Robert Culp

Robert Culp
Culp in a publicity photo 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	University of the Pacific Washington University in St. Louis San Francisco State University University of Washington School of Drama
Occupations	Actor screenwriter
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, includingJoseph Culp
Relatives	Elmo Kennedy "Bones" O'Connor(grandson)

Robert Martin Culp(August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor and screenwriter widely known for his work in television.Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson onI Spy(1965–1968), theespionagetelevision series in which he and co-starBill Cosbyplayedsecret agents.Before this, he starred in theCBS/Four StarWesternseriesTrackdownasTexas RangerHoby Gilman in 71 episodes from 1957 to 1959. The 1980s brought him back to television as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell onThe Greatest American Hero.Later, he had a recurring role as Warren Whelan onEverybody Loves Raymond,and was a voice actor for various computer games, includingHalf-Life 2.Culp gave hundreds of performances in a career spanning more than 50 years.

Early life and education

Culp was born on August 16, 1930, in eitherOakland, California,orBerkeley, California.He was the only child of Crozier Cordell Culp, an attorney, and his wife, Bethel Martin Culp (née Collins). He graduated fromBerkeley High School,where he was apole vaulterand took second place at the 1947CIF California State Meet.

Culp attended theUniversity of the PacificinStockton, California,and laterWashington University in St. Louis,San Francisco State,and theUniversity of Washington School of Drama,but never completed anacademic degree.He also received acting training atHB Studioin New York City.

Career

Television performances

Culp as Ranger Gilman in the 1957–1959 TV WesternTrackdown

Culp came to national attention early in his career as the star of the 1957–1959 CBS Western television seriesTrackdown,in which he played Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman, based in the town of Porter, Texas. It was one of Culp's many appearances in TV Westerns. The pilot forTrackdownwas "Badge of Honor", a 1956 episode ofDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre,in which Culp starred as Gilman.

In 1960, he appeared in two more episodes ofZane Grey Theatre,playing different roles in "Morning Incident" and "Calico Bait".AfterTrackdownended in 1959 after two seasons, Culp continued to work in television, including a guest-starring role as Stewart Douglas in the 1960 episode "So Dim the Light" of CBS'santhology seriesThe DuPont Show with June Allyson.In the summer of 1960, he guest-starred onDavid McLean'sNBCWestern seriesTate.

He played Clay Horne in the series finale, "Cave-In", of the CBS WesternJohnny Ringo,starringDon Durant.In 1961, Culp played the part of Craig Kern, a morphine-addicted soldier, in the episode "Incident on Top of the World" in the CBS seriesRawhide.About this time, Culp was cast on the NBC anthology series,The Barbara Stanwyck Showand in the NBCCivil Wardrama,The Americans.Culp was cast as Captain Shark in a first-season episode of NBC'sThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.(1964). Some of his more memorable performances were in three episodes of the science-fiction anthology series onThe Outer Limits(1963–1965), including the classic "Demon with a Glass Hand",written byHarlan Ellison.In the 1961 season, he guest-starred on the NBC's WesternBonanza.In the 1961–1962 season, he guest-starred on ABC'scrime dramaTarget: The Corruptors!and that network'sThe Rifleman.In the 1962–1963 season, he guest-starred in NBC's modern Western seriesEmpirestarringRichard Egan.

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

Culp then played perhaps his most memorable character, American secret agent Kelly Robinson, who operatedundercoveras a touringtennisprofessional, for three years on the hit NBC seriesI Spy(1965–1968), with co-starBill Cosby.Culp wrote the scripts for seven episodes, one of which he also directed and an episode earned him an Emmy nomination for writing. For all three years of the series, he was also nominated for an acting Emmy (Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series category), but lost each time to Cosby.

