Dick Latessa, known for his Tony-winning performance as Wilbur Turnblad in the original Broadway production of Hairspray, has died at the age of 87.
The actor’s death was announced by the Broadway League’s Tony Awards website on Monday night (December 19).
“He owned the part,” Hairspray producer Margo Lion said in a statement. “He was the real thing – a generous, big-hearted artist whose talent and professionalism were a model for making a full life in the theater.”
Harvey Fierstein, who played Dick‘s on-stage wife Edna in Hairspray, took to Twitter to share, “We lost the 1 & only Dick Latessa & my heart is broken. Still, for 1,000 performances I had the best partner ever.”
https://t.co/pl9NrvXGoy We lost the 1 & only Dick Latessa & my heart is broken. Still, for 1,000 performances I had the best partner ever.
— Harvey Fierstein (@HarveyFierstein) December 20, 2016
Our thoughts go out to Dick‘s family and friends during this difficult time.
