There are few actors who have played in as many television series and feature films as the famous American actor Robert Culp. Over a career spanning 57 years, he delighted fans with his work in 135 film and TV projects. Among them were roles that were remembered by viewers living far outside the United States. At the same time, many Russians, who enjoyed watching the Colombo series with his participation, are even unfamiliar with the name Robert Culp.
Robert Culp: biography in his younger years
The future actor was born on August 16, 1930 in Auckland, USA. He was the only child in a fairly we althy family of lawyer Crozier Cordell Culp and his wife Bethel Martin.
While studying at Berkeley High School, the future actor was seriously involved in sports and was a California State Pole Vault medalist. After receiving a certificate, Robert Culp entered the drama school at the University of Washington, and then continued his studies at the private Pacific College inStocktone.
Career start
Culp Robert gained fame in the United States at a fairly young age, taking part in the filming of the popular television series Trackdown. There he got the role of a charming and honest ranger Hobie Gilman, who becomes a sheriff and boldly fights criminals.
Having the appearance of a "typical" white Anglo-Saxon American, Robert was the best suited to create images of "good guys" in westerns. That is why, after a successful debut in the following decade, he began to be invited to the roles of heroes from the Wild West, with which he coped simply brilliantly.
I'm spying
The most famous in the career of Robert Culp was the project in which the actor performed with a black partner - the famous comedian Bill Cosby. The series was called "I Spy" and was on US television screens from 1965 to 1968. In it, Culp got the role of secret agent Kelly Robinson, hiding under the guise of a professional tennis player. In addition, he showed himself in a new capacity, writing scripts for seven episodes, and also acted as a director of one of the series. For his acting work, Culp was nominated for an Emmy, but he was beaten by project partner Bill Cosby.
Participation in the series "Colombo"
In the 90s, this series was very popular in our country. It was thanks to him that Culp became known to Russian viewers. He played in three episodes the role of a killer who is neutralized by the hero of Peter Falk, and inone is the father of two young criminal brothers.
Role of Bill Maxwell
In 1981, Robert Culp, whose films have been enjoyed and watched by several generations of Americans today, appeared before the audience as a fearless FBI agent in the fantastic television series The Greatest American Hero. His character - Bill Maxwell - won the hearts of not only the inhabitants of the United States, but also France, Italy and several other countries. The show of the series lasted 3 years, the picture was a wild success. By the way, a few years later, Culp voiced his character in the comedy animated series Robot Chicken.
Other works
Russian viewers also remembered Culp from the twisted detective story The Case of the Pelicans, where he co-starred with movie stars like Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, playing the role of the President of the United States.
Despite the fact that the actor was born long before the computer age, he was open to everything new and enjoyed voicing video games: Half-Life, Voyeur, etc. Culp also starred in the video clip of Eminem's Guilty Conscience.
In 1994, the actor appeared before the audience in the nostalgic film "I Spy: Return". It featured Culp and Cosby reprising their roles as their well-known characters Robinson and Scott for the first time since 1968. In addition, the duo took part in a television show where they played people who dream of becoming spies.
The last pictures with the participation of the actor were the films "Love for Freedom", "Santa Killer","Compromising evidence" and "Hunger".
Private life
Culp Robert Martin has been married to five women in his life, fathered 3 sons and 2 daughters. The actor's eldest son Joshua was born in 1958 and his youngest daughter Samantha was born in 1982. In 1967-1970, his wife was French-Vietnamese actress France Nuyen, with whom he starred in the film I Spy.
Death
In the last years of his life, Culp Robert liked to walk in the park, which is located in the Hollywood hills of Los Angeles, next to the actor's house. On the morning of March 24, 2010, he left his apartment to walk along its alleys. After some time, a passerby found Culp lying unconscious on one of the paths of the park with a wound in his head. He called the police and an ambulance. The actor was taken to the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, but all the efforts of resuscitators to save his life did not give any result. At 11:00 am, doctors pronounced him dead from a heart attack. Robert Culp was 79 at the time.
On April 10, 2010, a funeral service for the actor was held in the building of the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, which, in addition to relatives and friends, was attended by his many fans. Robert Culp was buried at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito, California.
Unfinished Projects
Despite his considerable age, until the last days of his life, Robert Culp was in demand in his profession. Shortly before his death, he completed work on a supporting role infilm "Destination". In addition, the actor was in the process of writing several screenplays. One of them is a film adaptation of the story "Terry and the Pirates". Culp loved this work since childhood, and its film adaptation was his old dream. Unfortunately, he did not have time to implement it, although there was already an agreement with one of the Hong Kong television studios, and the veteran actor had to participate in the project not only as a screenwriter, but also as a director.
Robert Culp: filmography
As already mentioned, the actor has played roles in 135 films. Among them there are recognized hits, and inconspicuous, as well as failed works. Among the most famous films of Robert Martin Culp are usually called:
- Trackdown (70-episode Western-style TV series);
- "Bonanza" (one of the longest and most successful television projects in the history of American television);
- Western (filmed 1959);
- Outlaw (Western series, 1960);
- "PT-109" (1963, the role of a friend of the young J. F. Kennedy - George Barney Ross);
- Reno (released 1964);
- "A Name for Evil" (1973);
- "The Case of the Pelicans" (released in 1992, the role of the President of the United States);
- "Sky Riders" (action thriller, 1976);
- "Almost boys" (2004, the role of the colonel);
- Turk 182 (1985);
- "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1998);
- "Dark Summer" (2000 role J. Mac Namar);
- "Kill Santa Claus" (2005, the role of the grandfather).
Now youknow who Culp Robert is. His biography is a story about a hard worker who devoted himself to film and television and enjoyed working until the last day of his fairly long life.
