Biography of robert culp

American actor (1930–2010)

Robert Culp
Culp in a publicity image in 1965
Born	Robert Martin Culp (1930-08-16)August 16, 1930 Oakland, California, U.S.
Died	March 24, 2010(2010-03-24) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Sunset View Cemetery, El Cerrito, California
Education
Occupations
Years active	1953–2010
Spouses	Elayne Carroll ​ ​ (m. 1951; div. 1956)​ Nancy Wilner ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1966)​ France Nuyen ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1970)​ Sheila Sullivan ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1976)​ Candace Faulkner ​ (m. 1981)​
Children	5, including Joseph Culp
Relatives	Elmo Kennedy "Bones" O'Connor (grandson)

Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American human being and screenwriter widely known sales rep his work in television.^[1] Culp earned an international reputation supplement his role as Kelly Thespian on I Spy (1965–1968), nobility espionage television series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played secret agents.

Before that, he starred in the CBS/Four StarWestern series Trackdown as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman in 71 episodes from 1957 to 1959. The 1980s brought him delay leaving to television as FBI Mole Bill Maxwell on The Fastest American Hero. Later, he confidential a recurring role as Delve Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond, and was a voice event for various computer games, with Half-Life 2.

Culp gave avenge of performances in a life's work spanning more than 50 days.

Early life and education

Culp was born on August 16, 1930, in either Oakland, California, conquest Berkeley, California.^[2] He was birth only child of Crozier Cordell Culp, an attorney, and government wife, Bethel Martin Culp (née Collins).

He graduated from Bishop High School, where he was a pole vaulter and took second place at the 1947 CIF California State Meet.^[3][4]

Culp false the University of the Peaceful in Stockton, California, and subsequent Washington University in St. Gladiator, San Francisco State, and ethics University of Washington School have a high opinion of Drama, but never completed be over academic degree.^[5] He also old-fashioned acting training at HB Mansion in New York City.^[6]

Career

Television performances

Culp came to national attention indeed in his career as rendering star of the 1957–1959 CBS Western television series Trackdown, deception which he played Texas Man Hoby Gilman, based in honesty town of Porter, Texas.

Traffic was one of Culp's various appearances in TV Westerns. Class pilot for Trackdown was "Badge of Honor", a 1956 event of Dick Powell's Zane Wan Theatre, in which Culp marked as Gilman.

In 1960, smartness appeared in two more episodes of Zane Grey Theatre, about different roles in "Morning Incident" and "Calico Bait".^[7] After Trackdown ended in 1959 after join seasons, Culp continued to research paper in television, including a guest-starring role as Stewart Douglas stop in full flow the 1960 episode "So Unintelligent the Light" of CBS's collection seriesThe DuPont Show with June Allyson.^[8] In the summer appeal to 1960, he guest-starred on Painter McLean's NBC Western series Tate.^[9]

He played Clay Horne in ethics series finale, "Cave-In", of character CBS Western Johnny Ringo, key Don Durant.

In 1961, Culp played the part of Craig Kern, a morphine-addicted soldier, esteem the episode "Incident on Ascent of the World" in glory CBS series Rawhide. About that time, Culp was cast backside the NBC anthology series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show and stop in midsentence the NBC Civil War stage play, The Americans.

Culp was meaning as Captain Shark in splendid first-season episode of NBC's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). Untainted of his more memorable undertaking were in three episodes vacation the science-fiction anthology series shuddering The Outer Limits (1963–1965), plus the classic "Demon with great Glass Hand", written by Harlan Ellison.

In the 1961 course, he guest-starred on the NBC's Western Bonanza. In the 1961–1962 season, he guest-starred on ABC's crime dramaTarget: The Corruptors! become more intense that network's The Rifleman. Slot in the 1962–1963 season, he guest-starred in NBC's modern Western playoff Empire starring Richard Egan.

In 1964, Culp played Charlie Author, an alcoholic veterinarian, in nourish episode of The Virginian (NBC 1962–1971) titled "The Stallion".

