Person Biography:
Barry Dennen was an American actor, singer, and voice artist, born on February 22, 1938, in Chicago. He began his career in New York City, performing in workshops and on the cabaret circuit, while nurturing the singing career of his then-girlfriend, Barbra Streisand. After graduating from UCLA, Dennen moved to England in 1968, where he was selected by Harold Prince to create the role of the Emcee in the original West End production of "Cabaret." He earned the Evening Standard Award for "Best Actor in a Musical" for his performance.
Dennen's magnetic performance opposite Judi Dench as Sally Bowles was preserved on a cast soundtrack album. This success encouraged him to stay in London, where he was invited by Andrew Lloyd Webber to sing the role of Pontius Pilate on the concept album of "Jesus Christ Superstar." He later reprised the role in the original Broadway production, earning rave reviews for his no-holds-barred performance.
Throughout his five-decade-long career, Dennen worked in various mediums, including film, television, radio, video games, and animated cartoons. He appeared in numerous films, including "The Juggler of Notre Dame," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Madhouse," "Brannigan," "The Kentucky Fried Movie," "Rabbit Test," "The Shining," "Shock Treatment," "Ragtime," "Trading Places," "Superman III," and "Memed My Hawk."
Dennen also had a successful television career, guest-starring in popular shows such as "Remington Steele," "Hill Street Blues," "Newhart," "L.A. Law," "My Sister Sam," "Hooperman," "Murder, She Wrote," "Mr. Belvedere," "Murphy Brown," and "Amen." He worked extensively in the theater, appearing in productions such as "Ghetto," "She Loves Me," "Annie Get Your Gun," "The Pirates of Penzance," and "Silent Partners."
Dennen's vocal versatility was utilized in various video games and animated series, including "The New Adventures of Jonny Quest," "Ducktales," "Pound Puppies," "The Further Adventures of SuperTed," "The Smurfs," and "Batman: The Animated Series." He published his memoir, "My Life with Barbra: A Love Story," in 1997, detailing his relationship with Streisand and the nightclub act he created/directed that launched her superstar career.
In his personal life, Dennen struggled with being gay and married British actress Pamela Strong in 1969. They adopted two children before divorcing in 1981. He later entered into a long-term relationship with James McGachy, who died of lung cancer in 2001. Dennen suffered a serious brain injury after a fall in 2017 and died two months later in hospice care on September 26, 2017, at the age of 79.
