Dick Gautier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dick Gautier
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Gautier as Robin Hood in When Things Were Rotten (1975)
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| Born |
Richard Gautier
October 30, 1931 |
| Died | January 13, 2017 (aged 85) Arcadia, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor, comedian, singer, caricaturist |
| Years active | 1959–1992 |
| Spouse(s) | Beverly J. Gerber (m. 1954; div. 19??) Tess Hightower
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
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Richard "Dick" Gautier (born October 30, 1931 – died January 13, 2017) was a talented American actor, comedian, singer, and artist who drew funny pictures of famous people (a caricaturist). He was well-known for his roles on TV, like playing Hymie the Robot in the series Get Smart. He also played Robin Hood in the TV comedy When Things Were Rotten. Before his TV fame, he was the first actor to play Conrad Birdie in the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie.
Contents
A Career in Entertainment
Starting Out as a Performer
Dick Gautier began his career performing as a comedian and singer in nightclubs. He joined a group called ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) in 1959 after serving in the United States Navy.
In 1960, he got a big break playing Conrad Birdie, a fictional rock and roll star, in the original Broadway show Bye Bye Birdie. His performance was so good that he was nominated for a Tony Award, which is a very important award for theater. Later, he acted in movies with some of the stars from Bye Bye Birdie, like Kay Medford in Ensign Pulver (1964) and Dick Van Dyke in Divorce American Style (1967).
Fun on Game Shows
During the 1970s and 1980s, Dick Gautier was a familiar face on many popular game shows. He often appeared as a panelist, which means he was one of the celebrity guests who helped contestants or played along. Some of the shows he was on include Match Game, Family Feud, and Password Plus.
Playing Batman
In 1973, Dick Gautier had a special chance to play a famous superhero. The actors who played Robin and Batgirl in the Batman TV show, Burt Ward and Yvonne Craig, were asked to appear in a public service announcement (PSA) about equal pay for women. However, the original Batman actor, Adam West, didn't want to play Batman at that time. So, Dick Gautier stepped in and played Batman for that important TV message!
Voice Acting for Cartoons
Many kids might know Dick Gautier's voice without even realizing it! He lent his voice to many animated cartoons. He was the voice of Rodimus Prime in the third season of The Transformers animated series from 1986 to 1987. He also voiced Serpentor in the G.I. Joe series. Other cartoon characters he voiced include Louis from Foofur, Spike the Dog in Tom & Jerry Kids, Wooly Smurf in The Smurfs, and several characters in Inhumanoids.
Drawing Famous Faces
Besides acting, Dick Gautier was also very talented at drawing caricatures. Caricatures are drawings of people where certain features are exaggerated for a funny or striking effect. He was known for his caricatures of celebrities. He even wrote several books to teach others how to draw caricatures and cartoons!
About His Life
Dick Gautier was married three times. He had three children named Chrissie, Randy, and Denise, and six grandchildren. He also had a stepdaughter named Jennifer, who had two children.
Dick Gautier passed away on January 13, 2017, in Arcadia, California, after being ill for a long time.
Images for kids
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From the TV series Here We Go Again (1973). From top: Dick Gautier, Nita Talbot, Larry Hagman and Diane Baker.
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Gautier and Misty Rowe in When Things Were Rotten, 1975
See also
In Spanish: Dick Gautier para niños
