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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Tony Roberts, the actor best known for playing Rob in Annie Hall, died on February 7, 2025, at age 85. His daughter, Nicole Burley, told The Washington Post that he died from complications of lung cancer.
Who was Tony Roberts?
Roberts was an American actor whose career spanned film, television and Broadway. For many moviegoers, his defining screen role was Rob, the confident friend and tennis partner of Alvy Singer in Woody Allen’s 1977 film Annie Hall.
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![Annie Hall [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41tTyH0c65L._SL160_.jpg)
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Annie Hall [Blu-ray] | $44.89 | Buy on Amazon |
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Woody Allen Blu-ray 10-Movie Collection - Annie Hall, Manhattan (Diane Keaton) | $159.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Woody Allen Blu-ray Bundle (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Sleeper, Hannah and Her Sisters) | $174.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Roberts often played the composed presence beside Allen’s anxious characters. In The Washington Post obituary, the critic Clive Barnes’s description of Roberts’s screen persona is recalled as “careful nonchalance.” Roberts himself described his work in the ensemble as that of “a musician in an orchestra. An interpreter, not a creator,” in a 2016 interview with the Jewish Journal, as quoted by the newspaper.
What was Tony Roberts known for?
His Woody Allen films
Alongside Annie Hall, Roberts appeared in several Woody Allen films, including Play It Again, Sam, Stardust Memories, A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy, Hannah and Her Sisters and Radio Days. In Annie Hall, Rob’s calm confidence helps define the contrast with Alvy. The Washington Post obituary recalls Rob’s line: “Max, you see conspiracies in everything.”
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Film roles beyond Allen’s ensemble
Roberts also appeared in films including Serpico (1973) and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), roles that show a screen career broader than his familiar association with Allen’s films.
A substantial Broadway career
Stage work was a major part of Roberts’s career. SAG-AFTRA says he appeared in two dozen Broadway productions and received two Tony Award nominations. His Broadway credits included How Now, Dow Jones, Play It Again, Sam, Victor/Victoria and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife.
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Roberts’s work with SAG-AFTRA
Roberts joined the union in March 1962 and served on the SAG National Board from 1988 through 2005, according to SAG-AFTRA. His work in the organization extended his contribution to the profession beyond performing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did the reports say about his death?
SAG-AFTRA and the Television Academy record Roberts’s death on February 7, 2025, at age 85. The Washington Post reported that he died at his Manhattan home and attributed the cause—complications from lung cancer—to his daughter, Nicole Burley.
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