WithKamala DeviinI Spy,1966

In 1968, Culp also made an uncredited cameo appearance as an inebriated Turkish waiter onGet Smart,the spy-spoof comedy series, in anI Spyparody episode titled "Die Spy". In this, secret agent Maxwell Smart played byDon Adamsin effect assumes Culp's Kelly Robinson character, as he pretends to be an international table-tennis champion. The episode faithfully recreates theI Spytheme music, montage graphics, and back-and-forth banter between Robinson and Scott, with actor/comedianStu Gilliamimitating Cosby.

In 1971, Culp,Peter Falk,Robert Wagner,andDarren McGavineach stepped in to take turns withAnthony Franciosa's rotation of NBC's seriesThe Name of the Gameafter Franciosa was fired, alternating a lead role of the lavish, 90-minute show about the magazine business withGene BarryandRobert Stack.Also in 1971, he portrayed an unemployed actor, the husband of ambitiousAngie Dickinson,in the TV movieSee the Man Run.Culp played the murderer in threeColumboepisodes ( "Death Lends a Hand" in 1971, "The Most Crucial Game" in 1972, "Double Exposure" in 1973) and also appeared in the 1990 episode "Columbo Goes to College" as the father of one of two young murderers. He also played the murderer in the pilot episode ofMrs. ColumbostarringKate Mulgrewin the title role.

In 1973, Culp almost took the male lead in the sci-fi television seriesSpace: 1999.During negotiations with creator and executive producerGerry Anderson,Culp expressed himself to be not only an asset as an actor, but also as a director and producer for the proposed series. The part instead went toMartin Landau.

Culp co-starred inThe Greatest American Heroas tough veteranFBISpecial Agent Bill Maxwell, 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", with free rein to do the episode as he saw fit. The show lasted three years from 1981 to 1983.He reprised the role in the spin-off pilotThe Greatest American Heroineand a voice-over on the stop-motion sketch comedyRobot Chicken.During that time, Culp was rumored to replace Larry Hagman as J. R. Ewing inDallas.However, Culp firmly denied this, insisting he would never leave his role as Bill Maxwell. In 1987, he reunited with Cosby onThe Cosby Show,playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable's old friend Scott Kelly. The name was a combination of theirI Spycharacters' names.

Culp had a recurring role onEverybody Loves Raymondas Warren Whelan, the father ofDebra Baroneand father-in-law ofRay Barone.He appeared on episodes of other television programs, including a 1961 season-three episode ofBonanzatitled "Broken Ballad", as well asThe Golden Girls,The Nanny,The Girls Next Door,andWings.He was the voice of the character Halcyon Renard in the Disney adventure cartoonGargoyles.

InI Spy Returns(1994), a nostalgic television movie, Culp and Cosby reprised their roles as Robinson and Scott for the first time since 1968. Culp and Cosby reunited one last time on the television showCosbyin an episode entitled "My Spy" (1999), in which Cosby's character, Hilton Lucas, dreams he is Alexander Scott on a mission with Kelly Robinson. Robert Culp also appeared onWalker, Texas Rangeras Lyle Pike in the episode "Trust No One" (February 18, 1995). In 1997, he played a CIA agent and the father of Dr. Jesse Travis onDiagnosis Murderalong withBarbara Bain,Robert Vaughn,andPatrick Macnee.

Film performances

Culp worked as an actor in many theatrical films,beginning with three in 1963: As naval officer John F. Kennedy's good friend Ensign George Ross inPT 109,as legendarygunslingerWild Bill HickokinThe Raiders,and as the debonair fiancé ofJane FondainSunday in New York.

He starred inBob & Carol & Ted & Alicein 1969, withNatalie Wood.Another memorable role came as another gunslinger, Thomas Luther Price, inHannie Caulder(1971) oppositeRaquel Welch.A year later,Hickey & Boggsreunited him with Cosby for the first time sinceI Spy.Culp also directed this feature film, in which Cosby and he portray over-the-hill private eyes. In 1986, he had a primary role as General Woods in the comedyCombat Academy.Culp played theU.S. PresidentinAlan J. Pakula's 1993 murder mystery,The Pelican Brief.

