John Deyle, a veteran actor on Broadway and television commercials, died June 22 in Mount Kisco, NY of esophageal cancer. He was 68.
Born and raised in Rochester, New York, he studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
In 1978, when auditioning for the Richard Rodgers and Martin Charnin musical I Remember Mama, Charnin decided to instead cast him in the original Broadway production of Annie. A member of the third-year cast, which featured Sarah Jessica Parker in the title role, Deyle played Louis Howe, Fred McCracken, and Bert Healy.
His other Broadway credits include understudy to Sir Lionel in the 1980 revival of Camelot, appearing in the original Broadway company of Footloose, and portraying Senator Fipp in Urinetown.
On tour, Deyle played Bert Bratt in the 1996 production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and did three tours of Camelot in various roles, including Forest Merlyn. Off-Broadway, he appeared as Frankie Cavalier in Pageant, and as Hucklebee in the 2006 revival of The Fantasticks.
Deyle was in more than 100 commercials, ranging from Skippy Peanut Butter to Just for Men Hair Color. He also was “Mr. Science” on the first season of Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and appeared on Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, One Life to Live, and All My Children.
Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Rebecca, their son, Oleg, and his sister, Kathryn. Services will be private.