Robert Guillaume - wikipedia Robert Guillaume Robert Guillaume Guillaume at the premiere of Seems Like Old Times in 1980 Robert Peter Williams ( 1927 - 11 - 30 ) November 30, 1927 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. October 24, 2017 ( 2017 - 10 - 24 ) ( aged 89 ) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Cause of death Prostate cancer Occupation Actor Years active 1959 -- 2014 Spouse ( s ) Marlene Williams ( m. 1955 ; div. 1984 ) Donna Brown - Guillaume ( m. 1986 ) Children 5 Robert Guillaume ( born Robert Peter Williams ; November 30, 1927 -- October 24, 2017 ) was an American actor, known for his role as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night and as Benson on the TV series Soap and the spin - off Benson, as well as for voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King. In a career that spanned more than 50 years he worked extensively on stage, television and film. For his efforts he was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, and twice won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of the character Benson DuBois, once in 1979 on Soap and in 1985 on Benson. He also won a Grammy Award in 1995 for his spoken word performance of an audiobook version of The Lion King. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Stage 2.2 Television 2.3 Voice 3 Personal life and death 4 Honors 5 Filmography 6 Awards and nominations 7 References 8 External links Early Life Guillaume was born in St. Louis, Missouri, as Robert Williams, to an alcoholic mother. After being abandoned by her, he and several siblings were raised by their grandmother Jeannette Williams. He studied at St. Louis University and Washington University and served in the United States Army before pursuing an acting career. He adopted the surname `` Guillaume, '' French for William, as his stage name. Career Stage After leaving university, Guillaume joined the Karamu Players in Cleveland and performed in musical comedies and opera. He toured the world in 1959 as a cast member of the Broadway musical Free and Easy. He made his Broadway debut in Kwamina in 1961. His other stage appearances included Golden Boy ( with Sammy Davis Jr. ), Tambourines to Glory, Guys and Dolls, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and Purlie !. His additional roles included Katherine Dunham 's Bambouche and in Fly The Blackbird. In 1964 he portrayed Sportin ' Life in a revival of Porgy and Bess at New York 's City Center. Guillaume was a member of the Robert de Cormier Singers, performing in concerts and on television. He recorded a LP record, Columbia CS9033, titled Just Arrived as a member of The Pilgrims, a folk trio, with Angeline Butler and Millard Williams. Columbia records producer, Tom Wilson, had set out to create the Pilgrims as an answer to the popular folk trio, Peter, Paul and Mary. By early 1964, the Pilgrims had recorded a handful of songs and Wilson was looking for the right song for the group 's debut single when then unknown singer / songwriter, Paul Simon arrived for a meeting with Wilson and eventually pitched his new composition, `` The Sound of Silence ''. Wilson liked the song, had Simon record a demo for the group, but when Simon and his friend, Art Garfunkel, sang the song for Wilson in person, he signed them to a record contract instead of using it for The Pilgrims. ( In the sixties he was in Vienna, Austria at the Vienna Volksoper, Marcel Prawy engaged Robert Guillaume for the role of Sportin ' Life in Porgy and Bess. ) Later in his stage career, he was cast in the lead role in the Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera replacing Michael Crawford. Television As Benson in Soap, 1977. Guillaume made several guest appearances on sitcoms, including Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Saved By The Bell : The College Years and in the 1990s sitcoms The Fresh Prince of Bel - Air and A Different World. His series - regular debut was on the ABC series Soap, playing Benson, a butler, from 1977 to 1979. Guillaume continued the role in a spin - off series, Benson, from 1979 until 1986. Guillaume also played Dr. Franklin in season 6, episode 8 ( `` Chain Letter '' ) of the series All in the Family, which he coyly referenced Marcus Welby, M.D., a TV series in which he had guest - starred