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Willy Switkes is a Actor born on 12 november 1929
William B. "Willy" Switkes (November 12, 1929 – March 7, 2013) was an American character actor who appeared in more than eighty films throughout his career. He appeared in a notable scene as a passenger in a taxi cab with Dustin Hoffman in the 1982 comedic film, Tootsie. In the scene, Switkes was thrown from the taxi when his character attempted to cut in front of Hoffman's.
He was born in Washington D.C. in 1929. He moved to New York City in 1955, where he resided for most of his life, to pursue acting.
Switkes film credits also included roles in The Arrangement in 1969, Bananas in 1971, The French Connection in 1971, Taxi Driver in 1976, An Unmarried Woman in 1978, Dressed to Kill in 1980, Playing for Keeps in 1986, and Ghostbusters II in 1989.
Switkes also enjoyed a long career in Broadway theatre. He was the understudy of Buster Keaton in Once Upon a Mattress in 1960, in which he also played the Wizard in the musical comedy. he co-starred as Smee in the touring production of Peter Pan opposite Cathy Rigby, who played Peter Pan. His other Broadway productions included A Country Scandal, A Thousand Clowns, The Cherry Orchard, Saint Joan of the Stockyards, Sly Fox, and What the Butler Saw.
Willy Switkes died from colon cancer at Montgomery Hospice Casey House in Rockville, Maryland, on March 7, 2013, at the age 83.
Source : Wikidata
Willy Switkes
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Birth 12 november 1929
Death 7 march 2013 (at 83 years)
Death 7 march 2013 (at 83 years)
He was born in Washington D.C. in 1929. He moved to New York City in 1955, where he resided for most of his life, to pursue acting.
Switkes film credits also included roles in The Arrangement in 1969, Bananas in 1971, The French Connection in 1971, Taxi Driver in 1976, An Unmarried Woman in 1978, Dressed to Kill in 1980, Playing for Keeps in 1986, and Ghostbusters II in 1989.
Switkes also enjoyed a long career in Broadway theatre. He was the understudy of Buster Keaton in Once Upon a Mattress in 1960, in which he also played the Wizard in the musical comedy. he co-starred as Smee in the touring production of Peter Pan opposite Cathy Rigby, who played Peter Pan. His other Broadway productions included A Country Scandal, A Thousand Clowns, The Cherry Orchard, Saint Joan of the Stockyards, Sly Fox, and What the Butler Saw.
Willy Switkes died from colon cancer at Montgomery Hospice Casey House in Rockville, Maryland, on March 7, 2013, at the age 83.
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Filmography of Willy Switkes (1 films)
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Tootsie (1982)
, 1h57Directed by Sydney Pollack
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Melodrama, Romance
Themes Films about sexuality, Films about television, L'usurpation d'identité, LGBT-related films, Transgender in film, Musical films, Escroquerie, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film, Cross-dressing in film
Actors Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Charles Durning, Bill Murray, Dabney Coleman
Roles Man at Cab
Rating73%
Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is a respected but perfectionist actor. Nobody in New York wants to hire him anymore because he is difficult to work with. According to his long-suffering agent George Fields (Sydney Pollack), Michael's attention to detail and difficult reputation led a commercial he worked on to run significantly over-schedule, because the idea of a tomato sitting down was "illogical" to him. After many months without a job, Michael hears of an opening on the soap opera Southwest General from his friend and acting student Sandy Lester (Teri Garr), who tries out for the role of a hospital administrator Emily Kimberly but does not get it. In desperation, and as a result of his agent telling him that "no one will hire you", he dresses as a woman, auditions as "Dorothy Michaels" and wins the part. Michael takes the job as a way to raise $8,000 to produce a play, written by his roommate Jeff Slater (Bill Murray) and to star Sandy, titled Return to Love Canal. Michael plays his character as a feisty, feminist administrator, which surprises the other actors and crew who expected Emily to be (as written) another swooning female in the plot. His character quickly becomes a television sensation.