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| Birth Name(s) : Robert John Wagner |
Date of Birth: February 10, 1930 |
| Status:
Married
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Partner:
Jill St. John |
| Profession:
Actor |
Official Site
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Full Robert Wagner Biography
| Robert Wagner and his rugged good-looks are perhaps best known for his roles on televison series such as "It Takes a Theif" (1968), "Switch" (1975) and "Hart to Hart" (1979). His feature film credits include "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" (1999), "Crazy in Alabama" (1999) and "Wild Things" (1998). |
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Additional Robert Wagner Biography
Born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a steel executive, Wagner moved with his family to Los Angeles, California, when he was seven. At an early age, Wagner became an aspiring actor and was successfully employed in a variety of jobs, most prominently as a caddy for actor Clark Gable. However, it wasn't until he was dining with his family at a Beverly Hills restaurant that he was "discovered" by a talent scout. Making his debut in The Happy Years (1950), he would play minor characters in several military themed films until his performance in With a Song in My Heart (1952) starring Susan Hayward, which would lead to a contract with 20th Century Fox.
His signing on with Fox would lead to a series of films in starring roles including Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) and Prince Valiant (1954) as well as smaller, although impressive performances, in A Kiss Before Dying (1956) and Between Heaven and Hell (1956).
On his way to becoming one of Fox's visible younger stars, Wagner began appearing in public with several young actresses including Joan Collins and Debbie Reynolds, eventually becoming lifelong friends with both. In 1956, Wagner became involved with 18-year-old actress Natalie Wood, and was married in Scottsdale, Arizona on December 28, 1957. The marriage was celebrated in Hollywood as the most "glittering union of the 20th century". Living in a Beverly Hills home worth $150,000, the couple soon became involved in financial troubles. At Fox, Wagner's career was slowly being overtaken by newer actors such as Marlon Brando and Paul Newman while Natalie Wood's also ran into trouble as her contract with Warner Bros. was suspended for 14 months after her refusal to appear in a movie filming in England. The two would eventually file for divorce on April 27, 1962, with Natalie entering a relationship with actor Warren Beatty, who had recently broken off an engagement with Wagner and Wood's friend Joan Collins, soon afterwards.
Wagner, reportedly distraught over the divorce, traveled to Europe and was working on The Longest Day (1962) when he met an old friend, actress Marion Marshall. After a brief courtship, Wagner married Marshall on July 22, 1963 and the following year had a daughter, Katie Wagner. The two divorced in 1970.
In 1968, Wagner made his television debut starring in his first series, It Takes a Thief and, after a successful two and a half seasons, his career began to rise.
Despite his divorce, Wagner continued to keep in contact with Natalie Wood and, in 1971, at a chance meeting with Wood in a restaurant, the two began to resume their relationship (despite her marriage to British producer Richard Gregson). Wood eventually divorced Gregson, and gaining custody of her daughter Natasha, they remarried on June 16, 1972 in a ceremony on their yacht Splendour. Two years later, along with Katie Wagner and Natasha Gregson Wagner, the couple had a daughter Courtney Brooke.Robert Wagner & Natalie Wood
On November 29, 1981, Natalie Wood drowned after falling off their yacht Splendour while sailing near Catalina Island with Wagner and Christopher Walken. Wagner, reportedly distraught over Natalie's death, would remain unmarried for almost ten years while continuing to raise their three daughters.
In 1991, he married actress Jill St. John. In the spring of 2000, St. John herself would become involved in an altercation with Lana Wood during a cover shoot for Vanity Fair featuring the actresses of the long running James Bond series. St. John and Lana co-starred in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds are Forever.
In 2007, Wagner had a role in the series Hustle fourth season premiere, where he plays a crooked Texan being taken for half a million dollars. As Wagner is considered "a suave icon of American caper television, including It Takes a Thief and Hart to Hart, Robert Glenister (Hustle's fixer, Ash Morgan) commented that "to have one of the icons of that period involved is a great bonus for all of us".
Recently, Wagner played the pivotal role of President James Garfield in the comedy/horror film Netherbeast Incorporated (2007). The role was written with Wagner in mind.
In 1988, Wagner agreed to become involved in Spelling's television series Angels 88, then in development, in which Spelling had agreed Wagner would receive a 7.5% gross profit for his participation, regardless of services rendered. However, when the series was initially picked up by Fox and then later dropped in favor of Beverly Hills, 90210, Wagner claimed he was entitled to the rights previously agreed upon their 1988 agreement.
Wagner was a loyal friend to Eddie Albert for over 40 years and said Albert was a true blessing to him. Wagner was only 8 when he first watched his future mentor in the 1938 movie, Brother Rat, and was impressed. He first worked with the seasoned actor in the 1962 movie, The Longest Day. Shortly afterwards, they co-starred in Switch, and The Concorde: Airport '79. Wagner was grief-stricked when in 1985, he has heard about the loss of his mentor's wife, Margo. Margo's death had strengthened the friendship between Albert & Wagner, as the two kept in touch for the next two decades, until Albert's own death in 2005, where Wagner gave one of the eulogies. |
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Robert Wagner Quote(s)
| I had lived a charmed life, and then I lost a beautiful woman I loved with all my heart. |
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