REST IN PEACE ROBERT GUILLAUME

feeling rebloggy

"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...

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 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 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. [...He was] 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 Night".. 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-robert-guillaume-dead-20171024-story.html

 (From Chicago Tribune, 10/24/17)

Guillaume on playing Benson