on in 1970. In 1985, Guillaume appeared in the television mini-series North and South as abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass, who escaped from slavery and became a leader of the anti-slavery movement prior to the American Civil War. He also appeared as marriage counselor Edward Sawyer on The Robert Guillaume Show ( 1989 ), Detective Bob Ballard on Pacific Station ( 1991 -- 1992 ), and television executive Isaac Jaffe on Aaron Sorkin 's short - lived but critically acclaimed Sports Night ( 1998 -- 2000 ). Guillaume suffered a mild stroke on January 14, 1999, while filming an episode of the latter series. He recovered and his character was later also depicted as having had a stroke. He also made a guest appearance on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. He made one of his final TV appearances during season 5 on Oprah : Where Are They Now ? Voice His voice was employed for characters in television series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Fish Police, and Happily Ever After : Fairy Tales for Every Child. He was known for the voice of Rafiki in the movie The Lion King and its sequels and spin - offs. He voiced Mr. Thicknose in The Land Before Time VIII : The Big Freeze. He also supplied the voice for Eli Vance in the 2004 video game Half - Life 2 and its subsequent sequels. Personal Life and death Guillaume was married twice ; first to Marlene Williams in 1955, with whom he had two sons, Kevin and Jacques. Despite Guillaume choosing to follow his career early in the marriage, they did not divorce until 1984. He had a daughter in 1980, Melissa, whom he raised with her mother, Patricia. He then married Donna Brown in 1986 ; the couple had a daughter, Rachel. He fathered but did not raise another daughter by a different mother, Patricia, born in 1950, who was raised by her grandparents. His son Jacques died on December 23, 1990, at the age of 33 due to complications of AIDS. In 1999, Guillaume suffered a stroke while working on Sports Night at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The stroke was minor, causing relatively slight damage and little effect on his speech. After six weeks in the hospital, he underwent a therapy of walks and sessions in the gym. Guillaume died of prostate cancer on October 24, 2017, at his home in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 89. Honors Guillaume has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. On November 28, 1984, Guillaume received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry. Filmography Super Fly T.N.T. ( 1973 ) - Jordan Gaines Soap ( 1977 -- 1980, TV series ) - Benson DuBois The Kid from Left Field ( 1979, TV movie ) - Larry Cooper Benson ( 1979 -- 1986, TV series ) - Benson DuBois Seems Like Old Times ( 1980 ) - Fred The Kid with the Broken Halo ( 1982, TV movie ) - Blake The Kid with the 200 I.Q. ( 1983, TV movie ) - Professor Mills Prince Jack ( 1985 ) - Martin Luther King Jr. North and South ( 1985, TV miniseries ) - Frederick Douglass Wanted : Dead or Alive ( 1987 ) - Philmore Walker They Still Call Me Bruce ( 1987 ) - V.A. Officer Lean on Me ( 1989 ) - Dr. Frank Napier The Penthouse ( 1989 ) - Eugene St. Clair Death Warrant ( 1990 ) - Hawkins The Meteor Man ( 1993 ) - Ted Reed, Jeff 's Father The Lion King ( 1994 ) - Rafiki ( voice ) Happily Ever After : Fairy Tales for Every Child ( 1995 -- 2000, TV series ) - Narrator Spy Hard ( 1996 ) - Agent Steve Bishop First Kid ( 1996 ) - Wilkes The Lion King II : Simba 's Pride ( 1998 ) - Rafiki ( voice ) Sports Night ( 1998 -- 2000, TV series ) - Isaac Jaffe Silicon Towers ( 1999 ) - Detective Green The Land Before Time VIII : The Big Freeze ( 2001, Video ) - Mr. Thicknose ( voice ) The 13th Child : Legend of the Jersey Devil ( 2002 ) - Riley Unchained Memories ( 2003 ) - Reader Big Fish ( 2003 ) - Dr. Bennett - Senior The Lion King 11⁄2 ( 2004, Video ) - Rafiki ( voice ) The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry ( 2009 ) - Mr. Barnes Satin ( 2011 ) - Doc Bishop Columbus Circle ( 2012 ) - Howard Miles Sources : Awards and nominations Year Association Award category Result 1977 Guys and Dolls Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical Nominated Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated 1979 Soap Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Won 