Jay Robinson

About Jay Robinson

Who is it?: Actor
Birth Day: April 14, 1930
Birth Place:  New York City, New York, United States
Died On: September 27, 2013(2013-09-27) (aged 83)\nSherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Birth Sign: Taurus
Resting place: Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Occupation: Film, television actor
Years active: 1953–2000
Spouse(s): Pauline Flowers (m. 1960–2002) her death Gloria Casas (m. 2004)

Jay Robinson Net Worth

Jay Robinson was born on April 14, 1930 in  New York City, New York, United States, is Actor. Character actor Jay Robinson owned a pair of the narrowest, cruelest-looking eyes in 1950s Hollywood. To complement them was an evil-looking sneer, crisp and biting diction and a nefarious-sounding cackle. These were all draped upon a lean, bony physique that could slither about menacingly like a ready-to-pounce cobra. With that in mind, he made an auspicious film debut as Caligula in The Robe (1953), stealing much of the proceedings from the movie's actual stars Richard Burton, Jean Simmons and Victor Mature. Though many complained that Jay's interpretation bordered dangerously on outrageous camp, his depraved Roman emperor nevertheless remains the most indelible image when reminded of the epic costumer.Born on April 14, 1930 in New York City, Jay came from a fine upbringing, tutored at private schools both here and in Europe. His background in summer stock and repertory companies eventually attracted Broadway work in the Shakespeare classics "As You Like It" (1950) and "Much Ado About Nothing" (1952). He also appeared in and produced the play, "Buy Me Blue Ribbons," in 1951, which was short-lived. After his movie bow, Jay went on to reprise the scenery-chewing character Caligula in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) with Mature and Susan Hayward, and offered typically eye-catching supporting turns in The Virgin Queen (1955), starring Bette Davis, and My Man Godfrey (1957), with David Niven and June Allyson.However, it was at this juncture that things started going horribly wrong for Jay. His new-found celebrity reportedly went to his head and he became extremely difficult to work with. In addition, the volatile actor began experimenting recklessly with drugs. In 1958, he was booked for possession of narcotics (methadone) and sentenced to a year in jail. Free on bail, the incident and resulting notoriety ruined his career. After scraping up work outside the entertainment industry as a cook and landlord, he recovered from his drug addiction and married. Resuming work in obscure bit parts, he had another career relapse when he was forced to spend 15 months in jail after an old warrant was served on him.In the late 1960s, Jay started appearing again on television. He even prodded the memory of his own character Caligula character by playing an impertinent Julius Caesar on an episode of Bewitched (1964). However, it took a huge star like Bette Davis, who had always recognized and appreciated his talent, to help him regain a footing in movies again when she insisted he take a prime role in her movie, Bunny O'Hare (1971). The movie failed miserably, deservedly so, but Jay prevailed and managed to repair his status with a number of delightfully flamboyant and hammy performances. Jay played fun parts along the way in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972), Warren Beatty's Shampoo (1975) and even Paul Reubens' Big Top Pee-wee (1988). While he played the delightfully eccentric Dr. Shrinker on The Krofft Supershow (1976) for one season, he somewhat balanced this silliness with made-for-video Shakespearean performances of Macbeth (1981), The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice (1981) and Richard II (1982). Some horror roles fell his way as well with Train Ride to Hollywood (1975), in which he played Dracula, Transylvania Twist (1989) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). In 1997, Jay proved an ideal host for the Discovery Channel's Beyond Bizarre (1997).Jay Robinson died at age 83 of congestive heart failure in his home in Sherman Oaks, California on September 27, 2013.
Jay Robinson is a member of Actor

💰 Net worth: Under Review

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Biography/Timeline

1953

Robinson began his acting career in summer stock theatre and repertory companies, and eventually made his way to the Broadway stage, where he appeared in Shakespeare's As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing, as well as several other plays by the age of 19. His first film role was as the notorious Emperor Caligula in The Robe (1953), which he reprised in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954).

1955

This was followed by roles in a variety of films, including The Virgin Queen (1955) starring Bette Davis, My Man Godfrey (1957) with David Niven and June Allyson, Woody Allen's comedy Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). He was also featured on two Folkways albums of Shakespeare: Othello: william Shakespeare and William Shakespeare: King Richard III, which were both released in 1964.

1958

His new-found Celebrity after appearing in The Robe and its sequel Demetrius and the Gladiators reportedly went to his head, and he became extremely difficult to work with. In addition the volatile actor began experimenting recklessly with drugs. He was arrested and booked in 1958 for possession of narcotics (methadone) and after a trial sentenced to a year in jail; his conviction was overturned on appeal, however. While free on bail, the incident and resulting bad press ruined his acting career.

1960

Robinson was married twice: to Pauline Flowers from 1960 until her death in 2002 and to Gloria Casas from 2004 until his death. He had one son with Flowers.

1969

Of his many television guest spots, they included Star Trek: The Original Series ("Elaan of Troyius"), the soap opera Days of Our Lives (Monty, the homeless drunk), The Wild Wild West (Dr. Maitland in "The Night of the Sedgewick Curse"), Planet of the Apes and the title role in Sid & Marty Krofft's Dr. Shrinker, prominently featured on The Krofft Supershow. He also guest-starred as Cassius Thorne in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode "Planet of the Amazon Women". He appeared in two episodes of the situation comedy Bewitched as Julius Caesar (1969) and as Tabitha's tutor, Professor Poindexter Phipps (1970) and on an episode of Tales of the Gold Monkey as the Governor in "Last Chance Louie". Robinson also had a cameo in an episode of Barney Miller, "The Sniper."

1971

After scraping up work outside the entertainment industry as a cook and landlord, he recovered from his drug addiction and eventually married. Resuming work in obscure bit parts, he had another career relapse when he was forced to spend 15 months in jail after all for an old warrant served on him for unknowingly missing a court date during his earlier retrial. Robinson credited letters of encouragement from friend Bette Davis with helping him find the strength to overcome his problems. She helped him get his first film role in 13 years, in 1971's Bunny O'Hare.

1974

For the cinema he played the role of Monroe Feather in the blaxploitation movie Three the Hard Way (1974) starring Jim Brown, Jim Kelly and Fred Williamson. The character Feather was recreated in the movie Undercover Brother. He also appeared in Born Again (1978), the film adaptation of the book of the same title, about Watergate figure, Charles W. Colson. Robinson played Colson's attorney and Dean Jones starred as Colson. During 1974, he played the museum Director in a 1975 episode of the ABC supernatural show Kolchak: The Night Stalker entitled "Chopper" and a dual role in a Banacek mystery called "Now You See Him, Now You Don't." In 1977, he appeared in the final episode of the NBC situation comedy The Kallikaks.

1997

Before retiring, Robinson was the host and narrator for the Discovery Channel special (and later documentary series) Beyond Bizarre from 1997 to 2000.