Happy Birthday, Mr. Culp! In honor of this day, below is some information from Hollywood.com about his fabulous career.
Mr. Beardface, if you talk to him today, please convey our best wishes for a very happy birthday and a wonderful year ahead!
Robert Culp
Born: Berkeley, California on 8/16/1930
Durable, solid lead and character player of TV and film, able to project sympathy, menace, weakness, or corruption, Culp has appeared in front of the cameras for more than 40 years, discriminating little between episodic TV guest appearances and prestigious feature films. After a late teen period which saw him attend numerous colleges without "finding himself", Culp migrated to New York, where he studied acting at the Herbert Berghof Studios and found work in stage and live TV. He made his TV debut in the "The Death of Socrates" episode of "You Are There" (CBS, 1953) and also appeared in episodes of "U.S. Steel Hour", "Zane Grey Theatre", "Robert Montgomery Presents" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", among others. Culp debuted as a series regular on "Trackdown" (CBS, 1957) and also wrote occasional episodes. He co-starred in one of the first TV-movies, "The Hanged Man" (NBC, 1964). The following year, Culp's star status was firmly fixed when he appeared with neophyte Bill Cosby in "I Spy" (NBC, 1965-68), as world-traveling sleuths. Again, Culp wrote episodes, this time earning an Emmy nomination for one of his scripts. He was also Emmy nominated as Lead Actor in a Drama Series, but lost to Cosby three years running. After "I Spy" ended its run, Culp had perhaps his best film role, a lead in "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice" (1969), a comic look at the swinging marriage scene. He made his feature directorial debut with "Hickey and Boggs" (1972), co-starring with Cosby as private eyes searching for a missing girl. The film did not win box office approval, and Culp returned to acting. In 1973, he made a guest appearance on "Columbo" (NBC) and, for the next several seasons, would appear as a different uppercrust murderer trying unsuccessfully to outsmart Peter Falk. Culp returned to series TV with "Greatest American Hero" (ABC, 1981-83) as an FBI agent who convinces a high school teacher to use a suit that will make him fly. He was also given a chance to write and direct episodes. After the demise of "Hero", Culp stated openly that he would act only occasionally and devote more time to pursuing a writing career. During this period he co-starred in several forgettable films (e.g. "The Castaway Cowboys" 1974, "The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday" 1976). By the end of the 1970s, with former TV partner Bill Cosby enjoying renewed success, Culp admitted in a TV GUIDE interview that he had not succeeded in his quest to be a writer. He reteamed with Cosby for an episode of "The Cosby Show" and an "I Spy" reunion film for CBS. He played a wishy-washy US president in "The Pelican Brief" (1993), which starred Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. Often aligning himself with progressive causes, Culp played a key cameo in "Panther" (1995) and remained in demand, often in "white man-oppressor roles" well into the decade.
Filmography
Blind Eye - ( / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Almost Guys - ( The Colonel / 2006 / Released / )
Hunger - ( / 2001 / Released / )
Dark Summer - ( Judge / 1999 / Released / )
Unconditional Love (Horne Entertainment) - ( Karl Thomassen / 1999 / Released / )
The Pelican Brief - ( President of the United States / 1998 / Released / )
Most Wanted - ( Donald Bickhart / 1997 / Released / Alliance Releasing )
Spy Hard - ( Businessman / 1996 / Released / )
Panther - ( Charles Garry / 1995 / Released / REP )
XTRO 3: Watch the Skies - ( The General / 1995 / Released / Nordisk Film Biografdistribution )
Time Bomb - ( / 1991 / Released / Ascii Pictures )
Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog - ( Gregor / 1989 / Released / )
Silent Night Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! - ( Lieutenant Connolly / 1989 / Released / )
Big Bad Mama II - ( Daryl Pearson / 1988 / Released / )
Turk 182 - ( Mayor Tyler / 1985 / Released / )
National Lampoon Goes to the Movies - ( Paul Everest / 1982 / Released / )
Goldengirl - ( Steve Esselton / 1979 / Released / )
Breaking Point - ( Frank Sirrianni / 1976 / Released / )
Inside Out - ( Sly Wells / 1976 / Released / Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution )
Sky Riders - ( Jonas Bracken / 1976 / Released / )
The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday - ( Jack Colby / 1976 / Released / AIP )
The Castaway Cowboy - ( Bryson / 1974 / Released / )
Hickey and Boggs - ( Director / 1972 / Released / )
Hickey and Boggs - ( Frank Boggs / 1972 / Released / )
Hannie Caulder - ( Thomas Luther Price / 1971 / Released / )
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice - ( Bob / 1969 / Released / )
Rhino! - ( Dr Jim Hanlon / 1964 / Released / MGM/UA Entertainment Company )
The Hanged Man - ( Harry Pace / 1964 / Released / )
PT109 - ( Ensign "Barney" Ross / 1963 / Released / Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution )
Sunday in New York - ( Russ Wilson / 1963 / Released / MGM/UA Entertainment Company )
The Raiders - ( Wild Bill Hickok / 1963 / Released / Universal )
Santa's Slay - ( / / Released / ) Full Biography (Back to top)
Profession(s): Actor, director, writer
Sometimes Credited As: Robert Martin Culp
Family:
daughter:Rachel Culp (born in November 1964; mother, Nancy Ashe)
son:Jason Culp (born in January 1961; mother, Nancy Ashe)
son:Joseph Culp (born on January 9, 1963; mother, Nancy Ashe)
son:Joshua Culp (born in April 1958; mother, Nancy Ashe)
wife:Nancy Ashe (first wife; divorced in 1967; mother of Culp's four children)
wife:Sheila Sullivan (married c. 1971 to c. 1976)
wife:Candace Faulkner (married in 1991; mother of Culp's youngest child)
wife:France Nuyen (second wife; married in 1967; divorced in 1969)
Education:
College of the Pacific Stockton, California
Washington University St Louis, Missouri
San Francisco State College San Francisco, California
HB Studio New York, New York acting
Milestones:
1995 Played key cameo in "Panther"
1994 Reprised role of Kelly Robinson in "I Spy Returns" (CBS)
1987 Reunited with Bill Cosby on "The Cosby Show" (NBC)
1986 Hosted syndicated series, "True Confessions"
1972 Feature directorial debut "Hickey and Boggs"; (also starred)
1971 First "Columbo" guest appearance
1969 Played Bob in Paul Mazursky's, "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice"
1964 First TV-movie, "The Hanged Man" (NBC)
1963 Feature film debut, "P.T. 109"
1957 - 1959 Starred in "Trackdown" (CBS), also wrote episodes for the series
1953 TV debut, "You Are There" (CBS)
1951 Stage debut
Starred as Kelly Robinson in "I Spy" (NBC)
Played Bill Maxwell in "The Greatest American Hero" (ABC); also wrote and directed episodes
