Who is Robert Taylor?
Robert Taylor (born in the year 1969, June 8) was a popular American movie and TV actor. He became famous for being the leading man of his time. His birth name was Spangler Arlington Brugh.
Taylor is famous for starring in various movies after he signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He also won his first leading role of that following year in Magnificent Obsession.
His real popularity increased during the late 1930s and also during the 1940s with his appearances in A Yank at Oxford (in the year 1938), Waterloo Bridge (in the year 1940).
He even served in the United States Naval Air Forces, where he actually worked as a flight instructor and also appeared in instructional films.
From the year 1959 to the year 1962, he also starred in the series called The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor.
In the year 1966, he then took over hosting duties from his friend Ronald Reagan on the series called Death Valley Days.
Quick Bio
Real Name | Spangler Arlington Brugh |
Stage Name | Robert Taylor |
Gender | Male |
Date of Birth | 1969, June 8 |
Birth Place | Filley, Nebraska |
Age | 52 years old |
Birth Sign | Leo |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | N/A |
Religion | N/A |
Profession | Actor |
Height (approx.) | 6ft tall |
Weight (approx.) | 76 kg |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Blue |
Father | Spangler Andrew Brugh |
Mother | Ruth Adaline |
Sibling | N/A |
Spouse | Barbara Stanwyck |
Children | Terrance and Tessa |
Net Worth | $3 Million |
Early Life
Where was Robert Taylor born?
Robert Taylor was born in Filley, Nebraska. Robert was actually a track and field star and he also played cello during his high school orchestra.
Upon his graduation, Robert enrolled at Doane College which is located in Crete, Nebraska. While he was studying at Doane, he used to take cello lessons from Professor Herbert E. Gray, whom he actually admired.
After that, Professor Gray announced he was accepting a new position at Pomona College in Claremont, California. Then Robert moved to California and enrolled at Pomona.
He then joined the campus theatre group and also got eventually spotted by an MGM talent scout in the year 1932 after the production of Journey’s End.
Career
Why is Robert Taylor famous?
In the year 1934, he first appeared in his first movie, on loan-out to Fox for a Will Rogers entry, Handy Andy (in the year 1934).
He even did an MGM short, Buried Loot (in the year 1935), for its series called “Crime Does Not Pay”, which delivered good exposure.
However, in the next year, he did even better by being cast as the lead, again on loan-out, this time to then struggling Universal Pictures, in Magnificent Obsession with Irene Dunne.
The story of a happy-go-lucky party guy who inadvertently causes blindness to the young lady he wishes to impress and then becomes a doctor just in order to cure her.
The movie was a huge hit, and Taylor also had a taste of instant box-office stardom. Along with his good looks, Taylor also showed solid dramatic skill.
But, the critics viewed him as a no-talent flash-in-the-pan getting by on his looks. Robert had to endure some vicious reviews through his first years in Hollywood, but they would soon fade away.
Camille
In the year 1935, he alone appeared in seven films, and also by the end of the year, he was at the top of his form as a leading man and being offered various substantial scripts.
The next year he then appeared with Greta Garbo in Camille (in the year 1936), and for the remainder of the decade, MGM’s vehicles for him not to mention a pantheon of top actresses clicked with audiences.
While on a personal level, in spite of his impressive family background and education, Taylor would often strike those who met him as a mental lightweight.
Intellectually inclined actress Luise Rainer was surprised when she struck up a conversation with him at a studio function in the year 1937.
After asking him what his goals in life were, he sincerely replied that his most important goal was just to collect “a wardrobe of ten fine custom-tailored suits.”
That he usually comes across on screen as being a confident, commanding personality which is more of a testimony to his acting talent than his actual personality.
Anybody who knew Robert knew he was an arch-conservative but doubted that he could articulate why.
Conservative and Communist
He also publicly stated that his accepting a role in Song of Russia was a very bad judgment and that he considered the film “pro-Communist.”
He also rather unintentionally identified fellow actor Howard Da Silva as a disruptive force in the Screen Actors Guild.
Although he didn’t directly accuse Da Silva of being a Communist, his charges of “disruption” had the same effect, then the veteran actor found himself blacklisted by several studios for many years.
After the war and through the remainder of the decade, Taylor was also getting action roles to match his healthy box office draw, but there were fewer of them being offered.
Taylor was aging and although he had one of his best-known roles as the faith-challenged Gen.
Personal Information
What is the height of Robert Taylor?
Robert Taylor stands at the height of 6ft tall and used to weighs around 76 kg. Robert had black color hair and his eye color was blue. Robert’s zodiac sign was Leo and his nationality was American.
Relationship
Who is Robert Taylor married to?
Robert Taylor got married to Barbara Stanwyck in the year 1939, May 14 in San Diego, California after dating for whole three years. But they got divorced in the year 1951 during the month, February.
During the marriage, Barbara has adopted a son from her previous marriage to Frank Fay, who used to live with them. After the divorce, she retained custody of the child.
After that, Taylor met a German actress named Ursula Thiess in the year 1952. They got married in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the year 1952, May 23.
They have two children together, a son named Terrance (born in the year 1955) and a daughter named Tessa (born in the year 1959). He also has two stepchildren from Ursula’s previous marriage.
Family
Robert Taylor was the only child of Ruth Adaline (née Stanhope) and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor.
During his childhood, his family moved a lot of times, living in Muskogee, Oklahoma; Kirksville, Missouri; and Fremont, Nebraska.
By the year 1917 during the month of September, he and his family had moved to Beatrice, Nebraska where they also lived for 16 years.
Robert got married to an actress, Barbara Stanwyck after three years of dating but they got separated in the year 1951.
After that, he again got married to a German actress named Ursula Thiess in the year 1952. They have two children together. A son named Terrance and a daughter named Tessa.
Death
In the year 1968 during the month of October, Robert went through surgery just to remove the portion of his right lung after doctors suspected that he had contracted coccidioidomycosis a.k.a ‘valley fever’ and lung cancer.
Robert used to smoke three packs of cigarettes when he was a boy but he quit smoking shortly before undergoing surgery.
When he was in the final months of his life, he got hospitalized seven times due to infections and complications related to the diseases.
He then died of lung cancer in the year 1969, June 8 at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
For the contribution of Robert to the motion picture industry, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.
Net Worth
What is the net worth of Robert Taylor?
Robert Taylor has a net worth of approximately around $3 million. He was very successful and popular at his time
Trivia
- Robert Taylor used to play Cello when he was a high school star.
- He was the friend of Ronald Regan.
- Robert Taylor and Jerry Mathers are both popular American actors of the ’90s.