Philip Casnoff
Encyclopedia
Philip Casnoff is a Golden Globe Award
nominated, Theater World Award winning, American
actor
, known for his roles in TV series and on Broadway.
where he understudied Jesus and Judas. He was cast as understudy for the title role in the 1976 Broadway
production of Rockabye Hamlet
, a rock musical
version of Shakespeare's play
, but the show closed after only seven performances.
In 1988, Casnoff starred as Freddie Trumper, an arrogant American professional chess player in the short-lived Broadway production of the musical Chess
and received warm reviews for his performance. "Remarkably fine", wrote New York Post
, "does justice to the role", commented New York Daily News
, "wonderful singing", mentioned The New Yorker
. It brought Casnoff the Theater World Award for Best Debut Performance.
Casnoff created the lead role of John Blackmore in the Shogun: The Musical
(1990), based on the popular book and miniseries by James Clavell
. During the previews of the show, he suffered minor injury when struck by a piece of scenery but quickly recuperated and returned to the performances after just one day-off. The production, unfortunately, survived only for 12 previews and 72 performances, but Casnoff received a lot of critical acclaim. "Mr. Casnoff had the swaggering self-assurance of a star in complete command of a vast production", wrote Frank Rich
in The New York Times
.
He returned to Broadway as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago
on January 15, 2007, succeeding Huey Lewis
in the role and stayed with the production through March 25, 2007.
. He went on to reprise the role in two sequels which aired in 1986 and 1994.
In 1992, he was chosen to play Frank Sinatra
in the television miniseries Sinatra
. Casnoff met Sinatra during shooting and went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.
Casnoff portrayed Russian criminal Nikolai Stanislofsky
on HBO’s acclaimed TV series Oz
from 1999 to 2000.
In 2000, he joined the cast of Lifetime Television
's Strong Medicine
. As Chief of Staff Dr. Robert Jackson, Casnoff stayed with the show for five seasons, until 2005. He also directed an episode and went on direct an episode of Monk
.
His other screen credits also include Numb3rs
, Without a Trace
, Material Girls
, Law & Order
, Frasier
, For All Time
, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
, Chicken Soup for the Soul
, Diagnosis: Murder
, ER
, How Stella Got Her Groove Back
.
Casnoff's first leading role in a feature film was in a movie Sight Unseen
that is still in a post-production with release date still TBA.
in June 1967; and attended Wesleyan University
, attaining his B.A. in 1971. He has been married to actress Roxanne Hart
since 1984. They have two sons, Alexander and Macklin. Casnoff presently lives in Los Angeles.
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...
nominated, Theater World Award winning, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, known for his roles in TV series and on Broadway.
Theatre
Casnoff began his career touring in the 1972–73 national company of GodspellGodspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
where he understudied Jesus and Judas. He was cast as understudy for the title role in the 1976 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 Rockabye Hamlet
Rockabye Hamlet
Rockabye Hamlet is a rock musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Cliff Jones. It is based on the classic tragedy by William Shakespeare and tells the story of a Danish prince who plots revenge on his uncle for killing his father.- Production history :...
, a rock musical
Rock musical
A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept albums become rock musicals...
version of Shakespeare's play
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, but the show closed after only seven performances.
In 1988, Casnoff starred as Freddie Trumper, an arrogant American professional chess player in the short-lived Broadway production of the musical Chess
Chess (musical)
Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
and received warm reviews for his performance. "Remarkably fine", wrote New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, "does justice to the role", commented New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, "wonderful singing", mentioned The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. It brought Casnoff the Theater World Award for Best Debut Performance.
Casnoff created the lead role of John Blackmore in the Shogun: The Musical
Shogun: The Musical
Shōgun: The Musical is a musical with a book and lyrics by John Driver and music by Paul Chihara.Based on James Clavell's 1976 epic novel and the 1980 television mini-series of the same name it spawned, it centers on shipwrecked English sea captain John Blackthorne, who finds himself drawn into a...
