Phila. actor who lost leg in hit-run talks about future

Barely 36 hours after a horrific hit-and-run accident that cost him his right leg, stage actor Michael Toner focused on the future.

"What can you say? Life is unpredictable," Toner, 68, said Wednesday from his hospital bed at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. "I've been in much worse situations, let's put it that way."

Toner ended up at Jefferson after a vehicle ran him down before 1 a.m. Tuesday on Market Street between 11th and 12th Streets, where he remained until a passerby found him.

Toner said he had been running errands when he was struck, which he thinks happened about 11 p.m. Otherwise, he doesn't remember anything.

"It's like a blur," he said.

Police reported no new developments in their investigation, saying they are continuing to work the case.

Covered in tubes and wires, his voice scarcely loud enough to be heard over the beeping and whirring of the medical devices around him, Toner said he only learned about his leg after he woke up from surgery.

Toner, a Vietnam veteran, noted the irony of his situation with a laugh. "I came through that stupid war without a scratch," he said.

Now, Toner, who is married and lives in Holmesburg, must focus on a future that he could never have imagined.

Toner, the author of several one-man plays, said he may apply himself more to his writing. In any case, he wants theater to remain a big part of his life.

"My thing is, you can't let stuff like this get you down," he said. "It's just not me."

Toner has had a long career, over 40 years, performing in Philadelphia and New York City.

He said his wife, Joanne Townsend, has been part of the reason he has been able to pursue his passion. It takes a special woman to marry an actor, he said.

Toner credits his Irish background for giving him the strength to keep a positive attitude in the face of the accident.

A fan of James Joyce, he is known for bringing Irish characters to life on stage.

"When you're in the worst stitch, what can you do, go on," he said. "Laugh and cry and sing and tell stories."

This week, he was supposed to perform David Simpson's Crossing the Threshold Into the House of Bach with the Amaryllis Theater Company, a one-man show with a 96-page script.

Although Toner mentioned the uncertainty and financial difficulty of acting, his main sentiment was gratitude that he has spent most of his life doing what he loves. He even offered some advice for those trying to do the same.

"Just keep going forward, believe in yourself," he said. "It does come down to, because you love it, that's why you do it."