$5 Million: Robert Fuller (born July 29, 1933) can be an American equine rancher and retired actor. His parents possessed a dancing college in Florida. His performing career was later placed on keep when he was delivered to battle in Korea.. Fuller was created as Leonard Leroy ‘Buddy’ Lee in Troy, NY, the only kid of Betty Simpson, a dance instructor. Ahead of Buddy’s birth, Betty wedded Robert Simpson, Sr., a Naval Academy officer. The family members moved to Important West, Florida, where Fuller required the name Robert Simpson, Jr. The first highlights of his existence were acting and dance. In his five years of tv, Fuller became known for his deep, raspy tone of voice and was familiar to tv viewers through the entire 1960s and 1970s from his co-starring functions as Jess Harper and Cooper Smith on the favorite 1960s western series Laramie and Wagon Teach, and was also popular for his part as Dr. Robert Fuller net well worth: Robert Fuller can be an American actor who includes a net well worth of $5 million dollars. Fuller attended the Miami Army School for 5th and sixth quality, and Key West SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL for ninth quality. He dropped out at age group 14 because of the fact that he disliked college and wasn’t successful there. In 1950, when he was 16, he traveled along with his family members to Hollywood, California, where his first work was as a stunt guy. At the urging of close friends, Fuller became a member of the Display Actors Guild, embarked on a profession in acting, and transformed his name to Robert Fuller. He also worked well at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, starting as a doorman and operating his method up to Assistant Supervisor at 18. His family members also relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where they lived for 12 months, before moving back again to Florida. Born in Troy, NY, Robert Fuller, also called Buddy Lee, was raised in Florida, and graduated from Miami Armed service Academy. He relocated to Hollywood after completing college, and began booking little roles in films immediately. His quest for an acting profession was put on keep while he offered in the Army from 1953 to 1955. His credits include assisting or starring functions in such tasks as, “The Californian”, “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin”, “Laramie”, “Wagon Teach”, “The Virginian”, “Crisis! He went on to surface in multiple film and tv shows, and produced a name for himself as a personality actor, mainly in Westerns. After time for the united states, he enrolled at a nearby Playhouse to hone his abilities, and began booking larger functions in Hollywood productions.”, “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.”, and “Walker, Texas Ranger”. Born to a family group of dancers where Robert inherited his amazing talent for dance, he pursued a profession both in performing and dance. He debuted in the performing market in 1952 when he took a job in the film Far beyond. Kelly Brackett in the 1970s medical drama Crisis! When he returned, he took performing classes. In 1959, his part as Jess Harper in Laramie produced him as a sex symbol. In 1957, Robert Fuller got his first main break in the performing market when he was casted in the film Teenage Thunder. Over another years, Robert Fuller’s profession rose to fame which gained him a lot of work.
| # | Fact |
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| 1 |
Starred in a pilot for CBS in the 1980s that didn't even sell. |
| 2 |
He said many times during an interview, after doing 3 TV series, he finally had enough. He retired in 2004, to spend more time with his wife (Jennifer Savidge) and to raise animals on a farm. |
| 3 |
Worked with friends on series: John Smith on Laramie (1959), John McIntire and Denny Miller'on Wagon Train (1957) and Julie London and Bobby Troup on Emergency! (1972). |
| 4 |
Originally, Emergency! (1972) was intended to be a medical drama for him, Julie London and her real-life husband Bobby Troup, from the beginning, until his co-star Randolph Mantooth took over, and focused more on rescues than hospital scenes. |
| 5 |
He is most widely known to be a social butterfly. |
| 6 |
Despite being nine years apart, both Fuller and Robert Horton celebrated their own birthdays, every July 29 of each year, for 61 years, until Horton's death in 2016. |
