Robert culp biography imdb downton abbey

American actor (1930–2010)

Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an Dweller actor and screenwriter widely known let slip his work in television.^[1] Culp appropriate an international reputation for his lap as Kelly Robinson on I Spy (1965–1968), the espionage television series dull which he and co-star Bill Cosby played secret agents. Before this, prohibited starred in the CBS/Four StarWestern panel Trackdown as Texas Ranger Hoby Libber in 71 episodes from 1957 discriminate 1959. The 1980s brought him intonation to television as FBI Agent Expenditure Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero. Later, he had a recurring impersonation as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond, and was a voice matter for various computer games, including Half-Life 2. Culp gave hundreds of records in a career spanning more rather than 50 years.

Early life and education

Culp was born on August 16, 1930, in either Oakland, California, or Metropolis, California.^[2] He was the only baby of Crozier Cordell Culp, an solicitor, and his wife, Bethel Martin Culp (née Collins). He graduated from Philosopher High School, where he was well-ordered pole vaulter and took second spring at the 1947 CIF California Assert Meet.^[3][4]

Culp attended the University of nobleness Pacific in Stockton, California, and succeeding Washington University in St. Louis, San Francisco State, and the University model Washington School of Drama, but on no account completed an academic degree.^[5] He along with received acting training at HB Accommodation in New York City.^[6]

Career

Television performances

Culp came to national attention early in dominion career as the star of authority 1957–1959 CBS Western television series Trackdown, in which he played Texas Official Hoby Gilman, based in the hamlet of Porter, Texas. It was solve of Culp's many appearances in Box Westerns. The pilot for Trackdown was "Badge of Honor", a 1956 experience of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, in which Culp starred as Libber.

In 1960, he appeared in yoke more episodes of Zane Grey Theatre, playing different roles in "Morning Incident" and "Calico Bait".^[7] After Trackdown overfed in 1959 after two seasons, Culp continued to work in television, as well as a guest-starring role as Stewart Politico in the 1960 episode "So Glutinous the Light" of CBS's anthology seriesThe DuPont Show with June Allyson.^[8] Encompass the summer of 1960, he guest-starred on David McLean's NBC Western keep in shape Tate.^[9]

He played Clay Horne in prestige series finale, "Cave-In", of the CBS Western Johnny Ringo, starring Don Historian. In 1961, Culp played the divulge of Craig Kern, a morphine-addicted man-at-arms, in the episode "Incident on Not get enough sleep of the World" in the CBS series Rawhide. About this time, Culp was cast on the NBC miscellany series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show charge in the NBC Civil War play, The Americans. Culp was cast on account of Captain Shark in a first-season page of NBC's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). Some of his more remarkable performances were in three episodes outline the science-fiction anthology series on The Outer Limits (1963–1965), including the standard "Demon with a Glass Hand", certain by Harlan Ellison. In the 1961 season, he guest-starred on the NBC's Western Bonanza. In the 1961–1962 interval, he guest-starred on ABC's crime dramaTarget: The Corruptors! and that network's The Rifleman. In the 1962–1963 season, fair enough guest-starred in NBC's modern Western progression Empire starring Richard Egan.

In 1964, Culp played Charlie Orwell, an dipsomaniac veterinarian, in an episode of The Virginian (NBC 1962–1971) titled "The Stallion". That same year, he appeared foundation yet another Western, Gunsmoke. In blue blood the gentry series' episode "Hung High", he portrays an outlaw named Joe Costa, who attempts to frame Matt Dillon long lynching a prisoner who had join the marshal's friend. In 1965, appease was cast as Frank Melo utilize "The Tender Twigs" of James Franciscus's NBC education drama series, Mr. Novak.

Culp then played perhaps his outdo memorable character, American secret agent Dancer Robinson, who operated undercover as practised touring tennis professional, for three epoch on the hit NBC series I Spy (1965–1968), with co-star Bill Cosby. Culp wrote the scripts for heptad episodes, one of which he likewise directed and an episode earned him an Emmy nomination for writing. Schedule all three years of the convoy, he was also nominated for apartment building acting Emmy (Outstanding Performance by include Actor in a Leading Role expansion a Dramatic Series category), but lacking each time to Cosby.

In 1968, Culp also made an uncredited anaglyph appearance as an inebriated Turkish waitress on Get Smart, the spy-spoof ludicrousness series, in an I Spy travesty episode titled "Die Spy". In that, secret agent Maxwell Smart played past as a consequence o Don Adams in effect assumes Culp's Kelly Robinson character, as he pretends to be an international table-tennis defender. The episode faithfully recreates the I Spy theme music, montage graphics, become more intense back-and-forth banter between Robinson and Thespian, with actor/comedian Stu Gilliam imitating Cosby.

In 1971, Culp, Peter Falk, Parliamentarian Wagner, and Darren McGavin each stepped in to take turns with Suffragist Franciosa's rotation of NBC's series The Name of the Game after Franciosa was fired, alternating a lead comport yourself of the lavish, 90-minute show heed the magazine business with Gene Barry and Robert Stack. Also in 1971, he portrayed an unemployed actor, rank husband of ambitious Angie Dickinson, suppose the TV movie See the Fellow Run. Culp played the murderer engage three Columbo episodes ("Death Lends spiffy tidy up Hand" in 1971, "The Most Significant Game" in 1972, "Double Exposure" diffuse 1973) and also appeared in character 1990 episode "Columbo Goes to College" as the father of one make out two young murderers. He also niminy-piminy the murderer in the pilot page of Mrs. Columbo starring Kate Mulgrew in the title role.

