Biography
This page uses content from the Robert Culp biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
Robert Martin Culp (born August 16, 1930 in Oakland, California), and a 1947 graduate of Berkeley High School, is an American actor, best known for his work on television. Culp served in World War II as an armored infantryman with the 49th Armored Infantry Brigade, part of the US 8th Armored Division. In many episodes of his series The Greatest American Hero Culp can be seen wearing a jacket with the division patch on it.
Culp came to national attention with his first role on film as the lead star in the 1957 western television series Trackdown. After that series ended in 1959, he continued to work in televison and guest starred on numerous TV shows in the early 1960's. Among his more memorable performances were in three episodes of the science fiction anthology series The Outer Limits (1963-1965) including the classic "Demon with a Glass Hand." In 1965, Culp would star (in what would become his most famous role in a TV series) as Kelly Robinson on the espionage series I Spy (1965-1968), opposite co-star Bill Cosby. During the series run, he wrote scripts for seven episodes and even directed one episode.
He played the murderer in three Columbo television movies, portraying several different characters. In 1971, he, Peter Falk, Robert Wagner, and Darren McGavin all stepped in to take turns with Anthony Franciosa's rotation of The Name of the Game after Franciosa was fired, rotating the lead of the lavish 90-minute show about the magazine business with Gene Barry and Robert Stack. His next starring stint on television was as FBI agent Bill Maxwell in The Greatest American Hero (1981).
When Larry Hagman entered into contract negotiations over his character of J. R. Ewing in Dallas, Culp was ready to step into the role with an explanation that his face had been rebuilt following an accident. One of his most recent roles was a recurring part on Everybody Loves Raymond as Warren, Ray's father-in-law.
In addition to television, he has also worked as an actor in theatrical films, beginning with PT 109 (1963) and then as Wild Bill Hickok in The Raiders (1963). He went on to star in the film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969); probably the height of his movie career. One of his most memorable film roles was as Thomas Luther Price in Hannie Caulder (1971). He later starred in the films Hickey & Boggs (1972) and Turk 182 (1985). Culp also played the U.S. President in Alan J. Pakula's The Pelican Brief (1993). Altogether, Culp has made hundreds of appearances in TV shows and movies between 1957 and 2005.
Culp lent his voice to the digital character Doctor Breen, the prime antagonist in the 2004 computer game Half-Life 2.
From 1967 to 1970, he was married to Eurasian actress France Nuyen.
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