| 7 |
It states that only remaining members of Laramie cast remaining alive is Robert Fuller and Bobby Crawford. Dennis Holmes is also very much alive. |
| 8 |
Has a birthday just 3 days after his buddy James Best, who's 7 years Fuller's senior. Best passed away in 2015. |
| 9 |
His on-screen appearances were reduced on Emergency! (1972), during the last two seasons. He wasn't very happy with the direction the show was going, which would be special episodes losing momentum. There were some people in production one in particular that what is a real problem for him to deal with around, after he was feuding with one of the producers, off-screen, and he was looking for other projects like in Westerns. |
| 10 |
His son, Rob, was good friends with Patrick Duffy, whose Dallas (1978) character was also named: Bobby. |
| 11 |
His ex-wife, Patty Lyon, was 11 years his junior. She died in 1994. |
| 12 |
His son, Rob, used to live not too far from James Garner. |
| 13 |
Was the first choice for the role as Holling Vincoeur in Northern Exposure (1990), but turned it down, hence the role was given to John Cullum. |
| 14 |
His friends Peter Marshall, Julie London, James Drury and Ruta Lee all referred to him as: Bobby. |
| 15 |
He and his wife Jennifer Savidge attended their lifelong friend's, Norman Lloyd's 100th birthday party, on November 9, 2014, in Los Angeles, California. |
| 16 |
Through wife Jennifer Savidge, Fuller is best friends with his wife's acting mentor, Norman Lloyd, who also starred in St. Elsewhere (1982). |
| 17 |
Since 2004, he lives in North Dallas, Texas. |
| 18 |
His longtime best friend James Drury was a fan of Fuller's own TV show Emergency! (1972). |
| 19 |
Is arachnophobic. |
| 20 |
Was 7 years younger than Julie London, who co-starred with Fuller on Emergency! (1972). |
| 21 |
Acting protégé of Richard Boone. |
| 22 |
Best friend of James Drury, James Best, Clu Gulager, Julie London, Alex Cord and Denny Miller. |
| 23 |
Was reunited with ex-Laramie (1959) co-star, Dennis Holmes, on an episode of Wagon Train (1957). |
| 24 |
Appeared on the cover of TV Guide 5 times. |
| 25 |
Met Alex Cord on an episode of Laramie (1959). Prior to Fuller's retirement, Cord convinced him to move to Texas where he became Cord's neighbor. |
| 26 |
His stepfather, Robert Simpson Sr., died in 2009. |
| 27 |
Became lifelong friends with Ronald Reagan. |
| 28 |
Began riding horses when he was only 15. |
| 29 |
Before he co-starred with John McIntire on Wagon Train (1957), MacIntire guest-starred with Fuller on various episodes of Laramie (1959). |
| 30 |
Neighbor of Alex Cord. |
| 31 |
Lived in Los Angeles, California, from 1950 to 2004. |
| 32 |
Had learned how to be a cowboy from his father. |
| 33 |
As a teenager, Fuller was a fan of wrestling. |
| 34 |
Appeared at the Memphis Film Festival at the Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center in Olive Branch, Tennessee. [6 June 2009]. |
| 35 |
Friends with Robert Horton, they share the same birthday. |
| 36 |
Like his Emergency! (1972) co-star, Kevin Tighe, Fuller also spent time in the US Army. |
| 37 |
The year before Doug McClure's death, Fuller was reunited with him for one last time in Maverick (1994), where they both had a small role as Riverboat Poker Players. |
| 38 |
Has worked with Michael Landon's son, Michael Landon Jr. in Bonanza: The Next Generation (1988). |
| 39 |
Has worked with Harry Morgan in episodes of two different series: Hec Ramsey (1972) and Blacke's Magic (1986). |
| 40 |
Has worked with Eddie Albert in episodes of two different series: Laramie (1959) and Murder, She Wrote (1984). |
| 41 |
Has worked with Dan Duryea in episodes of two different series: Laramie (1959), Wagon Train (1957), and in the movie Incident at Phantom Hill (1966). |
| 42 |
Had studied under the direction of Sanford Meisner at the New York Neighbourhood Playhouse School Of The Theatre. |
| 43 |
In order for Fuller to get the part in Teenage Thunder (1957), both he and Chuck Courtney fought hard to convince the director Paul Helmick that he was man enough for the role. Originally Helmick had wanted Edd Byrnes, but after seeing Chuck and Robert perform Helmick gave the role of bad guy Maurie Weston to him. |
| 44 |
Before he was a successful actor, he danced with many actors in films, including Jane Russell to Marilyn Monroe. |