Other appearances

Culp appeared in the 1993live actionvideo gameVoyeuras the game's villain, industrialist/politician Reed Hawke. He lent his voice to the digital characterDr. Wallace Breen,the primeantagonistin the 2004computer gameHalf-Life 2.The video clip of "Guilty Conscience"features Culp as an erudite and detached narrator describing the scenes whereEminemandDr. Drerap lyrics against each other. He only appears in the music video. In the album version, the narrator is Mark Avery.

On November 9, 2007, onThe O'Reilly Factor,hostBill O'Reillyinterviewed Culp about the actor's career and awarded Culp with the distinction "TV Icon of the Week". Culp played Simon, Blanche's beau, in the episode "Like the Beep Beep Beep of My Tom Tom" when Blanche needs a pacemaker onThe Golden Girls.

Screenwriter

Culp wrote scripts for sevenI Spyepisodes, one of which he also directed. He later wrote and directed two episodes ofThe Greatest American Hero,including the series finale. Culp also wrote scripts for other television series, includingTrackdown,a two-part episode fromThe Rifleman,andCain's Hundred.

Personal life

Culp was married five times:to Elayne Carroll (1951–1956), Nancy Ashe (1957–1966), French actressFrance Nuyen,whom he met when she guest-starred onI Spy(1967–1970),Sheila Sullivan(1971–1976), and Candace Faulkner (from 1981).

In addition to appearing in four episodes ofI Spy,two of them written by Culp, in 1969 Nuyen also co-hosted the second episode of the TV comedyTurn-Onwith him, but the program was never shown, as the series wascancelled after its first airing.

Culp had three sons and a daughter with his second wife, and a daughter with his fifth wife.His sonJoseph Culpis an actor and director; his son Jason Culp is a voice actor who has narrated many audiobooks.Culp's grandson, Elmo Kennedy O'Connor, is a rapper and performs under the aliasBones.

Death

On March 24, 2010, Culp died at age 79 after a fall while walking nearRunyon Canyon Parkin Los Angeles.He was buried at Sunset View Cemetery inEl Cerrito.A memorial service was held atGrauman's Egyptian Theaterin Los Angeles on April 10, 2010.

At the time of his death, Culp had just completed performing a supporting role as Blakesley in the filmThe Assignment.He was also working on several screenplays, including an adaptation of the story ofTerry and the Piratesthat had already been accepted for filming and was scheduled to start production inHong Kongin 2012, with Culpdirecting.Terry and the Pirateshad been Culp's favoritecomic stripas a boy, and it was his longtime wish to make a film based on it.

