Character actor Bill McCutcheon, who won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for playing jovial gangster Moonface Martin in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Anything Goes, died Jan. 9 at the age of 77, according to family.
Mr. McCutcheon was appeared on television shows and in commercials during his lifelong career. He retired 11 years ago. He won an Obie Award for appearing in Christopher Durang's darkly comic take on married life, The Marriage of Bette Boo at The Public Theater in 1985. On TV's "Sesame Street" he played Uncle Wally, winning an Emmy Award.
In the hit 1987-88 revival of Anything Goes, Mr. McCutcheon sang Cole Porter tunes "Friendship" (with Howard McGillin and Patti LuPone) and "Be Like the Bluebird" (and is heard on the cast album). Mr. McCutcheon, who had a hangdog face that got him choice roles, also appeared in Lincoln Center Theater's The Front Page and Broadway's My Daughter, Your Son, New Faces of 1956, Dandelion Wine, Out West of Eighth, Over Here, Lincoln Center's West Side Story, Circle in the Square's The Man Who Came to Dinner, You Can't Take It With You with Jason Robards and more.
Off-Broadway, he was Paul Brennan, the father of the bride (played by Joan Allen), in the 1985 Jerry Zaks staging of Durang's absurdist play, The Marriage of Bette and Boo. Also Off-Broadway, he appeared in How to Steal an Election, Ben Bagley's Shoestring Revue, Wet Paint, One's a Crowd, The Little Revue and three productions of Upstairs at the Downstairs. He worked regionally at Goodspeed Opera House, Denver Center Theatre Company and Philadelphia Drama Guild and elsewhere. Film credits include "Viva Max," "W.W. And the Dixie Dance Kings" and "Hot Stuff."
The actor was a 42-year resident of Mahwah, NJ. Mr. McCutcheon served in the U.S. Army in World War II and received the Purple Heart. He is survived by his wife, Anne McCutcheon and children Carol Crevani of Mahwah, Jay McCutcheon of Baltimore, MD, and Kenna McCutcheon Colley of Blacksburg, CA. Five grandchildren also survive. A celebration of his life will be held 1-4 PM Jan. 12 at the Rosencrantz House at the Hermitage, 335 N. Franklin Tpk., in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Actor's Fund are suggested.
— By Kenneth Jones
