ACTOR · BORN 1932 · DIED 1992

Anthony Perkins

Born

4 April 1932, New York City, New York, USA

Died

12 September 1992

Known for

Psycho (1960), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Psycho II (1983), The Trial (1962)

72 archived facts · 5 topics · 1 source · Last reviewed Sep 2026

Anthony Perkins: 11 Facts About Characters and Roles

1. #014

   In 1961, Perkins bought out his contract with Paramount and settled in France. He spent the next several years in European productions, sharing the lead with some of the era's most popular actresses, including Ingrid Bergman, Melina Mercouri and Sophia Loren. This period allowed him to move away from Hollywood's mold and take part in more varied projects.

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2. #020

   Perkins auditioned for the role of the Phantom in the Los Angeles production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "The Phantom of the Opera," but lost the part to Robert Guillaume. The audition shows Perkins's interest in musical theater.

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3. #021

   Perkins appeared alongside Fred Astaire in the apocalyptic science-fiction film On the Beach (1959), Astaire's first dramatic role. Noticing Astaire's nervousness, Perkins guided him through his serious scenes and coached him in acting throughout the shoot, showing how helpful he was as an experienced actor.

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4. #022

   Perkins was offered a role in Some Like It Hot (1959) that required him to dress in women's clothing. Paramount, however, forbade him from accepting it on the grounds that it would damage his young heartthrob image, and the part went to Tony Curtis instead. The episode illustrates the strict control studios held over actors' careers.

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5. #040

   In Perkins's early films, Gary Cooper and Jack Palance played the fathers of the characters he portrayed. Perkins got along very well with Cooper and saw him as a true father figure, while he never established a good relationship with Palance; the antipathy was mutual.

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6. #049

   In 1962, Perkins starred in a black comedy directed by Orson Welles. In the film he played a bureaucrat who is constantly harassed by the police over unspecified crimes. Perkins appreciated Welles's confident but not authoritarian directing style. This experience provided a positive working environment, in contrast to the difficulties he had had with earlier strict directors.

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7. #053

   In 1985, Perkins was offered the lead villain role in the Western comedy Lust in the Dust (1984). The film was a parody of 'Duel in the Sun' (1946) without its sadomasochistic elements. The role would have required him to act alongside his former lover Tab Hunter, whom he had not seen in about twenty years. Perkins turned the offer down; after a brief conversation between the two men, they never met again.

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8. #054

   In 1954, Perkins became famous for the character Tom Lee, whom he played in the play 'Tea and Sympathy'. The character was an effeminate young man seduced by an older woman. This role brought him many job offers, but for several years he was confined to similar effeminate characters. This situation hindered his efforts to broaden his acting range.

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9. #055

   In the summer of 1953, while vacationing in California, Perkins began hanging around the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio and did errands for the studio in the hope of finding work as an actor. As a result of these efforts he was cast in the role of Fred Whitmarsh in the film The Actress (1953). His character was the love interest of the main character played by Jean Simmons.

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10. #060

    In the early 1970s, Perkins gave up almost always playing lead roles and began to appear more often in supporting roles. This change was partly due to his advancing age; in his late thirties he was not considered suitable for the typical romantic leads of the period. During this period he played more mature characters.

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11. #063

    In 1964, Perkins played a Soviet spy in the spy comedy The Ravishing Idiot. Brigitte Bardot was his accomplice and love interest in the film. The press wrote that Perkins was the first American actor to play Bardot's love interest, and Bardot was happy to work with him. Perkins, however, was uncomfortable working with Bardot and called her the leading lady he liked least; he was used to more experienced and mature actresses.

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