Robert Guillaume (1927-2017) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 10-24-2017, 04:14 PM

He became the first African-American to sing the title role of "Phantom of the Opera," appearing with an all-white cast in Los Angeles.

Link

NEW YORK (AP) — Robert Guillaume, who rose from squalid beginnings in St. Louis slums to become a star in stage musicals and win Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the sharp-tongued butler in the TV sitcoms "Soap" and "Benson," has died at age 89.

Guillaume died at home Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to his widow, Donna Brown Guillaume. He had been battling prostate cancer, she told The Associated Press.

Among Guillaume's achievements was playing Nathan Detroit in the first all-black version of "Guys and Dolls," earning a Tony nomination in 1977. He became the first African-American to sing the title role of "Phantom of the Opera," appearing with an all-white cast in Los Angeles.

While playing in "Guys and Dolls, he was asked to test for the role of an acerbic butler of a governor's mansion in "Soap," a primetime TV sitcom that satirized soap operas.

"The minute I saw the script, I knew I had a live one," he recalled in 2001. "Every role was written against type, especially Benson, who wasn't subservient to anyone. To me, Benson was the revenge for all those stereotyped guys who looked like Benson in the '40s and '50s (movies) and had to keep their mouths shut."

The character became so popular that ABC was persuaded to launch a spinoff, simply called "Benson," which lasted from 1979 to 1986. The series made Guillaume wealthy and famous, but he regretted that Benson's wit had to be toned down to make him more appealing as the lead star.

The career of Robert Guillaume (pronounced with a hard "g'': gee-yome) almost ended in January 1999 at Walt Disney Studio. He was appearing in the TV series "Sports Night" as Isaac Jaffee, executive producer of a sports highlight show. Returning to his dressing room after a meal away from the studio, he suddenly collapsed.

"I fell on the floor, and I couldn't get up," he told an interviewer in 2001. "I kept floundering about on the floor and I didn't know why I couldn't do it. I didn't know it was it was caused by my left side being weaker than the other."

Fortunately, St. Joseph Hospital was directly across from the studio. The 71-year-old actor was taken there and treated for a stroke— the result of a blood clot that blocked circulation of blood to the brain. They are fatal in 15 percent of the cases.

Guillaume's stroke was minor, causing relatively slight damage and little effect on his speech. After six weeks in the hospital, he underwent a therapy of walks and sessions in the gym. He returned to the second season of "Sports Talk," and it was written into the script that Isaac Jaffee was recovering from a stroke. Because of slim ratings, the second season proved to be the last for the much-praised show.

Guillaume resumed his career and traveled as a new spokesman for the American Stroke Association. He also made appearance for the American Heart Association.

"I'm a bastard, a Catholic, the son of a prostitute, and a product of the poorest slums of St. Louis."

This was the opening of "Guillaume: A Life," his 2002 autobiography in which he laid bare his troubled life. He was born fatherless on Nov. 30, 1927, in St. Louis, one of four children. His mother named him Robert Peter Williams; when he became a performer he adopted Guillaume, a French version of Williams, believing the change would give him distinction.

His early years were spent in a back-alley apartment without plumbing or electricity; an outhouse was shared with two dozen people. His alcoholic mother hated him because of his dark skin, and his grandmother rescued him, taught him to read and enrolled him in a Catholic school.

Seeking but denied his mother's love and scorned by nuns and students because of his dark skin, the boy became a rebel, and that carried into his adult life. He was expelled from school and then the Army, though he was granted an honorable discharge. He fathered a daughter and abandoned the child and her mother. He did the same to his first wife and two sons and to another woman and a daughter.

He worked in a department store, the post office and as St. Louis's first black streetcar motorman. Seeking something better, he enrolled at St. Louis University, excelling in philosophy and Shakespeare, and then at Washington University (St. Louis) where a music professor trained the young man's superb tenor singing voice.

After serving as an apprentice at theaters in Aspen, Colo., and Cleveland, the newly named Guillaume toured with Broadway shows "Finian's Rainbow," ''Golden Boy," ''Porgy and Bess" and "Purlie," and began appearing on sitcoms such as "The Jeffersons" and "Sanford and Son." Then came "Soap" and "Benson." His period of greatest success was marred by tragedy when his 33-year-old son Jacques died of AIDS.

Guillaume's first stable relationship came when he married TV producer Donna Brown in the mid-1980s and fathered a daughter, Rachel. At last he was able to shrug off the bitterness he had felt throughout his life.

"To assuage bitterness requires more than human effort," he wrote at the end of his autobiography. "Relief comes from a source we cannot see but can only feel. I am content to call that source love."

Willbo · 10-24-2017, 04:22 PM

Loved Benson on Soap. RIP

BuffaloBill · 10-24-2017, 04:40 PM

Cool guy, met him when I was ten at telethon around 1980. Was real friendly and down to earth. Underappricated -but talented all around actor. RIP

Svenfan1234 · 10-24-2017, 04:42 PM

R.I.P. Benson.

