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Joseph Maher, 64; TV, Screen and Stage Actor

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Joseph Maher, prolific actor recognized for portraying often humorous authority figures on stage, screen and television, has died. He was 64.

Maher, who received more Tony nominations for supporting actor than any other Broadway performer in history, died Friday at his home in Los Angeles of a brain tumor.

The distinguished-looking gray-haired Maher, who was adept at comedy as well as drama, portrayed Father Tim in the 1997 film “In and Out,” Bishop O’Hara in the 1992 “Sister Act” and St. Peter in the 1987-88 television series “Second Chance.”

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He was also familiar in the white coat of a doctor--as Dr. David Stadson on the popular television series “Chicago Hope” and Dr. Walter Weisman in the series “Laurie Hill.” On the large screen, he was Dr. Alstricht in the 1994 “Bulletproof Heart,” Dr. Lucas Budlong in the 1988 “My Stepmother Is an Alien,” Dr. Kalman in the 1981 “I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can” and Dr. Coleson in the 1980 “Just Tell Me What You Want.”

As familiar as Maher’s face was to film and television viewers, he was perhaps even better known in live theater--in Los Angeles as well as New York.

On Broadway, he garnered the record three Tony nominations for his character roles in “Spokesong,” “Night and Day” and “Loot.” He established a reputation for performing plays by the late British writer Joe Orton, including “Loot” and “Entertaining Mr. Sloane,” which he brought to Los Angeles’ Mark Taper Forum, and “What the Butler Saw.”

“It is one of those performances that makes using every trick in the book suddenly acceptable in the audacious context of the piece,” said Times theater critic Sylvie Drake when Maher portrayed Truscott of the Yard in “Loot” here in 1987. “The bombast, the side glances, the quick looks, the raised eyebrows, the calculated inflections . . . add up to memorable bravura. It is ‘Loot’s’ star turn and Maher, polished and seasoned and skillful actor that he is, delivers it in spades.”

Born in Westport, Galway, Ireland, Maher immigrated to Canada in 1956 and in his youth worked for an oil company. He started acting with the Canadian Players and performed across Canada for three years before gravitating to New York.

His stage debut was in a Toronto production of “The Taming of the Shrew” in 1959. He made his off-Broadway debut in “The Hostage” in 1962, and his Broadway debut in “The Chinese Prime Minister” in 1964.

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Maher first performed in a motion picture in 1972 in “It Ain’t Easy.” He is remembered especially for his role as Warren Beatty’s butler in “Heaven Can Wait.”

Maher broke into television with a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of the play “Little Moon of Alban” in 1964. But he quickly won guest and regular roles in series from “MASH” to “thirtysomething” to “Seinfeld.”

The actor is survived by four sisters and one brother, who live in Ireland and England.

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