961: Theatre debut and breakthrough

Toys in the Attic]]'' (Broadway, 1960)

Robards moved to New York City and began working on radio and stage. His first role was the 1947 short film Follow That Music. He made his Broadway debut in the popular hit Stalag 17, joining the cast during its run; Robards also worked as an assistant stage manager. In 1953 he appeared in American Gothic directed by Jose Quintero. Robards also began getting roles in some television dramas, such as episodes of The Magnavox Theatre, Mama, The Man Behind the Badge, The Big Story, Philco Television Playhouse (including Gore Vidal's "The Death of Billy the Kid"), Armstrong Circle Theatre, Appointment with Adventure, Justice, Star Tonight and Goodyear Playhouse.

Robards' big break was landing the starring role in José Quintero's 1956 off Broadway theatre revival production - and the later 1960 television film - of O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, portraying the philosophical salesman Hickey; he won an Obie Award for his stage performance. He later portrayed Hickey again in another 1985 Broadway revival also staged by Quintero.

Robards originated the role of Jamie Tyrone Jr. in the original Broadway production of O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning Long Day's Journey into Night (1956), which was also directed by Quintero and ran for 390 performances. Robards appeared alongside Fredric March, Florence Eldridge and Bradfor Dillman. Robards earned the Theatre World Award for his performance and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Robards continued to be busy on television, guest starring in The Alcoa Hour, Seven Lively Arts, Studio One and Omnibus.

After his Broadway success, Robards was invited to make his feature film debut in the Anatole Litvak directed drama The Journey (1959) starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr.

He returned to Broadway acting in Budd Schulberg's play The Disenchanted, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. It only had a short run but the Lillian Hellman play Toys in the Attic (1960), where Robards acted opposite Maureen Stapleton and Irene Worth, ran 456 performances. For the role he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Robards starred in the TV version of For Whom the Bell Tolls for Playhouse 90, Billy Budd for The Dupont Show of the Month, A Doll's House, and The Iceman Cometh.

In 1961 Robards starred in Big Fish, Little Fish by Hugh Wheeler directed by John Gielgud. This was followed by the enormously popular Broadway hit A Thousand Clowns (1962–63) by Herb Gardner. In Hollywood Robarts appeared in two flop films, By Love Possessed (1961) and Tender is the Night (1962).

1962–1980: Film stardom and acclaim

Robards in a publicity photo for ''[[Once Upon a Time in the West]]'' (1968)

He became a familiar face to movie audiences throughout the 1960s. He repeated his role in Long Day's Journey into Night in the 1962 film and played playwright George S. Kaufman in the film Act One (1963) based on the Moss Hart play of the same name. In the latter Robards acted alongside George Hamilton, George Segal, Jack Klugman and Eli Wallach.

Robards returned to Broadway to appear in two plays directed by Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller's After the Fall (1964) and S.N. Behrman's But For Whom Charlie (1964). Roberts was also in Eugene O'Neil's Hughie (1964) directed by Quintero

In films, Robards played Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1964) for television and Murray Burns in the comedy-drama A Thousand Clowns (1965) repeating his stage performance, for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He was in two episodes of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre including an adaptation of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.

His films included Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966), a comedy Western, and Any Wednesday (1966), an adaptation of a popular Broadway hit. Robards did Noon Wine (1966) for Sam Peckinpah on television, the film that revived Peckinpah's career. On Broadway he was in The Devils (1966), which only had a short run.

In 1967 Robards portrayed Doc Holliday in the western film Hour of the Gun and played Al Capone in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. That same year he acted in Divorce American Style acting alongside Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Van Johnson, and Jean Simmons.

The following year he played Manuel "Cheyenne" Gutiérrez in the Sergio Leone western film Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). He acted opposite Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, and Claudia Cardinale. That year he also acted in the William Friedkin directed musical comedy The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) and the biographical drama Isadora.

