Robert Guillaume
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap
and the spin-off
Benson
, voicing the mandrill
Rafiki in The Lion King
and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night
. In a career that has spanned more than 50 years he has worked extensively on stage (including a Tony Award
nomination), television (including winning two Emmy Awards
), and film.
form of William) in St. Louis, Missouri
. He studied at St. Louis University and Washington University and served in the United States Army
before pursuing an acting career.
. He made his Broadway
debut in Kwamina in 1961. (A reference on a Columbia LP shows this as "Dwamina".) Other stage appearances included Golden Boy, Tambourines to Glory
, Guys and Dolls, for which he received a Tony Award
nomination, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
, the Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera
(succeeding Michael Crawford
in the lead role), and Purlie
!. Added roles were in Katherine Dunham's Bambouche and in Fly The Blackbird. In 1964 he portrayed Sportin' Life in a revival of Porgy and Bess
at New York's City Center. Robert has been a member of the Robert de Cormier Singers, performing in concerts and on television. He has soloed on The Tonight Show
. He recorded a LP record, Columbia CS9033, titled Just Arrived as a member of The Pilgrims, a folk trio, with Angeline Butler and Millard Williams.
Some minor controversy was stirred when Guillaume replaced Michael Crawford
as The Phantom in the National tour of Phantom of the Opera
. Guillaume is the first, and to date only, black actor to assume the role.
No recording of his performance exists except for a brief excerpt captured on a Sunday Morning
episode on CBS shortly after his debut.
, The Jeffersons
and Sanford and Son
, and in the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
. His series-regular debut began on the ABC series Soap
, playing Benson Du Bois, a butler, from 1977 to 1979. Guillaume continued the role in a spinoff series, Benson
, from 1979 until 1986. Guillaume is an accomplished singer and several episodes of Benson provided Guillaume a storyline to sing. Guillaume also played Dr. Franklin in Season 6 episode #8 titled "Chain Letter" in the hit series All in the Family
.
He also appeared as marriage counselor Edward Sawyer on The Robert Guillaume Show
(1989), Detective Bob Ballard on Pacific Station
(1991), and television executive Isaac Jaffe on Aaron Sorkin
's short-lived but critically acclaimed Sports Night
(1998–2000). Guillaume suffered a mild stroke on January 14, 1999, while filming an episode of the latter series. He recovered and his character was later also depicted as having had a stroke. He also made a guest appearance on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
In the 1980s, Guillaume was a commercial pitchman for Ocean Spray
, promoting its line of grapefruit juice. He also was the spokesman for Milk of Magnesia.
His voice has also been used for characters in television series Captain Planet and the Planeteers
, Fish Police
, and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
and for the voice of Rafiki in the movie The Lion King
and its sequels and spin-offs. He voiced Mr. Thicknose in The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze
. He also supplied the voice for Eli Vance in the 2004 video game Half-Life 2
and its subsequent sequels. He is featured in the 2009 movie The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
.
in 1979 for the series Soap, and an Outstanding Lead Comedy Actor primetime Emmy Award
in 1985 for the series Benson, making him to this day the only African American actor to win the Lead Comedy Actor award. Guillaume has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame
.
Soap (TV series)
Soap is an American sitcom that originally ran on ABC from 1977 to 1981.The show was created as a parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial format and included melodramatic plot elements such...
and the spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
Benson
Benson (TV series)
Benson is an American television sitcom which aired from September 13, 1979, to April 19, 1986, on ABC. The series was a spin-off from the soap opera parody Soap ; however, Benson discarded the...
, voicing the mandrill
Mandrill
The mandrill is a primate of the Old World monkey family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. Both the mandrill and the drill were once classified as baboons in genus Papio, but recent research has determined they should be separated into their own genus, Mandrillus...
Rafiki in The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night
Sports Night
Sports Night is an American television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure...
. In a career that has spanned more than 50 years he has worked extensively on stage (including a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination), television (including winning two Emmy Awards
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
), and film.
Early life
Robert Guillaume was born as Robert Peter Williams (Guillaume is the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
form of William) in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He studied at St. Louis University and Washington University and served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
before pursuing an acting career.
Stage
On leaving the university, Robert joined the Karamu Players in Cleveland and performed in musical comedies and opera. He toured the world in 1959 as a cast member of the Broadway musical Free and EasyFree and Easy
Free and Easy is a 1941 film directed by George Sidney. It stars Robert Cummings and Ruth Hussey.-Cast:*Robert Cummings as Max Clemington*Ruth Hussey as Martha Gray*Judith Anderson as Lady Joan Culver*C. Aubrey Smith as Duke Colver...
