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 Forever identified as Ann Marie's bland, buttoned-down boyfriend on That Girl, Ted Bessell was, in reality, a complex and creative artist. Prior to his death on October 6th, at the age of 61, Bessell excelled in music, painting, and directing, as well as acting. But his success on the 1966-71 Marlo Thomas series, which broke ground for today's urban sitcoms, came at a price. "Donald Hollinger made me a name but took away the heart of me," he once said.
Long Island-born Bessell was a piano prodigy who played Carnegie Hall at the
age of 12. Later, he seriously considered the priesthood but chose acting
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After years of stage work, Bessell's first regular TV roll came in the 1962
sitcom, It's a Man's World.
When NBC axed the show, he and a costar drove cross-country, urging fans to protest.
They tried to bring a petition to the head of NBC, but got only as far as a VP, who
explained the facts of life and Nielsens. That Girl brought Bessell fame, as well as an Emmy nomination, the chance to direct, and lasting friendship with Thomas. "People adored him, and that likability was a huge part of that show," she says. "He was a gentle, sensitive, profoundly funny, extraodinarily decent human being. I will miss him for the rest of my life." Though later series were less memorable, Bessell found fulfillment in art and his family with artist Linnell Nobori. In the late 80's he excelled again, as a producer/director of the Emmy-winning Tracey Ullman Show. "He never let me fake a move," Ullman says. "He was truly an actor's director." When he spoke to TV Guide in July, Bessell was directing the film version of Bewitched and had made peace with That Girl. "People have a love for it," he said. "It's remarkable through the years that you get that kind of response."
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