Anita Rose Morris was an American actress, singer and dancer. She began her career performing on Broadway musicals, including Jesus Christ Superstar, Seesaw and Nine, for which she received Tony Award nomination. During her career, Morris had starring roles in a number of films, include The Hotel New Hampshire, Absolute Beginners, Ruthless People, Aria, 18 Again!, Bloodhounds of Broadway and A Sinful Life. She had leading roles in two short-lived television series in 1980s: NBC prime timesoap operaBerrenger's, and Fox sitcom Down and Out in Beverly Hills.
Career
Among many roles, Morris' most prominent film role was as Carol Dodsworth, the mistress to Danny DeVito, in Ruthless People and for her sensual performance as Carla in the musical Nine opposite Raul Julia. While nominated for a Best Featured Actress Tony Award as Carla, she lost to Liliane Montevecchi, also in Nine. 21 years later, Jane Krakowski won the Tony Award in the same category as Morris, playing Carla in a revival with Antonio Banderas. Her signature number in Nine was "A Call from the Vatican", and she also sang "Simple", late in act two. She was scheduled to perform the former at the Tony Awards in 1982, but the television censors found her outfit too revealing. Her stage work began in the American Mime Theatre, and carried her to Broadway both for Nine, Jesus Christ Superstar, Seesaw, The Magic Show, Sugar Babies and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Morris portrayed Rob Lowe's lover Rhonda Ray in The HotelNew Hampshire. Other film work included The Happy Hooker, Maria's Lovers, Absolute Beginners with David Bowie, Blue City with Judd Nelson, Ruthless People with Danny DeVito and Bette Midler, 18 Again! with George Burns, Bloodhounds of Broadway with Madonna and Matt Dillon, A Sinful Life, Martians Go Home with Randy Quaid, Off and Running with Cyndi Lauper, Little Miss Millions with Jennifer Love Hewitt, Me and the Kid, and Radioland Murders, which was her final film role. During the 1980s and early 1990s, she played guest roles in sitcoms and dramas, including Miami Vice, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, Cheers, Melrose Place, Matlock, Tales from the Crypt, Murphy Brown and A Different World. In 1984, Morris was featured in The Rolling Stones' music video "She Was Hot".
Life and death
Morris was born in Durham, North Carolina, to Eloise, who was involved in theater, and James Badgett Morris, a doctor. She was married to Grover Dale in 1973 and had a son, James Badge Dale, in 1978, who developed an acting career beginning in 1990. She developed ovarian cancer in 1980, and was given only five years to live. She lived for another 14 years before she died on March 2, 1994, and was buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Durham, North Carolina.