Robards did The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for television and on Broadway Robards was in We Bombed in New Haven (1968) a play by Joseph Heller.

Robards acted in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, a depiction of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, that led the United States into World War II. Robards played Brutus in Julius Caesar (1970) opposite Charlton Heston, did Rosolino Paternò, soldato... (1970) in Italy and played the lead in The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) for Peckinpah. Robards starred in Fools (1970), Johnny Got His Gun (1971), Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) for AIP, and The War Between Men and Women (1972). On television he did The House Without a Christmas Tree (1972), The Thanksgiving Treasure and Old Faithful (1973).

Robards continued to appear on Broadway in revivals such as The Country Girl (1972) and A Moon for the Misbegotten (1973). He repeated his performance in Moon for television in 1975.

Robards had a small role in Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973). He was also in A Boy and His Dog (1975), The Easter Promise (1975), Mr. Sycamore (1975), and Addie and the King of Hearts (1976).

Robards appeared in two dramatizations based on the Watergate scandal; in 1976, he portrayed Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee in the film All the President's Men, based on the book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, denying Network a chance to sweep all four acting categories (something only Humphrey Bogart had done previously). The next year, he played fictional president Richard Monckton (based on Richard Nixon) in the 1977 television miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors, based on John Ehrlichman's roman à clef The Company.

Robards was reunited with O'Neill and Quintero for A Touch of the Poet on stage in 1977. He was alson in The Spy Who Never Was (1977), Julia (1977), Comes a Horseman (1978), A Christmas to Remember (1978), Hurricane (1979), Cabo Blanco (1980), Haywire (1980) (as Leland Hayward, F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980), Raise the Titanic (1980), Melvin and Howard (1980) (as Howard Hughes), and The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981).At the Movies: The Man Who Made 'Klute' Directs Jane Fonda as a Rancher Flatley, Guy. New York Times 3 June 1977: 26. On stage, Robards was in Hughie (1981). Robard's performance in Melvin and Howard earned him another Oscar nomination.

1981–1999: Established actor and final roles

Robards had lead roles in Max Dugan Returns (1983) by Neil Simon and Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) from the novel by Ray Bradbury. He played Dr. Russell Oakes in the 1983 television film The Day After.

In 1983 Robards appeared in a popular Broadway revival of You Can't Take It With You, a 1985 revival of The Iceman Cometh with Quintero and A Month of Sundays (1987) directed by Gene Saks. Robards appeared in the lead role of James Tyrone Sr., in a 1988 production of Long Day's Journey into Night directed by Quintero.

For television Robards did Sakharov (1984), The Atlanta Child Murders (1984), The Long Hot Summer (1985), Johnny Bull (1986), The Last Frontier (1986), Laguna Heat (1987), Breaking Home Ties (1987), Inherit the Wind (1988) and The Christmas Wife (1988). For films he made Square Dance (1987), Bright Lights, Big City (1988), and The Good Mother (1988). Robards also appeared onstage in a revival of O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! (1988) directed by Arvin Brown, Love Letters (1990) with Colleen Dewhurst, Park Your Car in Harvard Yard (1991) by Israel Horovitz, as well as Harold Pinter's No Man's Land (1994).

In 1989 he acted in the Ron Howard directed comedy-drama Parenthood starring Steve Martin and Dianne Wiest and the British drama Reunion with a screenplay by Harold Pinter. That year he also acted in the comedy Dream a Little Dream and the psychological thriller Black Rainbow.

The following year he acted in the crime comedy Quick Change starring Bill Murray, Geena Davis, and Randy Quaid. On TV he did The Perfect Tribute (1991), Chernobyl: The Final Warning (1991), An Inconvenient Woman (1991), Mark Twain and Me (1991), and Heidi (1993). For films Robards was in Storyville (1992), The Adventures of Huck Finn (1992) and in 1993 he acted in Harold Pinter's British legal film The Trial opposite Kyle MacLachlan and Anthony Hopkins and the AIDS legal drama Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.

