No matter if you remember him from Trackdown, I Spy, The Greatest American Hero or his number of TV guest spots on shows ranging from The Outer Limits to Everbody Loves Raymond, Robert Culp has been a fixture on everyones TV for over 50 years. He recently passed away at the age of 79 when he had a accident at his home. It is hard to imagine TV without Robert Culp. Of all of his roles perhaps his most iconic is that of FBI agent Bill Maxwell from The Greatest American Hero. At the time he was doing that show there were rumors that he would play another iconic role in Dallas. He would take over the part of J.R. Ewing as contract negotiations with Larry Hagman were stalled. Culp said there was no truth to the rumors and if it was offered to him he would have turned it down cause he wouldn't leave the part of Bill Maxwell. If another story I heard is true Robert Culp left his mark in another way. I Spy co-starred Bill Cosby. Everyone knows that Cosby's part broke TV's color barrier. What you may not know is that it almost didn't happen. At least not with Cosby. After seeing Cosby's acting the producer, Sheldon Leonard told Culp Cosby had to go cause he couldn't act. Culp told Leonard to wait and he would try to teach him how to act. It worked and he kept the part on the show. Since then Cosby has become another actor who it would be hard to think of TV without. Culp did guest spots on the Cosby show and joined Cosby for an I Spy reunion movie and in 1972 he directed himself and Cosby as two private eyes in the movie Higgy and Boggs. It isn't hard to believe when i heard the news today state that Bill Cosby said Robert Culp was like a brother to him. Here is an ash can version of a comic book based on the show The Greatest American Hero.
1 comment:
Sorry to hear this. He was a great actor. We need cool shows like "Greatest American Hero" back on the air!
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