Tony Bennett's Only TV & Film Roles In Which He Didn't Play Himself
Today the music world mourns the loss of a legitimate titan as several news outlets, including Variety, have confirmed the death of legendary crooner Tony Bennett. He was 96. Renowned for his show-stopping voice and effortlessly jazzy swagger, the singer rose to prominence in the 1950s, eventually becoming one of America's best-loved vocalists. At the height of his fame, even Frank Sinatra hailed Bennett as "the best in the business," with the singer carrying the torch of the classic American songbook until his 2021 retirement.
Perhaps best known for his 1962 hit "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," Bennett also spent a considerable amount of time in Hollywood circles, making regular appearances in various film and television projects when not recording, or touring. While Bennett's songs amassed a whopping 161 screen credits over the years, including music video appearances, the man himself logged just 31 as a performer. While many of those appearances found Bennett credited as himself, a handful indeed found the singer getting into character as another persona altogether.
That includes his earliest screen credit, which came with a one-off stop on "The Danny Thomas Show." Bennett turned up in a Season 6 episode as Danny's Cousin, Stephen, an aspiring singer with eyes on stardom. The role was likely not much of a stretch, but if you've seen the episode, you know Bennett's boundless charisma could barely be contained by the small screen.
Bennett had several other proper acting gigs in his career
Though "The Danny Thomas Show" marked Tony Bennett's screen debut, in 1963, Bennett turned up in the ABC hit "77 Sunset Strip." If you're unfamiliar with the series, it found stars Efram Zimbalist Jr. and Roger Smith portraying crack Los Angeles detectives with an office setup at the titular location. The series eventually served as inspiration for the popular hit "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)." Bennett didn't play a part in recording that hit, but he did make a pair of appearances on the show as Maximillian, a man wrapped up with the detectives as they traverse Europe in search of objects stolen by Nazi forces.
A couple of years later, Paramount Pictures bosses came knocking to offer Bennett a meaty role in their Hollywood insider drama, "The Oscar." The film tells of a boastful actor (played by Stephen Boyd) whose ego is pushed over the edge when he's nominated for a best actor Academy Award. The film is largely seen through the eyes of his longtime pal Hymie Kelly, portrayed by Bennett. Though "The Oscar" didn't earn much love from critics or audiences, Bennett still got to share the screen with legends like Milton Berle, Jill St. John, and Joseph Cotten, among others.
Three decades would pass before Bennett played another purely fictional character, portraying Tony Lombardi on a lone episode of the Burt Reynolds-starrer "Evening Shade."