. He made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in Kwamina in 1961. (A reference on a Columbia LP shows this as "Dwamina".) Other stage appearances included Golden Boy, Tambourines to Glory
Tambourines to Glory
Tambourines to Glory is a 1956 black gospel musical play by Langston Hughes. It tells the story of two female street preachers who open a store front church in Harlem...
, Guys and Dolls, for which he received a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris is an American musical revue of the songs of Jacques Brel.-Original Off-Broadway Production:...
, the Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
(succeeding Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
in the lead role), and Purlie
Purlie
Purlie is a musical with a book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, and Peter Udell, lyrics by Udell, and music by Gary Geld. It is based on Davis' 1961 play Purlie Victorious, which was later made into the 1963 film Gone Are the Days! and which included all of the original Broadway cast, including Ruby...
!. Added roles were in Katherine Dunham's Bambouche and in Fly The Blackbird. In 1964 he portrayed Sportin' Life in a revival of Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
at New York's City Center. Robert has been a member of the Robert de Cormier Singers, performing in concerts and on television. He has soloed on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
. He recorded a LP record, Columbia CS9033, titled Just Arrived as a member of The Pilgrims, a folk trio, with Angeline Butler and Millard Williams.
Some minor controversy was stirred when Guillaume replaced Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
as The Phantom in the National tour of Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
. Guillaume is the first, and to date only, black actor to assume the role.
No recording of his performance exists except for a brief excerpt captured on a Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning is an American television news magazine program created by Robert Northshield and original host Charles Kuralt. The program has aired continuously since January 28, 1979 on the CBS Television Network, airing in the Eastern US on Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m...
episode on CBS shortly after his debut.
Television
Guillaume made several guest appearances on sitcoms, including Good TimesGood Times
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer...
, The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons
The Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The show was produced by the T.A.T. Communications Company from 1975–1982 and by Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
and Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
, and in the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
. His series-regular debut began on the ABC series Soap
Soap (TV series)
Soap is an American sitcom that originally ran on ABC from 1977 to 1981.The show was created as a parody of daytime soap operas, presented as a weekly half-hour prime time comedy. Similar to a soap opera, the show's story was presented in a serial format and included melodramatic plot elements such...
, playing Benson Du Bois, a butler, from 1977 to 1979. Guillaume continued the role in a spinoff series, Benson
Benson (TV series)
Benson is an American television sitcom which aired from September 13, 1979, to April 19, 1986, on ABC. The series was a spin-off from the soap opera parody Soap ; however, Benson discarded the...
, from 1979 until 1986. Guillaume is an accomplished singer and several episodes of Benson provided Guillaume a storyline to sing. Guillaume also played Dr. Franklin in Season 6 episode #8 titled "Chain Letter" in the hit series All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
.
He also appeared as marriage counselor Edward Sawyer on The Robert Guillaume Show
The Robert Guillaume Show
The Robert Guillaume Show is a short-lived sitcom vehicle for Robert Guillaume, the former star of the ABC hit series Benson and of the popular Soap...
(1989), Detective Bob Ballard on Pacific Station
Pacific Station (TV series)
Pacific Station is a situation comedy aired in the United States by NBC as part of its 1991 fall lineup. The series was created by the team of Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan, Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman.-Synopsis:...
(1991), and television executive Isaac Jaffe on Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin is an Academy and Emmy award winning American screenwriter, producer, and playwright, whose works include A Few Good Men, The American President, The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Social Network, and Moneyball.After graduating from Syracuse...
's short-lived but critically acclaimed Sports Night
Sports Night
Sports Night is an American television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure...
(1998–2000). Guillaume suffered a mild stroke on January 14, 1999, while filming an episode of the latter series. He recovered and his character was later also depicted as having had a stroke. He also made a guest appearance on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
In the 1980s, Guillaume was a commercial pitchman for Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray (cooperative)
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Lakeville/Middleborough, Massachusetts. It currently has over 600 member growers . The cooperative employs about 2,000 people, with sales of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2005...
, promoting its line of grapefruit juice. He also was the spokesman for Milk of Magnesia.
Film
Guillaume has also appeared in a number of films:- Super Fly T.N.T.Super Fly T.N.T.Super Fly T.N.T. is a 1973 film directed, starring, and co-written by Ron O'Neal. O'Neal reprises his role of Youngblood Priest from the smash hit blaxploitation film Super Fly.The film is currently out of print.-Plot:...
