Tony Mordente passed away June 11 in Henderson, Nevada, according to his obituary.
Mordente, whose full name was Anthony Mordente Jr., passed away at the age of 88 after a brief illness, his obituary stated. Mordente is a renowned dancer and choreographer on Broadway. He famously portrayed the fiery Jet named Action in the 1961 movie “West Side Story” before transitioning to a prolific career directing TV series’ including “Family Ties,” “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and “7th Heaven,” according to Deadline.
Born Dec. 3, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, Mordente’s journey into the world of performing began at an early age. He started dancing at 13 and honed his skills at New York City’s High School of Performing Arts and the American Ballet Theater School, Deadline reported. His training paved the way for his entry into Broadway, where he first made a mark in 1956’s “Lil’ Abner” as Lonesome Polecat.
Tony Mordente Dies: ‘7th Heaven’ Director-Producer, Prolific Choreographer And ‘West Side Story’ Actor Was 88 https://t.co/Bfgldr2nbU
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 14, 2024
Mordente’s breakthrough came when he was cast in the role of A-Rab in the original Broadway production of “West Side Story” in 1957, a role he reprised in the West End the following year, the outlet reported. His association with “West Side Story” deepened when he was cast as Action, the fiery member of the Jets, in the 1961 film adaptation directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise.
The role not only heightened his career but also intertwined his personal life with the arts, as it was during his time on Broadway that he met and fell in love with Chita Rivera, the original Anita in “West Side Story.” The couple married in 1957 and welcomed their daughter, Lisa Mordente, in 1958, though they later divorced in 1966, Deadline reported. (RELATED: ‘Die Hard 2’ Actor Tom Bower Dead At 86)
From left to right, actors Russ Tamblyn, Tony Mordente, Tucker Smith and Scooter Teague in a publicity still issued for the film, ‘West Side Story’, USA, 1961. The musical, directed by Robert Wise (1914-2005) and Jerome Robbins (1918-1998), starred Beymer as ‘Tony Wycek’, Tamblyn as ‘Riff Lorton’, and Chakiris as ‘Bernardo Nunez’. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
In the decades that followed, Mordente established himself as a prolific director for television. From the 1970s through the 1980s and beyond, he directed episodes of several iconic TV series’, including “Rhoda,” “MASH,” “Benson,” “The A-Team,” “The Greatest American Hero,” “Matlock” and “Walker, Texas Ranger,” according to Deadline.
