Robert Urich: Television’s Prolific Leading Man
Robert Michael Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an American film, television, and stage actor and television producer. Over a 30-year career, he starred in a record 15 television series.
Early Life and Education
Urich was born and raised in Toronto, Ohio, the son of John Paul and Cecilia Monica (née Halpate) Urich. He was of Rusyn (Ukrainian) and Slovak extraction and raised Byzantine Catholic. His elder brother was actor Tom Urich (1935–2022).
An excellent high school athlete, Urich attended Florida State University on a football scholarship. He played backup center during the 1965–66 football season and was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. In 1968, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Radio and Television Communications. He went on to Michigan State University and earned a master’s degree in Broadcast Research and Management. He also took voice lessons at the University of Chicago music school.
Before pursuing acting full-time, Urich worked in sales at WGN-TV in Chicago for $150 a week and was fired after the station discovered he was moonlighting. He also worked briefly as a weatherman. After appearing in a Chicago production of The Rainmaker with Burt Reynolds, Reynolds encouraged him to move to Los Angeles and pursue acting more seriously.
Career and Achievements
Urich made his television debut in a guest role on The F.B.I. in 1972. The following year, he won a lead role in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, a television adaptation of the 1969 film, but the show was canceled after six episodes. He made his film debut in 1973 opposite Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force, playing a vigilante motorcycle-patrol police officer.
In 1975, Urich was cast in the action/crime drama series S.W.A.T. as Officer Jim Street. According to executive producer Aaron Spelling, Burt Reynolds convinced Spelling to allow Urich to audition for the role. Though it became a mid-season replacement, it earned high enough ratings to warrant a second season before being canceled in 1976 due to its violent content.
Urich appeared on the sitcom Soap in 1977 as Peter the Tennis Player. That same year he was cast in Tabitha, a Bewitched spin-off, as Paul Thurston, a talk show host. The show was canceled in 1978 after 13 episodes. Shortly after, he landed the lead role of Dan Tanna in Vega$, an Aaron Spelling production that became a hit for ABC. The series aired from 1978 to June 1981 and earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations.
After Vega$ ended, Urich signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and focused on film roles. His first MGM film was Endangered Species (1982). He returned to television in Gavilan, playing a former CIA agent turned oceanographer, but the series was canceled after seven episodes. In 1984, he starred in The Ice Pirates and Wes Craven’s Invitation to Hell. In 1985, he co-starred in Turk 182 and took the title role in Spenser: For Hire, which became a hit and ran for three seasons. He reprised the role in several television films: Spenser: Ceremony (1993), Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes (1994), Spenser: The Judas Goat (1994), and Spenser: A Savage Place (1995).
In 1988, Urich began hosting National Geographic Explorer, a documentary series for which he won a CableACE Award. In 1989, he portrayed Jake Spoon in the acclaimed television miniseries Lonesome Dove. In 1996, he starred in The Lazarus Man but the series was canceled shortly after he announced his diagnosis with synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer, in July that year. He was declared cancer free in 1998 and returned to television in the UPN series Love Boat: The Next Wave. In 2000, he made his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago. His last role was in the NBC sitcom Emeril in 2001.
Notable Events and Milestones
In 1993, Urich won an Emmy Award for narrating a nature documentary. He revealed on The Late Show with David Letterman that he had not known about his nomination and win; the award was sent by FedEx to his home. He was also awarded a Golden Boot Award for his work in Western television series and films.
Urich’s cancer diagnosis in July 1996 became a turning point in his life. Despite his illness, he continued working and raised money for cancer research. After being declared cancer free in 1998, he returned to acting. However, his cancer returned in autumn 2001, and he died in April 2002 at age 55.
Awards and Honors
Urich received two Golden Globe Award nominations for his role in Vega$ (1978–1981). In 1988, he won a CableACE Award for his work on National Geographic Explorer. In 1993, he won an Emmy Award for narrating a nature documentary. He was also awarded a Golden Boot Award for his contributions to Western television series and films.
Additional Resources
Robert Urich’s career spanned three decades and left a significant mark on American television. More detailed information about his life, filmography, and legacy is available through Wikipedia and other biographical archives.
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