Heath Lamberts
Heath Lamberts | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Lancaster December 15, 1941 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | February 22, 2005 (aged 63) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Resting place | Ashes sprinkled into the Allegheny River |
| Education | National Theatre School of Canada |
| Occupation | actor |
| Spouse(s) | Carole MacOmber, Louise Silk |
| Parent(s) | Cyril and Patricia Langcaster[1] |
Heath Lamberts, CM (December 15, 1941 – February 22, 2005) was a Canadian dramatic and comedic actor of stage, film, and television.[1][2]
Early life and education
Lamberts was born James Lancaster in Toronto, Ontario, the eldest son of Cyril and Patricia Langcaster, a factor worker and retail clerk (respectively).[1]
As a boy, he and his brothers John and Raymond performed pantomime shows for senior citizens and Kiwanis groups.[1] Heath won singing contests at school, allowing him to perform with Toronto's Opera Festival Association.[2][3] In high school, he took a two-year course in art before leaving to study acting.[1]
Lamberts took an apprenticeship at Vineyard Theatre near Niagara Falls, learning his craft from stars such as Tallulah Bankhead and Jack Carter.[1] In 1960 he was admitted into the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal and graduated in 1963.[1][2][4]
He also studied mime in Paris, France, at Le Coq d'Or.[3]
He pursued the arts as a career, changing his name to Heath Lamberts.[3]
Career
Lamberts worked extensively in theaters across Canada, especially at the Shaw Festival and the Stratford Festival,[3] where he grew into a great comedic actor, starring in popular farces such as Rookery Nook and One for the Pot.[1] From 1982 to 1983 he played the demanding title role of Cyrano de Bergerac.[1][3] On Broadway his longest role was in the original cast of Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth.[3] In later years, he performed numerous roles in Pittsburgh theatre.[1]
Although most prominently a stage actor, he also had more than twenty roles in theatrical and made-for-television films including A Great Big Thing (1968), Where's Pete (1986), and Sam & Me (1991), as well as appearances on television series such as Counterstrike (1991), Law & Order (1996), and Remember WENN (1998).[3][1]
Awards and honors
Lamberts was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1987 by Queen Elizabeth II and the Governor General of Canada to recognize his distinction as an actor.[1][5]
He won a Dora Mavor Moore Award (the "Toronto Tony") for his role in the 1996 Toronto rivival of One for the Pot.[1]
The Pittsburgh Post Gazette named Lamberts, "Performer of the Year" (2000) for his central role in Quills at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.[1]
Personal life
Lamberts was married to Carole Macomber, stage manager for the Shaw Festival, for a brief period in the 1980s. He later had an eight year relationship with Louise Silk, a Pittsburgh artist. Lamberts was a recovering alcoholic with a twenty-three year membership in Alcoholics Anonymous, in which he was an inspiration to his friends.[1]
Death
Lamberts died at UPMC Shadyside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, on February 22, 2005, from cancer.[1][6]
Theatre
Some of Lamberts' many stage roles include the following.[1]
- 1982–1983: Cyrano de Bergerac as Cyrano de Bergerac – Shaw Festival, Niagra-on-the-Lake[3]
- 1994–: Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth
- 1996: One for the Pot – Toronto revival
- 1997: Once Upon a Mattress as King Sextimus – Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre
- 1998: A Midsummer Night's Dream as Bottom – Pittsburgh Public Theater
- 1999: Gross Indecency as Marquis of Queensbury – City Theatre
- 2000: Quills – Pittsburgh Playhouse
- 2000: La Bête – Pittsburgh Playhouse
- 2001: By Jeeves as Sir Watkyn Basset – Pittsburgh Public Theater
- 2002: La Bête as Title role – Playhouse Rep
- 2003: Hamlet as Gravedigger – Pittsburgh Playhouse
- 2003: Macbeth as Porter
- 2003: Uncle Vanya as Telegin – Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre
- 2004: e-lectricity – Pittsburgh Playhouse
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | A Great Big Thing | Bill | Theatrical film | |
| 1972 | To Kill a Clown | Timothy Frischer | Theatrical film | [7][8] |
| 1980 | Nothing Personal | Mr. Farkus | Theatrical film | [7] |
| 1986 | Where's Pete | Dad | Short film | |
| 1991 | Sam & Me | Morris Cohen | Theatrical film | [8] |
| 1991 | Street Legal | Steve Parker | 1 episode | [9] |
| 1991 | Counterstrike | Sheldon Blake | Episode: "Hidden Assets" | |
| 1993 | Ordinary Magic | Mayor | Theatrical film | [7] |
| 1994 | TekWar: TekLords | Gordon Chesterton | Television film | [10] |
| 1995 | Tom and Huck | Schoolmaster Dobbins | Theatrical film | [8] |
| 1996 | Law & Order | Forensic Handwriting Expert | Episode: "Trophy" (S6.E12) | [1][8] |
| 1998 | More Tales of the City | Arnold Littlefield | TV miniseries | [11] |
| 1998 | Remember WENN | Brian Wilburforce | 1 episode | [1] |
| 2001 | By Jeeves | Sir Watkyn Bassett | Television film (Video of the stage performance) | [7] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Rawson, Christopher (February 23, 2005). "Obituary: Heath Lamberts / Renowned stage actor and comic genius". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2006.
- ^ a b c Robert Crew, "Lamberts, 63, stage's mirth master". Toronto Star, February 23, 2005.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jardine, George Edward (2008). Becoming Me: As I Think It Happened. Musical Moments Publishing. pp. 98–99. ISBN 9780978419301. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Alumni Search: 1963". National Theatre School of Canada. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ^ "Hansen, Bouey named to Order of Canada". The Globe and Mail, July 7, 1987.
- ^ Crew, Robert (February 23, 2005). "Heath Lamberts, 63: Mirth master of the stage". Toronto Star.
- ^ a b c d "Heath Lamberts, Original Cogsworth in Disney's Beauty and the Beast dies at age 63". Broadway World. Wisdom Digital Media. Retrieved 22 Feb 2005.
- ^ a b c d "Heath Lamberts". Apple TV+. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Street Legal - Network - 1991-11-29 - 24:00:00 - Hollywood North - Aircheck/Program holding - AR D-115462". CBC Radio-Canada. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Lentz (III.), Harris M. (2001). Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Television shows. McFarland. p. 2150. ISBN 978-0-7864-0950-1. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Heath Lamberts: Actor". Variety. 25 Feb 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
External links