Robards portrayed three presidents in films. He played Abraham Lincoln in the television films Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1964) and The Perfect Tribute (1991), and supplied the voice for the 1992 television documentary miniseries Lincoln. He also played the role of Ulysses S. Grant in The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) and supplied the Union General's voice in the PBS miniseries The Civil War (1990). He also played Franklin D. Roosevelt in F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980). Robards appeared in the documentary Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1992).

Robards appeared in The Roots of Roe (1993), The Paper (1994), Little Big League (1994), The Enemy Within (1994), My Antonia (1995), Crimson Tide (1995), Journey (1995), A Thousand Acres (1997), Heartwood (1998), The Real Macaw (1998), and Beloved (1998) In 1995 Robards appeared on stage in Molly Sweeney. He played a congressman in Tony Scott's political thriller Enemy of the State starring Will Smith (1998). In his final film role, he played a cancer patient in the Paul Thomas Anderson directed drama Magnolia (1999). His last TV appearance was in Going Home (2000).

Personal life

Marriages and family

Robards was married 4 times and had 6 children. With his first wife, Eleanor Pittman, Robards had three children, including Jason III. His second marriage to actress Rachel Taylor lasted from April 1959-May 1961. He and actress Lauren Bacall, his third wife, to whom he was married from 1961 to 1969, had a son, actor Sam Robards. Robards and Bacall divorced in part due to his alcoholism. Robards had two more children with his fourth wife, Lois O'Connor, and they remained married until his death.

Health problems and death

In 1972, Robards was seriously injured in an automobile crash when he drove his car into the side of a mountain on a winding California road, requiring extensive surgery and facial reconstruction. The crash may have been related to his longtime struggle with alcoholism. Robards overcame his addiction and went on to publicly campaign for alcoholism awareness. Robards was an American Civil War buff and scholar, an interest which informed his portrayal of the voice of Ulysses S. Grant in The Civil War series by filmmaker Ken Burns.

Robards was a resident of the Southport section of Fairfield, Connecticut. He died of lung cancer in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on December 26, 2000. His remains were buried at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield.

Acting credits

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959
1961
1962
Long Day's Journey into Night
1963
1965
1966
Any Wednesday
1967
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
Hour of the Gun
1968
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Night They Raided Minsky's
1970
The Ballad of Cable Hogue
Julius Caesar
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Fools
1971
Johnny Got His Gun
Murders in the Rue Morgue
1972
1973
1975
Mr. Sycamore
1976
The Spy Who Never Was
1977
1978
1979
1980
Raise the Titanic
Melvin and Howard
1981
1983
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Day After
1987
1988
The Good Mother
1989
Reunion
Parenthood
Black Rainbow
1990
1992
1993
The Trial
Philadelphia
1994
The Enemy Within
Little Big League
1995
1997
1998
Beloved
Enemy of the State
Heartwood
1999

