The tight wearing dancer from Murder She Wrote was played by actor Robert Torti, maybe known to most from his time on the soap Generations. During his time on the show, (1989-1991) he and actress Kelly Rutherford were one of the shows most popular couples. I've never seen even a minute of Generations, but when searching for Robert, it was clear that the couple is still beloved by fans of the cancelled soap.
Even though I didn't watch the soap, I think it was Generations that first introduced me to Torti. When I was searching for images for this piece, I recognized many of his promotional shots from the soap from magazines that I'd seen when I was younger. Given how popular he and Kelly seemed to be, they were on the cover, and in many soap themed magazines from the late 80's and early 90's.
Torti got his start in the business in the early 1980's appearing on shows including; Quincy, Throb, Family Ties and Little House on the Prairie. His first role in film was the 1984 erotic action film Alley Cat. Although there was plenty of nudity in Alley Cat, unfortunately it was mostly the female cast members. We did however, get some great shirtless of shots of Torti, which you can check out below.
Torti made his Broadway debut in 1987, co-starring alongside actress Jane Krakowski, (above) in the original cast of Andrew Llyod Webber's roller-skating musical, Starlight Express. Tori also appeared as the Pharaoh along side Michael Damien in the Broadway production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Torti went on to co-star alongside Donny Osmond, (below) in a touring production of the show and the version that filmed for video release.
Those stage credits might have helped prepare Tori for his tight wearing role on Murder She Wrote. In the late 80's and throughout the 90's, Torit continued to appear on television with roles on shows including; The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Beverly Hills 90120, Melrose Place and Quantum Leap. Torti also co-starred with Matt Leblanc in the short-lived 1992 sit-com Vinnie & Bobby. This was Leblanc's last failed show prior to getting the role of Joey on Friends.
Torti continued to work steadily into the 2000's with roles on; Sabrina The Teenage Witch, V.I.P, Criminal Minds and in the films, Race to Witch Mountain, She's All That. and the musical, Reefer Madness. Torti's on screen roles seemed to have slowed a little in the late 2010's with is last appearances being roles in two short films in 2021.
I have to thank Jessica Fletcher for not only solving another mystery, but for again re-introducing me to a face and a hottie from my past.
Generations
I found the blurry cap on-line from Generations on-line. I did a search on Youtube, and although there were scenes from the soap featuring Torti, I sadly couldn't find the scene with Torti in his briefs. If anyone knows if it's out there, let me know!
Circus of the Stars (1992)
No comments:
Post a Comment