Robert Conrad: American film and television actor, singer, and director who rose to fame for his role in the 1960s series The Wild Wild West , in Spanish, Espías con Espuelas . One of the most popular faces in the productions of the 60s and 70s.
Summary
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- 1 Biographical synthesis
- 1 Career in television and film
- 2 Death
- 2 Filmography on TV and cinema
- 3 Sources
Biographical synthesis
Conrad Robert Falk, his first name, was born on March 1, 1935 in Chicago , United States. He began his acting career as an extra in the series The Underwater Investigator, and was also a high-risk stuntman in action films.
Robert Conrad was married to Joan Kenlay from 25 February 1952 until February 1977 , their separation was amicable and had 5 children: Nancy Conrad, Christian Conrad; Shane Conrad and Joan Conrad all followed the Seventh Art career.
In his second nuptials that same year, in March 1977 he married the young actress LaVelda Fann (seventeen years old) and was the father of three other children, Camille, Kaja and Chelsea Conrad. He lived with them in Thousand Oaks in California in the High Mountains. Conrad separated in 2008 and divorced in 2010 from his young wife Fann.
Before making the leap to the big screen, the actor worked as a milkman and singer in a nightclub where he met actor Nick Adams, with whom he became friends. This helped him to work as an extra in television series such as Seahunt, later he would also work as a high-risk stuntman in action films. It was around 1959 when his film career began to take off when he moved to the city of Los Angeles. His penchant for acting came from watching a mediocre performance, of which he said “even I would do better.” This led to a short drama course at Northwestern University.
Television and film career
In 1958, he changed the order of their names and signed a contract with Warner Bros Studios, impressed by his extraordinary physique and appearance. Famous for his looks and gallantry, of the television stars of the 1960s who executed the dangerous action scenes without using stuntmen. Conrad was also an admirer of Humphrey Bogart , James Cagney and John Garfield .
American actor and director
His first major role was played as Detective Tom Loopaka on the television series Intrigue in Hawaii , which was a success for four years and shared credits with Connie Stevens. Conrad executed his own action scenes, even those of other protagonists, and took martial arts classes in the Karate branch . He characterized the television character Jim West in the cult series The Wild Wild West , next to Ross Martin, in the period 1965 – 1969 , as the sophisticated secret service agent James T. West.
He portrayed World War II aviation ace in the Pacific theater Gregory Boyington, on the television series Baa Baa Black Sheep . He performed and recorded various pop / rock songs in the late 1950s and early 1960s as Bob Conrad. He had a weekly two-hour national radio show program, The Show with Robert Conrad, on CRN Digital Talk Radio, since 2008.
In 1964 he filmed the Spanish film La nueva Cinderella next to Marisol. Conrad recorded albums singing in Spanish (a language that he mastered perfectly), having sales records in Spain, selling more records than the Beatles at that time, the song I Conformed being very famous and it was performed in nightclubs, in Spain , Australia and Mexico . He even lived in Spain for several years.
Death
He died on Saturday morning, February 8, 2020, in Malibu , California , at 84 years of age as a result of heart failure.
Filmography on TV and cinema
- Baa Baa Black Sheep 1976 – 1978
- Intrigue in Hawaii1959 – 1963
- Jingle All the Way 1996
- Centennial 1978 – 1979
- The New Cinderella 1964
- The Wild Wild West 1965 – 1969
