Robert Fuller (actor)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Fuller (born on July 29, 1934) is a versatile, American actor, best known for starring role on the popular 1960s western series Laramie, as Jess Harper, and as well as his work in the popular 1970s medical drama Emergency!, as Dr. Kelly Brackett.
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[edit] Early life
An only child, Fuller was born Buddy Lee in Troy, New York to Betty Simpson, a dance instructor. Prior to Lee's birth, Simpson married Robert Simpson, Sr., a Naval Academy officer. The family moved to Key West, Florida, where Lee took the name of his parents, becoming Robert Simpson, Jr.. The early highlights of Simpson's life were acting and dancing (his parents owned a dancing school), and after graduating from the Miami Military Academy in 1952, he traveled to Hollywood with his family, where Fuller's first job was a stuntman. He also worked at the prestigious Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Upon establishing his acting career, he changed his name to "Robert Fuller."
[edit] Acting Career before and after a stint in the Korean War
Fuller's first small role was 1952's Above and Beyond. This part led to landing in a few small roles such as I Love Melvin, also in 1953, he again had another minor part in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which starred Marilyn Monroe, but Fuller's career came to an abrupt hold when he was drafted into the Korean War. He did a tour of duty in Korea, and came back a couple of years after the war in 1955.
Fuller had considered another career, but at his parents suggestion, he attended Richard Boone's acting classes, under the tutelage of Sanford Meisner at New York City's, Neighborhood Playhouse, and reconsidered.
[edit] Film Career
Fuller landed a small role in Friendly Persuasion, where he worked with his future Laramie co-star John Smith. Director William Wyner suggested to Fuller that he grow sideburns for the role, and was offered the part when he did. The following year, his first major movie role was Teenage Thunder, and in 1957, he also starred in the science fiction film The Brain From Planet Arous.
[edit] Character Actor
Fuller became an immensely-popular character actor, guest-starring in dozens of TV series, including Crossroads in 1956, Flight, Official Detective, The Californians, Panic!, Buckskin, M Squad, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Lux Playhouse, Highway Patrol, The Restless Gun, Lawman, and Strange Intruder, where he played a villain who died in the third episode. He also made more appearances in, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and Mike Hammer, among many others. His guest-starring appearance on Cimarron City led him to starring in his own TV series later that year, Laramie.
[edit] Television roles
Fuller landed the role of Jess Harper on the western series Laramie, which ran from 1959 to 1963. When Laramie’s run ended in 1963, Fuller jumped to another western, Wagon Train, where he replaced Robert Horton (whom he closely resembled) in the role of the wagon train's scout. While Horton had worn a dark cowboy hat, Fuller wore a light one, presumably so that viewers would realize that a change had occurred. Fuller remained with the series until its conclusion in 1965.
Over the next six years, Fuller would appear in a handful of nondescript films; it seemed his career was stalling as the western was slowly being phased out of the American film industry. The one exception was his role as Vin in Return of the Seven (1966) which was a modest, if lackluster, sequel to The Magnificent Seven.
After producer Jack Webb saw Fuller in the movie The Hard Ride, he insisted Fuller star in his new NBC medical drama, Emergency!. Fuller was reluctant to play a doctor, but the persistent Webb persuaded him to accept the role of head physician, Dr. Kelly Brackett. During its first season, as a midseason replacement in the 1971-1972 season, it became a smash hit. In 1977, after a six season run, Emergency! was put on hiatus, despite good ratings, and was eventually cancelled in 1979 after eight and a half seasons and 134 episodes.
In the 1980s and 1990s Fuller played supporting roles in more than 20 television shows, including The Love Boat, The Fall Guy, Murder, She Wrote, Matt Houston, Tour of Duty, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., and Diagnosis: Murder. Toward the end of his acting career, he played Wade Harper on the last episode of Walker, Texas Ranger with Chuck Norris.
[edit] Personal Life
By the 1990s, Fuller had largely retired from the film business. He has been married to actress Jennifer Savidge since 2001. Formerly he was married to Patricia Lee Lyon, with whom he has three children, but the two were divorced after 22 years of marriage in 1984.
In mid-2004, Fuller and Jennifer Savidge moved from Los Angeles to Texas, where they live on a ranch.
[edit] Awards
In 1961, he won the Best Actor Award in Japan, also that same year, he won the Japanese Golden Order of Merit, which was awarded to him by the Empress of Japan. Fuller was the first American ever to earn this award.
In 1970, he won 5 Ottos, those are German awards which looks like that of an Emmy. That same year, he won the Buffalo Bill award for Outstanding Western Entertainment.
For his contribution to the television industry, Robert Fuller has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6608 Hollywood Blvd.
In 1989, he won the Golden Boot Award.