Selected filmography

• 1957Alfred Hitchcock Presents(Season 2 Episode 33: "A Man Greatly Beloved" ) as Clarence
• 1957–1959Trackdown(TV series) (71 episodes) as Hoby Gilman
• 1957–1960Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre(TV series) (3 episodes)
  • (Season 1 Episode 27: "Badge of Honor" ) (1957) as Hoby Gilman
  • (Season 4 Episode 26: "Calico Bait" ) (1960) as Deputy Sam Applegate
  • (Season 5 Episode 12: "Morning Incident" ) (1960) as Shad Hudson
• 1960Outlaws(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 1: "Thirty a Month" ) as Sam Yadkin
• 1960The Westerner(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 10: "Line Camp" ) as Shep Prescott
• 1960–1962The Rifleman(TV series) (2 episodes)
  • (Season 2 Episode 19: "Hero" ) (1960) as Colly Vane
  • (Season 4 Episode 20: "The Man from Salinas" ) (1962) as Dave Foley
• 1961Hennesey(TV series) (Season 2 Episode 15: "The Specialist" ) as Dr. Steven Gray
• 1961Rawhide(TV series) (Season 3 Episode 12: "Incident at the Top of the World" ) as Craig Kern
• 1961The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor(TV series) (Season 2 Episode 23: "Bad Apple" ) as Herbert Sanders
• 196187th Precinct(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 1: "The Floater" ) as Curt Donaldson
• 1961Bonanza(TV series) (Season 3 Episode 6: "Broken Ballad" ) as Ed Payson
• 1961Target: The Corruptors!(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 10: "To Wear a Badge" ) as Meeker
• 1963Empire(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 18: "Where the Hawk is Wheeling" ) as Jared Mace
• 1963PT 109as Ensign George 'Barney' Ross
• 1963Sunday in New Yorkas Russ Wilson
• 1963The Alfred Hitchcock Hour(Season 2 Episode 10: "Good-Bye, George" ) as Harry Lawrence
• 1963–1964The Outer Limits(TV series) (3 episodes)
  • (Season 1 Episode 3: "The Architects of Fear" ) (1963) as Allen Leighton
  • (Season 1 Episode 9: "Corpus Earthling" ) (1963) as Dr. Paul Cameron
  • (Season 2 Episode 5: Demon with a Glass Hand ") (1964) as Trent
• 1964Rhino!as Dr. Jim Hanlon
• 1964The Man from U.N.C.L.E.(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 4: "The Shark Affair" ) as Captain Shark
• 1964Gunsmoke(TV series) (Season 10 Episode 8: "Hung High" ) as Joe Costa
• 1965–1968I Spy(TV series) (82 episodes) as Kelly Robinson / Chuang Tzu
• 1968Get Smart(TV series) (Season 3 Episode 25: "Die, Spy" ) as Waiter (uncredited)
• 1969Bob & Carol & Ted & Aliceas Bob Sanders
• 1970ITV Saturday Night Theatre(TV series) (Season 2 Episode 39: "Married Alive" ) as Colonel Peter Jardine
• 1970The Name of the Game(TV series) (2 episodes) as Paul Tyler
  • (Season 3 Episode 3: "Cynthia is Alive and Living in Avalon" )
  • (Season 3 Episode 8: "Little Bear Died Running" )
• 1971Hannie Caulderas Thomas Luther Price
• 1971See the Man Run(TV movie) as Ben Taylor
• 1971–1990Columbo(TV series) (4 episodes)
  • (Season 1 Episode 2: "Death Lends a Hand" ) (1971) as Investigator Brimmer
  • (Season 2 Episode 3: "The Most Crucial Game" ) (1972) as Paul Hanlon
  • (Season 3 Episode 4: "Double Exposure" ) (1973) as Dr. Bart Kepple
  • (Season 10 Episode 1: "Columbo Goes to College" ) (1990) as Jordan Rowe
• 1972Hickey & Boggs(director) as Frank Boggs
• 1972What's My Line?(TV series)
• 1973A Cold Night's Death(TV movie) as Robert Jones
• 1973A Name for Evilas John Blake
• 1973Shaft(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 1: "The Enforcers" ) as Marshall Cunningham
• 1973Outrage(TV movie) as Jim Kiler
• 1973Match Game(TV series) as himself - Team Captain
• 1974Houston, We've Got a Problem(TV movie) as Steve Bell
• 1974The Castaway Cowboyas Calvin Bryson
• 1975A Cry for Help(TV movie) as Harry Freeman
• 1975Inside Outas Sly Wells
• 1975-1979Police Story(TV series) (3 episodes)
  • (Season 2 Episode 14: "Year of the Dragon: Part 1" ) (1975) as Detective John Darrin
