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An
Introduction to Robert Desiderio
Robert
Desiderio, I remember.
I first saw Robert
act off, off Broadway in the mid 70s. In
the early years, growing up in the Bronx, I never guessed
Robert could control his creative forces to the extent needed
to be the artist he's turned out to be. But in those
early days, who even knew what creative forces
were? (Creative, like potential, was a word that
when my teachers told my mother I had it, she thought it was a
nice way of telling her not to expect much.) After
the play a few of us went to his apartment for drinks and
talk. I remember how differently I saw him then.
He had a presence on that stage; I'd been so caught up in his
performance, that I had forgotten I was watching a childhood
friend. Then later, sitting with a drink in my hand,
listening to the conversation, I saw him in a new light.
He was a professional, I can see now, but then, in that small
apartment off Houston Street, I couldn't put a label on
it. I just knew he'd evolved. Over
the years I'd be watching TV and there was Robert in the Caribbean
with his American Express card; Angela Lansbury would say
something to...Robert; Sam Malone's dreaded rival, Gary was
Robert; Matlock, Remington Steel, Riptide...Robert,
Robert, Robert. I even found Mr. T talking to Robert on The
A-Team.
And more recently Jack Massarone on The Sorpranos turns
out to be...guess who? Aside
from all the damage loud Rock 'n Roll and gunfire has done to
my ears (Ted Nuggent is my secret identity), I can still catch nuances in voices. I can even
recognize character actors in movies by their voices. My favorite
catch was Billy Bob Thornton in Tombstone. I was
sure I knew that voice, but I just couldn't place it. I
watched that scene in the Orient Saloon over and over before I
nailed it [I of course refused to look at the credits.]
After I figured it out, I called Christian,
a big Thornton fan, and asked him who the actor was. He
wouldn't agree until he saw the credits. Robert's
voiceovers, however, vary so much, so versatile is his talent,
that when I listen
to some of them on his website,
I still can't believe it's him. I even heard some
commercials of his that I've heard on TV and was shocked to
find they were him! It's
true his voice is a gift, but he cultivated that gift.
His radio training and experience, his fine acting ability,
combine with that voice to make tool that is always believable
and compelling. Well
done Robert, I'm proud to know you.
Joe De Matteo © copyright
2002, all rights reserved. |
