Anita Morris

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Anita Morris
Born	March 14, 1943 Durham, North Carolina
Died	March 2, 1994 Los Angeles

Anita Rose Morris (March 14, 1943 - March 2, 1994) was an American actress.

Among many roles, Morris is best remembered as Carol Dodsworth, the mistress to Danny DeVito, in the movie 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. 11 years later, Jane Krakowski won the Tony in the same category as Morris, playing Carla in a splashy revival with Antonio Banderas.

Her signature number in Nine was "A Call From the Vatican," and she also sang the effective "Simple," late in act two. She was scheduled to perform the former at the Tony Awards in 1982, but the TV 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, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Morris portrayed the lover of Rob Lowe in 1984's The Hotel New Hampshire. Other film work included Bloodhounds of Broadway with Madonna, Randy Quaid, and Matt Dillon, Down and Out in Beverly Hills with Nick Nolte and Bette Midler, and Radioland Murders, which was her final film role.

She made the rounds during the 1980's and early 1990's, making guest spots in some of the decades' most indelible sitcoms and dramas, including Miami Vice, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, and Cheers in the 80's and Melrose Place, Matlock, Tales From the Crypt, and A Different World in the 90's. In 1984, Morris appeared in The Rolling Stones video "She Was Hot".

She was the mother of actor James Badge Dale and was married since 1973 to actor Grover Dale. She died in Los Angeles, aged 50, after a long struggle with ovarian cancer, which was first diagnosed in 1980. She outlived the diagnosis by 15 years.