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1951–1954The Big StoryMr. Simms
Aaron DudleyEpisode: "Arthur Mielke of the Washington Times Herald"
Episode: "Aaron Dudley, Reporter"
1955The Philco Television PlayhouseMason
Joe GrantEpisode: "The Outsiders"
Episode: "The Death of Billy the Kid"
Star TonightAbraham Lincoln0810813300}}. "30. 'Flame and Ice' (8-25-55) Jason Robards Jr., Gordon Dilworth, Joe Helgessen, Miko Oscard."
1955–1956Armstrong Circle TheatrePaul Foster
Ralph Sawyer
Reinhardt SchmidtEpisode: "Man in Shadow"
Episode: "The Town That Refused to Die"
Episode: "Lost $2 Billion: The Story of Hurricane Diane"
JusticeKarderEpisode: "Pattern of Lies"
Episode: "Decision by Panic"
1956–1957The Alcoa HourJayson
Bert Palmer
BridgerEpisode: "Night"
Episode: "The Big Build-Up"
Episode: "Even the Weariest River"
1955–1957Studio One in HollywoodPrisoner
Leonard O'Brien
CameronEpisode: "Twenty-Four Hours"
Episode: "The Incredible World of Horace Ford"
Episode: "A Picture in the Paper"
1958OmnibusPrime MinisterEpisode: "Moment of Truth"
1959Playhouse 90Robert JordanEpisode: "For Whom the Bell Tolls: Part 2"
NBC Sunday ShowcaseAlex ReedEpisode: "People Kill People Sometimes"
A Doll's HouseDr. RankTV Movie
1960Dow Hour of Great MysteriesDetective AndersonEpisode: "The Bat" by Mary Roberts Rinehart
The Play of the WeekTheodore 'Hickey' HickmanEpisode: "The Iceman Cometh"
1962That's Where the Town is GoingHobart CrammTV Movie
1964Abe Lincoln in IllinoisAbraham LincolnTV Movie
1963–1966Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler TheatreIrish LaFontain
Ivan DenisovichEpisode: "Shipwrecked"
Episode: "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich"
1966ABC Stage 67Royal Earle ThompsonEpisode: "Noon Wine"
1969Spoon RiverReaderTV Movie
1972Circle of FearElliot BrentEpisode: "The Dead We Leave Behind"
The House Without a Christmas TreeJamie MillsTV Movie
1973The Thanksgiving TreasureJames MillsTV Movie
1974The Country GirlFrank ElginTV Movie
1975The Easter PromiseJamieTV Movie
A Moon for the MisbegottenJames Tyrone Jr.TV Special
1976Addie and the King of HeartsJamie MillsTV Movie
1977Washington: Behind Closed DoorsPresident Richard MoncktonMiniseries; 6 episodes
1978A Christmas to RememberDaniel LarsonTV movie
1980F.D.R.: The Last YearPresident Franklin D. RooseveltTV movie
HaywireLeland HaywardTV movie
1983The Day AfterRussell OakesTV Movie
1984American PlayhouseErie SmithEpisode: "Hughie"
SakharovAndrei SakharovTV Movie
Great PerformancesGrandpa Martin VanderhofEpisode: "You Can't Take It with You"
1985The Atlanta Child MurdersAlvin Binder2 episodes
The Long Hot SummerWill Varner2 episodes
1986Johnny BullStephen KovacsTV Movie
The Last FrontierEd StenningTV Movie
1987Laguna HeatWade ShepardTV Movie
Breaking Home TiesLloydTV Movie
1988Inherit the WindHenry DrummondTV Movie
The Christmas WifeJohn TannerTV movie
Thomas Hart BentonNarratorTV movie
1990The Civil WarUlysses S. Grant (voice)Nine episodes
1991The Perfect TributeAbraham LincolnTV Movie
Chernobyl: The Final WarningArmand HammerTV Movie
An Inconvenient WomanJules Mendelson2 episodes
On the WaterwaysNarrator13 episodes
Mark Twain and MeMark TwainTV movie
1991–1997American ExperienceNarrator7 episodes
1992LincolnAbraham LincolnVoice; TV movie
1993HeidiGrandfatherMiniseries; 2 episodes
1994The Enemy WithinGeneral R. Pendleton LloydTV Movie
1995My AntoniaJosea BurdenTV Movie
JourneyMarcusTV Movie
2000Going HomeCharles BartonFinal appearance