  • (Season 2 Episode 15: "Year of the Dragon: Part 2" ) (1975) as Detective John Darrin
  • (Season 6 Episode 1: "A Cry for Justice" ) as Sergeant Price
• 1976Sky Ridersas Jonas Bracken
• 1976Breaking Pointas Frank Sirrianni
• 1976The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursdayas Jack Colby
• 1976Flood!(TV movie, Irwin Allen Production) as Steve Brannigan
• 1976Silver Streakas FBI Agent (uncredited)
• 1977Spectre(TV movie) as William Sebastian
• 1979Hot Rod(TV movie) as T. L. Munn
• 1979Goldengirlas Steve Esselton
• 1980The Dream Merchants(TV mini-series) (2 episodes) (Episode 1 and Episode 2) as Henry Farnum
• 1981–1986The Greatest American Hero(TV series) (44 episodes) as Bill Maxwell
• 1983National Lampoon's Movie Madnessas Paul Everest (segment "Success Wanters" )
• 1985Turk 182as Mayor Tyler
• 1986Murder, She Wrote(TV series) (Season 2 Episode 12: "Murder by Appointment Only" ) as Norman Amberson
• 1986The Gladiator(TV movie) as Lieutenant Frank Mason
• 1986The Blue Lightning(TV movie) as Lester Mclnally
• 1986Combat Highas General Woods
• 1987The Cosby Show(TV series) (Season 3 Episode 23: "Bald and Beautiful" ) as Scott Kelly
• 1987Matlock(TV series) (2 episodes) as Robert Irwin
  • (Season 2 Episode 5: "The Power Brokers: Part 1" )
  • (Season 2 Episode 6: "The Power Brokers: Part 2" )
• 1987Highway to Heaven(TV series) (Season 3 Episode 21: "Parent's Day" ) as Ronald James
• 1987Big Bad Mama IIas Daryl Pearson
• 1989Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dogas Gregor
• 1989Who's the Boss?(TV Series) (Season 6 Episode 12: "Gambling Jag" ) as Jason
• 1990The Golden Girls(TV series) (Season 5 Episode 17: "Like the Beep Beep Beep of the Tom Tom" ) as Simon
• 1991Timebombas Mr. Phillips
• 1993The Pelican Briefas The President of The United States
• 1994The Nanny(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 20: "Ode the Barbra Joan" ) as Stewart Babcock
• 1994Wings(TV series) (Season 6 Episode 10: "The Wrong Stuff" ) as 'Ace' Galvin
• 1995Pantheras Charles Garry
• 1995Xtro 3: Watch the Skiesas Major Guardino
• 1995Walker, Texas Ranger(TV series) (Season 3 Episode 16: "Trust No One" ) as Lyle Pike
• 1996Spy Hardas Businessman
• 1996–2004Everybody Loves Raymond(TV series) (11 episodes) as Warren Whelan
• 1997Most Wantedas Dr. Donald Bickhart
• 1998Conan the Adventurer(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 14: "Red Sonja" ) as King Vog
• 1998Holding the Baby(TV series) (Season 1 Episode 3: "Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner" )
• 1998Wantedas Father Patrick
• 1998-1999The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs(TV series) (13 episodes) as Agent Three (voice)
• 1999Unconditional Loveas Karl Thomassen
• 1999 "Guilty Conscience"byEminem(music video) as narrator
• 2000Innocentsas Judge Winston
• 2000Newsbreakas Judge McNamara
• 2000Chicago Hope(TV series) (Season 6 Episode 18: "Devoted Attachment" ) as Benjamin Quinn
• 2000Running Mates(TV movie) as Senator Parker Gable
• 2001Farewell, My Loveas Michael Reilly
• 2001Hungeras Chief
• 2003The Dead Zone(TV series) (Season 2 Episode 9: "The Man Who Never Was" ) as Jeffrey Grissom
• 2004The Almost Guysas The Colonel
• 2004Half-Life 2(video game) as Dr. Wallace Breen (voice)
• 2005Santa's Slayas Grandpa Yuleson
• 2006Half-Life 2: Episode One(video game) as Dr. Wallace Breen (voice)
• 2007Robot Chicken(TV series) (Season 3 Episode 7: "Yancy the Yo-Yo Boy" ) as Bill Maxwell / Sheriff of Nottingham (voice)
• 2010The Assignmentas Blakesley (final film role)

External links

• Robert CulpatIMDb
• Robert Culpat theTCM Movie Database
• Robert CulpatAllMovie
• Robert Culpat theInternet Broadway Database
• Robert Culpat theInternet Off-Broadway Database
• Robert CulpatThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television