Cliff Robertson was an Academy Award-winning actor from the United States who had a five-decade career. He was one of the most recognized and talented character actors of his generation, well known for his part as a mentally challenged floor sweeper in the film ‘Charly.’ Even though he was born into an affluent household, the actor had a rough childhood. His parents split when he was a baby, and his mother died a year later from an illness. He was raised by his grandmother and graduated from La Jolla High School before joining the US Merchant Marine during WWII. He briefly attended college after the war before beginning a career as a writer. However, fate had different ideas for him, and he soon found himself on Broadway. He was well-built and had rugged good looks, so he was quickly noticed as an actor and moved into cinema. He earned a reputation as a character actor thanks to his passionate onscreen performances, and he also had success on the big screen. Following an incident involving David Begelman, the president of Columbia Pictures, he was briefly blacklisted in Hollywood in the 1970s. He returned to Hollywood after a few years and began his great career.
Childhood and Adolescence
Clifford Parker Robertson III was born in La Jolla, California, on September 9, 1923, to Clifford Parker Robertson Jr. and his first wife, Audrey Olga Willingham. His father was the heir of a minor fortune and came from an affluent family. Cliff’s parents split when he was one year old. After a year, the small boy’s mother died of an illness, and he was raised by his maternal grandma. His father paid him only sporadic visits.
He attended and graduated from La Jolla High School in 1941. He was always interested in playing and took part in school plays from an early age. At the time of his graduation, World War II was in full swing, and he spent some time in the US Merchant Marine. He attended Antioch College (Ohio) after his war service but did not complete his degree. He dropped out of school to pursue a career as a journalist. The college’s dean, on the other hand, advised him to concentrate on acting. The young man came to New York to study acting at the Actors Studio, inspired by the dean’s encouragement.
Career of Cliff Robertson
As a good-looking and accomplished actor, he began his career on stage with a role in ‘Three Men on a Horse.’ In 1953, he made his Broadway debut in the play “Late Love.” He rose to prominence as a result of his moving performances, which led to roles on television and in films.
He made his film debut in the romantic drama ‘Picnic’ (1955), which was followed by ‘Autumn Leaves’ in 1956. He had a leading role in the television space opera ‘Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers’ (1953–1954). In the years that followed, he remained active on television while still pursuing cinema parts. In the television drama ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ and the film ‘The Naked and the Dead,’ Robertson played Joe Clay. ‘Wild River’ (1960), ‘Underworld USA’ (1961), ‘The Interns’ (1962), ‘Sunday in New York’ (1963), ‘633 Squadron’ (1964), and ‘Charly’ (1965) were among his big roles in the 1960s (1968).
In the decade, his most prominent television role was as the lead in the drama ‘The Game’ (1965). ‘Too Late the Hero’ (1970) was his first picture in the 1970s, followed by ‘Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies’ (1973), ‘Three Days of the Condor’ (1975), and ‘Washington: Behind Closed Doors’ (1976). (1977). Cliff Robertson was embroiled in a high-profile controversy in 1977 when he learnt of a forgery committed by Columbia Pictures president David Begelman, whom he accused of forging his name on a $10,000 studio check. Many in the film industry persuaded him not to report it, but he went ahead and filed a complaint against Begelman, who was fined $5,000 and sentenced to three years probation.
Robertson, on the other hand, was banned by Hollywood producers for a few years as a result of the issue. However, in the 1980s, the actor was able to effectively relaunch his career, appearing in films such as ‘Class,’ ‘Star 80,’ and ‘Malone’ (1987). In 1987, he played Henry Ford in the film ‘Ford: The Man and the Machine.’ He worked as a character actor until the last ten years of his life. Uncle Ben in the Spider-Man film trilogy from 2002 to 2007 was one of his final well-known performances.
Major Projects of Cliff Robertson
In the film ‘Charly,’ he played an intellectually handicapped man who miraculously becomes smart, and it is often recognized as his best performance. The film was a critical and economic triumph, earning Robertson an Academy Award nomination. In the biographical war picture ‘PT 109,’ he played a young John F. Kennedy (JFK) as a United States Navy lieutenant. Robertson was an amazing actor who did perfect service to the character he played, despite the fact that he had little physical similarity to JFK.
Achievements & Awards
He won an Emmy for his major part in the drama ‘The Game’ (1965), which aired on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, in 1966. For his work as Charlie Gordon in the film ‘Charly,’ he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1968. He also won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor for the same role. The National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association honored him with the 2008 Ambassador of Good Will Aviation Award.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1957, he married Cynthia Stone, the former wife of actor Jack Lemmon. They were blessed with a daughter. The marriage was short-lived, ending in 1959. Dina Merrill, an actress and Post Cereals heiress, was his second wife, whom he married in 1966. They had one daughter before divorcing in 1989. The actor was an avid pilot who owned a number of de Havilland Tiger Moths and a Messerschmitt Bf 108, among other planes. He was a long-time member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and a certified private pilot. Cliff Robertson died on September 10, 2011, one day after his 88th birthday, of natural causes.
Estimated Net Worth
Cliff Robertson was an American actor with a $5 million dollar net worth. Robertson, who was born on September 9, 1923 in La Jolla, California, is best known for his appearances in PT 109 and the Academy Award-winning Charly. He was also recognized for portraying Buzz Aldrin in the television show Return to Earth.