Early years Philip Michael Bosco was born in
Jersey City, New Jersey, on September 26, 1930, to Margaret Raymond (née Thek), a policewoman, and Philip Lupo Bosco, a carnival worker. His father was of Italian descent and his mother was of German descent. Bosco attended
St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, and later studied drama at
Catholic University of America, where he had notable success in the
title role of
William Shakespeare's
Richard III.
Career Bosco began his career in
Broadway theatre and earned a Tony Award nomination for his debut in
The Rape of the Belt in 1960. Bosco spent the next three decades supporting major stars in classic revivals like
Cyrano de Bergerac,
King Lear, and
Twelfth Night. Bosco played Grandpa Potts in the 2005 Broadway production of
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and played the aged Captain Shotover in a Broadway revival of
Heartbreak House in 2006. He retired from the stage in 2009 after appearing in the City Center Encores production of ''
Finian's Rainbow'', although Bosco lent his voice to
Douglas Carter Beane's 2010 play
Mr. and Mrs. Fitch.
Personal life and death Bosco married a fellow
Catholic University student, Nancy Ann Dunkle, on January 2, 1957. They had seven children and 15 grandchildren. Bosco and his wife resided in
Haworth, New Jersey. On December 3, 2018, Bosco died at his home of complications from
dementia at age 88. ==Acting credits==