Theatre

YearProductionRoleVenueRef.
1956–1958Long Day's Journey into NightJames Tyrone Jr.Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
1958Henry IV, Part 1HotspurStratford Shakespearean Festival
1958The Winter's TalePolixenesStratford Shakespearean Festival
1958–1959The DisenchantedManley HallidayCoronet Theatre, Broadway
1960–1961Toys in the AtticJulian BerniersHudson Theatre, Broadway
1961Big Fish, Little FishWilliam BakerANTA Playhouse, Broadway
1962–1963A Thousand ClownsMurray BurnsEugene O'Neill Theatre, Broadway
1964–1965After the FallQuentinANTA Theatre, Broadway
1964But for Whom CharlieSeymour RosenthalANTA Theatre, Broadway
1964–1965Hughie"Erie" SmithRoyale Theatre, Broadway
1965–1966The DevilsUrbain GrandierBroadway Theatre, Broadway
1968We Bombed in New HavenCaptain StarkeyAmbassador Theatre, Broadway
1972The Country GirlFrank ElginBilly Rose Theatre, Broadway
1973–1974A Moon for the MisbegottenJames Tyrone Jr.Morosco Theatre, Broadway
1977–1978A Touch of the PoetCornelius MelodyHelen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
1983–1984You Can't Take It with YouMartin VanderhofPlymouth Theatre, Broadway
1985The Iceman ComethTheodore Hickman "Hickey"Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway
1987A Month of SundaysCooperRitz Theatre, Broadway
1988Ah, Wilderness!Nat MillerNeil Simon Theatre, Broadway
1988Long Day's Journey into NightJames TyroneNeil Simon Theatre, Broadway
1989–1990Love LettersAndrew Makepiece Ladd IIIEdison Theatre, Broadway
1991–1992Park Your Car in Harvard YardJacob BrackishMusic Box Theatre, Broadway
1994No Man's LandHirstCriterion Center Stage, Broadway

Source:

Awards, honors, and legacy

Robards in 1999, upon receiving the Kennedy Center Honors ribbon

Robards received eight Tony Award nominations, more than any other male actor . He won the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his work in The Disenchanted (1959); this was also his only stage appearance with his father. He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in consecutive years: for All the President's Men (1976), portraying Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, and for Julia (1977), portraying writer Dashiell Hammett. He was also nominated for another Academy Award for his role as Howard Hughes in Melvin and Howard (1980).

Robards received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role in the television film Inherit the Wind (1988). In 1997, Robards received the U.S. National Medal of Arts, the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Recipients are selected by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts and the medal is awarded by the President of the United States. In 1999, he was among the recipients at the Kennedy Center Honors, an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. In 2000, Robards received the first Monte Cristo Award, presented by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, and named after O'Neill's home. Subsequent recipients have included Edward Albee, Kevin Spacey, Wendy Wasserstein, and Christopher Plummer.

Robards narrated the public radio documentary, Schizophrenia: Voices of an Illness, produced by Lichtenstein Creative Media, which was awarded a 1994 George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. According to Time, Robards offered to narrate the schizophrenia program, saying that his first wife had been institutionalized for that illness. Robards is in the American Theater Hall of Fame, inducted in 1979. The Jason Robards Award was created by the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York City in his honor and his relationship with the theater.

Theatre AwardsYearAssociationCategoryProjectResultRef.Film AwardsTelevision Awards
1956Theatre World AwardLong Day's Journey into Night
Tony AwardBest Featured Actor in a Play
1959Best Actor in a PlayThe Disenchanted
1960Toys in the Attic
1964After the Fall
1965Hughie
1972The Country Girl
1974A Moon for the Misbegotten
1978A Touch of the Poet
1962Cannes Film FestivalBest ActorLong Day's Journey into Night
National Board of ReviewBest Actor
1965Golden Globe AwardBest Actor – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyA Thousand Clowns
1976Academy AwardBest Supporting ActorAll the President's Men
BAFTA AwardBest Supporting Actor
Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
National Board of ReviewBest Supporting Actor
National Society of Film CriticsBest Supporting Actor
New York Film Critics CircleBest Supporting Actor
1977Academy AwardBest Supporting ActorJulia
BAFTA AwardBest Supporting Actor
Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationBest Supporting Actor
1980Academy AwardBest Supporting ActorMelvin and Howard
Golden Globe AwardBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Boston Society of Film CriticsBest Supporting Actor
National Society of Film CriticsBest Supporting Actor
New York Film Critics CircleBest Supporting Actor
1999Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Cast in a Motion PictureMagnolia
Florida Film Critics CircleBest Cast
1964Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleAbe Lincoln in Illinois
1975Outstanding Lead Actor in a Special Program – Drama or ComedyA Moon for the Misbegotten
1977Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited SeriesWashington: Behind Closed Doors
1980Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a SpecialF.D.R.: The Last Year
1984Golden Globe AwardBest Actor – Miniseries or Television FilmSakharov
1988Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a SpecialInherit the Wind

