Robert Urich

Robert Michael Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an American film, television, and stage actor and television producer. Over the course of his 30-year career, he starred in a record 15 television series.

Urich began his career in television in the early 1970s. After guest stints and roles in short-lived television series, he won a co-starring role in the action/crime drama series S.W.A.T. in 1975. In 1978, he landed the lead role of Dan Tanna in the crime drama series Vega$, which aired on ABC from 1978 to June 1981 and earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations. In addition to his work in television, Urich also co starred in several feature films, including Magnum Force (1973), The Ice Pirates (1984) and Turk 182 (1985). From 1985 to 1988, he portrayed the title role in the detective television series Spenser: For Hire, based on Robert B. Parker's series of mystery novels. In 1988, he began hosting the documentary series National Geographic Explorer. He won a CableACE Award for his work on the series. He was also awarded a Golden Boot Award for his work in Western television series and films.

In 1993, he won an Emmy for narrating a nature documentary. He revealed on The Late Show with David Letterman that he never knew about his nomination and win. It was sent by FedEx to his home.

In 1996, Urich starred in the television series The Lazarus Man. It was canceled shortly after he announced that he had been diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer, in July that year. He sought treatment for his illness while continuing his career and also worked to raise money for cancer research. 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, but in the autumn of that year his cancer returned and he died in April 2002 at age 55.

Early life 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, receiving only minimal playing time, 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 took voice lessons at the University of Chicago music school.

Urich explained in a 1997 interview with Tom Snyder that he worked in sales in Chicago at WGN-TV for $150 a week and was fired after they discovered he was moonlighting. Urich had also worked briefly as a weatherman.

Career After appearing in a Chicago production of The Rainmaker with Burt Reynolds, Urich decided to pursue acting full-time after Reynolds encouraged him to move to Los Angeles and do more acting.

1970s–1980s

Urich made his television debut in a guest starring role in The F.B.I., in 1972. The following year, he won a lead role in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. It was a television adaptation of the 1969 film of the same title. It struggled in the ratings and was canceled after six episodes. He made his film debut later that same year opposite Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry film Magnum Force playing a vigilante motorcycle-patrol police officer. In 1975, Urich was cast in the action/crime drama series S.W.A.T.. According to the executive producer Aaron Spelling, Burt Reynolds convinced Spelling to allow Urich to read for the part. Spelling was impressed with his reading and cast him in the role of "Officer Jim Street". A mid-season replacement, it earned high enough ratings to warrant a second season. However, it was canceled in 1976 due to its violent content.

Urich's next role was on the sitcom Soap as Peter the Tennis Player in 1977. That same year he was cast as Paul Thurston, a handsome, ego-driven talk show host in the Bewitched spin-off series Tabitha, starring Lisa Hartman. Its ratings were initially strong, but schedule changes caused ratings to drop, and the show was canceled in 1978 after 13 episodes. Shortly after, he was cast in another Aaron Spelling produced series, called Vega$. Urich portrayed the series' lead character, Dan Tanna, a private detective who solves various crimes in Las Vegas. Vega$ was a hit for ABC and he received two Golden Globe Award nominations for his work on it. By the third season, ratings had started to decline, and with little network support, Vega$ was canceled at the end of the third season in June, 1981. Shortly after, Urich signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and focused on film roles. His first film for MGM was Endangered Species (1982), a science fiction film directed by Alan Rudolph.

After filming Endangered Species, Urich returned to television and starred in Gavilan. He played the title character who was a former CIA agent turned oceanographer. The series, however, was canceled after seven episodes. In 1984, he starred in two more films The Ice Pirates, and Wes Craven's Invitation to Hell. In 1985, Urich co-starred in the film Turk 182, although it was not a commercial success. In 1985, Urich returned to episodic television as the title character in Spenser: For Hire. It was a hit and aired for three seasons. He also reprised the role in several television films after it was canceled: Spenser: Ceremony (1993), Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes (1994), Spenser: The Judas Goat (1994), and Spenser: A Savage Place (1995). In 1988, he hosted the documentary series National Geographic Explorer. He won a CableACE Award for his work on the series. In 1989, he portrayed Jake Spoon in the acclaimed television miniseries Lonesome Dove, a role for which he received many positive reviews.