| 45 |
Before retirement, he guest-starred in the final 2 part episode of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) as Wade Harper. |
| 46 |
With the death of John Smith, on January 25, 1995, Fuller and Robert Crawford, Jr. became the only surviving original cast members of Laramie. |
| 47 |
According to his best friend James Drury, he said in an interview when he was approached by Jack Webb to play the male lead role of Dr. Kelly Brackett in Emergency! (1972), Fuller said he didn't really want to do a modern show, he wanted to do another Western, but Webb talked him into it or insisted that he do it, and obviously, he was very happy, because the show was a great success and he had a wonderful time with Julie London and with Bobby Troup. |
| 48 |
Both of Doug McClure's daughters, Tane McClure and Valerie McClure, were at his & Jennifer Savidge's wedding on 19 May 2001. |
| 49 |
Worked with Hugh O'Brian on an episode of Guns of Paradise (1988), where O'Brian reprised his Wyatt Earp character, he played decades earlier. |
| 50 |
Relocated to Dallas, Texas, from Los Angeles, California, with his wife, Jennifer Savidge, to start a ranch. |
| 51 |
Like his best friends Julie London, Bobby Troup and James Drury, he used to be a heavy smoker until his first wife, Patricia Lyons, was diagnosed with cancer in 1984. From then on, he quit. |
| 52 |
Had rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder in June 2012, then had surgery once more for some blood clots in the arm; both surgeries were successful. |
| 53 |
Was the producers' second choice for Little Joe Cartwright on Bonanza (1959); the role went to Michael Landon. |
| 54 |
When Fuller had a recurring role towards the final season of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), his character, Wade Harper, was the great-great grandson of Laramie (1959)'s, Jess Harper, he portrayed decades earlier. |
| 55 |
His youngest son, Patrick, was named after his godfather, none other than Patrick Wayne, son of another Western star, John Wayne. |
| 56 |
At the 20th year of Festival of the West, he read the tribute speech of his best friend and ex-Laramie (1959) co-star, John Smith, who died 15 years earlier in 1995. [20 March 2010]. |
| 57 |
Danced with Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). |
| 58 |
After the cancellation of Laramie (1959), he did not replace Robert Horton for the last 2 seasons of Wagon Train (1957). Horton left the series long before Fuller was added to the cast. |
| 59 |
Worked with James Drury in episodes of 3 shows: The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. (1993), Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1993) and The Virginian (1962), though Drury did not appear in both episodes with his best friend. |
| 60 |
Met John Smith and Doug McClure in 1956, while working on the movie Friendly Persuasion (1956), though they didn't all participate in the movie. |
| 61 |
Used to play tennis with Doug McClure and Michael Landon. |
| 62 |
Met Robert Horton and James Drury, when the three were under contract at MGM Studios in 1954. |
| 63 |
Was reunited with ex-Emergency! (1972) co-star, Randolph Mantooth on both series: The Fall Guy (1981) and Diagnosis Murder (1993). |
| 64 |
Best known by the public for his role as Jess Harper on Laramie (1959) and for his starring role as Dr. Kelly Brackett on Emergency! (1972). |
| 65 |
Met Julie London on an episode of Laramie (1959). Some eleven years later, she would later co-star on Emergency! (1972), as his medical partner. |
| 66 |
Friends with: John Smith, James Drury, Doug McClure, Adam West, Alan Hale Jr., Michael Landon, James Arness, Clu Gulager, James Best, Denver Pyle, Chuck Norris, James Coburn, Jim Davis, Julie London and her husband Bobby Troup, Norman Lloyd, Beverly Garland, Clint Walker, Ann Blyth, Dabbs Greer, Rhonda Fleming, Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Lee Majors, Brian Keith, Eddie Albert, Ernest Borgnine, Harry Morgan, Peter Graves, Burt Reynolds, Dan Duryea, Ronald Reagan, Claude Akins, Hugh O'Brian, Chuck Courtney, Robert Horton, Alex Cord, Paul Donnelly, Peter Brown, Jeanne Cooper, Dinah Shore, Peter Marshall, Ruta Lee, Robert Crawford Jr. and his brother Johnny Crawford, Dennis Holmes, Yul Brynner, James Gregory, John McIntire, Terry Wilson, Denny Miller, Dick Van Dyke, Bernie Kopell, Connie Stevens, Suzanne Pleshette and Robert Conrad. |
