Robert Urich
Encyclopedia
Robert Urich was an American actor. He played the starring roles in the television series
Vega$
(1978–1981) and Spenser: For Hire
(1985–1988). He also appeared in other television series over the years including: Kung Fu
(1972), S.W.A.T.
(1975), Soap
(1977), and The Lazarus Man
(1996), as well as in several feature films including Turk 182!, The Ice Pirates
, and Magnum Force
. Urich died in 2002 in Thousand Oaks, California
. The actor announced in 1996 that he was suffering from synovial cell sarcoma, a rare cancer
that attacks the body's joints, for which he underwent several treatments during the last years of his life.
and Slovak
extraction and raised Roman Catholic in the small town of Toronto, Ohio
, where he is honored with the Robert Urich Interchange leading to State Route 7. Due to the similarity in names with Toronto, Ontario, many sources list him incorrectly as being a Canadian
. His second wife, actress Heather Menzies
, actually is a Canadian from the latter city.
Urich attended Florida State University
on a football
scholarship. In 1968, he earned a bachelor's degree in Radio and Television Communications. While attending, he joined Lambda Chi Alpha
Fraternity. He went on to Michigan State University
after working in Ohio to earn a master's degree
in Broadcast Research and Management.
Urich was first married to actress Barbara Rucker (1968–74). He married actress Heather Menzies in 1975, and they remained married until his death in 2002. Menzies had played one of the von Trapp children, "Louisa," in the film version of The Sound of Music
. Urich and Menzies adopted three children, Ryan, Emily and Allison.
In 1996, Urich announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer
, synovial sarcoma
, that arises in soft tissues. The TV series he was working on at the time, The Lazarus Man, was ultimately canceled, his failing health cited by him as the reason. He continued to appear in film and TV during treatment. Urich ultimately died from the disease on April 16, 2002 at the age of 55.
Menzies also battled cancer, and is an ovarian cancer
survivor. She works with the Robert and Heather Urich Fund for Sarcoma Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
programs). He also regularly hosted National Geographic TV specials and the National Geographic Explorer documentary series.
He was the guest host of Saturday Night Live
in March 1982. Urich made a noteworthy screen appearance opposite Clint Eastwood
in the 1973 Dirty Harry film Magnum Force
playing a vigilante motorcycle-patrol police officer.
Urich was the spokesman for Bayer Aspirin in 1990 and Purina
dog food
in 2000. In 1992, Urich hosted the CBS
TV special The Bat
, the Cat
, and the Penguin
, which was a behind-the-scenes look of the upcoming motion picture Batman Returns
. Most of his TV series were short-lived, although several, such as Vega$
and Spenser: For Hire
, proved to be successes. In 1988 he made a cameo appearance as 'himself' in an episode of Cheers
, which was Boston-based like his own series 'Spenser'. In the 1990s, Urich reprised the role of Spenser in several made-for-TV films. He also played a main character, "Jake Spoon," in the acclaimed television miniseries Lonesome Dove
, a role for which he received many positive reviews, as well as the lead in a 1996 Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Captains Courageous. He hosted numerous 'made-for-TV' shorts with such titles as, "When Animals Attack...."
His final TV series role was in the sitcom
Emeril, in 2001.
He also appeared on stage, in the musical Chicago
. He played the role of Billy Flynn on Broadway
in 2000, and also was in the North American tour of the musical, in 1999 and in 2000.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Vega$
Vega$
Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
(1978–1981) and Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire is a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail....
(1985–1988). He also appeared in other television series over the years including: Kung Fu
Kung Fu (TV series)
Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
(1972), S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. (TV series)
----S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city....
(1975), 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...
(1977), and The Lazarus Man
The Lazarus Man
The Lazarus Man was a Western television series produced by Castle Rock Entertainment which first aired on January 20, 1996, and ended on November 9, 1996.-Production:...
(1996), as well as in several feature films including Turk 182!, The Ice Pirates
The Ice Pirates
The Ice Pirates is a 1984 comedy/science-fiction film. It was directed by Stewart Raffill , who co-wrote the screenplay with Krull author Stanford Sherman. The movie stars Robert Urich and Mary Crosby...
, and Magnum Force
Magnum Force
Magnum Force is a 1973 American police thriller film and the second to feature Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan after the 1971 film Dirty Harry. Ted Post, who also directed Eastwood in TV's Rawhide and the feature film Hang 'Em High, directed the second film in the Dirty Harry series...
. Urich died in 2002 in Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak....
. The actor announced in 1996 that he was suffering from synovial cell sarcoma, a rare cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
that attacks the body's joints, for which he underwent several treatments during the last years of his life.
