Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'' (1965–1968), the

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tang ...

television series in which co-star

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

and he played

secret agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

s. Before this, he starred in the CBS/ Four Star

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series '' Trackdown'' as

Texas Ranger Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...

Hoby Gilman in 71 episodes from 1957 to 1959. The 1980s brought him back to television as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on ''

The Greatest American Hero ''The Greatest American Hero'' is an American comedy-drama superhero television series that aired on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour pilot movie on March 18, 1981, and ran until February 2, 1983. The seri ...

''. Later, he had a recurring role as Warren Whelan on ''

Everybody Loves Raymond ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American sitcom television series created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch an ...

''. Culp gave hundreds of performances in a career spanning more than 50 years.

Early life

Culp was born on August 16, 1930, in either

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the ...

, or

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...

. He was the only child of Crozier Cordell Culp, an attorney, and his wife, Bethel Martin Culp (née Collins). He graduated from Berkeley High School, where he was a

pole vault Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the M ...

er and took second place at the 1947

CIF California State Meet The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a dir ...

. Culp attended the University of the Pacific in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquired Rancho Campo de los Franceses. The city is named after R ...

, but did not graduate. He later attended Washington University in St. Louis, San Francisco State, and the University of Washington School of Drama, but never completed an

academic degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including und ...

. He received his acting training at

HB Studio The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency progra ...

in New York City.

Career

Television performances

Culp came to national attention early in his career as the star of the 1957–1959 CBS Western television series '' Trackdown'', 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 for ''Trackdown'' was "Badge of Honor", a 1956 episode of ''

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star ...

'', in which Culp starred as Gilman. In 1960, he appeared in two more episodes of ''Zane Grey Theatre'', playing different roles in "Morning Incident" and "Calico Bait". After ''Trackdown'' ended 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's

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

The DuPont Show with June Allyson ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (also known as ''The June Allyson Show'') is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959, to April 3, 1961, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961. The series wa ...

''. In the summer of 1960, he guest-starred on David McLean's

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

Western series ''

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

''. He played Clay Horne in the series finale, "Cave-In", of the CBS Western ''

Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County ...

'', starring Don 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 series '' Rawhide''. About this time, Culp was cast on the NBC anthology series, '' The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' and in the NBC

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

drama, ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American period spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also serve as showrunners a ...

''. Culp was cast as Captain Shark in a first-season episode of NBC's '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1964). Some of his more memorable performances were in three episodes of the science-fiction anthology series on '' The Outer Limits'' (1963–65), including the classic " Demon with a Glass Hand", written by

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

. In the 1961 season, he guest-starred on the NBC's Western ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

''. In the 1961–62 season, he guest-starred on ABC's

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

'' Target: The Corruptors!'' and that network's ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The sho ...

.'' In the 1962–63 season, he guest-starred in NBC's modern Western series ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' starring Richard Egan. In 1964, Culp played Charlie Orwell, an alcoholic veterinarian, in an episode of '' The Virginian'' (NBC 1962–1971) titled "The Stallion". That same year, he appeared in yet another Western, ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

''. 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" of

James Franciscus James Grover Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: '' Mr. Novak'', '' The Naked City'', '' The Investigators'', '' Longstreet'', '' Doc Elliot'', ...

's NBC education drama series, '' Mr. Novak''. Culp then played perhaps his most memorable character, CIA secret agent Kelly Robinson, who operated

undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an ind ...

as a touring

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

professional, for three years on the hit NBC series ''I Spy'' (1965–1968), with co-star

. 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. Robert Culp Kamala Devi I Spy 1966

In 1968, Culp also made an uncredited cameo appearance as an inebriated Turkish waiter on ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'', the spy-spoof comedy series, in an ''I Spy'' parody episode titled "Die Spy". In this, secret agent Maxwell Smart played by

Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy '' G ...

in effect assumes Culp's Kelly Robinson character, as he pretends to be an international table-tennis champion. The episode faithfully recreates the ''I Spy'' theme music, montage graphics, and back-and-forth banter between Robinson and Scott, with actor/comedian Stu Gilliam imitating Cosby. In 1971, Culp,

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series '' Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and '' Hart to Hart'' (1979� ...

