Robert Wagner

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Robert Wagner
Born February 10, 1930
Detroit, Michigan, USA
For other persons named Robert Wagner, see Robert Wagner (disambiguation).

Robert John Wagner (born February 10, 1930) is a popular American film and television actor. In his early days in Hollywood in the 1950s, he was mentored by the movie actor Spencer Tracy. He also starred in three popular American television series that spanned six decades such as, playboy secret agent, Alexander Mundy in the popular 1960s adventure series, It Takes a Thief (1968-1970) with Fred Astaire, before playing Eddie Albert's ex-con man and friendly partner, Det. Pete T. Ryan in the popular 1970s crime drama, Switch (1975-1978), and as Stefanie Powers's super-rich private eye and husband, Jonathan Hart in the immensely-popular 1980s crime drama, Hart to Hart (1979-1984). He also starred in the Austin Powers films in the late 1990s and early 2000's.

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[edit] Early career

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Wagner moved with his family to Los Angeles, California, when he was seven. At an early age, Wagner became an aspiring actor was successfully employed in a variety of jobs, most prominently as a caddy for actor Clark Gable. However, it wasn't until he was dining with his family at a Beverly Hills restaurant that he was "discovered" by a talent scout. Making his debut in The Happy Years (1950), he would play minor characters in several military themed films until his performance in With a Song in My Heart (1952) starring Susan Hayward which would lead to a contract with 20th Century Fox.

His signing on with Fox would lead to a series of films in starring roles including Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) and Prince Valiant (1954) as well as smaller, although impressive performances, in A Kiss Before Dying (1956) and Between Heaven and Hell (1956).

It was during his early career that he became the protégé of veteran actor Clifton Webb, appearing together in Stars and Stripes Forever (1952). His performance in the film would later earn him a nomination of the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer in motion pictures.

According to Robert Hofler in The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, his biography of Hollywood talent agent Henry Willson, Wagner was the most prominent client to break with Willson after the homosexuality of Willson and his top client, Rock Hudson, became a topic of Hollywood gossip. For the straight actors represented by Willson, to be represented by a gay man in the 1950s meant that they were likely to be perceived as gay by a homophobic society, so Wagner and others abandoned him to preserve their masculine images, as well as their careers [citation needed].

[edit] Personal life

On his way to becoming one of Fox's visible younger stars, Wagner began appearing in public with several young actresses including Debbie Reynolds, eventually becoming lifelong friends.

In 1956, Wagner became involved with 18-year-old actress Natalie Wood, and was married at Scottsdale, Arizona on December 28, 1957. The marriage was celebrated in Hollywood as the most "glittering union of the 20th century". Living in a Beverly Hills home worth $150,000, the couple soon became involved in financial troubles. At Fox, Wagner's career was slowly being overtaken by newer actors such as Marlon Brando and Paul Newman while Natalie Wood's also ran into trouble as her contract with Warner Bros. was suspended for 14 months after her refusal to appear in a movie filming in England. The two would eventually file for divorce on April 27, 1962, with Natalie entering a relationship with actor Warren Beatty soon afterwards.

Wagner, reportedly distraught over the divorce, traveled to Europe and was working on The Longest Day (1962) when he met old friend actress Marion Marshall. After a brief courtship, Wagner married Marshall on July 22, 1963 and the following year had a daughter, Katie Wagner, however the two would also divorce in 1970.

[edit] Television

Robert Wagner
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Robert Wagner

In 1968, Wagner made his television debut starring in the short-lived television series It Takes a Thief and, after a successful two and a half seasons, Wagner's career began to rise. By the mid 1970s, Wagner's television career was at its peak with the popular television series Switch and most memorably Hart to Hart (as well as appearing in the pilot episode of The Streets of San Francisco). He would later be nominated for an Emmy Award for "Best TV Actor" for his performance in "It Takes a Thief" and for four Golden Globe awards for his role as Jonathan Hart in "Hart to Hart."




[edit] Remarriage to Natalie Wood

Despite his divorce, Wagner continued to keep in contact with Natalie Wood and, in 1971, at a chance meeting with Wood in a restaurant, the two began to resume their relationship (despite her marriage to British producer Richard Gregson). Wood eventually divorced Gregson, and gaining custody of her daughter Natasha, they remarried on June 16, 1972 in a ceremony on their yacht Splendour. Two years later, along with Katie Wagner and Natasha Gregson Wagner, the couple had a daughter Courtney Brooke.

Robert Wagner & Natalie Wood
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Robert Wagner & Natalie Wood

The two would later appear together in the television movies The Affair, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Wagner's own television series Hart to Hart. In 1973, with his wife Natalie Wood, Wagner arranged a deal with Aaron Spelling to submit ideas for pilots to ABC, one of which resulted in the TV series Charlie's Angels in which Wagner and Wood shared the profits with Spelling equally.

On November 29, 1981, Natalie Wood drowned after falling off their yacht Splendour while sailing near Catalina Island with Wagner and Christopher Walken. Wagner, reportedly distraught over Natalie's death, would remain unmarried for almost ten years while continuing to raise their three daughters.

After sister-in-law Lana Wood published her 1984 autobiography Natalie: A Memoir, Wagner broke off contact with his late wife's family. She would go on to produce the television movie The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004), starring Justine Waddell and Michael Weatherly as Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner.

In 1991, he married actress Jill St. John. In the spring of 2000, St. John herself would become involved in an altercation with Lana Wood during a cover shoot for Vanity Fair featuring the actresses of the long running James Bond series. St. John and Lana co-starred in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds are Forever.

[edit] Return to film

Robert Wagner as Number Two in New Line's Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
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Robert Wagner as Number Two in New Line's Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).

Wagner's film career received a revival for his role in the popular Mike Myers's Austin Powers series with his role as Dr. Evil's henchman known only as Number 2 as well as becoming the host of Fox Movie Channel's Hour of Stars, featuring original television episodes of The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955), a series which Wagner had appeared on in his early days with the studio.

[edit] Aaron Spelling lawsuit

In June 2000, Wagner sued Aaron Spelling Productions for $20 million for breach of contract and fraud, claiming he had been cheated out of profits from the Fox television series Beverly Hills, 90210 regarding an agreement between the show's creator and producer Aaron Spelling and the Fox Network in conflict with his own business relationship with Spelling since the early 1970s.

In 1988, Wagner agreed to become involved in Spelling's television series Angels 88, then in development, in which Spelling had agreed Wagner would receive a 7.5% gross profit for his participation, regardless of services rendered. However, when the series was initially picked up by Fox and then later dropped in favor of Beverly Hills, 90210, Wagner claimed he was entitled to the rights previously agreed upon their 1988 agreement.

[edit] Friendship with Eddie Albert

Wagner was a loyal friend to Eddie Albert for over 40 years and said Albert was a true blessing to him. Wagner was only 8 when he first watched his future mentor in the 1938 movie, Brother Rat, and was impressed. He first worked with the seasoned actor in the 1962 movie, The Longest Day. Shortly afterwards, they co-starred in Switch, and The Concorde: Airport '79. They kept in touch until Albert's death in 2005 where Wagner gave one of the eulogies.

[edit] Filmography

Wagner's career as a supporting player in movies was solid in the 1950s, but his film career petered out in the 1960s (as did his first marriage to Natalie Wood), and he turned to television, with great success. His notable roles include:

[edit] Other roles

[edit] External links

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