Lee Bergere
Encyclopedia
Lee Bergere was an American
actor, perhaps best known for his role as Joseph Anders in the 1980s television series Dynasty
.
Bergere was known for his haughty and superior characters, a typecasting that culminated in his selection as the majordomo Joseph on the hugely popular prime-time soap opera
. With that role, and his on-screen billing in the show's opening-credits (starting in Season 2), Bergere achieved a level of fame rarely matched by other character actors who, like him, had worked in relative anonymity as guest stars on television series in the 1960s and 70s including Hogan's Heroes. He appeared regularly only during the first three seasons of Dynasty (returning briefly in the fourth to be "killed off"), but his role grew beyond opening doors and announcing guests to encompass storylines that included the introduction of a daughter and his own character's suicide after setting a cliff-hanging fire.
Another of Bergere's legacies is his role as one of TV's best-remembered Abraham Lincoln
, on the Star Trek
episode "The Savage Curtain," which is well-known (and notorious) for its juxtaposition of real and imagined historical figures. Other parts also challenged his typecasting, and he showed great flair for comedy on series like The Munsters
, WKRP in Cincinnati
(in a pig costume), and the short-lived series Hot L Baltimore
, on which he played one of TV's first gay regular characters.
The actor began his career in 1936 as Danny Kaye
's understudy in the Broadway
production of Lady in the Dark
. He debuted on television on an episode of the live series Studio One with James Dean
. A veteran of World War II
, Bergere supervised entertainment services for soldiers stationed in North Africa
.
Bergere appeared as the Duke, with Richard Kiley reprising his role as Don Quixote, when the Broadway
hit Man of La Mancha
premiered in Los Angeles in 1967. Through the years, Bergere also played Quixote as well as other characters in the show in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
Bergere died, aged 88, from undisclosed causes in Fremont, New Hampshire
, where he had taken up residence some years prior, having left the acting profession in 1989. His last role was a recurring part on three episodes of Falcon Crest
, another popular 1980s night-time soap.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, perhaps best known for his role as Joseph Anders in the 1980s television series Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
.
Bergere was known for his haughty and superior characters, a typecasting that culminated in his selection as the majordomo Joseph on the hugely popular prime-time soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
. With that role, and his on-screen billing in the show's opening-credits (starting in Season 2), Bergere achieved a level of fame rarely matched by other character actors who, like him, had worked in relative anonymity as guest stars on television series in the 1960s and 70s including Hogan's Heroes. He appeared regularly only during the first three seasons of Dynasty (returning briefly in the fourth to be "killed off"), but his role grew beyond opening doors and announcing guests to encompass storylines that included the introduction of a daughter and his own character's suicide after setting a cliff-hanging fire.
Another of Bergere's legacies is his role as one of TV's best-remembered Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, on the Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode "The Savage Curtain," which is well-known (and notorious) for its juxtaposition of real and imagined historical figures. Other parts also challenged his typecasting, and he showed great flair for comedy on series like The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
, WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
(in a pig costume), and the short-lived series Hot L Baltimore
Hot L Baltimore
The Hot l Baltimore is a play by Lanford Wilson. Set in the lobby of the Hotel Baltimore, it focuses on the residents of the decaying property who are faced with eviction when the structure is condemned...
, on which he played one of TV's first gay regular characters.
The actor began his career in 1936 as Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
's understudy in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Lady in the Dark
Lady in the Dark
Lady in the Dark is a musical with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book and direction by Moss Hart. It was produced by Sam Harris. The protagonist, Liza Elliott, is the unhappy female editor of a fashion magazine, Allure, who is undergoing psychoanalysis...
. He debuted on television on an episode of the live series Studio One with James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
. A veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Bergere supervised entertainment services for soldiers stationed in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Bergere appeared as the Duke, with Richard Kiley reprising his role as Don Quixote, when the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
hit Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha is a musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay I, Don Quixote, which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote...
premiered in Los Angeles in 1967. Through the years, Bergere also played Quixote as well as other characters in the show in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
Bergere died, aged 88, from undisclosed causes in Fremont, New Hampshire
Fremont, New Hampshire
Fremont is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,283 at the 2010 census. Fremont is crossed by the Rockingham Recreation Trail and NH Route 107.-History:...
, where he had taken up residence some years prior, having left the acting profession in 1989. His last role was a recurring part on three episodes of Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
, another popular 1980s night-time soap.
External links
- Photo of Lee Bergere by Mimi Bergere