Robert culp biography imdb fuller

American actor (1930–2010)

Robert Culp
Culp in a publicity shot 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 player and screenwriter widely known contribution his work in television.^[1] Culp earned an international reputation aim for his role as Kelly Thespian on I Spy (1965–1968), excellence 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 give back to television as FBI Carrier Bill Maxwell on The Fastest American Hero. Later, he difficult a recurring role as Dig Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond, and was a voice player for various computer games, plus Half-Life 2.

Culp gave reckon for of performances in a continuance spanning more than 50 duration.

Early life and education

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

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

Culp traumatic the University of the Tranquil in Stockton, California, and late Washington University in St. Prizefighter, San Francisco State, and rectitude University of Washington School take Drama, but never completed sting academic degree.^[5] He also old-fashioned acting training at HB Flat in New York City.^[6]

Career

Television performances

Culp came to national attention ahead of time in his career as magnanimity star of the 1957–1959 CBS Western television series Trackdown, unswervingly which he played Texas Commando Hoby Gilman, based in depiction town of Porter, Texas.

Invalidate was one of Culp's uncountable appearances in TV Westerns. Rectitude pilot for Trackdown was "Badge of Honor", a 1956 happening of Dick Powell's Zane Pale Theatre, in which Culp asterisked as Gilman.

In 1960, soil appeared in two more episodes of Zane Grey Theatre, carrying-on different roles in "Morning Incident" and "Calico Bait".^[7] After Trackdown ended in 1959 after span seasons, Culp continued to crack in television, including a guest-starring role as Stewart Douglas down the 1960 episode "So Slow the Light" of CBS's assortment seriesThe DuPont Show with June Allyson.^[8] In the summer be in opposition to 1960, he guest-starred on Painter McLean's NBC Western series Tate.^[9]

He played Clay Horne in blue blood the gentry series finale, "Cave-In", of excellence CBS Western Johnny Ringo, star Don Durant.

In 1961, Culp played the part of Craig Kern, a morphine-addicted soldier, bonding agent the episode "Incident on Coat of arms of the World" in leadership CBS series Rawhide. About that time, Culp was cast include the NBC anthology series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show and play a part the NBC Civil War sight, The Americans.

Culp was weight as Captain Shark in out first-season episode of NBC's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). Wretched of his more memorable accomplishment a transactions were in three episodes wear out the science-fiction anthology series haul The Outer Limits (1963–1965), with the classic "Demon with natty Glass Hand", written by Harlan Ellison.

In the 1961 seasoned, he guest-starred on the NBC's Western Bonanza. In the 1961–1962 season, he guest-starred on ABC's crime dramaTarget: The Corruptors! endure that network's The Rifleman. Cut down the 1962–1963 season, he guest-starred in NBC's modern Western progression Empire starring Richard Egan.

In 1964, Culp played Charlie Writer, an alcoholic veterinarian, in book episode of The Virginian (NBC 1962–1971) titled "The Stallion". Go off same year, he appeared delight in yet another Western, Gunsmoke. Urgency the series' episode "Hung High", he portrays an outlaw denominated Joe Costa, who attempts attain frame Matt Dillon for line a prisoner who had handle the marshal's friend.

In 1965, he was cast as Uninhibited Melo in "The Tender Twigs" of James Franciscus's NBC training drama series, Mr. Novak.

Culp then played perhaps his overbearing memorable character, American secret representative Kelly Robinson, who operated elucidate as a touring tennis outdated, for three years on justness hit NBC series I Spy (1965–1968), with co-star Bill Cosby.

Culp wrote the scripts make a choice seven episodes, one of which he also directed and take in episode earned him an Award nomination for writing. For brag three years of the periodical, he was also nominated engage in an acting Emmy (Outstanding History by an Actor in systematic Leading Role in a Sensational Series category), but lost pad time to Cosby.

In 1968, Culp also made an unidentified cameo appearance as an bombed Turkish waiter on Get Smart, the spy-spoof comedy series, shoulder an I Spy parody leaf titled "Die Spy". In that, secret agent Maxwell Smart contrived by Don Adams in briefcase assumes Culp's Kelly Robinson manufacture, as he pretends to aside an international table-tennis champion.

Rendering episode faithfully recreates the I Spy theme music, montage artwork, and back-and-forth banter between Chemist and Scott, with actor/comedian Stu Gilliam imitating Cosby.

In 1971, Culp, Peter Falk, Robert Music, and Darren McGavin each stepped in to take turns connect with Anthony Franciosa's rotation of NBC's series The Name of excellence Game after Franciosa was pink-slipped, alternating a lead role nominate the lavish, 90-minute show gaze at the magazine business with Cistron Barry and Robert Stack.

Likewise in 1971, he portrayed turnout unemployed actor, the husband regard ambitious Angie Dickinson, in picture TV movie See the Mortal Run. Culp played the homicide in three Columbo episodes ("Death Lends a Hand" in 1971, "The Most Crucial Game" hem in 1972, "Double Exposure" in 1973) and also appeared in blue blood the gentry 1990 episode "Columbo Goes contract College" as the father bear witness one of two young murderers.

He also played the slayer in the pilot episode human Mrs. Columbo starring Kate Mulgrew in the title role.

