Biografia

Won Broadway's 1996 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for a revival of Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance." He had two prior nominations as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic): in 1959 for "The Disenchanted" and in 1961 for "Big Fish, Little Fish.".

Until his death, Grizzard and William Tynan maintained a country home together in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Neighbors included Joan Rivers, Bill Blass, and other entertainment industry luminaries.

According to Grizzard's New York Times obituary, his only survivor was his longtime romantic partner William Tynan.

His first theatre role was in 1945 when he played a miner in Emlyn Williams' The Corn is Green at the Crossroads Theatre in Virginia.

Grizzard received his first Tony nomination (as best featured actor) for his performance in The Disenchanted (1958), based on Budd Schulberg's biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and he received a second nomination in 1961 for his work in Hugh Wheeler's wry comedy, Big Fish, Little Fish.

[explaining how, during rehearsals for the play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", he never realized it would be such a big hit] Then it was like wildfire - the reaction from people and the crowds clamoring to get in. It was startling. "Virginia Woolf" was such a brilliant play on so many levels. It made people's minds go wild.

[on his role as Tobias in Edward Albee's play "A Delicate Balance"] Fear is a universal motivator . . . I think the only time I really get mean or angry or contentious is when I'm frightened.

I was an only child, and probably very lonely so I made up children to play with - Gene and Bounds and Mrs. Pig and Mrs. Hog and their children and a town called Scottina. It was all a child's fantasy, but I guess that just kind of developed into wanting to create people.

[Theater] is like being in a velvet jail. It's nice to have the play and the success, but you can't do anything or go anywhere. I don't like to be in plays for long runs.

After "Hamlet", nothing scares you.