David Carroll (actor)

For other uses, see David Carroll (disambiguation).

David James Carroll
Born(1950-07-30)July 30, 1950
Rockville Centre, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 11, 1992(1992-03-11) (aged 41)
EducationDartmouth College
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1974–1992
Known forGrand Hotel, Chess

David Carroll (July 30, 1950 – March 11, 1992), sometimes billed as David James Carroll, was an American actor whose last, and best remembered, role was that of Baron Felix von Gaigern in Grand Hotel: The Musical. He also played the role of Anatoly Sergievsky in the original Broadway cast of Chess. Both roles earned him Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Musical: in 1988 for Chess and again in 1990 for Grand Hotel.[1]

Carroll was born in Rockville Centre, New York, grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and graduated from Dartmouth College, where he was an active member of the Dartmouth Players. While at Dartmouth Carroll had star roles in several college musicals and in community theater.

Carroll also received three Drama Desk Awards nominations as an Outstanding Actor in a Musical: La bohème (1984) he costarred with Linda Ronstadt, Chess (1988), and Grand Hotel (1990). The Original Broadway Cast recording of Chess received a 1988 Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Cast Show album. On the big screen, he had a brief scene with John Ritter in the movie Hero at Large.

Suffering from AIDS, he died of a pulmonary embolism in the restroom of the New York City BMG/RCA studio while attempting to record the cast album for Grand Hotel. The album had been delayed for years because of rights issues and legal disputes over the score. For the cast recording Brent Barrett ultimately performed the role of the Baron, but Carroll was featured on a bonus track: singing the Baron's solo number "Love Can't Happen", recorded during his cabaret performance at Steve McGraw's on 14 February 1991 with Wally Harper at the piano.

His long-time partner, Robert W. Homma,[1] died on April 18, 2006.

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1975 Musical Chairs Himself TV series, 1 episode
1976 Ball Four Bill Westlake TV series, 5 episodes
1979 Paris Donald Perth episode: "Pawn"
1979 The Rockford Files Randy Smith episode: "Love Is the Word"
1979 CHiPs Chuck TV series, 1 episode
1980 Knots Landing David Crane episode: "Let Me Count the Ways"
1980 Hero at Large Actor on Bus
1980 To Race the Wind Jerry Baker TV movie
1980 The Seduction of Miss Leona Borgland TV movie
1980 The Promise of Love Chuck Wakemore TV movie
1981 The Secret War of Jackie's Girls David TV movie
1981 Splendor in the Grass Johnny Masterson TV movie, (final film role)

References

  1. ^ a b "David Carroll Is Dead; A Broadway Actor, 41". The New York Times. New York City. March 13, 1992. Retrieved September 6, 2017.