Robert Symonds

Robert Symonds (December 1, 1926 – August 23, 2007) was an American actor born in Bristow, Oklahoma, the son of Nellie (née Barry; 1886–1978) and Walter Stout Symonds (1891–1957). His Broadway career spanned from 1965 to 1976 and included productions such as The Poison Tree, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Merchant of Venice, The Plough and the Stars, and Enemies.

Symonds served as associate director of the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center from 1965 through 1972, during which time he appeared in several of the company's stage productions, among them The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Miser, Twelfth Night, and A Streetcar Named Desire.

His film work encompassed several decades and a wide range of projects. He appeared as Dr. Taney in The Exorcist (1973), followed by Linda Lovelace for President (1975), Gray Lady Down (1978), ...And Justice for All (1979), Superstition, The Ice Pirates (1984), Crimewave (1985), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), Mandroid (1993), Primary Colors (1998), Inferno (1999), and Catch Me If You Can (2002).

On television, Symonds portrayed Benjamin Franklin in the 1976 PBS miniseries The Adams Chronicles and played Robert E. Lee in the 1982 miniseries The Blue and the Grey. He held the recurring role of Dr. Jonas Edwards on Dynasty from 1982 to 1987. In the early 1970s, he created the role of Will Watts on the CBS soap opera Where the Heart Is. His guest appearances spanned numerous series, including The Rockford Files, M*A*S*H, Benson, Cheers, Quincy M.E., Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (as a Bajoran in the episode "Accession"), ER, Alias, and Cold Case, in which his final role appeared in the episode "Static."

Symonds married Elizabeth Janel Kaderli in 1952; the couple had three children — Victoria, Barry, and Rebecca — and divorced in 1969. From 1980 until his death, he was married to actress Priscilla Pointer, becoming stepfather to her children, including actress Amy Irving and her siblings David and Katie. Symonds died on August 23, 2007, at the age of 80, from complications of prostate cancer.