Obit: Robert Culp of "I Spy" Dies

[Carmine5]

Given the number of deaths of great television actors we've been enduring of late you just hold your breath and hope it's over for a while. But Robert Culp died this morning after a fall. He was 79.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/24/obit.robert.culp/index.html?hpt=T2

ttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/actor-robert-culp-dies-after-falling-at-his-hollywood-home.html

He was one of my all time favorites. Loved him in I Spy.

c5

 

[Silkie]

Here is another article. Had you not created the new topic I was going to, because he was one of my favs of all time as well. Wonder if he was taking blood thinners. And yes, we are losing a lot of the greats from a time when even Hollywood had people of purpose.

http://www.comcast.net/articles/entertainment/20100324/US.Obit.Robert.Culp/

 

[Carmine5]

Wonder if he was taking blood thinners.

That's a good guess. I suppose we'll know more after the autopsy.

In the series, "Get Smart", Mr. Culp did a hilarious cameo as a waiter who both serves and drinks his customer's cocktails. Much of it was ad-libbed. The episode was actually a spoof of "I Spy."

c5

 

[LKellerIII]

I Spy opening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdvSD_lezvM

 

[Stanislav]

I've been thoroughly enjoying reruns of I Spy on RTN -- Culp and Cosby had such a beautiful chemistry onscreen, and became close friends offscreen as well. (Cosby had some touching words for Culp at the news of his death, basically calling him the "big brother" that he never had in real life.) They made acting look effortless, and conveyed a sort of Rat Pack-ish spirit of a couple of guys having a helluva lot of fun doing what they were doing, and just coincidentally happening to get paid for it.

 

[bpatrick]

And there may be another soon. Dennis Hopper is reportedly
terminally ill with inoperable cancer. Although not normally
associated with television, Hopper made a number of notable
appearances over the years; one that deserves to be a classic
was an episode of "Sugarfoot" back around 1957. Hopper's
character has the drop on Sugarfoot (Will Hutchins), and Sugarfoot
is trying to persuade him not to kill him. Hopper's response may be
the ultimate commentary on TV Westerns: "Whaddaya tryin' to do,
talk me to death?"

David Brenner once had Hopper on his 1986-87 syndicated show
"Nightlife" and said he enjoyed talking with him more than any other
guest he ever had on that show.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I've been thoroughly enjoying reruns of I Spy on RTN -- Culp and Cosby had such a beautiful chemistry onscreen, and became close friends offscreen as well. (Cosby had some touching words for Culp at the news of his death, basically calling him the "big brother" that he never had in real life.) They made acting look effortless, and conveyed a sort of Rat Pack-ish spirit of a couple of guys having a helluva lot of fun doing what they were doing, and just coincidentally happening to get paid for it.

If you can find the old Bill Cosby stand-up routine about Spanish Fly, give it a listen.
Very funny and gives you a nice sense of his friendship with Culp.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

I've been thoroughly enjoying reruns of I Spy on RTN -- Culp and Cosby had such a beautiful chemistry onscreen, and became close friends offscreen as well. (Cosby had some touching words for Culp at the news of his death, basically calling him the "big brother" that he never had in real life.) They made acting look effortless, and conveyed a sort of Rat Pack-ish spirit of a couple of guys having a helluva lot of fun doing what they were doing, and just coincidentally happening to get paid for it.

It always seemed like "I Spy" should have been a bigger hit than it was; IIRC, it got OK but not great ratings, and was gone after 3 years.

Sadly, both Culp and Cosby had to see their show turned into another bloated unfunny big screen turd.

Culp was also pretty darn good in "The Greatest Americn Hero".

 

[Ultimajock]

...kinda surprised nobody's yet brought up Culp's turn as the "Demon with a Glass Hand" on The Outer Limits...

 

[benwolf]

and his very funny turns as Debra's dad on "Everybody Loves Raymond."

I also remember an old ABC Movie of the Week from the 70's where he played a has-been dj down on his luck who finds himself trying to save a suicidal caller to his radio show. Great acting, on one of those TV movies that hasn't seen the light of day since.

 

[FRR]

I enjoyed 2 of his movies, Hannie Caulder and Bob, Carol, Ted, and Alice. Very dated, but very good..Rest in peace

 

[bpatrick]

Cosby was a complete novice at acting when he was
hired to do "I Spy." Producer Sheldon Leonard wanted
to let him go, but Culp volunteered to work with him.
The rest, as they say, is history; Cosby even won an
Emmy in 1966.

Cosby sometimes referred to Culp as "Hoby," a reference
to the character Hoby Gilman, which Culp played on the
Western "Trackdown" in the late '50s.

 

[Stanislav]

Cosby was a complete novice at acting when he was
hired to do "I Spy." Producer Sheldon Leonard wanted
to let him go, but Culp volunteered to work with him.
The rest, as they say, is history; Cosby even won an
Emmy in 1966.

Actually, Cosby won THREE Emmys, beating out his co-star every time. I once saw a clip of his acceptance speech for one of them (perhaps the first) in which he was gracious and almost embarrassed about beating out Culp, giving both he and Leonard high praise for helping him get his acting chops. I'm sure they helped, but Cos also had a ton of natural talent that just needed a little guidance and direction. Never, even in the earliest episodes of I Spy, do you watch Cosby's performance and say, "yeah, that's a rookie." It never showed, IMHO.