(1990), based on the popular book and miniseries by James Clavell
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
. During the previews of the show, he suffered minor injury when struck by a piece of scenery but quickly recuperated and returned to the performances after just one day-off. The production, unfortunately, survived only for 12 previews and 72 performances, but Casnoff received a lot of critical acclaim. "Mr. Casnoff had the swaggering self-assurance of a star in complete command of a vast production", wrote Frank Rich
Frank Rich
Frank Rich is an American essayist and op-ed columnist who wrote for The New York Times from 1980, when he was appointed its chief theatre critic, until 2011...
in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
He returned to Broadway as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
on January 15, 2007, succeeding Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
in the role and stayed with the production through March 25, 2007.
Television
Casnoff's first major role was that of Elkanah Bent in the popular 1985 miniseries North and SouthNorth and South (TV miniseries)
North and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
. He went on to reprise the role in two sequels which aired in 1986 and 1994.
In 1992, he was chosen to play Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
in the television miniseries Sinatra
Sinatra (TV miniseries)
Sinatra is a 1992 award-winning CBS miniseries. Directed by James Steven Sadwith and written by William Mastrosimone and Abby Mann and produced by Tina Sinatra and Richard M. Rosenbloom...
. Casnoff met Sinatra during shooting and went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.
Casnoff portrayed Russian criminal Nikolai Stanislofsky
Nikolai Stanislofsky
Nikolai Petrovich Stanislofsky was a prisoner character played by Philip Casnoff on HBO's Oz in Season 3 and 4.-Character overview:Prisoner 99S233. Convicted February 14, 1999 - Possession of stolen goods with intent to sell. Sentence: 15 years, up for parole in five.-Season 3:Nikolai was a...
on HBO’s acclaimed TV series Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
from 1999 to 2000.
In 2000, he joined the cast of Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
's Strong Medicine
Strong Medicine
Strong Medicine is a medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict. The television series aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The series was created and produced in part by comedienne and...
. As Chief of Staff Dr. Robert Jackson, Casnoff stayed with the show for five seasons, until 2005. He also directed an episode and went on direct an episode of Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
.
His other screen credits also include Numb3rs
NUMB3RS
Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
, Without a Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
, Material Girls
Material Girls
Material Girls is a 2006 American satirical teen comedy film starring Hilary and Haylie Duff. It is based on a script written by John Quaintance and is directed by Martha Coolidge It also stars Anjelica Huston, Lukas Haas, and Brent Spiner...
, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, For All Time
For All Time
For All Time is the final book in Caroline B. Cooney's time-travel romance series.- Plot summary :Annie Lockwood attends the new Ancient Egypt exhibit in the museum where she hopes to find some clue of Strat's survival. She is thoroughly disappointed to find that Strat is not in the picture of the...
, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye is a 1950 film noir starring James Cagney, directed by Gordon Douglas and based on the novel by Horace McCoy. The film was banned in Ohio as "a sordid, sadistic presentation of brutality and an extreme presentation of crime with explicit steps in commission."Supporting Cagney...
, Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
, Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title...
.
Casnoff's first leading role in a feature film was in a movie Sight Unseen
Sight Unseen
Sight Unseen may refer to:* "Sight Unseen" , an episode of the television series Charmed* "Sight Unseen", a 2002 episode of the television series Stargate SG-1* Sight Unseen, a play by Donald Margulies...
that is still in a post-production with release date still TBA.
Personal life
Casnoff graduated from Central High SchoolCentral High School (Philadelphia)
Central High School is a public secondary school in the Logan section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Central, the second-oldest continuously public high school in the United States , was founded in 1836 and is a four-year university preparatory magnet school...
in June 1967; and attended Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
, attaining his B.A. in 1971. He has been married to actress Roxanne Hart
Roxanne Hart
Roxanne Hart is an American television, film and stage actress. She may be best known for her role as Brenda Wyatt in the 1986 film Highlander. She is also known for the role of Nurse Camille Shutt on the Medical drama Chicago Hope....
since 1984. They have two sons, Alexander and Macklin. Casnoff presently lives in Los Angeles.