Robert Guillaume

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Robert Guillaume

Robert Guillaume

Photo credit: 
AP

Robert Guillaume

Date of Birth: November 30, 1927
Date of Passing: October 24, 2017
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Obituary: Variety

Robert Guillaume was a stage and screen actor best known for his role as Benson on the series Soap and the spin-off Benson. He was nominated for six Emmys and three Golden Globes for the role, winning two Emmys, one in 1979 and one in 1985.

Guillaume was also known for playing the character Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night, and he had roles on the series Sanford and Son, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Love Boat, L.A. Law, The Addams Family, Diagnosis Murder, Burke’s Law, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, The Outer Limits, Moesha, 8 Simple Rules and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Additionally, Guillaume voiced the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and the series Timon & Pumbaa, as well as several Lion King videos and video games. He also appeared in the films Lean on Me, Spy Hard and Big Fish.

Robert Guillaume was a stage and screen actor best known for his role as Benson on the series Soap and the spin-off Benson. He was nominated for six Emmys and three Golden Globes for the role, winning two Emmys, one in 1979 and one in 1985.

Guillaume was also known for playing the character Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night, and he had roles on the series Sanford and Son, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Love Boat, L.A. Law, The Addams Family, Diagnosis Murder, Burke’s Law, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, The Outer Limits, Moesha, 8 Simple Rules and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Additionally, Guillaume voiced the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and the series Timon & Pumbaa, as well as several Lion King videos and video games. He also appeared in the films Lean on Me, Spy Hard and Big Fish.

In 1977, he earned a Tony nomination for his leading role as Nathan Detroit in a revival of Guys and Dolls. He also replaced the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, in an L.A. production of The Phantom of the Opera, receiving accolades from audiences and critics alike.

Guillaume died October 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. He was 89.

 

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Robert Guillaume, Loni Anderson, Tim Conway
Robert Guillaume and Linda Gray
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Fill 1
Robert Guillaume, Loni Anderson, Tim Conway
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Loni Anderson and Tim Conway with Robert Guillaume, Emmy winner for Best Supporting Actor, Comedy Series at the 31st Emmy Awards

AP
Robert Guillaume and Linda Gray
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Robert Guillaume and Linda Gray at the 37th Emmy Awards, where he won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Benson.

AP File Photo
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