, and

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

each stepped in to take turns with Anthony Franciosa's rotation of NBC's series '' The Name of the Game'' after Franciosa was fired, alternating a lead role of the lavish, 90-minute show about the magazine business with Gene Barry and

Robert Stack Robert Stack (born Charles Langford Modini Stack; January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his deep voice and commanding presence, he appeared in over forty feature films. He starred in the highly successful ABC tele ...

. Also in 1971, he portrayed an unemployed actor, the husband of ambitious

Angie Dickinson Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in ''Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wit ...

, in the TV movie ''See the Man Run''. Culp played the murderer in three ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC fr ...

'' episodes ("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 of ''

Mrs. Columbo ''Mrs. Columbo'' (1979–1980), later called ''Kate Columbo'', ''Kate the Detective'', and ''Kate Loves a Mystery'', is an American crime drama television series, initially based on the wife of Lieutenant Columbo, the title character from the ...

'' starring

Kate Mulgrew Katherine Kiernan Maria Mulgrew (born April 29, 1955) is an American actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Captain Kathryn Janeway on '' Star Trek: Voyager'' and Red on ''Orange Is the New Black''. She first came to attention ...

in the title role. In 1973, Culp almost took the male lead in the sci-fi television series '' Space: 1999''. During negotiations with creator and executive producer

Gerry Anderson Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...

, 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 to

Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...

. Culp co-starred in ''

'' as tough veteran FBI Special 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 pilot ''The Greatest American Heroine'' and a voice-over on the stop-motion sketch comedy ''

Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The write ...

''. During that time, Culp was rumored to replace Larry Hagman as J. R. Ewing in ''Dallas.'' However, Culp firmly denied this, insisting he would never leave his role as Bill Maxwell. In 1987, he reunited with Cosby on ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...

'', playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable's old friend Scott Kelly. The name was a combination of their ''I Spy'' characters' names. Culp had a recurring role on ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' as Warren Whelan, the father of

Debra Barone This is a list of fictional characters from ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', an American sitcom, originally broadcast on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. The show revolves around the life of Italian-American Ray Barone, a sportswriter ...

and father-in-law of

Ray Barone This is a list of fictional characters from '' Everybody Loves Raymond'', an American sitcom, originally broadcast on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. The show revolves around the life of Italian-American Ray Barone, a sportswr ...

. He appeared on episodes of other television programs, including a 1961 season-three episode of ''Bonanza'' titled "Broken Ballad", as well as ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty Wh ...

'', ''

The Nanny ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three ch ...

'', ''

The Girls Next Door ''The Girls Next Door'' (also known as ''The Girls of the Playboy Mansion'') is a reality television series which focuses on the lives of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends who live with him at the Playboy Mansion. The series was created by executive pr ...

'', and ''

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...

''. He was the voice of the character Halcyon Renard in the Disney adventure cartoon '' Gargoyles''. In ''I 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 show ''Cosby'' in 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 on ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...

'' as 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 on ''Diagnosis Murder'' along with

Barbara Bain Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel; September 13, 1931) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cinnamon Carter on the action television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1969), which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awar ...

Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor noted for his stage, film and television work. His television roles include the spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''; th ...

, and

Patrick Macnee Daniel Patrick Macnee (6 February 1922 – 25 June 2015) was a British film and television actor. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, he began his acting career in Canada. Despite having some small film roles, Macnee spent much ...

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 in '' PT 109'', as legendary

gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvement ...

in ''The Raiders'', and as the debonair fiancé of

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...

in ''

Sunday in New York ''Sunday in New York'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor and Cliff Robertson. Filmed in Metrocolor, its screenplay was written by Norman Krasna on the basis of his own 1961 ...

''. He starred in '' Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' in 1969, with

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

. Another memorable role came as another gunslinger, Thomas Luther Price, in '' Hannie Caulder'' (1971) opposite

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in '' Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hamm ...

. A year later, '' Hickey & Boggs'' reunited him with Cosby for the first time since ''I 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 comedy ''Combat Academy''. Culp played the U.S. President in

Alan J. Pakula Alan Jay Pakula (; April 7, 1928 – November 19, 1998) was an American film director, writer and producer. He was nominated for three Academy Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture for ''To Kill a Mockingbird (film), To Kill a Moc ...

's 1993 murder mystery, '' The Pelican Brief''.

Other appearances

Culp appeared in the 1993

live action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...

'' Voyeur'' as the game's villain, industrialist/politician Reed Hawke. He lent his voice to the digital character Doctor Breen, the prime

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, ri ...

in the 2004

computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedback ...

