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Gerry Becker

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Gerry Becker
Born(1951-04-11)April 11, 1951
DiedApril 13, 2019(2019-04-13) (aged 68)
OccupationActor

Gerry Becker (April 11, 1951 – April 13, 2019)[1] was an American theatre, film, and television actor.

Early life

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Born in St. Louis, Missouri to a family of priests, Becker studied for the priesthood with Jesuits for three years before dropping out. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri and a master's degree in theatre from Saint Louis University.[2]

Career

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He was associated with Remains Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre Company in the Chicago, Illinois area.

He had the lead role in Bernard Slade's Romantic Comedy at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, Illinois in 1981. Mary Yaney of The Herald of Crystal Lake, Illinois noted that he did an "excellent job" as the "self-centered, but loveable writer".[3]

He appeared in a National Jewish Theatre production of Grown Ups by Jules Feiffer in 1987. A review noted, "Becker slices on the cutting edge in everything he does. All the empathy is blanched from the character leaving it less admirable. That is the character, for Becker's piercing performance is just fine".[4]

In 1991, he appeared in Northlight Theatre's production of Ibsen's An Enemy of the People reads, "To his great credit, Gerry Becker, as [Thomas] Stockman, delivers [a] famous outcry with genuine passion and oratorical skill despite being costumed in a bright green tail coat so that he looks like a refugee from A Christmas Carol".[5]

In 1992, he appeared as Mr. Wagner in Raymond J. Barry's Once in Doubt with Remains Theatre Company in Chicago. Variety's review noted that "Becker is a bit too meek as the curious interloper".[6] A review in The Times of Munster, Indiana criticized the production, but praised the acting, noting that Becker and his costar William Petersen "give as good as they get in this bizarre triangle" and that "the trio keep the script taut and still extract a good deal of humor from the dialogue. So even when everything they say seems arbitrary and stilted they grab us with the sheer force of their acting".[7] May found his acting "beautiful".[8]

He performed on Broadway in the Steppenwolf Theatre production of The Song of Jacob Zulu in 1993.[8]

In 1995, he starred in the off-Broadway production of three one-act dark comedy plays, Death Defying Acts, by David Mamet (An Interview), Elaine May (Hotline), and Woody Allen (Central Park West), at the Variety Arts Theatre in New York, Stamford, and Philadelphia.[2][9] A review of the production's run at Stamford Center read, "Gerry Becker makes Howard a perfect Allen type, a failed writer who is better in the kitchen than in the boudoir".[10] Theatre critic Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press criticized Mamet's writing but said that Becker "as Cheshire catlike inquisitor, and Paul Guilfoyle [...] lob Mamet's lines back and forth like a couple of tennis pros. Neither man drops the ball".[11] In his review of the production, Vince Canby of The New York Times wrote that Becker's and Paul Guilfoyle's performances in Mamet's play were "acted to dry, caustic perfection" and that in Allen's play that Becker and Guilfoyle were "splendid as the would-be guilty parties in liaisons that inevitably fail".[12] Howard Kissel of Daily News wrote, "Gerry Becker is uproarious as the manic depressive" and "Becker brings a believable intensity to the hotline volunteer in May's play".[13][14]

In addition to his theatre work, he appeared in many films including Donnie Brasco and Man on the Moon.

Personal life

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Becker began drinking in his adolescence but was sober 10 years in 1995.[8]

He had a wife, Lucy, who he met while performing in a show at the Court Theatre.[8]

Death

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Becker died on April 13, 2019, due to complications from diabetes.[1]

Selected filmography

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Film

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Television films and specials

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  • Meyer, The Killing Floor, PBS, 1984
  • Larry, The Imposter, ABC, 1984
  • Ed Boyer, Howard Beach: Making a Case for Murder (also known as In the Line of Duty: Howard *Beach:Making a Case for Murder and Skin), NBC, 1989[15]
  • Judge O'Neill, In the Shadow of a Killer, NBC, 1992
  • Samuel Adler, Legacy of Lies, USA Network, 1992
  • Captain Pickering, The Hunley, TNT, 1999
  • Ted Tinling, When Billie Beat Bobby (also known as Billie contre Bobby: La bataille des sexes), ABC, 2001
  • Walt Rostow, Path to War, HBO, 2002

