Robert Culp Passed Away Today
It's been a sad week and a half for fans of classic television...first came word of the passing of Peter Graves, then we learned that Fess Parker had died...and I just found out that actor Robert Culp has died. He was 79.I'm pretty sure I saw every episode of I SPY in syndicated reruns when I was a teenager. I loved the charming interplay between Culp's Kelly Robinson and Bill Cosby's Alexander Scott, secret agents who traveled the globe. I SPY is credited with being the first drama series to star a black actor.
The multi-talented Culp wrote several I SPY scripts and directed an episode. One of Culp's scripts was nominated for an Emmy award. He was also nominated for a few Best Actor Emmy awards but lost each time to Bill Cosby.
In the late '80s Culp guest starred as Cliff Huxtable's old friend, Scott Kelly, in an episode of THE COSBY SHOW -- note the way the name incorporates the names of their I SPY characters. The show seemed to be a reflection of real life, two very old friends simply sitting around talking over old times and cracking jokes.In the early '80s Culp starred in another fun TV series, THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO. Culp played Bill Maxwell, the perennially exasperated FBI contact of the title hero. As he had on I SPY, Culp also wrote and directed episodes.
Culp's film roles included appearing as Jane Fonda's boyfriend in SUNDAY IN NEW YORK (1963).
Thank you, Mr. Culp, for many hours of wonderful entertainment.
Update: Here's an excerpt on YouTube from an Archive of American Television interview with Culp, where he talks about his relationship with Bill Cosby, and here's a brief interview where Culp aptly describes his GREATEST AMERICAN HERO character. (I believe Culp's Bill Maxwell was the key ingredient on GREATEST AMERICAN HERO.) More Culp interview excerpts are available on YouTube.
Thursday Update: Here is the full-length L.A. Times obituary. And a London Daily Telegraph writer looks at Culp's guest roles on COLUMBO.
Update: A great tribute to Culp's Bill Maxwell character by John Nolte at Big Hollywood.
posted by Laura @ 2:35 PM
6 Comments:
Culp was one of my TV heroes. I particularly enjoyed his guest murderer roles on the 1970s Columbo show. I just watched The Most Crucial Game this past week. Yes, a terrible year for our cherished TV icons... (Pernell Roberts, Peter Graves, Fess Parker, and now Robert Culp) :(
I liked The Cosby Show when it was on in the 80s, but I didn't see that episode, and didn't know he ever guest starred. Cool. I'll have to hunt down that episode on You Tube. I am not familiar much with his film work.
Laura:
I also posted a tribute to Robert Culp today.
Glad to know he will be missed by so many.
Excellent post and thoughts.
C.K., I just added a link to my post which discusses Culp's COLUMBO roles. Hope you enjoy it.
Hope you can find that episode, Tom! Ann Reinking plays Culp's wife in the show.
Bob, I enjoyed your tribute, thank you very much for letting us know about it.
Best wishes,
Laura
Laura, This was one of those entertainment deaths that made me softly say, "Damn," when I first read about it. Love, love, loved this man.
OK, is it just me....or does the actor, Steven Culp (Rex Van de Kamp, Desperate Housewives), look VERY much like Robert Culp? I mean, it is REAL UNCANNY. I think it may be worth checking out the scoop. ;0)
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