1990s–2000s In the 1990s, Urich mainly appeared in television films and several short-lived television series. From 1990 to 1991, he starred in the sitcom American Dreamer and the TV movie 83 Hours 'Til Dawn. The following year, he starred in Crossroads, a drama series that aired on ABC for ten episodes. In 1993, he and Faye Dunaway starred in the sitcom It Had to Be You. It was critically panned and canceled after four episodes. In 1995, he narrated an extremely rare one-night showing of a Disney television documentary called Alien Encounters: From New Tomorrowland. It has never been shown again. In 1996, he starred in the TNT western series The Lazarus Man. It earned strong enough ratings to be picked up for a second season but shortly after it was renewed, he announced he had been diagnosed with synovial sarcoma. Its production company, Castle Rock Entertainment, opted to cancel it due to that. In 1999, he commented on their choice to do so, "There's really a law against what they did. They found out I had cancer, and they just canceled the show. They didn't ask the doctors if I could work. They didn't ask if I could go back to work." In 2000, he sued them for breach of contract. The lawsuit was later settled with both parties agreeing not to publicly disclose the terms. While undergoing cancer treatments, Urich hosted the medical documentary series Vital Signs in 1997 and the PBS series Boatworks. After a year of treatment, he was declared cancer-free and returned to television in 1998 as Captain Jim Kennedy III in Love Boat: The Next Wave. It aired on UPN for two seasons. In 2000, he made his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago and also starred in the North American tour of the musical, in 1999 and in 2000. The next year, he costarred in Emeril, a sitcom starring celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. While it was critically panned, he received good notices for his work on it. It would be his last role in a television series. Urich's final television film, Night of the Wolf, aired on Animal Planet the night before his death.

Illness and death In July 1996, Urich announced his diagnosis with synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting soft tissue. Despite his illness, he continued working, underwent treatment and advocated for cancer cure research. He received an award from the John Wayne Cancer Institute and the Gilda Radner Courage Award for his cancer awareness efforts. His funeral Mass was held on April 19 at St. Charles Borromeo Church in North Hollywood, Los Angeles. In addition, they established the Robert and Heather Urich Fund for Sarcoma Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. She also had cancer and was an ovarian cancer survivor. Heather continued to work for the center, until she died from brain cancer on December 24, 2017, surrounded by their three children.