1980 Benson Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated 1982 Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated 1984 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated 1985 Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Musical or Comedy Nominated Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Won 1995 The Lion King Read - Along Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children Won 2000 Sports Night Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated Happily Ever After : Fairy Tales for Every Child Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program Nominated References ^ Jump up to : Richard Huff ( January 21, 1999 ). `` Stroke Sidelines Guillaume ''. New York Daily News. Retrieved August 27, 2011. Jump up ^ Jeremy Gerard ( June 12, 1994 ). `` The Lion King ''. Variety. Retrieved August 27, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Slotnik, Daniel E. ( October 24, 2017 ). `` Robert Guillaume, Emmy Award Winning - Star of ' Benson ', Dies at 89 ''. The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2414/Guillaume-Robert.html ^ Jump up to : `` Robert Guillaume ''. Seattle Times. Retrieved October 24, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` ' Benson ' star Robert Guillaume dead at 89 ''. Chicago Tribune. October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Robert Guillaume ''. Biography. Retrieved October 24, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Robert Guillaume, Emmy - winning actor in ' Soap ' and ' Benson, ' dies at 89 ''. The Los Angeles Times. October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Robert Guillaume ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ Guillaume, Robert ; Ritz, David ( 2002 ). Guillaume, A life. Columbia, MO : University of Missouri Press. p. 82. Jump up ^ Ellen Hawkes ( May 24, 1992 ). `` The Anger Sustained Me ''. Toledo Blade. Retrieved August 27, 2011. Jump up ^ http://peteramescarlin.com/homeward-bound/ ^ Jump up to : `` Robert Guillaume Emmy Winning for Soap actor dies at 89 ''. San Francisco Gate. October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ Guillaume, Robert ( October 20, 1975 ). `` Emmy TV Legends Interviews ''. www.emmytvlegends.org. Emmy TV Legends. Retrieved August 2, 2017. Boy, that Marcus Welby must make fifteen million house calls a week Jump up ^ `` Emmy - winning actor Robert Guillaume dies at age 89 ''. KGTV. October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Mr. Thicknose ''. Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Half - Life 2 voice cast revealed ''. Game Spot. June 25, 2004. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ St. Louis Walk of Fame. `` St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees ''. stlouiswalkoffame.org. Retrieved April 25, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Robert Guillaume Hollywood Walk of Fame ''. www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved October 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Robert Guillaume -- Hollywood Star Walk -- Los Angeles Times ''. projects.latimes.com. Retrieved October 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Robert Guillaume, Emmy - winning Benson and Sports Night actor, dies at 89 ''. EW. October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Robert Guillaume ''. TV Guide. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Robert Guillaume ''. Hollywood. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Overview for Robert Guillaume ''. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Or Comedy - Variety Or Music Series 1979 ''. Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 27, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series 1985 ''. Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 27, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Biography ''. Retrieved September 7, 2012. