Phil Leeds, veteran funnyman of stage, screen, and television, who once told an interviewer, "I'm not pretty, but I'm warm and feisty," died Sun. Aug. 16 at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 82.
A native New Yorker, Leeds began his seven-decade career as a stand-up comic in the 1930s. As a member of the Army Special Service Unit, he entertained the troops during WWII, returning to NYC after the war to pursue nightclub work at such venues as The Village Vanguard and The Blue Angel.
He eventually won roles in a number of Broadway shows, including "Can-Can," "Romanoff and Juliet," and "Nobody Loves an Albatross." In the 1970s, he appeared with Jose Ferrer in Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys," in San Francisco.
Among the numerous films to his credit are "Rosemary's Baby," "Beaches," and "Soapdish." A familiar face to TV viewers, Leeds may well hold a record for appearing in final episodes of four different series on the same night ("Ally McBeal," "Ellen," "Everybody Loves Raymond," and "Murphy Brown"), in addition to numerous guest appearances over the decades on dozens of sitcoms, including "All in the Family," "Roseanne," and "The Larry Sanders Show."
Barbara Salisbury Wills, Theatre Educator
Barbara Salisbury Wills, former executive director of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), died of cancer on Aug. 21.
Wills served with AATE from 1992-97, promoting standards of excellence in theatre education, and bringing together artists, educators, and youth.
She had been a member of the Arizona State University faculty since 1994 as a leading authority in children's theatre education.
In 1992, she was elected to the prestigious College of American Theatre Fellows, and elected president of both the Children's Theatre Association of America (1985) and American Association of Theatre for Youth (1987).
With a bachelor's and master's in drama, she went on to earn a PhD in education from the University of Washington. She served as a consultant in arts education throughout the nation, and as a professor of theatre at the University of Texas and Seattle University. She was also the author of four books.
A memorial will be held Aug. 30 in Phoenix, Az.