| 67 |
Turned down the role of Ray Milland's young detective partner in Markham (1959), because he wanted to do westerns, and soon after he was offered Laramie (1959). |
| 68 |
Became a contract player for Universal from 1959-1977. |
| 69 |
Was drafted into the US Army and served in Korea. |
| 70 |
His favorite actor is Joel McCrea. |
| 71 |
All of his series Laramie (1959), Wagon Train (1957) and Emergency! (1972) were shot at Universal Studios. |
| 72 |
Inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Hall Of Great Western Performers in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. [12 April 2008]. |
| 73 |
Was awarded with the Silver Spur Award. [12 October 2007]. |
| 74 |
His favorite role was Jess Harper in Laramie (1959). |
| 75 |
He attends an annual Festival of the West in Arizona, where he answers questions and signs autographs. |
| 76 |
The bronze sculpture of Jess Harper on Traveller, which was awarded to him by The Robert Fuller Fandom and The National Festival Of The West in recognition of his years of work in the entertainment industry. [18 March 2006]. |
| 77 |
Up until her death in 2000, he remained close friends with Julie London, after the cancellation of Emergency! (1972). |
| 78 |
Was a fan of Jack Webb's TV series, before he got to star in Emergency! (1972). |
| 79 |
Began his career as a bit contract player for MGM in 1952. |
| 80 |
His family moved to Key West, Florida, in 1939, when young Robert was only 6. |
| 81 |
Ranks third between Danny Thomas and Jane Wyman in changing birth names more than once. He legally changed his name from Buddy Lee to Robert Simpson Jr. to Robert Fuller, because he had a Fuller on his mother's side of the family. |
| 82 |
Dropped out of Miami Military Academy in the 9th grade, at age 15. |
| 83 |
His parents were divorced when he was 6 years old. |
| 84 |
A cowboy buff. |
| 85 |
Actor Chuck Courtney taught him how to ride horses, before Fuller became an actor. |
| 86 |
After his guest-starring role on Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), he retired from acting at age 67. |
| 87 |
His parents, Betty Simpson and Robert Simpson, Sr., owned a dance studio. |
| 88 |
Before he was a successful actor, he was the assistant manager of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. |
| 89 |
He has 7 hobbies: fishing, playing tennis, golfing, gardening, horseback riding, traveling and taking care of farm animals. |
| 90 |
Was a spokesperson for Budweiser Malt Liquor in the early 1970s. |
| 91 |
After starring in the movie The Hard Ride (1971), he didn't want to do the Emergency! (1972) series that starred Julie London, when Jack Webb strongly insisted that he starred in it, opposite Webb's ex-wife. He reluctantly took the role, only because Webb was determined to have him play a doctor. |
| 92 |
Was close friends (for over 40 years) of singers/actors Julie London and Bobby Troup, long before they appeared together on Emergency! (1972). |
| 93 |
Was a semi-regular on the 70s game show The Hollywood Squares (1971). Often his job on the show was to intentionally give the wrong answer but in a way that might convince the contestant that this might be one of the rare times he was right. |
| 94 |
He was an uncredited extra in Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960). |
| 95 |
He is the only Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) guest star ever to be killed off twice in the same episode; it was the 2-part series finale, in which he played a dual role. |
| 96 |
Father of Rob, Christine and Patrick |
| # | Quote |
|---|
| 1 |
I still get mail from people telling me they patterned their way of life after that character. Actors and TV shows can affect people and thankfully in a positive way |
| 2 |
I was raised in Miami and Key West. I'm a Conch. I went to Miami Military academy, and lived in Key West from '45 to '50. At that time, the Navy had four bases there, a sub base and three other bases. Hardly any tourists. But the fishing! There were 15 foot sharks like you wouldn't believe, and what they called Pink Gold - five and six inch shrimp. |
| 3 |
[Of Marilyn Monroe]: She was such a sweetheart and really just a child. She was actually very nervous, but great with all the dancers. I know some directors found her hard to work with, but she was fun with us. We rehearsed that number for three weeks and it took a week to shoot. |
