Robert Evans facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Evans
Evans in 2012
Born	Robert J. Shapera (1930-06-29)June 29, 1930 New York City, U.S.
Died	October 26, 2019(2019-10-26) (aged 89) Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Ferncliff Cemetery
Occupation	Film producer, studio executive, actor
Years active	1950s–2019
Notable work	Rosemary's Baby Love Story The Godfather Chinatown
Spouse(s)	Sharon Hugueny ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1962)​ Camilla Sparv ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1967)​ Ali MacGraw ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1973)​ Phyllis George ​ ​ (m. 1977; div. 1978)​ Catherine Oxenberg ​ ​ (m. 1998; annulled 1998)​ Leslie Ann Woodward ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2004)​ Victoria, Lady White ​ ​ (m. 2005; div. 2006)​
Children	Josh Evans

Robert Evans (born Robert J. Shapera; June 29, 1930 – October 26, 2019) was an American film producer, a boss at a movie studio, and an actor. He is most famous for his work on classic films like Rosemary's Baby (1968), Love Story (1970), The Godfather (1972), and Chinatown (1974).

Evans started his career in a successful clothing business with his brother. In 1956, an actress named Norma Shearer saw him and thought he would be perfect to play her late husband, Irving Thalberg, in the movie Man of a Thousand Faces (1957). This is how he began a short career as an actor.

In 1962, Evans decided to become a film producer. He used the money he earned from his clothing business. He quickly became very successful in the movie industry. In 1967, he became the head of Paramount Pictures. He helped the studio, which was struggling, make many popular and critically praised movies. In 1974, he left his role to produce films on his own.

Around 1980, Evans's career faced some challenges. For the next 12 years, he produced only two movies. Both of these films, The Cotton Club (1984) and The Two Jakes (1990), did not make much money. In 1993, he started producing movies more regularly. Some were successful, like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), which was his last film. Others, like Jade (1995), were not.

Early Life and Start in Acting

Robert Evans was born in New York City. His mother, Florence, was a housewife from a wealthy family. His father, Archie Shapera, was a dentist. Robert grew up in New York City's Upper West Side during the 1930s. His family was better off than most people during the Great Depression.

When he was young, he helped promote Evan-Picone, a fashion company started by his brother Charles. After high school, he did a lot of voice work for radio shows. He had a clear, deep voice and was good at different accents. He estimated he worked on over 300 radio shows before he turned 18. This included a main role on The Aldrich Family comedy show.

On November 6, 1956, actress Norma Shearer saw him by the pool at The Beverly Hills Hotel. She helped him get the role of her late husband, Irving Thalberg, in Man of a Thousand Faces. That same year, another important person in Hollywood, Darryl F. Zanuck, chose him to play Pedro Romero in the 1957 movie The Sun Also Rises. This was a film based on Ernest Hemingway's book. In 1959, Evans also appeared in The Best of Everything.

Becoming a Film Producer

Evans was not happy with his own acting skills. He decided he wanted to become a producer instead. He started by buying the rights to a 1966 book called The Detective. Evans turned this book into a movie called The Detective in 1968. It starred famous actors like Frank Sinatra.

Peter Bart, a writer for The New York Times, wrote an article about how Evans worked as a producer. This article caught the attention of Charles Bluhdorn, who was the head of a big company called Gulf+Western. This company owned Paramount Pictures. In 1966, Bluhdorn hired Evans to be a production vice-president at Paramount.

Evans with his first wife Sharon Hugueny in 1961

When Evans became the head of production for Paramount, the studio was not doing well. It was the ninth largest studio. Even though he didn't have much experience, Evans managed to turn the studio around. He made Paramount the most successful studio in Hollywood.

During his time at Paramount, the studio produced many famous movies. These included Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Romeo and Juliet, Rosemary's Baby, The Italian Job, True Grit, Love Story, Harold and Maude, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Serpico, The Conversation, and Chinatown.

In 1972, Evans made a special agreement with Paramount. He could stay as a top executive while also producing five films on his own. After the huge success of Chinatown, he left his job as production chief. This allowed him to focus on producing films independently.

From 1976 to 1980, he continued to make successful movies as an independent producer. These included Marathon Man, Black Sunday, Popeye, and Urban Cowboy. After 1980, he produced fewer films, and they were not as highly praised. He produced only two films over the next twelve years: The Cotton Club and The Two Jakes. From 1993 to 2003, he produced films like Sliver, Jade, The Phantom, The Saint, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

In 2003, Evans produced and voiced a character in the animated series Kid Notorious. In 2004, he hosted a radio show called In Bed with Robert Evans. In July 2019, Paramount ended its contract with Robert Evans Productions. Evans had been working from his home due to poor health.

Personal Life

Robert Evans was married seven times. His first marriage was to Sharon Hugueny in 1961. He later married Camilla Sparv, Ali MacGraw, Phyllis George, Catherine Oxenberg, Leslie Ann Woodward, and Victoria White. His marriage to Catherine Oxenberg lasted only nine days before it was ended. He married his seventh wife, Victoria White O'Gara, in August 2005. She filed for divorce in June 2006.

Evans had one child, a son named Josh Evans, with his wife Ali MacGraw. Josh also became a film producer.

Robert's brother, Charles Evans, was a businessman and sometimes a film producer. His nephew, Charles Evans, Jr., is a documentary producer. His sister, Alice Shure, has also produced films.

Health and Later Years

On May 6, 1998, Robert Evans had a stroke during a dinner party. He was rushed to the hospital. He had three strokes quickly and was left unable to move his right side or speak. His friend Sumner Redstone encouraged him to work on his speech and recovery.

A few days after Evans's stroke, Frank Sinatra died in a nearby hospital room. Seeing Sinatra's body being taken away made Evans even more determined to recover.

Evans eventually learned to talk again and returned to producing movies. From 2013, he used a cane for short walks and had limited movement.

Robert Evans passed away in Beverly Hills, California, on October 26, 2019. He was 89 years old.

Filmography

He was a producer for all the films listed below unless otherwise noted.

Film

As head of production at Paramount

As studio executive

As an actor

Miscellaneous crew

Thanks

Television

As an actor

As writer

Thanks

Images for kids

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  Evans in 2012

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  Evans with his first wife Sharon Hugueny in 1961

See also

In Spanish: Robert Evans para niños