Television episodes

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  • John Sherman, "Snatched," Law & Order, NBC, 1994
  • "Our Lady of Cement," The Cosby Mysteries, NBC, 1994
  • Mr. Goldman, "Simone Says," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1994
  • Max Petrov, "The Skin Trade," The Untouchables, 1994
  • Dr. Neal Latham, "Switch," Law & Order, NBC, 1995
  • Davidoff, "Fun City," New York News, CBS, 1995
  • Arnold Cassell, "Moby Greg," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1996
  • Rupert, Cosby, CBS, 1996
  • Thomas Robbins, "Nullification," Law & Order, NBC, 1997
  • Attorney Stone, "Fools Night Out," Ally McBeal, Fox, 1998
  • Dr. Cosimi, "Three Men and a Little Lady," Spin City, ABC, 1998
  • Leo Latimer, New York Undercover, Fox, 1998
  • Mr. Bickel, "The Music Man," "The Thin Black Line," The Hughleys, ABC, 2000
  • "Unnecessary Roughness," Judging Amy, CBS, 2000
  • Dr. Michaels, "Faith," Walker, Texas Ranger, CBS, 2000
  • "Blood Money," "Reprise," "Dead End," Angel (also known as Angel: The Series), The WB, 2001 - Nathan Reed
  • David Leary, "Blown Away," Philly, ABC, 2001
  • Judge Stanton, "Lolita?," "Mothers of the Disappeared," The Guardian, CBS, 2001, 2002
  • Chester Glass, "The Greenhouse Effect," The District, CBS, 2002
  • Network News President #1, "The Black Vera Wang," The West Wing, NBC, 2002
  • Ramus, "Witches in Tights," Charmed, The WB, 2002
  • Robert, "Cliff Mantegna," Nip/Tuck, FX Channel, 2003
  • "Yankee White," Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (also known as NCIS and NCIS: *Naval Criminal Investigative Service), CBS, 2003
  • "Three Boys and a Gun," The Jury, Fox, 2004
  • Gerard Wills, "Can I Get a Witness?," "Obsession," "Called Home" Law & Order, NBC, 2004, 2005, 2008
  • Myron Stone, "Those Lips, That Hand," Ally, Fox.

References

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  1. ^ a b Chicago Theatre Bike Ride: Memorial of Gerry Becker. lovehardbikeride.org. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b Kilian, Michael (1995-06-25). "Success in Three Acts: Gerry Becker Nervously Embraces the Big Time". Chicago Tribune. p. 377. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  3. ^ Yaney, Mary (1981-09-23). "'Romantic Comedy' good lighthearted theatre at Pheasant Run Theatre in St. Charles". The Herald. p. 35. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  4. ^ "'Grown Ups' Seems Too Real". The Times. 1987-11-20. p. 19. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  5. ^ Christiansen, Richard (1991-02-28). "Adaptation Turns Out Be an Enemy of Ibsen". Chicago Tribune. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  6. ^ Lazare, Lewis. "Once in Doubt." Variety. Los Angeles. Vol. 348, Iss. 3, (Aug 10, 1992): 62, 64. Via Proquest.
  7. ^ Zeff, Dan (1992-07-10). "'Once in Doubt' Offers Scorching Acting, Obscure Plot". The Times. p. 48. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  8. ^ a b c d "Success in Three Acts, part 2". Chicago Tribune. 1995-06-25. p. 378. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  9. ^ Ridley, Clifford A. (1995-03-08). "One-Acters in the Aura of the City". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 42. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  10. ^ "Allen and Mamet Fine, but May Falters". Hartford Courant. 1995-02-15. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  11. ^ Kuchwara, Michael (1995-03-09). "Theatre Review: Allen, May Score Off-Broadway". The Paducah Sun. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  12. ^ Canby, Vincent. "Really a Jungle Out There, a Jungle of Urban Neuroses." New York Times. 07 Mar 1995: C13. Via Proquest.
  13. ^ "Death-Defying Acts Rescued by Allen's Hilarious Farce". Daily News. 1995-03-07. p. 939. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  14. ^ "'Death-Defying Acts': One Outta Three Ain't Bad (pg. 2)". Daily News. 1995-03-07. p. 943. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  15. ^ "Chicago Tribune Dec.4, 1989". Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
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