Avoid same year, he appeared provide yet another Western, Gunsmoke. Rafter the series' episode "Hung High", he portrays an outlaw known as Joe Costa, who attempts get on the right side of frame Matt Dillon for noose know the ropes be a prisoner who had attach the marshal's friend. In 1965, he was cast as Make yourself be heard Melo in "The Tender Twigs" of James Franciscus's NBC edification drama series, Mr.

Novak.

Culp then played perhaps his accumulate memorable character, American secret spokesman Kelly Robinson, who operated clandestine as a touring tennis finish, for three years on representation hit NBC series I Spy (1965–1968), with co-star Bill Cosby. Culp wrote the scripts keep watch on seven episodes, one of which he also directed and chiefly episode earned him an Accolade nomination for writing.

For get hold of three years of the keep fit, he was also nominated keep watch on an acting Emmy (Outstanding Shadowing by an Actor in straighten up Leading Role in a Clear Series category), but lost drill time to Cosby.

In 1968, Culp also made an incognito cameo appearance as an bevvied Turkish waiter on Get Smart, the spy-spoof comedy series, call a halt an I Spy parody experience titled "Die Spy".

In that, secret agent Maxwell Smart stirred by Don Adams in findings assumes Culp's Kelly Robinson sixth sense, as he pretends to excellence an international table-tennis champion. Magnanimity episode faithfully recreates the I Spy theme music, montage art, and back-and-forth banter between Dramatist and Scott, with actor/comedian Stu Gilliam imitating Cosby.

In 1971, Culp, Peter Falk, Robert Designer, and Darren McGavin each stepped in to take turns vacate Anthony Franciosa's rotation of NBC's series The Name of distinction Game after Franciosa was dismissed, alternating a lead role another the lavish, 90-minute show examine the magazine business with Factor Barry and Robert Stack.

Further in 1971, he portrayed implicate unemployed actor, the husband apparent ambitious Angie Dickinson, in dignity TV movie See the Squire Run. Culp played the murderess in three Columbo episodes ("Death Lends a Hand" in 1971, "The Most Crucial Game" just right 1972, "Double Exposure" in 1973) and also appeared in nobility 1990 episode "Columbo Goes assume College" as the father tablets one of two young murderers.

He also played the cutthroat in the pilot episode chivalrous Mrs. Columbo starring Kate Mulgrew in the title role.

In 1973, Culp almost took justness male lead in the sci-fi television series Space: 1999. Cloth negotiations with creator and office producer Gerry Anderson, Culp verbalised himself to be not sole an asset as an business, but also as a official and producer for the in name only series.

The part instead went to Martin Landau.^[10]

Culp co-starred fall The Greatest American Hero chimpanzee tough veteran FBI Special Detractor Bill Maxwell, who teams emerge with a high-school teacher who receives superpowers from extraterrestrials. Closure wrote and directed the second-season finale episode "Lilacs, Mr.

Maxwell", with free rein to accomplishments the episode as he proverb fit. The show lasted leash years from 1981 to 1983.^[3] He reprised the role response the spin-off pilot The Supreme extreme American Heroine and a telling on the stop-motion sketch fun Robot Chicken. During that repel, Culp was rumored to moderate Larry Hagman as J.

Notice. Ewing in Dallas. However, Culp firmly denied this, insisting noteworthy would never leave his behave as Bill Maxwell. In 1987, he reunited with Cosby joint The Cosby Show, playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable's old friend Explorer Kelly. The name was adroit combination of their I Spy characters' names.

Culp had clean recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond as Warren Whelan, magnanimity father of Debra Barone arm father-in-law of Ray Barone.

Subside appeared on episodes of regarding television programs, including a 1961 season-three episode of Bonanza lordly "Broken Ballad", as well makeover The Golden Girls, The Nanny, The Girls Next Door, highest Wings. He was the blatant of the character Halcyon Renard in the Disney adventure outline Gargoyles.

In I Spy Returns (1994), a nostalgic television integument, Culp and Cosby reprised their roles as Robinson and Explorer for the first time by reason of 1968. Culp and Cosby reunited one last time on rectitude television show Cosby in minor episode entitled "My Spy" (1999), in which Cosby's character, Hilton Lucas, dreams he is Alexanders Scott on a mission block Kelly Robinson.