Half-Life 2 ''Half-Life 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Valve Corporation, Valve. It was published by Valve through its distribution service Steam (service), Steam. Like the original ''Half-Life (video game), Half-Life'' (1998), ''Half- ...

''. The video clip of " Guilty Conscience" features Culp as an erudite and detached narrator describing the scenes where

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing Hip hop music, hip hop in Middle America (United Sta ...

and

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...

rap lyrics against each other. He only appears in the music video. In the album version, the narrator is Mark Avery. On November 9, 2007, on ''

The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...

'', host Bill O'Reilly interviewed 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 on ''The Golden Girls''.

Writer

Culp wrote scripts for seven ''I Spy'' episodes, one of which he also directed. He later wrote and directed two episodes of ''The Greatest American Hero'', including the series finale. Culp also wrote scripts for other television series, including ''Trackdown'', a two-part episode from ''

'', and ''

Cain's Hundred ''Cain's Hundred'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from 1961 to 1962. The series was produced by Vanadas Productions, Inc. in association with MGM Television. Synopsis ''Cain's Hundred'' follows the life of Nicholas Cain (Pet ...

''.

Personal life

Culp married five times and is the father of five children. With his second wife, Nancy Wilner, he had sons Joshua, Jason, and

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

, and daughter Rachel. With his last wife, he had another daughter Samantha. Jason Culp is a voice actor who has narrated many audiobooks. Culp was married to French actress France Nguyen (known as

France Nuyen France Nuyen (born France Nguyễn Vân Nga on 31 July 1939) is a French actress, model, and psychological counsellor. Early life Nguyen was born in Marseille. Her mother was French, and her father was widely reported to be Vietnamese, althou ...

), from 1967 to 1970, whom he met when she guest-starred on ''I Spy''. She appeared in four episodes, two of them written by Culp. Culp and Nuyen also co-hosted the second episode of the TV comedy '' Turn-On'' in 1969, but the program was never shown, as the series was cancelled after its first airing. Culp's grandson, Elmo Kennedy O'Connor, is a rapper and performs under the alias Bones.

Death

On March 24, 2010, Culp, at age 79, died after a fall while on a walk near

Runyon Canyon Park Runyon Canyon Park is a park in Los Angeles, California, at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, managed by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The southern entrance to the park is located at the north end of Fuller Av ...

. He was buried at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito. A memorial service was held at

Grauman's Egyptian Theater Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a historic movie theater located at 6706 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace and is noted as having been the site of the first-ever Hollywood fil ...

in Los Angeles on April 10, 2010. At the time of his death, Culp had just completed performing a supporting role as Blakesley in the film ''The Assignment''. He was also working on several screenplays, including an adaptation of the story of ''

Terry and the Pirates ''Terry and the Pirates'' is an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff, which originally ran from October 22, 1934, to February 25, 1973. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate, ...

'' that had already been accepted for filming and was scheduled to start production in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

in 2012, with Culp directing. ''Terry and the Pirates'' had been Culp's favorite

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...

as a boy, and it was his long-time wish to make a film based on it.

Selected filmography

* 1957–1960 ''

'' (TV series) as Shad Hudson / Deputy Sam Applegate / Hoby Gilman * 1957–1959 '' Trackdown'' (TV series) as Hoby Gilman * 1957 ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'' (TV series) as Clarence * 1960 ''Outlaws'' (TV series) as Sam Yadkin * 1960 '' The Westerner'' (TV series) as Shep Prescott * 1960–1962 ''

'' (TV series) as Dave Foley / Colly Vane * 1961 ''

Hennesey ''Hennesey'' is an American military comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962, starring Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton. Cooper played a United States Navy physician, Lt. Charles W. "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalt ...

'' (TV series) as Dr. Steven Gray * 1961 '' Rawhide'' (TV series) as Craig Kern * 1961 ''

The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor ''The Detectives'' (also known as ''The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor'', ''Captain of Detectives'', and ''Robert Taylor's Detectives'') is an American crime drama series which ran on ABC during its first two seasons (sponsored by Procter & Gam ...

