Tony Fields
American actor and dancer
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The basics
Quick Facts
| Intro | American actor and dancer | |
| Places | United States of America | |
| was | Dancer Actor Television actor Film actor | |
| Work field | Dancing Film, TV, Stage & Radio | |
| Gender |
| |
| Birth | 28 December 1958, Stafford, Stafford County, Kansas, USA | |
| Death | 27 February 1995 (aged 36 years) | |
| Star sign | Capricorn |
The details
Biography
Tony Fields (December 28, 1958 – February 27, 1995) was an American dancer, famous for his performances on the television show Solid Gold, several Michael Jackson music videos, and the film version of the American musical A Chorus Line.
Early life
Fields was born Anthony Dean Campos in Stafford, Kansas. After his parents separated when he was four, his mother remarried, and he took his stepfather's last name, Fields. He was raised in Davis, California and showed an early aptitude for gymnastics before taking up dance training. He attended Davis High School, graduating in 1977. Fields then went on to college at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts on scholarship and Roland Dupree Academy of Dance, but left when paid work began to materialize for him.
Work on film and television
He moved to Hollywood to pursue his career, and started performing as a backup dancer in Debbie Reynolds' nightclub act. He then found a job on the Solid Gold television series as a dancer in 1979. Fields would continue with Solid Gold until 1985. During this time period, he also performed in the music video for Queen's "Body Language", at Freddie Mercury's direct request.
In 1983, Fields performed in Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and "Thriller" music video, both choreographed by Michael Peters, and Lionel Richie's "Running with the night" music video.
Richard Attenborough was working on a film version of the Broadway musical A Chorus Line in 1984. After a casting call which attracted over 3000 people, and auditions by anyone who had previously performed in the musical, Tony Fields won the role of Al DeLuca.
Fields' film work continued, with roles in Trick or Treat (1986), Body Beat (1987), The Doctor (1991) and Across the Moon (1995) and television shows such as Murder She Wrote (1992), L.A. Law (1991) and Monsters (1990). He also performed in plays and musical theatre in California.
He gradually became ill, and no longer able to sustain the physical demands of dancing, he returned to Davis High School to mentor students in 1994.
Fields died of HIV-related cancer in 1995.
Legacy
Fields is honored each year at Davis Senior High School with the showcase “A Tribute to Tony Fields” , celebrating the arts program of the school. He was inducted into the high school's Hall of Fame in 2009, and a scholarship is also available in his name.