| Robert Rockwell | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 15, 1920 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 2003 (aged 82) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1948–1995 |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Weiss (1942–2003; his death) 5 children |
Robert Rockwell (October 15, 1920 – January 25, 2003) was an American actor best known for playing the handsome, but awkward biology teacher Philip Boynton in the radio and television situation comedy Our Miss Brooks opposite Eve Arden.
A native of Chicago, Rockwell studied at the Pasadena Playhouse where he received a masters degree. Dramatic roles often eluded him, however, after beginning his career as a contract player for Republic Studios he appeared, over his almost fifty year acting career, in over 350 television shows and, on stage, opposite José Ferrer in the 1946 Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac, and with Ginger Rogers during the 1960s in a San Diego production of Whitfield Cook's play A More Perfect Union.
Rockwell was a founding member of the California Artists Radio Theatre. He played standard leads in a couple of anti-Communist-era features, including Republic's The Red Menace (1949) wherein he played a war veteran who is duped by Communists.
In the very first episode of The Adventures of Superman, he played Superman's father Jor-El. He was also seen a number of times on the television anthology series The Loretta Young Show (1958), playing Loretta Young's husband. Later in his career he appeared on episodes of Growing Pains (1988–90) and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1993). His appearances in commercials and voiceovers totaled more than 200, most notably as the armchair grandfather treating his grandson to a piece of candy in the 1995 version of the Werthers Original candy spot.
Robert Rockwell died in Malibu, California on January 25, 2003, aged 82 from cancer. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth (née Weiss), to whom he had been married since September 26, 1942. The couple had five children: Susan, Alison, Robert Jr., Jeffrey, and Gregory. His granddaughter, Taylor Rockwell, the daughter of actress Alison Rockwell, is a visual effects coordinator.