Robert Colbert (born July 26, 1931, in Long Beach, California) is an American actor most noted for his leading role portraying Dr. Doug Phillips on the TV series The Time Tunnel and his two appearances as a third Maverick brother in Maverick.
Colbert first acted when he was a soldier based on Okinawa. He was a Clerk Typist with a Military Police unit who worked as a disc jockey for Radio Free Asia in the evenings. A woman in Air Force Special Services heard his voice and recruited him to act in a performance of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.[1] Hooked on acting Colbert returned to the US and acted on stage where he was noticed by Mickey Shaughnessy who recommended him to a talent agency.
Colbert appeared in a number of minor films, including Have Rocket, Will Travel starring the Three Stooges and Amazon Women on the Moon, and was signed to a contract with Warner Bros. and subsequently cast in the feature film A Fever in the Blood (1961) along with many guest apearances on television series.
In 1961 Colbert was forced by the studio to dress exactly as lookalike James Garner had in Garner's earlier role of Bret Maverick to play a character called "Brent Maverick." Thinking of the inevitable comparisons to Garner that were bound to ensue, Colbert famously said to his bosses, "Put me in a dress and call me Brenda, but don't do this to me!" Colbert played the part in two episodes and was not called back for the following season since the studio decided to alternate new episodes featuring only Bret and Brent's brother "Bart Maverick" (Jack Kelly) with reruns starring the popular Garner during the series' fifth and final season.
In 1966-67 Colbert played the part of Doug Phillips in the Irwin Allen science fiction TV series, The Time Tunnel, the second lead in a show about two time travelers.
Colbert also appeared as the character Stuart Brooks, (original cast member), on the TV soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1973 to 1983. His character Stuart Brooks died off-screen sometime before his wife Liz Foster returned to town in 1984. Stuart's young son-in-law, Snapper Foster, was played by a then unknown David Hasselhoff.
In 1981, Colbert and Robert Culp were suggested by CBS as possible replacements for Larry Hagman's J.R. Ewing, after Hagman decided to hold out for more money (like his friend Carroll O'Connor had successfully done in 1974) but Hagman returned to the series.
Colbert was married to dancer/songwriter Dotty Harmony in 1961 for 15 years. Harmony wrote for Metric Music with Sharon Sheeley and had songs recorded by Rick Nelson. They have two children Cami and Clay. Cami is married to film maker Jon Freeman (Flesh Wound Films) who produces the highly successful "Crusty Demon" series of DVDs.
Today Robert Colbert is 'retired' though he still makes occasional cameo appearances, takes part in science fiction conventions all across America, and enjoys celebrity golf tournaments for fund-raising events.