Urich's hometown of Toronto, Ohio, named the Robert Urich Interchange in his honor. It connects the town to Ohio State Route 7. For his contribution to the television industry, Urich has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 Magnum Force Officer Mike Grimes 1982 Endangered Species Ruben Castle 1984 The Ice Pirates Jason 1984 Invitation to Hell Matt Winslow 1985 Turk 182 Terry Lynch 1988 April Morning Joseph Credit at beginning only 1992 Jock: A True Tale of Friendship Rocky Alternative title: Jock of the Bushveld 1994 Jock of the Bushveld Jack 'Rocky Mountain Jack' 2002 Clover Bend Bill + Television Year Title Role Notes 1972 The F.B.I. Davie Stroud Episode: "The Runner" 1973 Kung Fu Greg Dundee Episode: "Blood Brother" 1973 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law Unknown Episode: "A Girl Named Tham" 1973 Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Bob Sanders 12 episodes 1973 Marcus Welby, M.D. Mike Lowry Episode: "Death Is Only a Side Effect" 1974 Killdozer! 'Mack' McCarthy Television film 1974 Nakia Unknown Episode: "A Beginning in the Wilderness" 1975 The Specialists Dr. William Nugent Television filmCredited as Robert York 1975 Gunsmoke Manolo Etchahoun Episode: "Manolo" 1975–1976 S.W.A.T. Officer Jim Street 37 episodes 1977 Bunco Walker Television film 1977 Soap Peter Campbell, "The Tennis Player" 8 episodes 1977–1978 Tabitha Paul Thurston 12 episodes 1977–1978 The Love Boat Various Roles 3 episodes 1978 Charlie's Angels Dan Tanna Episode: "Angels in Vegas" 1978–1981 Vega$ Dan Tanna 69 episodes 1979 When She Was Bad... Bob Morgan Television film 1979 Password Plus Himself Game Show Participant / Celebrity Guest Star 1979 Merry Christmas from the Grand Ole Opry Himself Co-host 1980 The Shadow Box Unknown Television filmUncredited 1980 Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story Rocky Bleier Television film 1981 Killing at Hell's Gate Charles Duke Television film 1982 The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour Unknown Episode #1.2 1982 Take Your Best Shot Jess Marriner Television film 1982–1983 Gavilan Robert Gavilan 13 episodes 1983 Princess Daisy Patrick Shannon Miniseries 1984 Mistral's Daughter Jason Darcy Miniseries 1984 His Mistress Allen Beck Television film 1985 Scandal Sheet Ben Rowan Television film 1985–1988 Spenser: For Hire Spenser 65 episodes 1986 The Defiant Ones Johnny 'Joker' Johnson Television film 1986 The Disney Sunday Movie Michael Riley, Age 40 Episode: "Young Again" 1987 Amerika Peter Bradford Miniseries 1988 Cheers Himself Episode: "Woody for Hire Meets Norman of the Apes" 1988 Hallmark Hall of Fame Joseph Simmons Episode: "April Morning" 1988-1995 National Geographic Explorer Hosts Narrator 110 episodes 1989 The Comeback Scotty Malloy Television film 1989 She Knows Too Much Harry Television film 1989 Lonesome Dove Jake Spoon Miniseries 1989 Night Walk Detective Jake Simon Television film 1989 Spooner Harry Spooner / Michael Norlon Television film 1989 Murder by Night Allan Strong Television film 1990 Blind Faith Rob Marshall Television miniseries 1990 A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder Ross Pegler Television film 1990 83 Hours 'Til Dawn Bradley Burdock Television film 1990 Carol & Company Mr. Carmen Episode: "Teacher, Teacher" 1990–1991 American Dreamer Tom Nash 17 episodes 1991 Stranger at My Door Joe Fortier Television film 1991 ...And Then She Was Gone Jack Bauer Television film 1992 Survive the Savage Sea Jack Carpenter Television film 1992 Blind Man's Bluff Thomas Booker Television film 1992 Double Edge Harry Carter Television filmAlternative title: Hit Woman 1992 Revolver Nick Suster Television film 1992–1993 Crossroads Johnny Hawkins 9 episodes 1993 Evening Shade Steve Episode: "Frieda and the Preacher" 1993 Deadly Relations Leonard J. Fagot Television film 1993 Spenser: Ceremony Spenser Television film 1993 It Had to Be You Mitch Quinn 6 episodes 1994 Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes Spenser Television film 1994 To Save the Children Jake Downey Television film 1994 A Perfect Stranger Alex Hale Television film 1994 Spenser: The Judas Goat Spenser Television film 1995 Alien Encounters: From New Tomorrowland Narrator Disney television documentary 1995 Spenser: A Savage Place Spenser Television film 1995 A Horse for Danny Eddie Fortuna Television film 1995 She Stood Alone: The Tailhook Scandal Admiral Williams Television film 1996 Captains Courageous Captain Matthew Troop Television film 1996 The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue Angus Feagan Television film 1996 The Lazarus Man Lazarus / James Cathcart 20 episodes 1997 The Nanny Judge Jerry Moran Episode: "Samson, He Denied Her" 1997 Final Descent Captain Glen 'Lucky' Singer Television film 1998 Invasion America Briggs Unknown episodes 1998–1999 Love Boat: The Next Wave Captain Jim Kennedy III 25 episodes 1999 Final Run Captain Glen 'Lucky' Singer Television film 1999 Miracle on the 17th Green Mitch McKinley Television film 2001 Late Boomers Dennis Television film 2001 For Love of Olivia Horton Roundtree Television film 2001 Emeril Jerry McKenney 10 episodes 2002 The President's Man: A Line in the Sand President Adam Mayfield Television film 2002 Night of the Wolf Purly Owens Television film 2002 Aftermath Jack Television film (final film role)