| 4 |
[When asked if he had guest-starred on an episode of The High Chaparral (1967)]: No. In fact I did a movie called What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) in Tucson, while they were shooting The High Chaparral (1967). I wasn't that far away from the guys. We'd all get together at the local watering hole and shoot the breeze over drinks. If I wasn't working, I'd go over to the set and visit them, or they'd come over where I was working with big time producer-director Robert Aldrich [e.g. The Dirty Dozen], who had his own film production studio. |
| 5 |
[If he had been offered anything else after 2004]: I would not consider anything. I've had three Western offers, and none of them could match what I wanna do. I would only do a commercial if I believed in the product. I was the national spokesman for Teledyne Water Pik for six years, the national spokesman for Budweiser Malt Liquor, and the national spokesman for Little Friskies cat food. I've done good stuff, and I have no reason to work anymore. I'm very well off as far as I'm concerned. Truthfully, the only thing that would get me back to work is if there was an incredible Western script starring Robert Duvall with a great part. I'd walk to Hollywood to do it with him. |
| 6 |
[If he was still working, before retirement, prior to attending festivals]: Oh, I was still working. I retired from acting in 2004, when my wife and I, actress Jennifer Savidge [of St. Elsewhere (1982) and JAG (1995) television series fame], moved to Texas and got a ranch. I probably started doing these festivals in the middle to late 1990s. The very first one that I attended was the Hollywood Collectors Show, and then I started getting invited to some of the big ones that are all over the country.I participated at five festivals in 2015. I just happened to get trapped into five. Three I really enjoyed doing. Jennifer and I spend time together at our ranch, I grow hay for our horses, I like to do a lot of fishing, so that's enough traveling and whatever. |
| 7 |
[Who said about his friendship with Julie London, who played Nurse Dixie McCall]: She made it worthwhile, going into the set every day. |
| 8 |
[Of Julie London]: She should've been a sailor. I'm telling you, I loved Julie. I've known Julie for years; and one of the things that made me happy about doing Emergency! (1972), was working with Julie and Bobby; because they were friends of mine. I've known them for years, before that, Julie did Laramie (1959) with me; and I loved her. I loved her singing and I loved his plane. But to Julie, to get away with anything and when it came out of her mouth; it sounded like candy and we loved it, she was wild. |
| 9 |
[When Jack Webb talked him into starring in Emergency! (1972)]: I enjoyed doing Westerns, but it was (producer) Jack Webb who said, 'You can play a doctor,' and gave me that great series. |
| 10 |
I'd been in the business (show business) 52 years -- the ordinary man doesn't work that long. |
| 11 |
[Who talked about the home of other Western stars of his era]: Oh, it was incredible. I think it took us about ten days or so to shoot that whole scene, and we just had a great time; all of those old cowboys getting together. And then, of course, Mel was fabulous, and so was Jimmy Coburn. I had known Jimmy for years; he guested on Laramie (1959) with me. And then Jim Garner, of course, was always a sweetheart. So we had fun on that set. |
| 12 |
[If he bore a slight resemblance to Robert Horton, who coincidentally shares the same birthday with him] No, that was way down the line. I wasn't under contract through the studio, and all those other people were. They immediately wanted to me to go into another Western, and they figured because of the popularity of Laramie (1959) and my popularity in Japan and Germany, that it would boost that up a little bit. And that was fine by me. I was more than happy to join that cast. They were all friends of mine, anyway. You know, John McIntire was there; I adored him and worked with him quite often. He had done a couple of "Laramie" episodes with me. I had known Denny Miller when he was doing "Tarzan". Frank McGrath and Terry Wilson were good buddies of mine for years. And I was thrilled. |
| 13 |
