Anthony Perkins

Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor and singer. Born in Manhattan, Perkins began his career as a teenager in summer stock programs, and debuted on Broadway in the Elia Kazan-directed Tea and Sympathy (1953) playing a young man who is stigmatized for being "less manly" than his peers. This was his ticket to Hollywood where he was cast in Friendly Persuasion (1956), which earned him a Golden Globe Award, and cemented his career. Perkins is best known for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), a role he reprised in three sequels. The role typecast him as a character with disturbing, complex psychological issues. His later work was predominantly in television. In his final years, he took on roles that were far removed from his persona as Norman Bates, before his untimely passing in 1992 from AIDS-related pneumonia.

In the late 1950s, Paramount tried to mold Perkins into a heartthrob image, casting him in various romantic roles. He was also praised for his singing ability and released several pop music albums. Perkins's fame took an upturn in 1960, when he starred as a horrific character in the Hitchcock thriller Psycho. Despite delivering a stunning performance, his career suffered as he was typecast in similar roles. Despite everything, Perkins continued to work in film throughout the 1960s and effectively made a transition to European films, earning praise for his performances. In the 1970s, he decided to undergo conversion therapy and married Berry Berenson in 1973. He reprised his role as Norman Bates in several Psycho sequels even as he was battling AIDS, his last film was broadcasted posthumously.