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Larry Kert

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Actor

The Resume

    (December 5, 1930-June 5, 1991)
    Born in Los Angeles, California
    Best known for portraying Tony in the original Broadway production of ‘West Side Story’ (1957-59,1960)
    Also appeared on Broadway in ‘Tickets, Please!’ (1950), ‘Mr. Wonderful’ (1956-57), ‘Cabaret’ (1966-69), ‘Company’ (1970-72) and ‘Side by Side by Sondheim’ (1977-78)

Why he might be annoying:

    He had hoped to reprise his role in the film version of ‘West Side Story,’ but at age 30, he did not look believable playing a teenager.
    His performance in Martin Scorsese’s ‘New York, New York’ (1977) wound up on the cutting room floor after distributor United Artists complained that the film was too long. (Although his scenes would be restored in a director’s cut released four years later.)
    One of his lovers, writer Edmund White, said ‘Larry had a curious way of treating us like cheap sex toys, completely interchangeable and disposable.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    After he and Carol Lawrence tried out for the roles of Tony and Maria in ‘West Side Story,’ Leonard Bernstein said, ‘That’s the most mesmerizing audition I have ever seen.’
    During ‘West Side Story,’ Jerome Robbins repeatedly berated him for being a ‘faggot,’ despite Robbins also being gay.
    He became the first (and through 2020 only) replacement performer to be nominated for a Tony, as Best Actor in a Musical for ‘Company.’
    He performed at the White House for presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan.
    He was scheduled to perform for George H.W. Bush at a state dinner, but the administration caught wind that he was planning to use the opportunity to ask for more funding for AIDS research, resulting in his being disinvited.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 62 Votes: 46.77% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying