Robert Wagner

**Robert John Wagner, Jr.** (born February 10, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.), is an American actor. His paternal grandparents were from Germany.

## Early career

His career began in 1950 as an extra in the movie _The Happy Years_. Then he got a role in the war films _Halls of Montezuma_ (1951), and _The Frogmen_ (1951), with Richard Widmark, _What Price Glory?_ (1952) with James Cagney and directed by John Ford.

In 1953 he was nominated for a Golden Globe for _Stars and Stripes Forever_ (1952).

Then would have outstanding performances in movies as Prince Valiant (1954) directed by Henry Hathaway and the Western, _Broken Lance_ (1954) with Spencer Tracy and directed by Edward Dmytryk.

In 1955 he obtained his first starred in the Western _White Feather_ (1955), followed by Film-Noir A Kiss Before Dying (1956) and war film Between Heaven and Hell (1956) directed by Richard Fleischer.

Wagner played the legendary gunslinger Jesse James in the movie The True Story of Jesse James (1957) directed by Nicholas Ray

His works in the 1960's include The Longest Day (1962), The War Lover (1962) with Steve McQueen, The Pink Panther (1963) with Peter Sellers, and _Banning_ (1967)

## 1970s - 1980s

In 1974 Wagner, plays of role of Bigelow, one of the people trapped in burning building in _The Towering Inferno_, with Steve McQueen and Paul Newman and directed by John Guillermin.

Another of his works in the 70s was in the war movie directed by Jack Smight, Midway (1976) as Lieutenant Commander Ernest L. Blake

He also co-starred in _The Concorde... Airport '79_ (1979) with Alain Delon.

In the 1980 he gets a few roles in movies like _Curse of the Pink Panther_ (1983) directed by Blake Edwards, and I Am the Cheese (1983).

## 1990s

The 1990s were very good for him getting the role of Number Two in Austin Powers (1997) with Mike Myers.
Wagner returned to play the characters in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).

In the last decade, Wagner has worked in movies El padrino (2004), Hoot (2006), Man in the Chair (2007) with Christopher Plummer, The Wild Stallion (2009).

## Television

Robert Wagner starred in three successful series for American television. One of them was _It Takes a Thief_, Alexander Mundy a spy performing dangerous missions for the government of the United States. I also work in the series Fred Astaire as Alistair Mundy.

Wagner starred in the series for 66 episodes between 1968 and 1970. and was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Awards in 1970

In 1975 Wagner stars with Eddie Albert, the series of detectives created by Glen A. Larson, Switch (1975 - 1978). he plays detective Pete T. Ryan.

His television series _Hart to Hart_ (1979-1984), was most successful of all, Wagner is Jonathan Hart who with his wife Jennifer Hart, Stefanie Powers, two detectives who solved the most difficult criminal cases in high society.

The series created by Sidney Sheldon, was an immediate success.

Made several television movies including Hart to Hart, Hart to Hart Returns (1993), Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is (1994), Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Hart (1994), Hart to Hart: Old Friends Never Die (1994), Hart to Hart: Two Harts in 3/4 Time (1995), Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season (1996) and Hart to Hart: Till Death Do Us Hart (1996).

## References

- Robert Wagner on Yahoo! Movies
- Articles about Robert Wagner, a Malibu resident, can be found at _The Malibu Times_

## Infobox (person)

- **image**: Robert Wagner 1967.JPG
- **caption**: Wagner in 1967
- **birth name**: Robert John Wagner, Jr.
- **birth place**: Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
- **children**: Katie Wagner <small>(with Marshall)</small>
Courtney Wagner <small>(with Wood)</small> Natasha Gregson Wagner <small>(stepdaughter/guardianship)</small>
- **years active**: 1950–present
- **occupation**: Actor, producer
- **awards**: Method Fest Independent Film Festival, Best Ensemble – Method Fest Film Festival (2007) _Man in the Chair_