Ross Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ross Martin
Martin in 1967
Born	Martin Rosenblatt March 22, 1920 Gródek, Poland
Died	July 3, 1981(1981-07-03) (aged 61) Ramona, California, U.S.
Resting place	Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Alma mater	City College of New York George Washington University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1946–1981
Spouse(s)	Muriel Weiss ​ ​ (m. 1941; died 1965)​ Olavee Parsons ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	3

Ross Martin (born Martin Rosenblatt, March 22, 1920 – July 3, 1981) was an American actor. He worked in radio, did voice acting, performed on stage, and appeared in movies and on television. Martin is best known for playing Artemus Gordon in the CBS Western TV series The Wild Wild West, which was on air from 1965 to 1969. He also lent his voice to characters in cartoons like Sealab 2020 and Jana of the Jungle.

Early Life and Education

Ross Martin was born into a Polish Jewish family in Gródek, Poland (which is now Horodok, Ukraine). When he was a baby, he and his parents moved to New York City. They traveled on a ship called the New Rochelle and arrived in New York in September 1920. They settled in The Bronx.

Before learning English, Martin spoke Polish, Yiddish, and some Russian. Later, he also learned French, Spanish, and Italian. He went to City College of New York and graduated with high honors. He then earned a law degree from the National University School of Law, which later became part of George Washington University.

Acting Career Begins

Even though he studied business, teaching, and law, Ross Martin chose to become an actor. For several years, he was part of a comedy team with Bernie West. He also appeared on many radio shows and live TV programs. One of his early roles was playing Wyatt Earp in an episode of The Gabby Hayes Show in 1952. He made his first appearance on Broadway in the play Hazel Flagg in 1953.

Martin's first movie was Conquest of Space in 1955. He also had a small but memorable part in The Colossus of New York (1958). In 1959, he appeared in an episode of Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond. He soon caught the attention of director Blake Edwards, who cast him in many different roles. These included Sal in a 1959 Peter Gunn episode and his breakthrough role as the funny sidekick Andamo in the 1959 CBS drama series Mr. Lucky. He also played the kidnapper Red Lynch in the 1962 thriller Experiment in Terror and the villainous Baron Rolfe Von Stuppe in The Great Race.

Starring in The Wild Wild West

Martin in 1965

Martin as Artemus Gordon with Ann Elder in The Wild, Wild West, 1966.

After his performance in The Great Race, CBS chose Ross Martin for his most famous role: Secret Service agent Artemus Gordon in The Wild Wild West. He starred alongside Robert Conrad. Artemus Gordon was a master at creating gadgets and using disguises. These skills were perfect for Martin, who actually created most of his own disguises for the show. The other actors often didn't know what he would look like until they saw him during filming! A special feature on the DVD release of the first season shows a drawing Martin made of his first makeup design for the pilot episode. The show also revealed another of Martin's talents: he was a trained violinist.

In 1968, Martin broke his leg and then had a serious heart attack. Because of this, The Wild Wild West had to use other actors to fill in for him in nine episodes. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the show's fourth and final season. The series ended in 1969 because of a national debate about violence on television.

Later Roles

After The Wild, Wild West finished, Martin continued acting in many guest roles on television and in TV movies. In 1970, he played Alexander Hamilton in the NBC TV special Swing Out, Sweet Land. He also appeared in an episode of The Immortal. The next year, Martin tried directing. He guest starred in a 1971 episode of Columbo called "Suitable For Framing," where he played a murderous art critic. He also appeared in and directed an episode of Love, American Style. Martin directed another episode of that series in 1973. Later that year, he played the famous detective Charlie Chan in The Return of Charlie Chan.

In 1976, Martin returned to the stage, playing John Adams in a touring show of the musical 1776. In 1978, he did more voice work for the cartoon series Jana of the Jungle. He played Artemus Gordon again in two Wild, Wild West TV movies: The Wild Wild West Revisited in 1979 and More Wild Wild West in 1980. He also had a recurring role as Tony Alika on Hawaii Five-O from 1978 to 1979. Martin's last role was in the 1983 TV movie I Married Wyatt Earp, which was released two years after he passed away.

Personal Life and Passing

Ross Martin married his first wife, Muriel Weiss, in 1941. They had one daughter, Phyllis Rosenblatt. Muriel passed away from cancer in 1965.

In 1967, Martin married Olavee Lucile Parsons, who was a successful model and documentary director. He adopted her two children, Rebecca and George. Martin and Parsons were married until his death in 1981. She passed away in 2002.

On July 3, 1981, Ross Martin had a fatal heart attack after playing tennis in Ramona, California. He was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. He is buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Selected TV and Film Roles

Images for kids

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  Martin in 1967

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  Martin in 1965

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  Martin as Artemus Gordon with Ann Elder in The Wild, Wild West, 1966.

See also

In Spanish: Ross Martin para niños