American actor, born April 4, 1932 in New York City, USA, died September 12, 1992 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion . He was married to Berry Berenson, father of Osgood Perkins and Elvis Perkins.
Son of Osgood Perkins.
Father of Oz Perkins and Elvis Perkins.
Attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. He did not graduate but was later given an honorary degree.
On September 11, 2001, his widow and mother of his two sons, Berry Berenson was one of the 58 victims on AA-11 out of Boston that terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center.
Brother-in-law of Marisa Berenson.
Attended Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Other alumni include "The Sopranos" actress Ari Graynor , jazz musician Nate Peterson and Broadway star Lizzie Rose.
Was an only child and his parents gave him no middle name.
Was cremated and the superscription on his urn reads "Dont Fence Me In".
Was into psychoanalysis and was treated by Dr. Mildren Newman in New York starting in the early 1950s and continuing into the late 1970s.
During 1990, he got a blood sample taken due to a palsy on the side of his face. The National Enquirer illegally had Tonys blood sample tested for the AIDS virus, and found out that it was positive. Later that year, the National Enquirer wrote a story about his battle with AIDS, but the ironic thing was that he only found out that he was HIV positive from this article. He suspected that he probably was, but he never checked for it before the article was written.
Had agreed to voice the dentist on "The Simpsons" episode "Last Exit to Springfield" but died before work began. The role then went to Hank Azaria.
Was nominated twice for Broadways Tony Award: in 1958, as Best Actor for "Look Homeward, Angel", and in 1960, as Best Actor for "Greenwillow".
Was a huge admirer of Orson Welles , and was even planning on writing a book about him, but aborted the project in fear of upsetting his idol. Welles later said that he would have loved the idea.
His performance as Norman Bates in Psycho is ranked #4 on Premiere magazines 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
His first intimate heterosexual experience was at the age of 39 with Victoria Principal.
Auditioned for the role of the Phantom in the original Los Angeles production of Andrew Lloyd Webber s "The Phantom of the Opera", which went to Robert Guillaume.
Charles Winecoff s book "Anthony Perkins: Split Image" (Alyson Books, first published in 1996; 2006 10th Anniversary Revised Edition) illuminated Perkins early life, his homosexuality, his later drug use and life with his family. Contributors to the biography included some of his co-stars and colleagues, plus an impressive number of Perkins friends and relatives. His wife, Berry Berenson , however, did not participate. According to the book, Perkins contracted the AIDS virus around the time of Psycho III and kept the illness secret for six years until his death so he could keep working and not worry his friends and his two sons. The only person who knew he was sick was his wife Berry. Anthony officially found out that he was HIV positive when the tabloid "National Enquirer" wrote a story about it in 1990. Author Winecoff amended his book with a chapter about the death of Berry Perkins nine years after the death of her husband, as a passenger on board ill-fated American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11th, 2001.
Became an ordained minister and performed the marriage of director Ken Russell to his second wife, Vivian Jolly, in 1983.
Had a Top 30 Billboard hit in 1957 with the single "Moonlight Swim".
On November 7, 1988, he campaigned at a rally for Governor Michael Dukakis in UCLAs Pauley Pavilion, the night before the U.S. presidential election of 1988.
Was arrested at Londons Heathrow Airport in 1984 for possession of eight grams of marijuana and three spots of LSD. In 1989 he was arrested again at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff for illegally importing 1.3 grams of marijuana.
He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Motion Pictures at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
Was portrayed by James DArcy in Hitchcock .
Both he and Dallas Buyers Club founder Ron Woodroof died of AIDS on September 12, 1992.
He was left-handed.
Along with Vera Miles and Virginia Gregg , he is one of only three actors to appear in both Psycho and Psycho II .
Although he played Edward Binns son in Lovin Molly , he was only sixteen years his junior in real life.
I have learned more about love, selflessness and human understanding,from the people I have met in this great adventure in the world of AIDS,than I ever did in the cutthroat, competitive world in which I spent my,life.
[on playing Norman Bates in Psycho (1960) ] Not many people know,this, but I was in New York rehearsing for a play when the shower scene,was filmed in Hollywood. It is rather strange to go through life being,identified with this sequence knowing that it was my double. Actually,the first time I saw Psycho and that shower scene was at the studio. I,found it really scary. I was just as frightened as anybody else.
Working on the picture, though, was one of the happiest filming,experiences of my life. We had fun making it - never realizing the,impact it would have.
[on his acting] I was always very keen. I would do anything they asked,of me.
[on his mother] Just a strong-willed, dominant, New England kind of,woman. She controlled everything about my life, including my thoughts,and feelings. "Finish your homework. Put your toys away. Take a bath,now. Where are you going? What are you reading? Why are you doing,that?" She felt she was taking responsibility, but she was really,taking control.
I had wild fantasies, but my erotic experience was mostly solitary.