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Guillaume. Official website Robert Guillaume on IMDb Robert Guillaume at the TCM Movie Database Robert Guillaume at the Internet Broadway Database Robert Guillaume at the Internet Off - Broadway Database St. Louis Walk of Fame Robert Guillaume 's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project Robert Guillaume interview video at the Archive of American Television Robert Guillaume ( Aveleyman ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Art Carney ( 1954 ) Art Carney ( 1955 ) Art Carney ( 1956 ) Carl Reiner ( 1957 ) Carl Reiner ( 1958 ) Tom Poston ( 1959 ) Don Knotts ( 1961 ) Don Knotts ( 1962 ) Don Knotts ( 1963 ) Don Knotts ( 1966 ) Don Knotts ( 1967 ) Werner Klemperer ( 1968 ) Werner Klemperer ( 1969 ) Michael Constantine ( 1970 ) Edward Asner ( 1971 ) Edward Asner ( 1972 ) Ted Knight ( 1973 ) Rob Reiner ( 1974 ) Edward Asner ( 1975 ) Ted Knight ( 1976 ) Gary Burghoff ( 1977 ) Rob Reiner ( 1978 ) Robert Guillaume ( 1979 ) Harry Morgan ( 1980 ) Danny DeVito ( 1981 ) Christopher Lloyd ( 1982 ) Christopher Lloyd ( 1983 ) Pat Harrington, Jr. ( 1984 ) John Larroquette ( 1985 ) John Larroquette ( 1986 ) John Larroquette ( 1987 ) John Larroquette ( 1988 ) Woody Harrelson ( 1989 ) Alex Rocco ( 1990 ) Jonathan Winters ( 1991 ) Michael Jeter ( 1992 ) Michael Richards ( 1993 ) Michael Richards ( 1994 ) David Hyde Pierce ( 1995 ) Rip Torn ( 1996 ) Michael Richards ( 1997 ) David Hyde Pierce ( 1998 ) David Hyde Pierce ( 1999 ) Sean Hayes ( 2000 ) Peter MacNicol ( 2001 ) Brad Garrett ( 2002 ) Brad Garrett ( 2003 ) David Hyde Pierce ( 2004 ) Brad Garrett ( 2005 ) Jeremy Piven ( 2006 ) Jeremy Piven ( 2007 ) Jeremy Piven ( 2008 ) Jon Cryer ( 2009 ) Eric Stonestreet ( 2010 ) Ty Burrell ( 2011 ) Eric Stonestreet ( 2012 ) Tony Hale ( 2013 ) Ty Burrell ( 2014 ) Tony Hale ( 2015 ) Louie Anderson ( 2016 ) Alec Baldwin ( 2017 ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1950 -- 1975 Alan Young ( 1950 ) Sid Caesar ( 1951 ) Jimmy Durante ( 1952 ) Donald O'Connor ( 1953 ) Danny Thomas ( 1954 ) Phil Silvers ( 1955 ) Sid Caesar ( 1956 ) Jack Benny ( 1957 ) Jack Benny ( 1959 ) Dick Van Dyke ( 1964 ) Dick Van Dyke ( 1965 ) Dick Van Dyke ( 1966 ) Don Adams ( 1967 ) Don Adams ( 1968 ) Don Adams ( 1969 ) William Windom ( 1970 ) Jack Klugman ( 1971 ) Carroll O'Connor ( 1972 ) Jack Klugman ( 1973 ) Alan Alda ( 1974 ) Tony Randall ( 1975 ) 1976 -- 2000 Jack Albertson ( 1976 ) Carroll O'Connor ( 1977 ) Carroll O'Connor ( 1978 ) Carroll O'Connor ( 1979 ) Richard Mulligan ( 1980 ) Judd Hirsch ( 1981 ) Alan Alda ( 1982 ) Judd Hirsch ( 1983 ) John Ritter ( 1984 ) Robert Guillaume ( 1985 ) Michael J. Fox ( 1986 ) Michael J. Fox ( 1987 ) Michael J. Fox ( 1988 ) Richard Mulligan ( 1989 ) Ted Danson ( 1990 ) Burt Reynolds ( 1991 ) Craig T. Nelson ( 1992 ) Ted Danson ( 1993 ) Kelsey Grammer ( 1994 ) Kelsey Grammer ( 1995 ) John Lithgow ( 1996 ) John Lithgow ( 1997 ) Kelsey Grammer ( 1998 ) John Lithgow ( 1999 ) Michael J. Fox ( 2000 ) 2001 -- present Eric McCormack ( 2001 ) Ray Romano ( 2002 ) Tony Shalhoub ( 2003 ) Kelsey Grammer ( 2004 ) Tony Shalhoub ( 2005 ) Tony Shalhoub ( 2006 ) Ricky Gervais ( 2007 ) Alec Baldwin ( 2008 ) Alec Baldwin ( 2009 ) Jim Parsons ( 2010 ) Jim Parsons ( 2011 ) Jon Cryer ( 2012 ) Jim Parsons ( 2013 ) Jim Parsons ( 2014 ) Jeffrey Tambor ( 2015 ) Jeffrey Tambor ( 2016 ) Donald Glover ( 2017 ) VIAF : 14958369 LCCN : n88068075 ISNI : 0000 0001 1468 1570 GND : 124220134 BNF : cb13894805q ( data ) IATH : w6wv1nmt Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Guillaume&oldid=807721075 '' Categories : 1927 births 2017 deaths African - American male actors American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors American male voice actors American male video game actors Grammy Award winners Interactive Achievement Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Male actors from St. Louis Military personnel from Missouri Stroke survivors Washington University in St. Louis alumni 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors Deaths from prostate cancer Deaths from cancer in California Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from October 2017 Articles with hCards Turner Classic Movies person ID not in Wikidata Articles with IBDb links Articles using Template : EmmyTVLegends name Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Български Deutsch Ελληνικά Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Occitan Polski Русский Simple English Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 29 October 2017, at 19 : 27. 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Question: who did rafiki voice in the lion king
Answer: Robert Guillaume