Personal life
Urich was of RusynRusyns
Carpatho-Rusyns are a primarily diasporic ethnic group who speak an Eastern Slavic language, or Ukrainian dialect, known as Rusyn. Carpatho-Rusyns descend from a minority of Ruthenians who did not adopt the use of the ethnonym "Ukrainian" in the early twentieth century...
and Slovak
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
extraction and raised Roman Catholic in the small town of Toronto, Ohio
Toronto, Ohio
Toronto is the 2nd largest city in Jefferson County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, where he is honored with the Robert Urich Interchange leading to State Route 7. Due to the similarity in names with Toronto, Ontario, many sources list him incorrectly as being a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His second wife, actress Heather Menzies
Heather Menzies
Heather Urich , born December 3, 1949 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a Canadian-born actress who moved to California via Florida at the age of 11. She enrolled at the Falcon Studio’s University of the Arts, in Hollywood. Her first professional role at the age of 13 was on My Three Sons...
, actually is a Canadian from the latter city.
Urich attended Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
on a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
scholarship. In 1968, he earned a bachelor's degree in Radio and Television Communications. While attending, he joined Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha
Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
Fraternity. He went on to Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
after working in Ohio to earn a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Broadcast Research and Management.
Urich was first married to actress Barbara Rucker (1968–74). He married actress Heather Menzies in 1975, and they remained married until his death in 2002. Menzies had played one of the von Trapp children, "Louisa," in the film version of The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
. Urich and Menzies adopted three children, Ryan, Emily and Allison.
In 1996, Urich announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, synovial sarcoma
Synovial sarcoma
A synovial sarcoma is a rare form of cancer which usually occurs near to the joints of the arm, neck or leg. It is one of the soft tissue sarcomas....
, that arises in soft tissues. The TV series he was working on at the time, The Lazarus Man, was ultimately canceled, his failing health cited by him as the reason. He continued to appear in film and TV during treatment. Urich ultimately died from the disease on April 16, 2002 at the age of 55.
Menzies also battled cancer, and is an ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
survivor. She works with the Robert and Heather Urich Fund for Sarcoma Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Acting career
Between 1973 and his death in 2002, Urich had lead or supporting roles in 19 television series and miniseries (including several documentaryDocumentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
programs). He also regularly hosted National Geographic TV specials and the National Geographic Explorer documentary series.
He was the guest host of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in March 1982. Urich made a noteworthy screen appearance opposite Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
in the 1973 Dirty Harry film Magnum Force
Magnum Force
Magnum Force is a 1973 American police thriller film and the second to feature Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan after the 1971 film Dirty Harry. Ted Post, who also directed Eastwood in TV's Rawhide and the feature film Hang 'Em High, directed the second film in the Dirty Harry series...
playing a vigilante motorcycle-patrol police officer.
Urich was the spokesman for Bayer Aspirin in 1990 and Purina
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., following its acquisition of the American Ralston Purina Company on December 12, 2001 and subsequent merger with Nestlé's Friskies PetCare Company. As a wholly owned subsidiary, it is headquartered at the General...
dog food
Dog food
Dog food refers to food specifically intended for consumption by dogs. Though technically omnivorous, dogs exhibit a natural carnivorous bias, have sharp, pointy teeth, and have short gastrointestinal tracts better suited for the consumption of meat...
in 2000. In 1992, Urich hosted the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
TV special The Bat
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, the Cat
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
, and the Penguin
Penguin (comics)
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot III is a DC Comics supervillain and one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 .The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his...
, which was a behind-the-scenes look of the upcoming motion picture Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
. Most of his TV series were short-lived, although several, such as Vega$
Vega$
Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
and Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire
Spenser: For Hire is a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail....
, proved to be successes. In 1988 he made a cameo appearance as 'himself' in an episode of Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, which was Boston-based like his own series 'Spenser'. In the 1990s, Urich reprised the role of Spenser in several made-for-TV films. He also played a main character, "Jake Spoon," in the acclaimed television miniseries Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
, a role for which he received many positive reviews, as well as the lead in a 1996 Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Captains Courageous. He hosted numerous 'made-for-TV' shorts with such titles as, "When Animals Attack...."
His final TV series role was in the sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Emeril, in 2001.
He also appeared on stage, in the musical Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
. He played the role of Billy Flynn on 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...
in 2000, and also was in the North American tour of the musical, in 1999 and in 2000.
Television series
- Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice (1973) – as "Bob Sanders"
- S.W.A.T.S.W.A.T. (TV series)----S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city....
(1975–76) – as "Officer Jim Street" - SoapSoap (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...
(1977) – as "Peter Campbell" - TabithaTabitha (TV series)Tabitha is an American fantasy sitcom that aired during the 1977-1978 season on ABC. It is a spin-off of Bewitched, which had ended its run several years earlier...
(1976–77) – as "Paul Thurston" - Vega$Vega$Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
(1978–1981) – as "Dan Tanna" (he also played "Tanna" in an episode of Charlie's AngelsCharlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
) - Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier StoryFighting Back: The Rocky Bleier StoryFighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story was a 1980 made-for-television movie about the life of Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier, starring Robert Urich. It was released on 7 December 1980....
(1980) – as "Rocky Bleier" - GavilanGavilan (TV series)-Plot:Robert Gavilan is a former CIA agent, who now works for the Oceanographic Institute headed by Marion Jaworski. Every now and then, someone from his past as a spy comes to him asking for his help, or on one of the jobs that he is on, somehow turns into trouble, or someone just needs his help...
