Veteran actor and director Robert LuPone passes away at the age of 76. Read details here

American actor Robert LuPone is no more. He had received a Tony Award nomination for his role as Tony Soprano's family physician in the original segment of the musical drama 'A Chorus Line'. He was also the founder and leader of the influential MCC Theatre, a Broadway theatre company, for 40 years.

Robert LuPone, brother of Broadway star Patti LuPone, died at the age of 76 after battling pancreatic cancer for three years.
The MCC Theatre company said in a statement that they mourn the loss of their beloved and inspiring colleague and dear friend. He enjoyed life fearlessly, and lived with immense curiosity and humour. He will be deeply missed.


Robert LuPone started with his first professional work in 1966 in The Pajama Game, which was a Westbury Music Fair production and also starred Liza Minnelli. In 1968, he made his Broadway debut in Sweet Potato, a Noel Coward production project. He also appeared in The Rothschilds, Minnie's Boys and The Magic Show.

For 'A Chorus Line,' he was initially cast as Al, but after the original actor left, he convinced director and actor Michael Bennett to allow him to star as Zach. This role earned him a Tony nomination for best featured actor.

American actor Betty Buckley took to Twitter and expressed condolences to the LuPone family.

The veteran actor was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1946. He completed his graduation with a bachelor's degree in dance from the Juilliard School in 1968.



He taught acting at New York University, where Bernard Telsey was one of his students. They collaborated and together founded the Manhattan Class Company, which today is known as MCC Theatre, in 1986. They, along with Will Cantler, nurtured MCC Theatre into a powerhouse, producing impactful projects like Frozen, Hand to God, Reasons to be Pretty, School Girls, The Other Place, The Snow Geese, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Wit.

Apart from being co-artist and director of MCC, LuPone was also a fine actor. He worked on Broadway projects like True West, A View from the Bridge, and A Thousand Clowns.

On TV, he was in Guiding Light, All My Children, which got him a Daytime Emmy nomination, and he was in Sam Shepard's The Tooth of Crime's Chicago premiere.

He starred in The Sopranos as Dr. Bruce Cusamano, jokingly named "Cooze" by neighbouring gangster Tony Soprano.
He also directed the master's drama programme from 2005 to 2011 at the New School for Drama. He was also the president of the board of directors of ART, New York.

He was survived by his wife, Virginia, and son, Orlando. He also leaves behind his sister, Patti and brother, William.