Military awards

1st Row2nd Row
Navy Good Conduct MedalAmerican Defense Service Medal
American Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

References

References

  1. "Jason Nelson ROBARDS Sr. & Hope Maxine GLANVILLE & Agnes E. ?".
  2. (January 20, 1974). "Jason Jamie Robards Tyrone - Playing O'Neil, in life and on stage - Article".
  3. "NewsLibrary Search Results". newsbank.com.
  4. "Robards, Jason Nelson, Jr., RM1c". Together We Served.
  5. Bloomfield, Gary L.; Shain, Stacie L., with Davidson, Arlen C., (2004). ''Duty, Honor, Applause – America's Entertainers in World War II''. p. 264. [[Lyon's Press]], [[Guilford, Connecticut. Guilford]], Connecticut. {{ISBN. 1-59228-550-3
  6. (2021-02-02). "(U.S. Navy) Navy Cross Recipients, World War II, 1941-1945". [[U.S. Department of Defense]].
  7. Sterner, C. Douglas. ''Index: Recipients of the Navy Cross, All Wars/All Periods, All Branches of Service''. Pueblo CO, 2006
  8. Gardner, Hy. ''Panorama'' magazine, Vol. II, No. 1, Sunday ''Daily Herald'', January 7, 1979, p. 2
  9. ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'', January 20, 1974
  10. Black, Steven A., ''et al.'' (editors) (2002). ''Jason Robards Remembered – Essays and Recollections''. [[McFarland & Co.]], [[Jefferson, North Carolina. Jefferson]], North Carolina. {{ISBN. 978-0-7864-1356-0.
  11. "Notable Alumni".
  12. "Long Day's Journey into Night (Broadway, 1956)".
  13. (5 November 1958). "The Disenchanted".
  14. "Toys in the Attic (Broadway, 1960)".
  15. (March 8, 1959). "Great Hemingway Role Falls To Robards". The Hartford Courant.
  16. Hampton, Wilborn. (July 28, 1987). "Obituary: Hugh Wheeler, Award Winning Playwright". The New York Times.
  17. Mayersberg, Paul. (1967). "hollywood the haunted house".
  18. King, Henry. (1995). "Henry King, director : from silents to ʼscope". Directors Guild of America.
  19. "Act One (1963)".
  20. Simmons, Garner. (1982). "Peckinpah, A Portrait in Montage". University of Texas Press.
  21. "Divorce American Style (1967)".
  22. "Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)".
  23. "Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)".
  24. [[Roger Ebert]]. (February 15, 1971). "Reviews : Fools". [[Chicago Sun-Times]].
  25. Voglino, Barbara. (1999). "Perverse Mind: Eugene O'Neill's Struggle with Closure". Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press.
  26. Movies: Bronson: After 62 films, still the reliable pro Siskel, Gene. Chicago Tribune 7 Sep 1980: d3.
  27. Society, Eugene O'Neill. (2002-04-03). "Jason Robards Remembered: Essays and Recollections". McFarland.
  28. Lipschutz, Ronnie D.. (2001). "Cold War Fantasies: Film, Fiction, and Foreign Policy". Rowman & Littlefield.
  29. "Quick Change".
  30. Bacall, Lauren. (2006). ''By Myself and Then Some''. p. 377. [[HarperCollins]], New York City. {{ISBN. 978-0-06-112791-5.
  31. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
  32. "Archived copy".
  33. "From the Archives" feature ("The Week of July 8") of ''[[The Advocate (Stamford). The Advocate]]'' ([[Stamford, Connecticut. Stamford]], [[Connecticut]]), July 9, 2007, page A7, Stamford edition.
