Robert Urich

Biography for Robert Urich

Robert grew up in Toronto, Ohio, where his athletic ability led to a four year football scholarship at Florida State University. There he earned a B.A. in Communications. He later received an M.A. at Michigan State University and then joined WGN radio in Chicago as a sales account representative. He then briefly appeared as a TV weatherman.

His big break came from Burt Reynolds in 1972 when he played Burt's younger brother in a stage production of "The Rainmaker". Burt brought him to California and let him stay in his home there until he got his acting break.

He was starring in the TV series "The Lazarus Man" (1996) when he was diagnosed with cancer, which caused the cancellation of the series. The cancer went into remission after treatment and he resumed acting again with his role as Captain Jim Kennedy III on "The Love Boat: The Next Wave" (1998).

Robert Urich grew up in Toronto in Ohio, where his sporting and football capacities led him to a 4 -year scholarship at the Florida State University. There, in 1968, he won a license in arts. In 1971, he received a masters in communication at Michigan State University and joined the WGN Radio in Chicago as a representative and accounting. He briefly appeared as a meteorologist on television.

He owed his big debut in the cinema to Burt Reynolds, who took him to California and had him started in 1972 in the film "Rainwater", in which he plays his younger brother.

In 1996, he played in the series "The Lazarus Man" where he was diagnosed with joint cancer. This cancer fed on with the treatment, which allowed him to resume his career and to interpret in 1998, the role of Captain Jim Kennedy III in a new version of the cruise has fun.

Robert Urich was an American actor known for playing in many popular television series during his career. He was born on December 19, 1946 in Toronto, Ohio, and died on April 16, 2002 in Thousand Oaks, California, at the age of 55.

Urich began his acting career in the 1970s by playing in television series like "S.W.A.T." And "The Love Boat". He also played in films such as "Ice Castles" and "Turk 182!". In 1984, he obtained the main role in the television series "Vega $", in which he played a private detective in Las Vegas. This series was a real success and lasted three seasons.

In the 1990s, Urich continued to work in television series, notably in "The Lazarus Man" and "Crossroads". In 1996, he played in the series "Spartacus", in which he embodied the eponymous character. Unfortunately, the series was not a commercial success and was canceled after a single season.

In 1997, Urich was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he continued to work despite his illness. He notably played in television series such as "The Mummy" and "The Wild Thornberrys". Unfortunately, his health quickly deteriorated and died in 2002.

In addition to his acting career, Urich was also known for his philanthropic commitment. He was a member of several charitable organizations and founded his own foundation to support cancer research. His death was widely cried by his fans and colleagues.

Photos

Filmography

Trivia

• He sued Castle Rock Television for $1.47 million (the amount he would have received for the 2nd season of his TV series "The Lazarus Man" (1996).) on 11th April 2000 because Lazarus Man was canceled because he had cancer. He alleged he did not receive payments from the company. Apparently Urich and his production company entered into an agreement with Castle Rock in 1995 for Urich to act in the Lazarus Man pilot. Under the deal, he was to be paid $70,000 per episode for the first season and $73,000 an episode the second season. In July 1996, he informed Castle Rock that he had cancer and would have to undergo treatment, but the suit said at no time was Urich unable to perform his duties. Then Castle Rock terminated the agreement a month later. Urich underwent chemotherapy, radiation treatments and two operations in the mid-1990s to seemingly successfully fight synovial cell sarcoma, a rare cancer that attacks the joints.
• Bachelor of Arts from Florida State University 1968, Master of Arts from Michigan State University in Communications
• Is of Slovak heritage.
• Member of Lambda Chi Alpha.
• Graduated from Florida State University in 1967 or 1968
• Spent latter years devoted to cancer research and education, and he and wife established the Heather and Robert Urich Fund for Sarcoma Research at the University of Michigan.
• Recipient of the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
• Won 1992 Cable Ace Award as Informational Host of National Geographic's "On Assignment" series. Also in 1992, narrated Emmy-winning National Geographic Explorer film, "U-Boats: Terror on Our Shores."
• Wife Heather Menzies played blonde Louisa, one of the Von Trapp children, in the film version of The Sound of Music (1965).
• He was from Toronto, Ohio; his wife was from Toronto, Ontario!
• National spokesman for the American Cancer Society in 1998.
• Holds the record for having the most series-regular roles on TV: 13. "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" (1973), "S.W.A.T." (1975), "Soap" (1977), "Tabitha" (1977), "Vega$" (1978), "Gavilan" (1982), "Spenser: For Hire" (1985), "American Dreamer" (1990) "Crossroads" (1992) "It Had to Be You" (1993), "The Lazarus Man" (1996), "The Love Boat: The Next Wave" (1998), and "Emeril" (2001).
• Graduated from Toronto High School in Toronto, Ohio in 1964.
• Attended Florida State University on a four-year football scholarship where he earned his undergraduate degree in Radio and Television Communications in 1968.
• Graduated from Michigan State University in 1971 with a masters degree in Broadcast Research and Management.
• His final film, Night of the Wolf (2002) (TV) aired on Animal Planet the same day that he died.

Quotes

"Charge forward with hope and get the best medical advice you can. Talk to your friends, neighbors, family, and together you attack it. We can't always control what happens to us, but we can always control how we react to it." (Wisconsin speech, 2001)

"I know it sounds hokey but I think, ultimately, on television you can't hide who you are. It is why people are always coming up to me, not to talk about my shows but about their families, their pets. They obviously feel comfortable with me."

"I think my longevity has a lot to do with where I come from -- a blue-collar town in Ohio -- and how I was raised: to work hard and respect other folks."

Family

• Spouse : Heather Menzies (21 November 1975 - 16 April 2002) (his death) 3 children, Barbara Rucker (1968 - 1974) (divorced)
• Daughter with Menzies, Allison Grady, born [18 April 1998]
• Son: Ryan 1979 Daughter: Emily 1980.
• Brother of Tom Urich
• Uncle of actor Justin Urich

Author of the card

• Creation date: 01/07/2003 by abdest