** ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY FEB. 12 ** “Lord of the Rings” cast member Brent Carver is photographed during dress rehearsal in Toronto, Oct. 28, 2005. Carver, the Tony-winning star of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” will portray the majestic wizard Gandalf. (AP Photo/Aaron Harris)
(Greg Evans’s article appeared on Deadline, 8/6; via Pam Green.)
Brent Carver, a stage and screen actor who won the 1993 Tony Award for his performance in Broadway’s The Kiss of the Spider Woman, died Tuesday at his home in Cranbrook, British Columbia, his family has reported. He was 68.
A cause of death was not specified.
“Our family is sharing news of Brent Carver’s passing on Aug 4 at home in Cranbrook, BC, his birthplace and favourite place on Earth,” read a family statement. “Blessed with many talents and a natural love of theatre, Brent was always known as a first-class performer, unique in the presentation of his craft, delighting audiences through film, TV, stage and concert performances.”
Chita Rivera, Carver’s Kiss of the Spider Woman co-star who also won a Tony that year, said today, “My heart is broken at the loss of my great friend and amazing artist, Brent Carver. I shall miss him more than I can say.”
Carver began his stage career in 1972, with a performance in Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at the Vancouver Arts Club. He segued to television four years later with a costarring role on the CBC sitcom Leo and Me opposite a pre-stardom Michael J. Fox, although the series would not air until 1981.