(1982) – as "Robert Gavilan" - Princess DaisyPrincess Daisy (film)Princess Daisy is a 1983 film by Waris Hussein, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Judith Krantz.-Plot:Princess Daisy tells the story of a young girl who is sent to England to live with her father, Prince Valenski, after her mother's death in a car crash...
(1983 mini-series) – as "Patrick Shannon" - Mistral's Daughter (1984 mini-series) – as "Jason Darcy"
- National Geographic ExplorerNational Geographic ExplorerNational Geographic Explorer is an American documentary television series that originally premiered on Nickelodeon on April 7, 1985, after having been produced as a less costly and intensive alternative to PBS's National Geographic Specials by Pittsburgh station WQED...
(1985–1995) – host - AmerikaAmerika (TV miniseries)Amerika – suggesting a Russified name for the United States – is an American television miniseries that was broadcast in 1987 on ABC. It starred Kris Kristofferson, Mariel Hemingway, Sam Neill, Robert Urich, and a 17-year-old Lara Flynn Boyle in her first major role. Amerika was about life in the...
(1987 mini-series) – as "Peter Bradford" - Spenser: For HireSpenser: For HireSpenser: For Hire is a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail....
(1985–88, plus later TV movies) – as "Spenser" - The Defiant Ones (1986 TV movie) – as "Johnny 'Joker' Johnson"
- CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
(1988) – one cameo appearance, as 'himself' - Lonesome DoveLonesome Dove (film)Lonesome Dove is a western television miniseries based on Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Starring Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, Lonesome Dove was originally broadcast by CBS on February 5, 1989, drawing a huge viewing audience, earning numerous awards, and...
(1989 TV miniseries) – as "Jake Spoon" - Blind Faith (1990 TV miniseries) – as "Rob Marshall"Robert O. MarshallRobert O. Marshall is a former Toms River, New Jersey, businessman who in 1984 was charged with the contract killing of his wife, Maria....
- American Dreamer (1990) – as "Tom Nash"
- Survive the Savage Sea (TV movie) (1992) – as "Jack Carpenter"
- Crossroads (1992) – as "Johnny"
- It Had to Be You (1993) – as "Mitch Quinn"
- A Perfect StrangerA Perfect StrangerA Perfect Stranger is a Danielle Steele romance novel, published in 1982.This book tells the story of Alexander Hale and Raphaella Phillips. Hale, a recently divorced man, takes a walk down his street, when he sees Phillips, a beautiful woman, crying on the steps...
(1994 TV movie) – as "Alex Hale" - The Lazarus ManThe Lazarus ManThe Lazarus Man was a Western television series produced by Castle Rock Entertainment which first aired on January 20, 1996, and ended on November 9, 1996.-Production:...
(1996–97) – as "Lazarus" - The NannyThe NannyNanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
(1997) – as "Judge Jerry Moran" - Vital SignsVital Signs (TV series)Vital Signs is a British television drama series airing on ITV from 2006. It stars Tamzin Outhwaite as a supermarket check-out operator who decides to become a doctor. The series co-stars William Beck, Fraser Ayres, Eve Best, Claudie Blakley, Lucinda Dryzek, Beth Goddard, Alfie Hunter, Brooke...
(1997) – host - Invasion AmericaInvasion AmericaInvasion America is an animated science fiction miniseries that aired in the prime time lineup on The WB Television Network and later as a part of the Kids' WB programming block...
(1998) – as "Briggs" - The Love Boat: The Next WaveThe Love Boat: The Next WaveThe Love Boat: The Next Wave is an American television series which was based on the ABC sitcom The Love Boat. The series aired on UPN from 1998 to 1999.-Plot:...
(1998) – as "Capt. Jim Kennedy" - Miracle on the 17th Green (1999) – as "Mitch McKinley"
- Emeril (2001) – as "Jerry"
Filmography
- Endangered Species
- The Ice PiratesThe Ice PiratesThe Ice Pirates is a 1984 comedy/science-fiction film. It was directed by Stewart Raffill , who co-wrote the screenplay with Krull author Stanford Sherman. The movie stars Robert Urich and Mary Crosby...
- Turk 182!
- Magnum ForceMagnum ForceMagnum Force is a 1973 American police thriller film and the second to feature Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan after the 1971 film Dirty Harry. Ted Post, who also directed Eastwood in TV's Rawhide and the feature film Hang 'Em High, directed the second film in the Dirty Harry series...
- Killdozer
- Spooner - 1989
- Deadly Relations
- Invitation to Hell
- Angel of Pennsylvania Ave
- Princess DaisyPrincess Daisy (film)Princess Daisy is a 1983 film by Waris Hussein, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Judith Krantz.-Plot:Princess Daisy tells the story of a young girl who is sent to England to live with her father, Prince Valenski, after her mother's death in a car crash...
- Captains Courageous (1996 film)
- Final Descent (1997)
- A Horse for Danny (April 1995)
- The President's Man 2 A Line in the Sand (2002)