Robert Walden

Not only was Robert Walden born and raised in New York, so was his love for acting. The affair began while he was attending the City College of New York, and was fueled by a best-actor award for his performance in "The Teahouse of the August Moon." The Cecilwood Theatre in Fishkill, N.Y., was his next stop, where he participated in summer stock. He graduated from City College, then joined the Actors' Studio in Manhattan, becoming its youngest male member. Thanks to his dedication and some good fortune, Walden landed a major role in the gangster flick "Bloody Mama," based on the true story of Ma Barker and her family. He found work in television and motion pictures regularly, and, in an odd string of typecasting, portrayed a doctor nearly half a dozen times in the '70s. The role he is best known for is that of Joe Rossi on the critically acclaimed "Lou Grant," a drama set in the office of a daily newspaper. The series won 13 Emmy Awards and received a total of 43 nominations during its run, three of which were thanks to Walden's portrayal of the callous staff reporter (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1979, 1980, and 1981).