Perkins began his career as a juvenile lead in the early 1950s and distinguished himself in films including "Tin Star" (1957) and, as baseball star Jim Piersall, "Fear Strikes Out" (1957). His gripping recreation of Piersall's mental problems made him a suitable choice for what would become his signature role, the mother-fixated Norman Bates in Hitchcock's classic thriller, "Psycho" (1960). He went on to appear in a number of interesting works, including Orson Welles' adaptation of Kafka's "The Trial" (1962), but could never quite shake the "Psycho" mantle. In the mid-1980s, Perkins returned to the scene of his early triumph, reprising the Bates role in three progressively campy sequels, the second of which also marked his directorial debut. He was the son of actor Osgood Perkins (Johnny Lovo in "Scarface" 1932) and husband of Berry Berenson, who appeared opposite him in two films, "Remember My Name" (1978) and "Winter Kills" (1979).
Family
FATHER: Osgood Perkins. Actor. Born on May 16, 1892; died in 1937 of heart failure.
MOTHER: Janet Esseltyn Perkins. Born c. 1895; died August 24, 1979; held various jobs including theater business manager; after husband's death lived with playwright Micheala O'Hara.
SISTER-IN-LAW: Marisa Berenson. Actor, model.
SON: Osgood Robert Perkins. Actor. Born on February 2, 1974; married.
SON: Elvis Perkins. Musician. Born on February 9, 1976.
Companion
COMPANION: Dorothy Jeakins. Costume designer. Befriended Perkins in 1950s.
COMPANION: Mali Nurmi. Actor, TV host. "dated" briefly.
COMPANION: Tab Hunter. Actor. Involved in the 1950s.
COMPANION: Timmy Evans. Actor. Involved in 1958.
COMPANION: Arthur Teno Pollick. Together in 1959.
COMPANION: Grover Dale. Dancer, actor, choreographer. Had long relationship in the 1960s before marrying actress Anita Morris.
COMPANION: Victoria Principal. Actor. Dated in the early 1970s.
WIFE: Berry Berenson. Photographer, actor, model. Married on August 9, 1973; granddaughter of fashion designer Schiaparelli; mother of Perkins' two sons; killed when terrorist crashed the plane on which she was a passenger into the World Trade Center in NYC on September 11, 2001.
Milestone
Born in NYC
1942: After father's death, moved to Boston
1947: Professional stage debut with the Brattleboro Summer Theatre in Vermont; acted in "Junior Miss"
1948: In the summer, managed box office and acted at Robin Hood Theater in Arden, Delaware
Worked in summer stock at the Peterborough Summer Theatre in Ontario, Canada
1953: Film acting debut in "The Actress"
1954: Broadway debut in "Tea and Sympathy", replacing John Kerr as the boy; Joan Fontaine co-starred
1956: Received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in "Friendly Persuasion"
1957: Cast as Boston Red Sox player Jimmy Piersall in "Fear Strikes Out"
1957 - 1958: Returned to Broadway stage in "Look Homeward, Angel"
1958: Appeared as Cornelius Hackl in "The Matchmaker"
1958: Co-starred opposite Sophia Loren in "Desire Under the Elms"
1960: Made musical theater debut in "Greenwillow"; earned Tony nomination
1960: Played signature role of Norman Bates in "Psycho"
Starred on Broadway in Neil Simon's "The Star-Spangled Girl"
1967: Stage directing debut, the tour of "The Star-Spangled Girl"; also starred
1968: Co-starred with Tuesday Weld in "Pretty Poison"
1970: Off-Broadway directing debut, "Steambath"; also played lead role
1970: Cast in the leading role of Bobby in the landmark musical "Company"; withdrew before rehearsals and replaced by Dean Jones (who also later withdrew just after opening night on Broadway)
1972: Reunited with Weld for "Play It as It Lays"
1973: First film as co-writer (with Stephen Sondheim), "The Last of Sheila"
1974: Was part of the all-star ensemble of "Murder on the Orient Express"
1974: Staged the Off-Broadway production of "The Wager"
1975: Appeared opposite Diana Ross in "Mahogany"
Portrayed Martin Dysart on Broadway in "Equus"
1979: Had celebrated nude scene in the stage play "Romantic Comedy"
1983: Reprised role of Norman Bates in "Psycho II"
1986: Film directing debut, "Psycho III"; also played Norman Bates
1989: Helmed "Lucky Stiff"
1990: Once again starred as Norman in "Psycho IV: A New Beginning"
1992: Final acting appearance in the TV-movie "Into the Deep Woods"
Education
Browne and Nichols School - Cambridge, Massachusetts
Miss Corden's School - New York, New York
The Brooks School - North Andover, Massachusetts - 1944 - boarding school
Rollins College - Winter Park, Florida - did not graduate
Columbia University - New York, New York - dropped out one month before graduating to appear on Broadway in "Tea and Sympathy"
Bibliography
"Osgood and Anthony Perkins" Laura Kaye Palmer 1991
"Split Image: The Life of Anthony Perkins" Charles Winecoff 1996
"Being a star is just plain awful." --Anthony Perkins quoted in Photoplay, September 1957.
Contributions
1984: Co-starred with Kathleen Turner in "Crimes of Passion" as Rev. Peter Shayne a street preacher who works the red light district trying to save souls.
-- Submitted by: anximatty
1962: Co-starred with Melina Mercouri in Jules Dassin's "Phaedra".
-- Submitted by: India2u
One of Perkins's companions is listed as Timmy Evans. That is incorrect - it should be Timmy Everett. Also Mali Nurmi should be Maila Nurmi. By the way, the title of my book listed here is the old out-of-print version. The current, still in print version is titled "Anthony Perkins: Split Image" and it came out in 2006.
-- Submitted by: Charles Winecoff
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