MA · 10-24-2017, 04:44 PM

Anyone know how he died?

JSP · 10-24-2017, 04:50 PM

R.I.P.

king of comedy · 10-24-2017, 05:10 PM

R.I.P. Robert. I loved you in Soap and Benson and you had a beautiful voice. You were the first black man to play the Phantom and I'm glad Norm Lewis will paved the way for more black men and other male singers of color to play the role.

Zoneboy · 10-24-2017, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikaelaArsenault

Anyone know how he died?

According to his wife he was battling prostate cancer.

MA · 10-24-2017, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

According to his wife he was battling prostate cancer.

Still, very unexpected.

bmasters9 · 10-24-2017, 05:42 PM

And now he and James Noble will be presumably able to trade comedic barbs at that great Governor's Mansion up above!

Rawr · 10-24-2017, 05:51 PM

A very underrated talent. May he RIP.

Bonniegirl · 10-24-2017, 05:57 PM

Very sad to hear of his passing.

He was very funny as Benson and seemed like he would be a very cool guy!!

RIP Robert

BensonFan · 10-24-2017, 06:09 PM

This one is hitting me really hard. Much like John Ritter's death hit me.

I have been a fan for so long. I sought out his personal website probably about 10 years ago and sent an e-mail through the "contact me" link. I told him how much of a fan I was and that if I sent him a photo, would he sign it and return it? He answered that he would. Then, for whatever reason, I never did. So very stupid of me.

My deepest condolences to his family and all others who knew and loved him. Thankfully his work will live on. He was truly one of a kind.

RIP, Mr. Guillaume.
THANK YOU.

340wedge · 10-24-2017, 06:14 PM

RIP to Mr. Guillaume. Thank you for the memories of a show that made my TV viewing fun and memorable in my teen years. Benson was and always has been my favorite show on TV. I still watch it on my DVD copies at least once a week and even though I know every line, I still laugh!

tlc38tlc38 · 10-24-2017, 06:25 PM

Very sad. He was an awesome talent. Loved Benson.

10-24-2017, 04:14 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,338	Robert Guillaume (1927-2017) He became the first African-American to sing the title role of "Phantom of the Opera," appearing with an all-white cast in Los Angeles. Link NEW YORK (AP) — Robert Guillaume, who rose from squalid beginnings in St. Louis slums to become a star in stage musicals and win Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the sharp-tongued butler in the TV sitcoms "Soap" and "Benson," has died at age 89. Guillaume died at home Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to his widow, Donna Brown Guillaume. He had been battling prostate cancer, she told The Associated Press. Among Guillaume's achievements was playing Nathan Detroit in the first all-black version of "Guys and Dolls," earning a Tony nomination in 1977. He became the first African-American to sing the title role of "Phantom of the Opera," appearing with an all-white cast in Los Angeles. While playing in "Guys and Dolls, he was asked to test for the role of an acerbic butler of a governor's mansion in "Soap," a primetime TV sitcom that satirized soap operas. "The minute I saw the script, I knew I had a live one," he recalled in 2001. "Every role was written against type, especially Benson, who wasn't subservient to anyone. To me, Benson was the revenge for all those stereotyped guys who looked like Benson in the '40s and '50s (movies) and had to keep their mouths shut." The character became so popular that ABC was persuaded to launch a spinoff, simply called "Benson," which lasted from 1979 to 1986. The series made Guillaume wealthy and famous, but he regretted that Benson's wit had to be toned down to make him more appealing as the lead star. The career of Robert Guillaume (pronounced with a hard "g'': gee-yome) almost ended in January 1999 at Walt Disney Studio. He was appearing in the TV series "Sports Night" as Isaac Jaffee, executive producer of a sports highlight show. Returning to his dressing room after a meal away from the studio, he suddenly collapsed. "I fell on the floor, and I couldn't get up," he told an interviewer in 2001. "I kept floundering about on the floor and I didn't know why I couldn't do it. I didn't know it was it was caused by my left side being weaker than the other." Fortunately, St. Joseph Hospital was directly across from the studio. The 71-year-old actor was taken there and treated for a stroke— the result of a blood clot that blocked circulation of blood to the brain. They are fatal in 15 percent of the cases. Guillaume's stroke was minor, causing relatively slight damage and little effect on his speech. After six weeks in the hospital, he underwent a therapy of walks and sessions in the gym. He returned to the second season of "Sports Talk," and it was written into the script that Isaac Jaffee was recovering from a stroke. Because of slim ratings, the second season proved to be the last for the much-praised show. Guillaume resumed his career and traveled as a new spokesman for the American Stroke Association. He also made appearance for the American Heart Association. "I'm a bastard, a Catholic, the son of a prostitute, and a product of the poorest slums of St. Louis." This was the opening of "Guillaume: A Life," his 2002 autobiography in which he laid bare his troubled life. He was born fatherless on Nov. 30, 1927, in St. Louis, one of four children. His mother named him Robert Peter Williams; when he became a performer he adopted Guillaume, a French version of Williams, believing the change would give him distinction. His early years were spent in a back-alley apartment without plumbing or electricity; an outhouse was shared with two dozen people. His alcoholic mother hated him because of his dark skin, and his grandmother rescued him, taught him to read and enrolled him in a Catholic school. Seeking but denied his mother's love and scorned by nuns and students because of his dark skin, the boy became a rebel, and that carried into his adult life. He was expelled from school and then the Army, though he was granted an honorable discharge. He fathered a daughter and abandoned the child and her mother. He did the same to his first wife and two sons and to another woman and a daughter. He worked in a department store, the post office and as St. Louis's first black streetcar motorman. Seeking something better, he enrolled at St. Louis University, excelling in philosophy and Shakespeare, and then at Washington University (St. Louis) where a music professor trained the young man's superb tenor singing voice. After serving as an apprentice at theaters in Aspen, Colo., and Cleveland, the newly named Guillaume toured with Broadway shows "Finian's Rainbow," ''Golden Boy," ''Porgy and Bess" and "Purlie," and began appearing on sitcoms such as "The Jeffersons" and "Sanford and Son." Then came "Soap" and "Benson." His period of greatest success was marred by tragedy when his 33-year-old son Jacques died of AIDS. Guillaume's first stable relationship came when he married TV producer Donna Brown in the mid-1980s and fathered a daughter, Rachel. At last he was able to shrug off the bitterness he had felt throughout his life. "To assuage bitterness requires more than human effort," he wrote at the end of his autobiography. "Relief comes from a source we cannot see but can only feel. I am content to call that source love."