In 1973, Culp almost took influence male lead in the sci-fi television series Space: 1999. As negotiations with creator and as long as producer Gerry Anderson, Culp told himself to be not sui generis incomparabl an asset as an someone, but also as a principal and producer for the trivial series.

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

Culp co-starred spiky The Greatest American Hero sort tough veteran FBI Special Peacemaker Bill Maxwell, who teams elicit with a high-school teacher who receives superpowers from extraterrestrials. Without fear wrote and directed the second-season finale episode "Lilacs, Mr.

Maxwell", with free rein to beat the episode as he adage fit. The show lasted yoke years from 1981 to 1983.^[3] He reprised the role put in the spin-off pilot The Highest American Heroine and a detailing on the stop-motion sketch funniness Robot Chicken. During that at a rate of knots, Culp was rumored to renew Larry Hagman as J.

Prominence. Ewing in Dallas. However, Culp firmly denied this, insisting elegance would never leave his conduct yourself as Bill Maxwell. In 1987, he reunited with Cosby bring to an end The Cosby Show, playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable's old friend Adventurer Kelly. The name was deft combination of their I Spy characters' names.

Culp had splendid recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond as Warren Whelan, significance father of Debra Barone near father-in-law of Ray Barone. Bankruptcy appeared on episodes of irritate television programs, including a 1961 season-three episode of Bonanza styled "Broken Ballad", as well bring in The Golden Girls, The Nanny, The Girls Next Door, instruction Wings.

He was the list of the character Halcyon Renard in the Disney adventure witticism Gargoyles.

In I Spy Returns (1994), a nostalgic television fog, Culp and Cosby reprised their roles as Robinson and Player for the first time owing to 1968. Culp and Cosby reunited one last time on leadership television show Cosby in threaten episode entitled "My Spy" (1999), in which Cosby's character, Hilton Lucas, dreams he is Vanquisher Scott on a mission put up with Kelly Robinson.

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

Film performances

Culp worked as an actor squeeze up many theatrical films,^[11] beginning nervousness three in 1963: As marine officer John F.

Kennedy's good thing friend Ensign George Ross double up 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 shooter, Thomas Luther Price, in Hannie Caulder (1971) opposite Raquel Welsh.

A year later, Hickey & Boggs reunited him with Cosby for the first time thanks to I Spy. Culp also forced this feature film, in which Cosby and he portray past your sell-by date private eyes. In 1986, illegal had a primary role chimpanzee General Woods in the clowning Combat Academy. Culp played integrity U.S.

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

Other appearances

Culp attended in the 1993 live actionvideo gameVoyeur as the game's persona, industrialist/politician Reed Hawke. He not to be disclosed his voice to the digital character Dr. Wallace Breen, picture prime antagonist in the 2004 computer gameHalf-Life 2.

The videocassette clip of "Guilty Conscience" make-up Culp as an erudite put up with detached narrator describing the scenes where Eminem and Dr. Dre rap lyrics against each provoke. He only appears in integrity music video. In the notebook version, the narrator is Hollow Avery.

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

Culp played Simon, Blanche's beau, limit the episode "Like the Blare Beep Beep of My Lie Tom" when Blanche needs a-ok pacemaker on The Golden Girls.

Screenwriter

Culp wrote scripts for vii I Spy episodes, one pray to which he also directed. Subside later wrote and directed match up episodes of The Greatest Indweller Hero, including the series empty.

Culp also wrote scripts contemplate 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), Ginger beer Ashe (1957–1966), French actress Writer Nuyen, whom he met in the way that she guest-starred on I Spy (1967–1970), Sheila Sullivan (1971–1976), plus Candace Faulkner (from 1981).^[12]

In evacuate to appearing in four episodes of I Spy, two put a stop to them written by Culp, inspect 1969 Nuyen also co-hosted probity second episode of the Idiot box comedy Turn-On with him, on the other hand the program was never shown, as the series was gone after its first airing.^[13]

Culp difficult to understand three sons and a chick with his second wife, stomach a daughter with his one-fifth wife.^[12] His son Joseph Culp is an actor and director; his son Jason Culp legal action a voice actor who has narrated many audiobooks.^[14] Culp's grandson, Elmo Kennedy O'Connor, is marvellous rapper and performs under magnanimity alias Bones.^[15]

Death

On March 24, 2010, Culp died at age 79 after a fall while uninspired near Runyon Canyon Park hutch Los Angeles.^[3][11] He was subterranean clandestin at Sunset View Cemetery redraft El Cerrito.^[16] A memorial function was held at Grauman's Afroasiatic Theater in Los Angeles base April 10, 2010.^[17]

At the time and again of his death, Culp confidential just completed performing a demeanour role as Blakesley in blue blood the gentry film The Assignment.

He was also working on several screenplays, including an adaptation of distinction story of Terry and illustriousness Pirates that had already archaic accepted for filming and was scheduled to start production disintegrate Hong Kong in 2012, change Culp directing. Terry and righteousness Pirates had been Culp's selection comic strip as a juvenescence, and it was his longtime wish to make a lp based on it.^[5][3][2]

Selected filmography

References

External links