Leonard Baker close-up

Leonard “Lenny” Baker (January 17, 1945 – April 12, 1982) was an American actor of stage and film and screen best known for his Tony Award-winning performance in "I Love My Wife" in 1977. Biography Early years Baker was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Bertha and William Baker. A 1962 graduate of Brookline High School, he received his college degree from Boston University, and performed in regional theater. He spent several summers at the O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut. Career Baker appeared Off Broadway in plays such as Conerico Was Here to Stay, Paradise Gardens East, The Year Boston Won the Pennant, and Summertree, debuting on Broadway in 1974 in The Freedom of the City, performing in repertory in Secret Service and Boy Meets Girl, and in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry V and Measure for Measure with the Joseph Papp New York Shakespeare Festival. He devoted himself to the production of new plays at The O'Neill Center's National Playwrights Conference where he worked with Werner Liepolt and many other young playwrights. He was highly praised by critics Clive Barnes and Walter Kerr and won the Tony Award for his performance in "I LOVE MY WIFE" In the course of his career Baker appeared in a number of television shows, such as Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files, and Taxi. Far and away most prominent amongst his film roles, which included The Hospital and The Paper Chase, was Next Stop, Greenwich Village, for which he was widely praised by critics and for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Personal life Baker's career was cut short by illness. Throat problems led to him leaving the cast of the pre-Broadway show Broadway, Broadway in 1978, and his final television performances were in 1979. He died on April 12, 1982 of cancer, He had two brothers, Alan and Malcolm. Work Stage Broadway The Freedom of the City – Alvin Theatre, 1974 Secret Service – Playhouse Theatre, 1976 – Henry Dumont Boy Meets Girl – Playhouse Theatre, 1976 – Robert Law I Love My Wife – Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1977 – Alvin Off Broadway Conerico Was Here to Stay – Fortune Theatre, 1969 – Young Man Summertree - Players Theatre, 1969 - Young Man Paradise Gardens East – Fortune Theatre, 1969 – Brother The Year Boston Won the Pennant – Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, 1969 – Dillinger/Peabody Barbary Shore – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1973 – Mike Lovett Pericles, Prince of Tyre – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1974 – Thailard/Knight of Ephesus/Boult The Merry Wives of Windsor – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1974 – Abraham Slender Henry V – Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1976 – Dauphin Measure for Measure – oseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival, 1976 – Lucio Television The Teaching, 1970 – Samuel Golden Pueblo, 1973 – Ensign T.L. Harris Kojak: "Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die", 1974 – Joyce Harrington Sunshine: "White Bread and Margarine", 1975 – Jinx Secret Service – Henry Dumont, 1977 The Rubber Gun Squad, 1977 – Eddie Starsky and Hutch: "Ninety Pounds of Trouble", 1979 – Damon The Rockford Files: "Only Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die" Parts 1 and 2, 1979 – Ronny Martz Taxi: "Latka's Revolting", 1979 – Baschi Film The Hospital, 1971 – Dr. Schaefer A.W.O.L., 1972 – Sidney Feitel Malatesta's Carnival of Blood, 1973 – Sonja The Paper Chase, 1973 – William Moss Next Stop, Greenwich Village, 1976 – Larry Lapinsky