Robert Aldredge

Many years before his life as a professional actor, Ohio native Tom Aldredge had aspirations of becoming a lawyer, and he briefly pursued that career at the University of Dayton, majoring in pre-law. But in 1947, Aldredge had a change of heart after watching one of the original Broadway performances of "A Streetcar Named Desire." It was a life-altering experience for Aldredge, who, from that point forward, dedicated himself to reaching that same level of theatrical glory. In 1959, he made his Broadway debut, appearing as Danny in the musical "The Nervous Set." It was the start of a long and varied theater career, which included roles in projects such as 1972's "Sticks and Bones" and 1978's "On Golden Pond" (for which he received a Tony nomination). Throughout the decades, Aldredge went on to earn four additional Tony nominations, also earning acclaim when he ventured into TV, winning an Emmy for his role as Shakespeare in the 1977 CBS production "Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare." The well-respected actor kept working the rest of his life, making appearances in a variety of films and TV shows--from "Ryan's Hope" in 1979 to a notable recurring stint on the HBO mafia landmark "The Sopranos"--but Aldredge is most fondly remembered for his work on Broadway, where his career began.