Old Globe names Robert Foxworth as associate artist

Like the Jedi, the Old Globe doesn't add new members to its pantheon of deities very often. Highly selective and therefore meaningful, the theater's roster of associate artists comprises a group of professionals with an uncommon commitment to the company. This year, the Old Globe is adding actor Robert Foxworth to the list that already includes such performers and writers as Richard Easton, A.R. Gurney, Tovah Feldshuh and Harry Groener.

Foxworth is the 52nd person in the Old Globe's history to be named associate artist. He recently performed in the company's world premiere production of "Cornelia," in which he incarnated the role of politician George Wallace. Also this season, he appeared on Broadway in "August: Osage County," in which he played the role of Charlie Aiken.

In an interview with The Times in 2005, Foxworth said that the "stage is my home. It's my first love and has been the pursuit of my life." At the time, the actor was performing at the Matrix Theatre in the play "Honor," a drama that he had acted in seven years before on Broadway. "I'm doing this play again because I wanted to explore it more deeply. Things have happened in the last seven years that have changed the way I look at life."

Once married to the actress Elizabeth Montgomery, Foxworth has spent much of his career shuttling between the stage and television. He has had supporting roles in series such as "Falcon Crest" and "Six Feet Under." In the theater, he has performed in nine different Broadway productions and acted in the national tour of "Proof."

Starting Wednesday, Foxworth's voice will be heard by millions of moviegoers in the role of the robot Ratchet in "Transformers II."

-- David Ng

Photo: Robert Foxworth (with Melinda Page Hamilton) in "Cornelia." Credit: Craig Schwartz

Comments

[Robert Harper]

Congratulations to Mr. Foxworth. If the Old Globe chose the Academy way, it would have doubled the number of recepients. Instead, it gave meaning to the distinction by honoring tradition and preserving esthetic discrimination.