  34. Gussow, Mel. (December 27, 2000). "Jason Robards, 78, Pre-eminent O'Neill Actor, Dies".
  35. (2017-01-30). "Mary Tyler Moore laid to rest in Connecticut". [[Chicago Tribune]].
  36. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-constitution/167054914/ "Television and Radio Highlights"]. ''The Atlanta Constitution''. August 25, 1955. p. 26. Retrieved March 2, 2025. "'The Flame and Ice,' starring Jason Robards Jr., deals with an episode in the life of Lincoln, showing his inner torment when faced with a decision which affects both the nation and his son. This is the Star Tonight presentation.'
  37. 0810813300. "30. 'Flame and Ice' (8-25-55) Jason Robards Jr., Gordon Dilworth, Joe Helgessen, Miko Oscard."
  38. "Long Day's Journey into Night (Broadway)".
  39. "Stratford Festival Archives | Details".
  40. "Stratford Festival Archives | Details".
  41. "The Disenchanted (Broadway)".
  42. "Toys in the Attic (Broadway)".
  43. "Big Fish, Little Fish".
  44. "A Thousand Clowns (Broadway)".
  45. "After the Fall (Broadway)".
  46. "But for Whom Charlie".
  47. "Hughie (Broadway)".
  48. "The Devils".
  49. "We Bombed in New Haven (Broadway)".
  50. "The Country Girl (Broadway, 1972)".
  51. "A Moon for the Misbegotten (Broadway, 1973)".
  52. "A Touch of the Poet (Broadway, 1977)".
  53. "You Can't Take it With You (Broadway, 1983)".
  54. "The Iceman Cometh (Broadway, 1985)".
  55. "A Month of Sundays (Broadway, 1987)".
  56. "Ah, Wilderness! (Broadway, 1988)".
  57. "Long Day's Journey into Night (Broadway, 1988)".
  58. "Love Letters (Broadway, 1989)".
  59. "Park Your Car in Harvard Yard".
  60. "No Man's Land (Broadway, 1994)".
  61. [http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/dyk/ "American Theatre Wing"] {{webarchive. link. (February 19, 2005 .)
  62. [http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/BasicSearchInput.jsp "Oscars database of nominees and winners"] {{webarchive. link. (February 8, 2009 .)
  63. [http://emmys.com/awards/awardsearch.php "Emmy Awards Database of nominees and winners"].
  64. [http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/honors/history/home.html "Kennedy Center list of Honorees"].
  65. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121105133854/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,981590-1,00.html#ixzz0qe05Y4EC The Souls that Drugs Saved] Time Magazine. October 10, 1994.
  66. "Members".
  67. "Theater Hall of Fame Enshrines 51 Artists". The New York Times.
  68. "Jason Robards Jr.".
  69. "1965 Golden Globe Awards".
  70. (October 5, 2014). "1976 Academy Awards".
  71. "1977 BAFTA Awards".
  72. "1976 Golden Globe Awards".
  73. (October 5, 2014). "1977 Academy Awards".
  74. "1978 BAFTA Awards".
  75. "1977 Golden Globe Awards".
  76. (October 5, 2014). "1980 Academy Awards".
  77. "1980 Golden Globe Awards".
  78. "6th Annual Screen ACtors Guild Awards".
  79. "1964 Primetime Emmy Awards".
  80. "1975 Primetime Emmy Awards".
  81. "1977 Primetime Emmy Awards".
  82. "1980 Primetime Emmy Awards".
  83. "1984 Golden Globe Awards".
  84. "1988 Primetime Emmy Awards".
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