Biography

Peter Masterson

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Born
June 1, 1934 · Houston, Texas, USA
Died
December 18, 2018 · Kinderhook, New York, USA (complications from Parkinson's disease)
Birth name
Carlos Bee Masterson Jr.

Actor, writer, producer and director Peter Masterston is best known for his adaptation of Larry L. King's "Playboy" magazine article "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)" into a smash Broadway musical, for which he received two Tony nominations. He also was the screenwriter of the underwhelming 1982 film adaptation that starred Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. Masterston complained that Reynolds, then in full-superstar status, had tinkered with the character and dialog of the sheriff to make him more like Reynolds' own persona, thus fatally flawing the film.

Before hitting it big with "Whorehouse", Masterston had an unspectacular career as an actor beginning in the mid-1960s and continuing through the mid-'80s, when he shifted his attentions towards directing with The Trip to Bountiful (1985). The film, which was adapted by Masterston's cousin Horton Foote from Foote's own play, was a success, earning Geraldine Page the Academy Award as Best Actress.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jon C. Hopwood

Father of Mary Stuart Masterson, Peter Masterson and Alexandra Masterson.
Masterson was the subject of a whole chapter in William Goldman's 1969 book "The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway." The book covered a single season (1967-68) in Broadway theater; the chapter focusing on Masterson recounts his experiences starring in the 1967 play "The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald" (written by Amram Ducovny and Leon Friedman); the play only ran for 3 previews and 9 performances, and was considered a flop. Later in their lives, children of both Masterson and Ducovny became acting stars: Masterson's daughter Mary Stuart Masterson (Fried Green Tomatoes) and Ducovny's son David Duchovny ("The X-Files").
In 1979, was nominated for two Tony Awards for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas:" as Best Director (Musical,) along with collaborator Tommy Tune, and as Best Book (Musical), along with Larry L. King.
He was nominated for a 1976 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role for his performance in "That Championship Season", at the Arlington Park Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Cousin of writer Horton Foote.

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