Keene Curtis

In 1971, Keene Curtis won the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his work in the musical The Rothschilds. He wasn't the leading-man type major studios were looking for at the time, but his stage presence was magnetic. Curtis belonged to that breed of actors who see acting as a technical discipline rather than a pursuit of fame.

And the gamble paid off.

Before stepping onto a television set, he spent decades honing his voice on the stage. He was born in Salt Lake City in 1923, and his training at the University of Utah allowed him to make his Broadway debut in 1949 in the play Shop at Sly Corner. That was the start of a fifty-year relationship with New York theater that he never fully left.

But his face became lodged in viewers' collective memory thanks to the small screen.

The Man Upstairs

Many sitcom fans remember him as John Allen Hill on Cheers. He was the owner of the Melville's restaurant, who was always squabbling with Sam Malone. Curtis gave the character a refined snobbery that made a perfect counterpoint to the testosterone of the Boston bar.

Appeared in 35 episodes of the series between 1990 and 1993.

His ability to deliver cutting remarks without losing his composure made him indispensable in the show's final seasons. He didn't need to shout to dominate a scene, since a look of contempt over the top of his glasses was enough. That role gave him financial security, which allowed him to choose his film projects more carefully.

The Voice and Retirement in Utah

Film came calling for supporting roles in productions of all sizes. In 1994, he appeared in the movie I.Q. alongside Walter Matthau, and in 1998 he played Herbert Cadbury in Richie Rich's Christmas Wish. Curtis never turned up his nose at commercial projects as long as the character had a minimum of narrative coherence.

Animation voice work was where he truly found a lucrative haven. He lent his voice to characters in series such as The Smurfs and Swat Kats throughout much of the 1990s. Curtis knew that prestigious awards don't always pay the bills of such a long career.

His health began to decline at the end of the millennium.

Died on October 30, 2002, in Bountiful, Utah, from complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 79 years old and left behind a career with 113 credited roles in film and television. His last on-screen appearance was in an episode of the series The Pretender filmed in 2000.