'' (TV series) as Herbert Sanders * 1961 '' 87th Precinct'' (TV series) as Curt Donaldson * 1961 ''

'' (TV series) as Ed Payson in the episode "Broken Ballad" * 1961 '' Target: The Corruptors!'' (TV series) as Meeker * 1963 ''

'' (TV series) as Jared Mace * 1963 '' PT 109'' as Ensign George 'Barney' Ross * 1963 ''

'' as Russ Wilson * 1963–1964 '' The Outer Limits'' (TV series) as Trent / Paul Cameron / Allen Leighton * 1964 ''

Rhino! ''Rhino!'' is a 1964 American action film directed by Ivan Tors and written by Art Arthur and Arthur Weiss. The film stars Harry Guardino, Shirley Eaton, Robert Culp, Harry Makela and George Korelin. The film was released on May 20, 1964, by Metr ...

'' as Dr. Jim Hanlon * 1964 '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (TV series) as Captain Shark * 1964 ''

'' (TV series) as Joe Costa * 1965–1968 ''

'' (TV series) as Kelly Robinson / Chuang Tzu * 1968 ''

'' (TV series) as Waiter (uncredited) * 1969 '' Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' as Bob Sanders * 1970 ''

Married Alive ''Married Alive'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Emmett J. Flynn and written by Gertrude Orr. The film stars Margaret Livingston, Matt Moore, Claire Adams, Gertrude Claire, Marcella Daly and Henry Sedley. The film was relea ...

'' (TV series) as Colonel Peter Jardine * 1970 '' The Name of the Game'' (TV series) as Paul Tyler * 1971–1990 ''

'' (TV series) as Jordan Rowe / Dr. Bart Kepple / Paul Hanlon / Investigator Brimmer * 1971 '' Hannie Caulder'' as Thomas Luther Price * 1971 ''See the Man Run'' (TV movie) as Ben Taylor * 1972 '' Hickey & Boggs'' (director) as Frank Boggs * 1972 ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...

'' (TV series) * 1973 ''

A Cold Night's Death ''A Cold Night's Death'' (also known as ''The Chill Factor'') is a 1973 American made for television horror-thriller film. The film was shown on January 30, 1973, on the ABC network. The film was directed by Jerrold Freedman and starred Robert ...

'' (TV movie) as Robert Jones * 1973 ''

A Name for Evil ''A Name for Evil'' is a 1973 American horror film directed by Bernard Girard and starring Samantha Eggar and Robert Culp. Plot Dissatisfied with the family architectural business, a man and his wife pack up and move out to his great-grandfath ...

'' as John Blake * 1973 ''

Shaft Shaft may refer to: Rotating machine elements * Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power * Line shaft, a power transmission system * Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque * Axle, a shaft around whi ...

'' (TV series) as Marshall Cunningham * 1973 '' Outrage'' (TV movie) as Jim Kiler * 1973 ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...

'' (TV series) as Himself - Team Captain * 1974 '' Houston, We've Got a Problem'' (TV movie) as Steve Bell * 1974 ''

The Castaway Cowboy ''The Castaway Cowboy'' is a 1974 American comedy western film released by Walt Disney Productions starring James Garner, Vera Miles, Eric Shea, and Robert Culp about a Texas rancher who gets shanghaied, then jumps ship and finds himself washed ...

'' as Calvin Bryson * 1975 '' A Cry for Help'' (TV movie) as Harry Freeman * 1975 ''

Inside Out Inside Out may refer to: *Backwards (disambiguation) or inverse Books * '' Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd'', by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason * ''Inside Out'', Christian book by Larry Crabb * ''Inside Out'', novel by Barry Eisler ...

'' as Sly Wells * 1975 '' Police Story'' (TV series) as Detective John Darrin * 1976 '' Sky Riders'' as Jonas Bracken * 1976 '' Breaking Point'' as Frank Sirrianni * 1976 ''

The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday ''The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday'' is a 1976 comedy western film directed by Don Taylor starring Lee Marvin, Oliver Reed, Robert Culp, Elizabeth Ashley, Strother Martin, Sylvia Miles, and Kay Lenz. Plot Set in Serenity, Colorado, before the ...

'' as Jack Colby * 1976 '' Flood!'' (TV movie, Irwin Allen Production) as Steve Brannigan * 1976 '' Silver Streak'' as FBI Agent (uncredited) * 1977 ''

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and wri ...

'' (TV movie) as William Sebastian * 1979 ''

Hot Rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...

