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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 the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
'' 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 The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
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 Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...
television series and films. In 1996, Urich starred in '' The Lazarus Man''. It was canceled shortly after he announced that he had been diagnosed with
synovial sarcoma A synovial sarcoma (also known as malignant synovioma) is a rare form of cancer which occurs primarily in the extremities of the arms or legs, often in proximity to joint capsules and tendon sheaths. It is a type of soft-tissue sarcoma. The name " ...
, 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 (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
''. 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 and Slovak extraction and raised Byzantine Catholic and
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
. 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 Lambda Chi Alpha (), commonly known as Lambda Chi, is a college fraternity in North America which was founded at Boston University in 1909. It is one of the largest social fraternities in North America, with more than 300,000 lifetime members a ...
fraternity. In 1968, he earned a bachelor's degree in Radio and Television Communications. He went on to
Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
and earned a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
in Broadcast Research and Management. Urich then worked as a salesman in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
at WGN-TV. He later worked 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 Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' D ...
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. In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
''. 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 Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used ...
'' 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 ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...
'' 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$''. Urich portrayed the series' lead character, Dan Tanna, a private detective who solves various crimes in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
. Vega$ was a hit for ABC and he received two
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
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 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...
(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 started 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 Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
'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 Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France made ...
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 A synovial sarcoma (also known as malignant synovioma) is a rare form of cancer which occurs primarily in the extremities of the arms or legs, often in proximity to joint capsules and tendon sheaths. It is a type of soft-tissue sarcoma. The name " ...
. 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 Breach of contract is a legal cause of action and a type of civil wrong, in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other par ...
. 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 (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
'' 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 Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily d ...
the night before his death.


Personal life


Marriages and children

Urich's first marriage was to actress Barbara Rucker in 1968. They divorced in 1974. He married actress Heather Menzies (1949–2017) in 1975. They adopted three children, Ryan, Emily, and Allison. They remained married until his death in 2002.


Illness and death

In July 1996, Urich announced he had been diagnosed with
synovial sarcoma A synovial sarcoma (also known as malignant synovioma) is a rare form of cancer which occurs primarily in the extremities of the arms or legs, often in proximity to joint capsules and tendon sheaths. It is a type of soft-tissue sarcoma. The name " ...
, a rare form of cancer that attacks
soft tissue Soft tissue is all the tissue in the body that is not hardened by the processes of ossification or calcification such as bones and teeth. Soft tissue connects, surrounds or supports internal organs and bones, and includes muscle, tendons, liga ...
. He continued working while undergoing treatment for his illness and also became an advocate for finding a cure for cancer. He won an award from the John Wayne Cancer Institute and the Gilda Radner Courage Award for his work raising cancer awareness. He and Menzies-Urich also founded the Urich Fund for the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center to raise funds for cancer research. He also donated the $125,000 he won when he appeared on an episode of '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire''. He was declared cancer free in 1998. That same year, he was named the national spokesperson for the
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more tha ...
. In November 2001, Urich revealed in an interview that his doctors had discovered lumps in his body but "a wonder drug had cleared them up". The week before his death, he was hospitalized at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks for breathing problems. He died there on April 16, 2002. His Funeral Mass was offered on April 19 at St. Charles Borromeo Church in
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
. He was cremated and his ashes were buried on the grounds of his family's vacation home in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. A monument was placed in the West Lake Church of Christ Cemetery, which is located near the family's vacation home.


Legacy

Before his death, Urich and Menzies-Urich helped to raise money for the Eccles Performing Arts Centers at the Park City High School in
Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake Cit ...
. After his death, the school established the Robert Urich Scholarship fund in his honor. In addition, Urich and Menzies-Urich 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 Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...
survivor. Menzies-Urich continued to work for the center, and died from brain cancer on Christmas Eve, 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 State Route 7 (SR 7), formerly known as Inter-county Highway 7 until 1921 and State Highway 7 in 1922, is a north–south state highway in the southern and eastern portions of the U.S. state of Ohio. At about in length, it is the longest ...
. For his contribution to the television industry, Urich has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
located at 7083 Hollywood Blvd. Until
Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...
was added, he was the only person with a name starting with the letter U on the walk. List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame#U


Filmography


References


External links


Robert Urich, (1946-2002) - The Carpathian Connection
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Urich, Robert 1946 births 2002 deaths People from Toronto, Ohio 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American people of Rusyn descent American people of Slovak descent American male stage actors American male television actors American television personalities Television producers from Ohio Deaths from cancer in California Neurological disease deaths in California Deaths from synovial sarcoma Florida State University alumni Florida State Seminoles football players Michigan State University alumni Male Western (genre) film actors