Keene Curtis

Keene Curtis was an award-winning character actor, best known for his work on the stage, but he also starred in numerous television programs in bit parts and did a sprinkling of big-screen work. Known for his urbane sense of style and sometimes haughty vocal delivery, the charismatic actor shined in several Broadway productions, including "The School for Scandal," "The Cherry Orchard," and "The Rothschilds," for which he performed four roles and won a Tony Award. Two of the actor's most notable stage roles, though, were playing Daddy Warbucks in "Annie" and Albin in "La Cage aux Folles." Although his non-stage work is not as notable, his imperious persona frequently served him well and easily made him stand out. He was discovered by Orson Welles in 1947 and cast as Lennox in the director's heavily expressionistic version of "Macbeth," released a year later. Curtis spent the following years working first as a stage manager and actor before returning to the screen in 1970 for an episode of the gothic daytime soap "Dark Shadows." He is probably most familiar to television viewers for his role as dandyish John Allen Hill, a neighboring restaurant owner, on the sitcom "Cheers." Some of his other notable work for television and film include playing Max Pomeroy on the short-lived Bill Bixby series "The Magician," "One in a Million," and the made-for-television movie "Richie Rich's Christmas Wish."