10-24-2017, 04:42 PM	#4
Svenfan1234 Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 12, 2015 Posts: 11,200	R.I.P. Benson.
	__________________ [

10-24-2017, 04:44 PM	#5
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,094	Anyone know how he died?
	__________________ ~-Mikaela-~

10-24-2017, 05:42 PM	#10
bmasters9 Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2007 Posts: 2,545	And now he and James Noble will be presumably able to trade comedic barbs at that great Governor's Mansion up above!
	__________________ "CBS Sports presents...The Prudential College Football Report, sponsored by The Prudential, offering a full range of insurance and other financial services. The Prudential: the Rock...it's strong, it's on the move, it's bigger than life." (Don Robertson's spiel for The Prudential College Football Report in the 1986 season; modified from what it was in 1985)

10-24-2017, 06:09 PM	#13
BensonFan Board Psychologist Senior Member Join Date: Mar 16, 2004 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,733	This one is hitting me really hard. Much like John Ritter's death hit me. I have been a fan for so long. I sought out his personal website probably about 10 years ago and sent an e-mail through the "contact me" link. I told him how much of a fan I was and that if I sent him a photo, would he sign it and return it? He answered that he would. Then, for whatever reason, I never did. So very stupid of me. My deepest condolences to his family and all others who knew and loved him. Thankfully his work will live on. He was truly one of a kind. RIP, Mr. Guillaume. THANK YOU.
	__________________ HEY, SONY: Thank you for Benson, Season 2! Now can we get started on Season 3 plans?

10-24-2017, 04:22 PM	#2
Willbo Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 10, 2012 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 859	Loved Benson on Soap. RIP

10-24-2017, 04:40 PM	#3
BuffaloBill Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 07, 2004 Location: Cheektowaga(Buffalo),NY Posts: 424	Cool guy, met him when I was ten at telethon around 1980. Was real friendly and down to earth. Underappricated -but talented all around actor. RIP

10-24-2017, 04:50 PM	#6
JSP Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 19, 2003 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,735	R.I.P.

10-24-2017, 05:10 PM	#7
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	R.I.P. Robert. I loved you in Soap and Benson and you had a beautiful voice. You were the first black man to play the Phantom and I'm glad Norm Lewis will paved the way for more black men and other male singers of color to play the role.

10-24-2017, 05:51 PM	#11
Rawr Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 05, 2015 Posts: 2,160	A very underrated talent. May he RIP.

10-24-2017, 05:57 PM	#12
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,399	Very sad to hear of his passing. He was very funny as Benson and seemed like he would be a very cool guy!! RIP Robert

10-24-2017, 06:14 PM	#14
340wedge Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 09, 2008 Location: New York Posts: 83	RIP to Mr. Guillaume. Thank you for the memories of a show that made my TV viewing fun and memorable in my teen years. Benson was and always has been my favorite show on TV. I still watch it on my DVD copies at least once a week and even though I know every line, I still laugh! Attached Images
	Last edited by 340wedge; 10-24-2017 at 06:18 PM. Reason: add pics

10-24-2017, 06:25 PM	#15
tlc38tlc38 Every day’s a Dolly day! Forum Star Join Date: May 02, 2008 Location: I’m just travelin’ thru Posts: 19,252	Very sad. He was an awesome talent. Loved Benson.
	__________________ Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 In loving memory of my best friend, my Mama.