(1973) - Seems Like Old TimesSeems Like Old Times (film)Seems Like Old Times is a 1980 comedy film starring Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn, and Charles Grodin, directed by Jay Sandrich, with Neil Simon as screenwriter....
(1980) - The Kid with the Broken Halo (co-starring Gary Coleman) (1982)
- The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (also co-starring Gary Coleman) (1983)
- Prince JackPrince JackPrince Jack is 1985 film from Castle Hill Productions which dramatises some of the inner workings of the Kennedy Administration, including efforts by Attorney-General Robert F. Kennedy to address the issue of Civil Rights...
(1985) - Martin Luther King Jr. - Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987)
- Lean on MeLean on Me (film)Lean on Me is a 1989 dramatized biographical written by Michael Schiffer, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Morgan Freeman. Lean on Me is loosely based on the story of Joe Louis Clark, a real life inner city high school principal in Paterson, New Jersey, whose school is at risk of being...
(1989) - Death WarrantDeath WarrantDeath Warrant is a 1990 action movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film was written by David S. Goyer while a student at USC, and was Goyer's first screenplay to be sold and produced commercially.-Plot summary:...
(1990) - The Meteor ManThe Meteor Man (film)The Meteor Man is a 1993 superhero film written, directed, and starring Robert Townsend, and featuring an ensemble cast. Townsend stars as a mild-mannered schoolteacher, who becomes a superhero after his neighborhood in Washington, D.C. is terrorized by street gangs.Although the film is set in...
(1993) - First KidFirst KidFirst Kid is a 1996 Disney comedy film directed by David Mickey Evans and stars Sinbad and Brock Pierce. It was mostly filmed in Richmond, Virginia.-Plot:...
(1996) - The 13th Child: Legend of the Jersey Devil13th Child13th Child is a 2002 direct-to-video horror film, based on the Jersey Devil. The screenplay was written by Michael Maryk and Cliff Robertson, who also stars in the film. The story is based on the book "The Jersey Devil" by James F. McCloy and Ray Miller Jr...
(2002) - Unchained MemoriesUnchained MemoriesUnchained Memories is a 2003 documentary films about the stories of former slaves interviewed during the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project. This HBO film interpretation directed by Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon is a compilation of slave narratives, narrated by actors, emulating the...
(2003) - Big FishBig FishBig Fish is a 2003 American fantasy adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Marion Cotillard. Finney plays Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from...
(2003) - Mugabe the Musical (2007)
- The Secrets of Jonathan SperryThe Secrets of Jonathan SperryThe Secrets of Jonathan Sperry is a 2009 Christian film, released to theaters on September 18, 2009. It was directed by Rich Christiano, and the majority of the film was filmed in Holley, New York, beginning August 18, 2007. Its world premier was at the Merrimack Valley Christian Film Festival...
(2009) - Satin (2011)
His voice has also been used for characters in television series Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Captain Planet is the title character of the series. In the beginning of the series, Gaia assembles a modern-day team of "Planeteers" from several nations...
, Fish Police
Fish Police
Fish Police is the name of a comic book series by cartoonist Steven Moncuse. The plot centers on law and crime in a fictional underwater metropolis with the protagonist, Inspector Gill, trying to solve various, often Mafia-related, crimes while avoiding being seduced by the extremely well endowed...
, and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American animated television series that premiered March 26, 1995, on HBO. Narrated by Robert Guillaume, the series aired 39 episodes from 1995 to 2000, and is currently airing on the HBO Family digital cable television channel in the United...
and for the voice of Rafiki in the movie The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
and its sequels and spin-offs. He voiced Mr. Thicknose in The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze
The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze
The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze is a 2001 film and the eighth film in The Land Before Time series.-Plot:When the dinosaur families get trapped in a valley by an ice storm, one family of "spiketail" dinosaurs volunteers to leave since they consume more food than the others. Meanwhile, the...
. He also supplied the voice for Eli Vance in the 2004 video game Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
and its subsequent sequels. He is featured in the 2009 movie The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry is a 2009 Christian film, released to theaters on September 18, 2009. It was directed by Rich Christiano, and the majority of the film was filmed in Holley, New York, beginning August 18, 2007. Its world premier was at the Merrimack Valley Christian Film Festival...
.
Honors and awards
Guillaume won an Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy Series primetime Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1979 for the series Soap, and an Outstanding Lead Comedy Actor primetime Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1985 for the series Benson, making him to this day the only African American actor to win the Lead Comedy Actor award. Guillaume has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame
St. Louis Walk of Fame
The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
.
External links
- St. Louis Walk of Fame
- Robert Guillaume's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
- Robert Guillaume - Archive of American Television Interview—YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....