American actor, singer and director. Best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
Family, childhood, education
Anthony was born on April 4, 1932, in New York City.
My father acted in films, but became a professional actor only after thirty. Anthony was more fortunate in this regard, since he was introduced to the theater from childhood. His life simply had to be intertwined with the world of cinema.
The first role was small. He had to scream like a bat for the play "Dracula". Later he made and installed the scenery. In his youth, Anthony still could not decide who he wanted to become: a singer, an actor, or anyone else.
Dad died when his son was only five years old. The boy was raised by his mother, who was a very strong-willed and strong woman. Anthony was educated in private schools. First it was elementary school in Cambridge, and then high school in North Andover.
Then, he graduated from Columbia University in New York.
Carier start
After Anthony recorded two solo albums, he realized that a singing career was not his way. As an actor, he was more fortunate. In theaters, he gradually managed to break through from the crowd to prominent roles. So, he played in the production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Bernard Shaw. After the screening of the film, Anthony began to dream of Hollywood.
Fate smiled at him this time too. In 1953, the young man was offered to play in the film "The Actress", where his partner on the set was Spencer Tracy. Due to frequent absenteeism, the student Perkins was unable to graduate from Rollins College in Florida, which he entered after graduating from Columbia University.
Only twenty years later he was awarded a diploma from the named university. But the actor's star Perkins ascended to the horizon of Hollywood. At twenty-four, he starred as the son of the protagonist in the Quaker-community film Friendly Exhortation, directed by William Wyler. The film received the Golden Palm. But the pinnacle of glory was still ahead.
This gave Anthony an opportunity to hope for an Oscar. He did not receive an award, but he became very popular.
Who are considered great actors? This question still remains unanswered.
“You can't find a better thing in our business,” said English actor Laurence Olivier. This is not about an athlete running a hundred yards in nine seconds. He is the fastest, which means he is the best. In the acting profession, there are only opinions about brilliantly played roles, but there is no role that would put an end to the i. No one has yet been able to confirm this statement. So Anthony can be called a great actor.
Film "Psycho"
The turning point in Perkins' career was his work with the famous director Hitchcock. This black-and-white psychological thriller later became a classic of the American Gothic genre.
Perkins played the split personality of Norman Bates, a motel owner. The cast also stars the actresses Vera Miles and Janet Lee. Thriller "Psycho" literally lifted Anthony Perkins to the top of fame. The actor so skillfully conveyed the contradictions of Norman Bates, revealed the ominous shadow of his mother, which hung over the soul of a soft and weak-willed person, that he became the most unforgettable "villain."
The actor was supposed to be given an Oscar, but, alas, this did not happen. The director of the film even commented on this. Hitchcock said he was ashamed of his colleagues.
But the medal, as you know, has two sides. In America, the image of a schizophrenic villain so "stuck" to the actor that he was no longer perceived in any other role. It seemed that the end of his career had come.
Perkins temporarily leaves for France. He was invited to play a role in the film "Goodbye Again", where he plays a young American chasing the main character. Directed by Anatol Litvak.
Anthony Perkins suddenly wins Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival. After that, he became literally the idol of Paris. The inhabitants of France began to imitate him, especially teenagers who are so easily turned their heads. After the triumph, Anthony also appeared in other films.
Life in America after returning did not remain so successful. I had to return to work in the theater, and not appear on the pages of the tabloids for a long time.
In the early 80s, the actor was again briefly lucky. Received an offer to star in "Psycho-2".
Director's work
Anthony decides to try himself as a director and directs "Psycho 3". Much to our disappointment, however, the tape was a complete failure. Two years later, he will try himself again as a director. But the film Lucky - a black comedy about cannibalism - was clearly unsuccessful.
Anthony Perkins: personal life
There were many rumors about Anthony Perkins' personal life. He did not hide his sexual inclinations, which we would call gay.
In the fifties, when unconventional sexual relations were taboo in America, Anthony made no secret of the fact that he was gay. His lovers were mostly actors. With someone he had a civil marriage.
But in the life of an actor, in addition to stormy romances with men, there was also a completely legal marriage with a woman who gave him two sons.
At forty, he met Victoria Principal, an actress from the Dallas TV series. Anthony fell in love with this woman so much that he began to visit a psychologist in order to get rid of homosexual inclinations. Their relationship was short-lived. The actor married journalist Berry Berenson (1973). From this marriage two sons were born. One has now made a career as an actor, and the other has become a musician.
Anthony Perkins died of AIDS-related pneumonia on September 12, 1992 in California. His widow Berry died tragically. She was a passenger on a plane that crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001.
