Robert Vaughn

Robert Francis Vaughn, born November 22, 1932, at Charity Hospital in New York City, was an American actor and political activist whose work in film, television, and theater extended across nearly six decades. His father, Gerald Walter Vaughn, worked as a radio actor, and his mother, Marcella Frances Vaughn, was a stage actress. Following his parents' divorce, Vaughn lived with his maternal grandparents, Frank and Mary Gaudel, in Minneapolis while his mother continued performing. He attended Lowell Elementary, Jordan Junior High School, and North High School in Minneapolis, graduating in 1950, and was known by the nickname "Nobby." His extracurricular activities included the school newspaper, student council, and cross-country, for which he served as team captain.

Vaughn enrolled at the University of Minnesota as a journalism major but left after one year and relocated to Los Angeles with his mother. He subsequently studied theater arts at Los Angeles City College in 1956 before transferring to Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences, where he earned a master's degree in theater in 1960. He later received a PhD in communication from the University of Southern California in 1970. His doctoral dissertation examined the influence of the House Committee on Un-American Activities on American theater between 1938 and 1958, drawing on original interviews and questionnaires conducted with witnesses the committee had labeled uncooperative. Published in 1972 under the title Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting, the work was described by Kirkus Reviews as the most complete and intelligent treatment of the practice of blacklisting then available and has remained in print, regularly assigned to law students.

His mother introduced him to performance at an early age, teaching him Shakespeare's "To be or not to be" soliloquy when he was five, and later helping him secure roles on radio programs in the Chicago area. His radio debut came playing Billy on Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, broadcast on WBBM in Chicago. In 1950 he worked as a page at Minneapolis radio station WCCO. His first film appearance was an uncredited role as a golden calf idolator in The Ten Commandments in 1956, and his first credited film role came the following year in the Western Hell's Crossroads, in which he played Bob Ford, the man who killed Jesse James.

Vaughn made his Broadway debut in 1953, appearing in John Brown's Body. His stage work contributed to his growing profile as a performer during the early years of his career.

His breakthrough in film came with The Young Philadelphians in 1959, in which he portrayed Chet Gwynn, an alcoholic veteran who lost his arm in the Korean War and was falsely accused of murder. Vaughn credited Paul Newman with helping him secure the role, noting that Newman offered to participate in his screen test, which Vaughn described as an unusual act of generosity. The performance earned Vaughn nominations for both the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. He followed that role with the part of Lee, a hired gunman, in John Sturges' 1960 film The Magnificent Seven, an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Sturges told Vaughn he had cast him based on his work in The Young Philadelphians. Vaughn went on to appear in numerous additional films, including Walter Chalmers in Bullitt, Major Paul Krueger in The Bridge at Remagen in 1969, the voice of Proteus IV in Demon Seed in 1977, and Ross Webster in Superman III in 1983.

On television, Vaughn became widely recognized for playing secret agent Napoleon Solo on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. from 1964 to 1968. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of the White House Chief of Staff in the miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors. Additional television credits included the role of private detective Harry Rule on The Protectors from 1972 to 1974, Morgan Wendell in the miniseries Centennial from 1978 to 1979, and Albert Stroller on the BBC drama Hustle from 2004 to 2012. He also appeared in the British soap opera Coronation Street as Milton Fanshaw from January to February 2012.

Vaughn was inducted into the U.S. Army Reserve on November 29, 1955, and entered active duty on December 18, 1956, at Fort Ord, California. During his first leave, he learned his mother had been diagnosed with Berger's disease, a potentially fatal kidney disorder, and applied for an honorable hardship discharge. While awaiting a decision, he served as a drill instructor at Fort Ord. He was discharged from active duty on May 26, 1957, and continued serving in the Army Reserve until November 1962.

Beyond his acting career, Vaughn was active in Democratic Party politics. He chaired the California Democratic State Central Committee speakers bureau during the 1960s and publicly opposed the Vietnam War as a member of the peace organization Another Mother for Peace. In addition to his Emmy win, he received nominations for the Academy Award, the BAFTA Award, two Laurel Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. He also holds a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Vaughn died on November 11, 2016, at the age of 83.