Robert Urich

Urich was from Toronto, Ohio, where he attended and graduated from Toronto High School in Toronto, Ohio in 1964. His wife, Heather Menzies-Urich, was a native of Toronto, Ontario.

He earned his Bachelor's degree in Radio and Television Communications from Florida State University in 1968 and his Master's degree in Broadcast Research and Management from Michigan State University in 1971. He joined WGN radio in Chicago as a sales account representative. He then briefly appeared as a TV weatherman, and soon realized that he wanted to become an actor.

During the late 1970s, many producers hired him because they were impressed with his boyish behavior and looks. Urich himself felt that he never fully matured as much as other men his age since he looked and behaved like a young boy.

Urich's big break came in 1972 when he played Burt Reynolds's younger brother in a stage production of "The Rainmaker". Reynolds and Urich were both alumni of FSU. Reynolds brought him to California and let him stay in his home until he got his acting break. He also recommended Urich to producer Aaron Spelling for the TV series S. W. A. T.

Holds the record for having the most series-regular roles on television: 13. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1973), S.W.A.T. (1975), Soap (1977), Tabitha (1976), Vega$ (1978), Gavilan (1982), Spenser: For Hire (1985), American Dreamer (1990) Crossroads (1992) It Had to Be You (1993), The Lazarus Man (1996), Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998) and Emeril (2000).

(1975).

Robert Urich grew up in Toronto, Ohio, one of four siblings of Slovak and Rusyn descent, raised Catholic by their parents, John P. Urich (died 1977) and Cecelia (née Halpate) Urich (died 2002). His athletic ability led to a four year football scholarship at Florida State University (FSU).

Although that series lasted only one season, Spelling remembered Urich and later cast him in Vega$ (1978), which had a longer run.

Had three children with Heather Menzies-Urich: Ryan Urich (born 1979), Emily (born 1980) and Allison Grady (born 1998). Had two grandchildren: Michelle (born 2004) and Lana (born 2005).

During his series Spenser: For Hire (1985), Urich had a special agreement with the executives to fly out of state (from Boston, Massachusetts to the West Coast) when needed for his older daughter's medical treatments.

In 1992, he won a News and Documentary Emmy award as narrator for National Geographic Explorer: U-Boats: Terror on Our Shores (1991).

His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 1995, was the only one to contain a surname starting with the letter "U" until singer Carrie Underwood received her star in 2018. (Singer Usher, who got his star in 2016, was not the second recipient whose surname begins with "U"; his full name is Usher IV).

He was starring in the TV series The Lazarus Man (1996) when he was diagnosed with cancer, which caused the cancellation of the series.

The cancer went into remission after treatment and he resumed acting again with his role as Captain Jim Kennedy III on Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998).

Urich sued Castle Rock Television for $1.47 million (the amount he would have received for the second season of his television series The Lazarus Man (1996)) on April 11, 2000, saying Castle Rock canceled the series because he had cancer. He alleged he did not receive payments from the company. Apparently, Urich and his production company entered into an agreement with Castle Rock in 1995 for Urich to act in the "Lazarus Man" pilot. Under the deal, he was to be paid $70,000 per episode for the first season and $73,000 an episode the second season. In July 1996, he informed Castle Rock that he had cancer and would have to undergo treatment, but the suit said at no time was Urich unable to perform his duties. Castle Rock terminated the agreement a month later. Urich underwent chemotherapy, radiation treatments and two operations in the mid-1990s to battle a rare cancer, synovial cell sarcoma, which claimed Urich's life in 2002.

His final film, Night of the Wolf (2002) aired on Animal Planet the same day that he died.