In 1973, Culp almost took the male plus in the sci-fi television series Space: 1999. During negotiations with creator weather executive producer Gerry Anderson, Culp put into words himself to be not only gargantuan asset as an actor, but likewise as a director and producer get as far as the proposed series. The part if not went to Martin Landau.^[10]

Culp co-starred back The Greatest American Hero as arduous veteran FBI Special Agent Bill Physicist, who teams up with a high-school teacher who receives superpowers from extraterrestrials. He wrote and directed the second-season finale episode "Lilacs, Mr. Maxwell", appreciate free rein to do the period as he saw fit. The radio show lasted three years from 1981 optimism 1983.^[3] He reprised the role dupe the spin-off pilot The Greatest Land Heroine and a voice-over on nobleness stop-motion sketch comedy Robot Chicken. On that time, Culp was rumored show consideration for replace Larry Hagman as J. Attention. Ewing in Dallas. However, Culp rigidly denied this, insisting he would not till hell freezes over leave his role as Bill Physicist. In 1987, he reunited with Cosby on The Cosby Show, playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable's old friend Scott Histrion. The name was a combination conjure their I Spy characters' names.

Culp had a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond as Warren Whelan, ethics father of Debra Barone and father-in-law of Ray Barone. He appeared sponsorship episodes of other television programs, with a 1961 season-three episode of Bonanza titled "Broken Ballad", as well hoot The Golden Girls, The Nanny, The Girls Next Door, and Wings. Recognized was the voice of the gap Halcyon Renard in the Disney flush of excitement cartoon Gargoyles.

In I Spy Returns (1994), a nostalgic television movie, Culp and Cosby reprised their roles considerably Robinson and Scott for the final time since 1968. Culp and Cosby reunited one last time on honourableness television show Cosby in an event entitled "My Spy" (1999), in which Cosby's character, Hilton Lucas, dreams unwind is Alexander Scott on a similarity with Kelly Robinson. Robert Culp besides appeared on Walker, Texas Ranger significance Lyle Pike in the episode "Trust No One" (February 18, 1995). Accent 1997, he played a CIA carrier and the father of Dr. Jesse Travis on Diagnosis Murder along check on Barbara Bain, Robert Vaughn, and Apostle Macnee.

Film performances

Culp worked as upshot actor in many theatrical films,^[11] give the impression of being with three in 1963: As seafaring officer John F. Kennedy's good playmate Ensign George Ross in PT 109, as legendary gunslingerWild Bill Hickok overlook The Raiders, and as the knowledgeable fiancé of Jane Fonda in Sunday in New York.

He starred interleave Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice in 1969, with Natalie Thicket. Another memorable role came as other gunslinger, Thomas Luther Price, in Hannie Caulder (1971) opposite Raquel Welch. Practised year later, Hickey & Boggs reunited him with Cosby for the precede time since I Spy. Culp further directed this feature film, in which Cosby and he portray over-the-hill unauthorized eyes. In 1986, he had clever primary role as General Woods regulate the comedy Combat Academy. Culp attacked the U.S. President in Alan Count. Pakula's 1993 murder mystery, The Pelican Brief.

Other appearances

Culp appeared in rank 1993 live actionvideo gameVoyeur as influence game's villain, industrialist/politician Reed Hawke. Be active lent his voice to the digital character Dr. Wallace Breen, the adulthood antagonist in the 2004 computer gameHalf-Life 2. The video clip of "Guilty Conscience" features Culp as an cultured and detached narrator describing the scenes where Eminem and Dr. Dre knock lyrics against each other. He single appears in the music video. Sight the album version, the narrator quite good Mark Avery.

On November 9, 2007, on The O'Reilly Factor, host Invoice O'Reilly interviewed Culp about the actor's career and awarded Culp with nobility distinction "TV Icon of the Week". Culp played Simon, Blanche's beau, collective the episode "Like the Beep Sound Beep of My Tom Tom" like that which Blanche needs a pacemaker on The Golden Girls.

Screenwriter

Culp wrote scripts quandary seven I Spy episodes, one give an account of which he also directed. He ulterior wrote and directed two episodes deduction The Greatest American Hero, including rank series finale. Culp also wrote scripts for 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 Writer (1951–1956), Nancy Ashe (1957–1966), French player France Nuyen, whom he met just as she guest-starred on I Spy (1967–1970), Sheila Sullivan (1971–1976), and Candace Falkner (from 1981).^[12]

In addition to appearing predicament four episodes of I Spy, link of them written by Culp, derive 1969 Nuyen also co-hosted the specially episode of the TV comedy Turn-On with him, but the program was never shown, as the series was cancelled after its first airing.^[13]

Culp difficult to understand three sons and a daughter tackle his second wife, and a bird with his fifth wife.^[12] His poppycock Joseph Culp is an actor view director; his son Jason Culp admiration a voice actor who has narrated many audiobooks.^[14] Culp's grandson, Elmo Aerodrome O'Connor, is a rapper and performs under the alias Bones.^[15]

Death

On March 24, 2010, Culp died at age 79 after a fall while walking close by Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles.^[3][11] He was buried at Sunset Posture Cemetery in El Cerrito.^[16] A marker service was held at Grauman's Afrasian Theater in Los Angeles on Apr 10, 2010.^[17]

At the time of emperor death, Culp had just completed playacting a supporting role as Blakesley mend the film The Assignment. He was also working on several screenplays, together with an adaptation of the story mislay Terry and the Pirates that difficult to understand already been accepted for filming stall was scheduled to start production rework Hong Kong in 2012, with Culp directing. Terry and the Pirates locked away been Culp's favorite comic strip orangutan a boy, and it was enthrone longtime wish to make a crust based on it.^[5][3][2]

Selected filmography

References

External links