Listen Now: A Tribute to Philip Bosco, with Armin Shimerman and Peter Van Norden

A lot of actors my age thought of Phil Bosco as a god. ~ Armin Shimerman
No one spoke better than Phil Bosco. ~ Peter Van Norden

We have a special episode today. It’s a tribute to the actor Philip Bosco. In this, you’ll hear the voices of Armin Shimerman, Peter Van Norden, and Phil himself.

Phil was quite a legend in the theatre scene, and he recently passed away, so I decided to finally sit down and put this together. Yes, it is sad, and at first, I thought this episode needed to be really somber, but it’s also a celebration of Phil’s life, what he did, and the many people he impacted!

*Actors (L-R) Robert Gerringer, Philip Bosco, Paul Shyre & Armin Shimerman in a scene fr. the Circle in the Square production of the play “Saint Joan”.*

Now as a child of the 1980s, I first knew of Phil Bosco through his roles in comedies like Quick Change, Trading Places, and The Money Pit. I would see him pop up in various things over the years, including many appearances in the Law and Order franchise. Of course, he had quite a career on both stage and screen. He was always memorable, and you could tell, this was a very gifted actor.

Phil would absolutely have been a dream guest for this podcast. I actually reached out to Armin and Peter about making it happen for this season, but it wasn’t meant to be. There’s definitely a generation of actors that won’t be around much longer, and I am grateful to capture what I can.

*Phil Bosco with Alan Feinstein in A Streetcar Named Desire at Lincoln Center*

A few highlights about Philip Bosco

Won the Tony Award for Lend Me a Tenor, with another FIVE nominations, along with multiple Drama Desk nominations and one win
Performed in over 50 productions on Broadway, playing all different styles and genres
Over 100 Film and TV credits, including a Daytime Emmy Award

Please enjoy our tribute to Philip Bosco!

Total Running Time: 19:21

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Want to hear more from Peter and Armin? Check out my talks with them here and here!

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let us know in the comments.

Scroll below for links mentioned in today’s episode and additional show notes…

Are you looking for more info from industry insiders and great teachers about being an actor?

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Here are a few recommendations:

The Actors Life by Jenna Fischer (from The Office), read by the author and others, including our guest Reed Birney
Secrets of Screen Acting by Patrick Tucker (a TV and film director), read by David Lawrence XVII
Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen, read by Angele Masters

Get one of these or anything else at workingactorsjourney.com/audible.

Show Notes

Philip Bosco around the web

Wikipedia | Broadway | Film/TV | Additional Theatre

Selected People and Items Mentioned

Acting Podcasts from the American Theatre Wing

(some links are iTunes as I couldn’t find other versions, but just try searching in your podcast app of choice!)

They talk with all different professions involved in theatre, some really amazing interviews, with names you’ll recognize and also lots of great working actors!

Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman are big fans of Phil Bosco

Twelfth Night Production, from Lincoln Center

Thank you to Phil’s granddaughter Jenna Bosco for pointing this out to me!

Stage production starring Helen Hunt, Paul Rudd, Kyra Sedgewick and Philip Bosco, directed by Nicholas Hytner

Malvolio’s speech from Act 2, Scene 5 in Twelfth Night

+ click to view/close the monologue

Malvolio

What employment have we here?

By my life, this is my lady’s hand these be her
very C’s, her U’s and her T’s and thus makes she her
great P’s. It is, in contempt of question, her hand.

[Reads]

‘To the unknown beloved, this, and my good
wishes:’—her very phrases! By your leave, wax.
Soft! and the impressure her Lucrece, with which she
uses to seal: ’tis my lady. To whom should this be?

[Reads]

Jove knows I love: But who?
Lips, do not move;
No man must know.
‘No man must know.’ What follows? the numbers
altered! ‘No man must know:’ if this should be
thee, Malvolio?

I may command where I adore;
But silence, like a Lucrece knife,
With bloodless stroke my heart doth gore:
M, O, A, I, doth sway my life.

‘M, O, A, I, doth sway my life.’ Nay, but first, let
me see, let me see, let me see.

‘I may command where I adore.’ Why, she may command
me: I serve her; she is my lady. Why, this is
evident to any formal capacity; there is no
obstruction in this: and the end,—what should
that alphabetical position portend? If I could make
that resemble something in me,—Softly! M, O, A,
I,—

M,—Malvolio; M,—why, that begins my name.

M,—but then there is no consonancy in the sequel;
that suffers under probation A should follow but O does.

And then I comes behind.

M, O, A, I; this simulation is not as the former: and
yet, to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for
every one of these letters are in my name. Soft!
here follows prose.

[Reads] ‘If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I
am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some
are born great, some achieve greatness, and some
have greatness thrust upon ’em. Thy Fates open
their hands; let thy blood and spirit embrace them;
and, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be,
cast thy humble slough and appear fresh. Be
opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants; let
thy tongue tang arguments of state; put thyself into
the trick of singularity: she thus advises thee
that sighs for thee. Remember who commended thy
yellow stockings, and wished to see thee ever
cross-gartered: I say, remember. Go to, thou art
made, if thou desirest to be so; if not, let me see
thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and
not worthy to touch Fortune’s fingers. Farewell.
She that would alter services with thee,
THE FORTUNATE-UNHAPPY.’

Daylight and champaign discovers not more: this is
open. I will be proud, I will read politic authors,
I will baffle Sir Toby, I will wash off gross
acquaintance, I will be point-devise the very man.
I do not now fool myself, to let imagination jade
me; for every reason excites to this, that my lady
loves me. She did commend my yellow stockings of
late, she did praise my leg being cross-gartered;
and in this she manifests herself to my love, and
with a kind of injunction drives me to these habits
of her liking. I thank my stars I am happy. I will
be strange, stout, in yellow stockings, and
cross-gartered, even with the swiftness of putting
on. Jove and my stars be praised! Here is yet a
postscript.

[Reads]

‘Thou canst not choose but know who I am. If thou
entertainest my love, let it appear in thy smiling;
thy smiles become thee well; therefore in my
presence still smile, dear my sweet, I prithee.’
Jove, I thank thee: I will smile; I will do
everything that thou wilt have me.

Theatre Talk – Bosco, Bentley, and Shaw

A discussion of the life and work of playwright George Bernard Shaw with critic Eric Bentley and actor Philip Bosco.

Production Photos of Phil

Actor Philip Bosco in a scene fr. the Circle in the Square production of the play “Saint Joan”.

Actor Philip Bosco in a scene fr. the Roundabout Theatre’s production of the play “The Learned Ladies.”

Actor Philip Bosco in a scene fr. the Roundabout Theater Co.’s production of the play “A Man For All Seasons”.

Actor Philip Bosco in a scene fr. the Circle in the Square production of the play “The Miser”.

Carole Shelley and Philip Bosco in a scene fr. the Circle in the Square production of the play “The Miser”.

The cast of Saint Joan – Phil Bosco left of center (in back and hat), Lynn Redgrave front/center, Armin Shimerman upstage center (in all black), Peter Van Norden, right of center in priest attire

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Photos courtesy the New York Public Library Digital Collections

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A Tribute to Philip Bosco, with Armin Shimerman and Peter Van Norden