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Anthony Franciosa (October 25, 1928 – January 19, 2006), was an American actor, often billed as "Tony Franciosa."

Born Anthony George Papaleo, Jr. in New York City to Italian-American parents, he garnered rave reviews for his Broadway performance of the play A Hatful of Rain. Franciosa was his mother's maiden name (see [1])

When he reprised his role in the film version, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He followed that with roles in several major films, including A Face in the Crowd, Career, The Long Hot Summer, Period of Adjustment, The Pleasure Seekers and Rio Conchos.

In the late 1960s his film career began to fade, and he became a series lead in three different shows, starring in Valentine's Day, The Name of the Game (and its pilot TV-movie Fame Is the Name of the Game), and Matt Helm. When that career faded, his public renown faded as well.

During his career, his behavior on movie productions became the subject of Hollywood gossip. The stories alleged fiery disputes with directors, sulking in his dressing room, and outbursts with other actors (see [2]).

He was married four times, and had three children. His most famous wife was Oscar-winning actress Shelley Winters; they were married from May 4, 1957 until their divorce in 1960. They had no children.

His second wife, the former Judith Balaban, is the author of the book "The Bridesmaids," about her friend Princess Grace of Monaco, in whose wedding she served as a bridesmaid. This marriage produced Franciosa's only daughter, Nina.

His last wife (from November 27, 1970 until his death in 2006) was Rita Theil, by whom he had two sons, Marco and Christopher. Christopher Franciosa is an actor.

Anthony Franciosa died at age 77 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California after suffering a massive stroke. His death came only five days after that of his ex-wife Shelley Winters.

See also

• Probe (TV pilot)
• Search (TV series)

External links

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