Robert Culp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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	Washington University in St. Louis
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–2010
Spouse(s)	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, including Joseph Culp
Relatives	Elmo Kennedy "Bones" O'Connor (grandson)

Robert Martin Culp (born August 16, 1930 – died March 24, 2010) was an American actor. He was very well known for his work on television. Culp became famous around the world for playing Kelly Robinson on the TV show I Spy (1965–1968). In this espionage (spy) series, he and co-star Bill Cosby played secret agents.

Before I Spy, Culp starred in the Western series Trackdown from 1957 to 1959. He played Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman in 71 episodes. In the 1980s, he returned to TV as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero. Later, he had a regular role as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond. Robert Culp acted in hundreds of shows and movies during his career, which lasted over 50 years.

Early Life and Education

Robert Culp was born on August 16, 1930, in Oakland, California, or Berkeley, California. He was the only child of Crozier Cordell Culp, a lawyer, and Bethel Martin Culp. He went to Berkeley High School. There, he was good at pole vaulting and even took second place in a big state competition in 1947.

Culp went to several colleges, including the University of the Pacific and Washington University in St. Louis. However, he never finished a college degree. He learned how to act at HB Studio in New York City.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Television Roles

As Ranger Gilman in the 1957–1959 TV Western Trackdown

Culp first became widely known as the star of the 1957–1959 CBS Western TV series Trackdown. He played Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman. This was one of many times Culp appeared in TV Westerns. The idea for Trackdown came from an episode of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre in 1956, where Culp first played Gilman.

After Trackdown ended in 1959, Culp continued to act on television. He appeared in shows like The DuPont Show with June Allyson and the NBC Western series Tate. In 1961, he was in an episode of Rawhide. He also appeared in the Civil War drama The Americans.

Culp also had memorable roles in three episodes of the science-fiction series The Outer Limits (1963–65). One famous episode was "Demon with a Glass Hand". He also guest-starred in popular Westerns like Bonanza and Gunsmoke.

I Spy and Beyond

In 1965, Culp took on his most famous role as CIA secret agent Kelly Robinson. He played a touring tennis professional as his undercover identity. This was for the hit NBC series I Spy (1965–1968), where he starred with Bill Cosby. Culp wrote the scripts for seven episodes of I Spy. He even directed one of them. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his writing and for his acting on the show.

Culp with Kamala Devi in I Spy, 1966

In 1968, Culp made a short, uncredited appearance on the spy-comedy show Get Smart. He was a waiter in an episode that made fun of I Spy.

In the 1970s, Culp played the murderer in three episodes of the popular detective series Columbo. He also appeared in a later Columbo episode in 1990.

The Greatest American Hero and Later Roles

Culp co-starred in The Greatest American Hero as tough FBI Special Agent Bill Maxwell. He worked with a high-school teacher who got superpowers from aliens. Culp wrote and directed one episode of this show, which ran from 1981 to 1983. He also did a voice-over for the show Robot Chicken as Bill Maxwell.

In 1987, Culp worked with Bill Cosby again on The Cosby Show. He played Dr. Cliff Huxtable's old friend, Scott Kelly. This name was a mix of their I Spy characters' names.

Culp had a regular role on Everybody Loves Raymond as Warren Whelan. He was the father of Debra Barone. He also appeared in other TV shows like The Golden Girls, The Nanny, and Wings. He was the voice of Halcyon Renard in the Disney cartoon Gargoyles.

In 1994, Culp and Cosby played their I Spy roles again in the TV movie I Spy Returns. They reunited one last time on the show Cosby in 1999.

Film Appearances

Culp also acted in many movies. In 1963, he was in PT 109 as Ensign George Ross, a friend of John F. Kennedy. He also played the famous gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok in The Raiders.

He starred in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice in 1969 with Natalie Wood. Another notable role was as gunslinger Thomas Luther Price in Hannie Caulder (1971) with Raquel Welch. A year later, Hickey & Boggs brought him and Bill Cosby back together. Culp also directed this movie, where they played private detectives. In 1993, he played the U.S. President in the movie The Pelican Brief.

Other Work

Culp lent his voice to the character Doctor Breen in the 2004 computer game Half-Life 2. Doctor Breen was the main bad guy in the game. He also appeared in the music video for the song "Guilty Conscience" by Eminem and Dr. Dre.

Writing Career

Besides acting, Culp also wrote. He wrote scripts for seven I Spy episodes and directed one. He later wrote and directed two episodes of The Greatest American Hero. Culp also wrote for other TV series, including Trackdown and The Rifleman.

Personal Life

Robert Culp was married five times and had five children. With his second wife, Nancy Wilner, he had sons Joshua, Jason, and Joseph, and a daughter named Rachel. With his last wife, Candace Faulkner, he had another daughter named Samantha. His grandson, Elmo Kennedy O'Connor, is a rapper known as Bones.

Culp was married to French actress France Nuyen from 1967 to 1970. They met when she was a guest star on I Spy. She appeared in four episodes, two of which Culp wrote.

Death

On March 24, 2010, Robert Culp died at age 79. He fell while walking near Runyon Canyon Park in Los Angeles. He was buried at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito.

At the time of his death, Culp had just finished acting in a movie called The Assignment. He was also working on several movie scripts. One of them was an adaptation of the comic strip Terry and the Pirates. This was Culp's favorite comic strip when he was a boy, and he had always wanted to make a film based on it.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Robert Culp para niños