[When Jack Webb strongly insisted that he star on Emergency! (1972)]: The Hard Ride (1971) was a very good motorcycle movie. It got great reviews. It was a different type of movie. I played an ex-Marine coming back from Vietnam that was going to get a motorcycle back to a dead friend's relative. I can't remember how it went, but I know it worked pretty good. Paul Donnelly, who was executive in charge of production at Universal Studios all the years that I was doing Laramie (1959), Wagon Train (1957) and Emergency! (1972), he was a dear, dear friend of mine. He happened to see that movie about two days after Jack Webb had decided he was going to do the series called "Emergency!". He went to Jack and he said, "You ought to run this movie because if you're looking for your lead doctor, Dr. Brackett, then you should look at Robert Fuller in this movie". Jack went over to the projection room, looked at the first five minutes of the movie and said, "That's him. Hire him; I want him. Nobody else but him". And that's how I got "Emergency!". |
| 14 |
[on his on- and off-screen chemistry with Emergency! (1972) co-stars Julie London and Bobby Troup, who played Nurse Dixie "Dix" McCall, RN & Dr. Joe Early, MD, respectively]: Oh, it was great. I loved working with the two of them, and I loved . . . I had known Julie and Bobby for a long, long time, and we just got along great. I tell you what, it was a lot of fun to go to work every morning while we were shooting it. |
| 15 |
Well, it came about because of Laramie (1959). "Laramie" was the number-one television show in Japan and Germany. I made several trips to both of those countries. My character, Jess Harper, was so big in Japan . . . well, "Laramie" was the number-one television show for, like, five years in Japan; the number-one show. They liked the character of Jess Harper because it reminded them of a Samurai warrior. Always helping the underdog like the Samurai did in those days, and so they liked that character. I had marvelous times over there. I won the best actor award over there in Japan, over all Japanese actors in 1961. And helped raise $100,000 for the Japanese Red Cross for underprivileged children and was given the highest award ever given to an American by the emperor called the Golden Order of Merit. I got to have a viewing with the emperor and empress of Japan and had lunch at the prime minister's home. It was unbelievable; I had such a fabulous time over there. |
| 16 |
[on joining the cast for the last two seasons of Wagon Train (1957)]: It didn't have anything to do with Robert Horton. He had been away from that series for two years already. Denny Miller replaced him. |
| 17 |
Well, all the years that I did Laramie (1959) and Wagon Train (1957), Tony Curtis' dressing room was directly across from mine. His and Rock Hudson's. My dressing room .. . you know, I did all three series at Universal Studios: "Laramie", "Wagon Train" and Emergency! (1972), I guess that was fifteen or sixteen years or something like that. But the row of dressing rooms that I was on was called Whiskey Row. And the reason it was called Whiskey Row was because the first dressing room was Ward Bond, the second dressing room was Frank McGrath, the third was Terry Wilson, the fourth was John Smith, the fifth was me and the sixth was Lee Marvin. And we all partied after lunch, so they called it Whiskey Row. Now, in the same amount of space directly across from us were only two dressing rooms and they were bungalows; they were fabulous. Ours were great; I mean, we had dressing room, living room, makeup, kitchen, and all that, but these guys were like a condominium, practically. Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson right across from us for all those years. |
| 18 |
I was assistant manager of Grauman's Chinese Theater. I started out there as the doorman wearing a Chinese outfit. I was there maybe six months when the assistant manager left and they gave me the job. I was 17 years old. I wore a suit and tie in the daytime and a tuxedo at night. I was in charge of all the usherettes. We had 20 usherettes on staff in 1951. It was a great job. I had a good time. |
| 19 |
I've got a big plaque up on the wall next to Gary Cooper and John Wayne and all the big guys. Next to all the great Western performers. |
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