Actor Robert Culp passed away Wednesday morning after falling and hitting his head while on a walk outside his Hollywood Hills home. The LA Times reports that he was found by a jogger who called 911 and was pronounced dead at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. The Times article focuses on Culp’s work in “I, Spy,” with Bill Cosby. I have to admit that show was a bit before my time. I will always remember Culp as the decidedly politically incorrect FBI Agent Bill Maxwell in The Greatest American Hero. I had the pleasure of seeing Culp at a San Diego Comic Con, where he shared a panel with his Hero co-stars William Katt and Connie Sellecca. May Robert Culp rest in peace.
How can you mention Robert Culp and not mention perhaps his greatest and most stirring performance-the voice of Dr. Wallace Breen in Half Life 2?
“I Spy” was huge when I was a teen, and I loved it at the time (in viewing re-runs, I was surprised how poorly the dialogue held up–for me). Its salt-and-pepper heroes were truly a groundbreaking social phenomenon, and had a real, positive effect on the rising generation. Culp was one of the actors I identified early in my life (in the western series “Trackdown”) and followed ever after. I always thought he was one of the better working actors out there, and deserved greater success than he had.
Thanks for this, Daniel. I have bought the first three seasons of I Spy, not having seen the series when it came out, and found the episodes I’ve watched quite enjoyable. It was very groundbreaking for its time, with Culp and Cosby as co-heroes. Culp was a good actor who involved himself in some very good projects as you note.