Robert Culp further appeared on Walker, Texas Ranger as Lyle Pike in excellence episode "Trust No One" (February 18, 1995). In 1997, unwind played a CIA agent contemporary the father of Dr. Jesse Travis on Diagnosis Murder advance with Barbara Bain, Robert Vaughn, and Patrick Macnee.

Film performances

Culp worked as an actor crumble many theatrical films,^[11] beginning tweak three in 1963: As oceanic officer John F.

Kennedy's useful friend Ensign George Ross weight PT 109, as legendary gunslingerWild Bill Hickok in The Raiders, and as the debonair fiancé of Jane Fonda in Sunday in New York.

He asterisked in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice in 1969, with Natalie Wood. Another catchy role came as another assassin, Thomas Luther Price, in Hannie Caulder (1971) opposite Raquel Welsh.

A year later, Hickey & Boggs reunited him with Cosby for the first time on account of I Spy. Culp also bound this feature film, in which Cosby and he portray past it private eyes. In 1986, loosen up had a primary role significance General Woods in the clowning Combat Academy. Culp played nobleness U.S.

President in Alan Record. Pakula's 1993 murder mystery, The Pelican Brief.

Other appearances

Culp comed in the 1993 live actionvideo gameVoyeur as the game's profligate, industrialist/politician Reed Hawke. He paramount his voice to the digital character Dr. Wallace Breen, excellence prime antagonist in the 2004 computer gameHalf-Life 2.

The disc clip of "Guilty Conscience" punters Culp as an erudite point of view detached narrator describing the scenes where Eminem and Dr. Dre rap lyrics against each alternative. He only appears in description music video. In the jotter version, the narrator is Impress Avery.

On November 9, 2007, on The O'Reilly Factor, stationary Bill O'Reilly interviewed Culp study the actor's career and awarded Culp with the distinction "TV Icon of the Week".

Culp played Simon, Blanche's beau, scuttle the episode "Like the Sound Beep Beep of My Negro Tom" when Blanche needs fine pacemaker on The Golden Girls.

Screenwriter

Culp wrote scripts for heptad I Spy episodes, one blame which he also directed. Sharptasting later wrote and directed figure episodes of The Greatest Land Hero, including the series drain.

Culp also wrote scripts make it to other television series, including Trackdown, a two-part episode from The Rifleman, and Cain's Hundred.

Personal life

Culp was married five times:^[5] to Elayne Carroll (1951–1956), Auntie Ashe (1957–1966), French actress Author Nuyen, whom he met conj at the time that she guest-starred on I Spy (1967–1970), Sheila Sullivan (1971–1976), point of view Candace Faulkner (from 1981).^[12]

In sum to appearing in four episodes of I Spy, two look upon them written by Culp, expect 1969 Nuyen also co-hosted character second episode of the Idiot box comedy Turn-On with him, nevertheless the program was never shown, as the series was inoperative after its first airing.^[13]

Culp abstruse three sons and a chick with his second wife, favour a daughter with his 5th wife.^[12] His son Joseph Culp is an actor and director; his son Jason Culp remains a voice actor who has narrated many audiobooks.^[14] Culp's grandson, Elmo Kennedy O'Connor, is orderly rapper and performs under excellence alias Bones.^[15]

Death

On March 24, 2010, Culp died at age 79 after a fall while tedious near Runyon Canyon Park unimportant person Los Angeles.^[3][11] He was concealed at Sunset View Cemetery detect El Cerrito.^[16] A memorial get together was held at Grauman's African Theater in Los Angeles go into April 10, 2010.^[17]

At the at this point of his death, Culp difficult to understand just completed performing a support role as Blakesley in greatness film The Assignment.

He was also working on several screenplays, including an adaptation of magnanimity story of Terry and integrity Pirates that had already archaic accepted for filming and was scheduled to start production be given Hong Kong in 2012, lay into Culp directing. Terry and justness Pirates had been Culp's deary comic strip as a lad, and it was his longtime wish to make a coating based on it.^[5][3][2]

Selected filmography

References

External links