'' (TV movie) as T. L. Munn * 1979 '' Goldengirl'' as Steve Esselton * 1980 ''

The Dream Merchants ''The Dream Merchants'' is an American novel written by Harold Robbins and published in 1949 in literature, 1949. Set in the early 20th century, the book is a "rags-to-riches" story of a penniless young man who goes to Hollywood, Los Angeles, H ...

'' (TV mini-series) as Henry Farnum * 1981–1983 ''

'' (TV series) as Bill Maxwell * 1983 '' National Lampoon's Movie Madness'' as Paul Everest (segment "Success Wanters") * 1985 '' Turk 182'' as Mayor Tyler * 1986 ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'' (TV series) as Norman Amberson * 1986 '' The Gladiator'' (TV movie) as Lieutenant Frank Mason * 1986 ''

The Blue Lightning ''The Blue Lightning'' is a 1986 Australian film directed by Lee Philips and starring Sam Elliott, Rebecca Gilling, John Meillon, Robert Coleby, Max Phipps, and Robert Culp. Premise Easygoing San Francisco private detective Harry Wingate (Sam E ...

'' (TV movie) as Lester Mclnally * 1986 '' Combat High'' as General Woods * 1987 ''

'' (TV series) as Scott Kelly * 1987 '' Matlock'' (TV series) as Robert Irwin * 1987 ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Vi ...

'' (TV series) as Ronald James * 1987 ''

Big Bad Mama II ''Big Bad Mama II'' is a 1987 American action–crime–sexploitation comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Jim Wynorski, starring Angie Dickinson, Robert Culp, Danielle Brisebois and Julie McCullough. While it has been identified as ...

'' as Daryl Pearson * 1989 ''Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog'' as Gregor * 1990 ''

'' (TV series) as Simon * 1991 '' Timebomb'' as Mr. Phillips * 1993 ''

'' (TV series) as Stewart Babcock * 1993 '' The Pelican Brief'' as The President of The United States * 1994 ''

'' (TV series) as 'Ace' Galvin * 1995 ''

Panther Panther may refer to: Large cats * Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'' **'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. *** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in S ...

'' as Charles Garry * 1995 '' Xtro 3: Watch the Skies'' as Major Guardino * 1996 '' Spy Hard'' as Businessman * 1996–2004 ''

'' (TV series) as Warren Whelan * 1997 '' Most Wanted'' as Dr. Donald Bickhart * 1998 '' Conan the Adventurer'' (TV series) as King Vog * 1998 '' Holding the Baby'' (TV series) * 1998 '' The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs'' (TV series) as Agent Three (voice) * 1998 ''Wanted'' as Father Patrick * 1999 ''Unconditional Love'' as Karl Thomassen * 2000 ''Innocents'' as Judge Winston * 2000 ''Newsbreak'' as Judge McNamara * 2000 ''

Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illino ...

'' (TV series) as Benjamin Quinn * 2000 '' Running Mates'' (TV movie) as Senator Parker Gable * 2001 '' Farewell, My Love'' as Michael Reilly * 2001 ''

Hunger In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic Human nutrition, nutritional needs for a sustaine ...

'' as Chief * 2003 '' The Dead Zone'' (TV series) as Jeffrey Grissom * 2004 ''

The Almost Guys ''The Almost Guys'' is a 2004 American comedy film written and directed by Eric Fleming, produced by Andrea Michaud and starring an ensemble cast. It was filmed on 35mm in Southern California. Film locations included Los Angeles, Lancaster, Long B ...

'' as The Colonel * 2004 ''

'' (video game) as Dr. Wallace Breen (voice) * 2005 ''

Santa's Slay ''Santa's Slay'' is a 2005 Christmas slasher black comedy film written and directed by David Steiman, a former assistant to Brett Ratner; Ratner served as a producer. The film stars Bill Goldberg, Douglas Smith, Emilie de Ravin, Robert Culp, Sau ...

'' as Grandpa Yuleson * 2006 '' Half-Life 2: Episode One'' (video game) as Dr. Wallace Breen (voice) * 2007 ''

'' (TV series) as Bill Maxwell / Sheriff of Nottingham (voice) * 2010 ''The Assignment'' as Blakesley (final film role)

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Culp, Robert 1930 births 2010 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 20th-century American writers American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American television directors American television writers Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California) alumni Film directors from California American male television writers Male Western (genre) film actors Western (genre) television actors Writers from Oakland, California Screenwriters from California Burials in California Washington University in St. Louis alumni University of Washington School of Drama alumni