Robert Guillaume

Robert Guillaume (born Robert Peter Williams; November 30, 1927 – October 24, 2017) was an American actor and singer. He played Benson DuBois in the ABC television series Soap and its spin-off, Benson. He also voiced the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King, and played Isaac Jaffe in Aaron Sorkin's dramedy Sports Night.

In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Guillaume worked extensively on stage, television and film. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, and twice won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of the character Benson DuBois, once in 1979 on Soap and again in 1985 on Benson. He also won a Grammy Award in 1995 for his spoken-word performance of an audiobook version of The Lion King. Guillaume was the first African-American actor to portray the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

Early life and education Guillaume was born Robert Peter Williams in St. Louis

He studied at Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis and served in the U.S. Army before pursuing an acting career.

Career Stage

After college, Guillaume 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 Easy. Tambourines to Glory, Guys and Dolls, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and Purlie. His additional roles included Katherine Dunham's Bambouche and in Fly The Blackbird. Columbia records producer Tom Wilson had set out to create the Pilgrims as an answer to the popular folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. By early 1964, the Pilgrims had recorded a handful of songs and Wilson was looking for the right song for the group's debut single when a then-unknown singer/songwriter named Paul Simon arrived for a meeting with Wilson and eventually pitched his new composition, "The Sound of Silence". Wilson liked the song and had Simon record a demo for the group, but when Simon and his friend, Art Garfunkel, sang the song for Wilson in person, he signed them to a record contract instead of using it for The Pilgrims.

In 1976, Guillaume played Nathan Detroit in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls and was nominated for a Tony Award.

In 1990, Guillaume was cast in the Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera, replacing Michael Crawford in the title role.

Television

Guillaume made several guest appearances on sitcoms, including Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and in the 1990s sitcoms The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and A Different World.

His series-regular debut was on the ABC series Soap, playing Benson, a butler, from 1977 to 1979.

In 1985, Guillaume appeared in the television mini-series North and South as abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass, who escaped from slavery and became a leader of the anti-slavery movement prior to the American Civil War. He was known for the voice of Rafiki in the movie The Lion King and its sequels and spin-offs. He lent his deep tenor voice as 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 episodic sequels.

Other activities Guillaume and his wife Donna were co-founders of Artists for a Free South Africa (later renamed Artists for a New South Africa) in 1989, along with a number of other Hollywood actors, including Alfre Woodard.

Personal life Guillaume was married twice; first to Marlene Williams in 1955, with whom he had two sons. Guillaume's daughter was born in 1980. They divorced in 1984. He also fathered a daughter by a different mother, who was born in 1950.

Acting credits Film

Television

Theater

Music videos

Video games Sources:

Awards and honors Guillaume has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. On November 28, 1984, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry. Year Association Award category Result 1977 Guys and Dolls Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical 1979 Soap Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series 1980 Benson Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1982 1983 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1984 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1985 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1995 The Lion King Read-Along Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children 2000 Sports Night Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program