What was Robert Guillaume's Net Worth?
Robert Guillaume was an American actor and singer who had a net worth of $3 million at the time of his death in 2017. Robert Guillaume's career spanned over 50 years. Among his best-known roles were Benson DuBois on the television sitcoms "Soap" and "Benson," Nathan Detroit in the first Broadway revival of "Guys and Dolls," and the mandrill Rafiki in the Disney animated film "The Lion King." Later in his career, Guillaume had a main role on the television series "Sports Night."
Early Life and Education
Robert Guillaume was born as Robert Williams on November 30, 1927 in St. Louis, Missouri to an alcoholic mother who soon abandoned him and his siblings. The kids were subsequently raised by their grandmother Jeannette. For his higher education, Guillaume went to Saint Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis. He then served in the US Army.
Theater Career
Guillaume began his acting career on the stage, making his debut in 1960 as an understudy in the musical "Finian's Rainbow." The following year, he starred in the new musical "Kwamina." Guillaume went on to star in the gospel play "Tambourines to Glory" in 1963. In 1964, he played Sportin' Life in an off-Broadway revival of "Porgy and Bess." After a long break from the stage, Guillaume returned in 1972 to play the title role in the Broadway revival of "Purlie." He also played the role on the national tour. Later, in 1976, he starred as Nathan Detroit in the first Broadway revival of the musical "Guys and Dolls." For his work, Guillaume earned a Tony Award nomination. Among his other notable roles in theater, Guillaume played the title role in the 1990 Los Angeles production of "The Phantom of the Opera," and played the title role in the 1993 Broadway musical "Cyrano: The Musical."
Television Career
Guillaume first appeared on television in the late 1960s. He became more prolific in the 1970s, appearing in episodes of such shows as "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Sanford and Son," "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," and "Good Times." Guillaume debuted his most famous role in 1977: butler Benson DuBois on the ABC sitcom "Soap." His character was a main one for the first two seasons of the show before becoming a recurring character in season three. Guillaume went on to reprise his role as the star of the spinoff sitcom "Benson." The show ran for seven seasons from 1979 to 1986, and earned Guillaume an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. During the run of "Benson," Guillaume starred opposite Gary Coleman in the television films "The Kid from Left Field," "The Kid with the Broken Halo," and "The Kid with the 200 I.Q." He also portrayed Frederick Douglass in the miniseries "North and South." After the end of "Benson," Guillaume appeared in the television films "Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel," "The Penthouse," and "Fire and Rain." He also starred on the short-lived sitcom "The Robert Guillaume Show."
Guillaume had his next main television role from 1991 to 1992, as Detective Bob Ballard on the short-lived NBC series "Pacific Station." His subsequent credits included episodes of "L.A. Law," "Fish Police," and "Jack's Place," and the television films "Mastergate" and "You Must Remember This." Guillaume went on to have guest roles on "Diagnosis: Murder," "Burke's Law," and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." In 1995, he appeared in the miniseries "Children of the Dust" and began voice roles on "Timon & Pumbaa" and "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child." The following year, he appeared in multiple television films, including "Panic in the Skies" and "Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story." In 1997, Guillaume was in episodes of "Goode Behavior" and "Touched by an Angel" and in the television film "Merry Christmas, George Bailey." He had his last major role from 1998 to 2000, playing journalist Isaac Jaffe on the ABC series "Sports Night." Guillaume's later credits consisted of guest roles on such shows as "Moesha," "The Proud Family," "Century City," and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Film Career
Guillaume made his big-screen debut in the 1973 blaxploitation film "Super Fly T.N.T." In the 1980s, he appeared in such films as "Seems Like Old Times," "Prince Jack," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," and "Lean on Me." Guillaume had one of his most memorable roles in 1994, as the voice of the mandrill Rafiki in the blockbuster Disney animated film "The Lion King." His other credits during the decade included the comedies "The Meteor Man," "Spy Hard," and "First Kid." Guillaume continued doing voice work in the 21st century, voicing characters in the direct-to-video animated films "The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze" and "The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina." He also appeared in the live-action films "13th Child," "Big Fish," "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry," and "Columbus Circle."
(Photo by Barry King/Liaison)
Other Endeavors
Among his other endeavors, Guillaume sang with the folk trio the Pilgrims in the 1960s. The other members of the group were Angeline Butler and Millard Williams. Later in his life, Guillaume voiced the character Dr. Eli Vance in the video game "Half-Life 2."
Personal Life and Death
In 1950, Guillaume had a daughter named Patricia, although he did not raise her. He married his first wife, Marlene Williams, in 1955. Guillaume and Williams had two sons named Kevin and Jacques, and divorced in 1984. Meanwhile, in 1980, Guillaume had a daughter named Melissa with his girlfriend Patricia. He wed his second wife, Donna Brown, in 1986; they had a daughter named Rachel.
On October 24, 2017, Guillaume died from prostate cancer at his home in Los Angeles. He was 89 years of age.
