Robert Guillaume

Jeannette Williams — Grandmother
Dolores — Half Sister
Lexter — Half Brother
Jacques Guillaume — Son
Marlene Williams — Ex-wife
Patricia — Daughter
Melissa — Daughter
James Edwards — Brother
Cleo — Sister
Fay Hauser — Ex-fiancée or ex-wife
Donna Brown Guillaume — Wife
Kevin Guillaume — Son
Zoe Bertha Edwards — Mother
Rachel Jeannette Guillaume — Daughter

At a Glance … Born Robert Peter Williams on November 30, 1927, St. Louis, MO; name legally changed to Robert Guillaume (pronounced "gee-yome"); married Marlene, 1955 (marriage ended); married Fay Hauser, 1978 (divorced); married Donna Brown (a freelance television producer), 1985; children: Patricia, Kevin, Jacques (deceased), Melissa, Rachel. Education: Attended St. Louis University and Washington University. Military service: U.S. Army, 1945-46.

Career: Theatrical singer, actor, and producer, 1957–; Confetti Entertainment, co-founder, 1991–.

Awards: Tony nomination, for Guys and Dolls, 1976; Emmy Award, for Soap, 1979; Emmy Award for best actor in a comedy series, for Benson, 1985; Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, award for "projection of a positive image of blacks on television," 1985; named honorary Lt. Governor for the day by Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, 1985; St. Louis Walk of Fame, inductee, 1999; Daytime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding performer in an animated program, for Happily Every After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, 2000; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series, for Sports Night, 1999 and 2001; Image Award nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, for Sports Night, 2000; Screen Actors Guild Award nomination (with others) for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series, for Sports Night, 2000; Golden Satellite Award nomination for best performance by an actor in a series or musical, for Sports Night, 2001; received four NAACP Image Awards.

Robert Guillaume was best known for his work in television where he has earned two Emmy Awards and four NAACP Image Awards. He has had a distinguished career as a dramatic film actor and an accomplished musical performer.

He garnered a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Nathan Detroit in the Broadway production of "Guys and Dolls" and received rave reviews during his run as the star of the Los Angeles production of "Phantom of the Opera."

It was as the irascible Benson DuBois that Guillaume won his two Emmy Awards. The first for Best Supporting Actor on "Soap" in 1979, the second for Best Actor in 1985, after the Benson character moved on to the series bearing his name.

He guided the character through the positions of butler, state budget director, and finally Lieutenant Governor, a transformation that is rarely seen in characters on television today.

Raised in St. Louis by his maternal grandmother, Jeannette, Guillaume interrupted his education with a stint in the United States Army. After his discharge, he attended St. Louis University as a business administration major, and Washington University as a voice major; for a while suppressing his true ambition of becoming the first Black tenor at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Born with the makings of a brilliant classical voice, Robert's talent was recognized by Washington University's Leslie Chabay, who arranged a scholarship for him to the Aspen (Colorado) Music Festival. This appearance led to a major turning point, Guillaume's apprenticeship at Cleveland's Karamu Theatre. There, under the tutelage of Russell and Rowina Jellife, he made his semi-professional debut in both opera and musical comedy.

It wasn't long after Guillaume moved from Cleveland to New York City that he became one of the stage's best-reviewed young actors. His critical triumphs included "Kwamina," "Bambouche," "Tambourines to Glory," "Othello," "Porgy and Bess," "Apple Pie," and "Jacques Brel." He went on to even greater acclaim playing leads in "Purlie" and "Golden Boy;" and, of course in "Guys and Dolls," for his Tony-nominated performance as Nathan Detroit.

Robert Guillaume in Guillaume starred in theatrical films, including "The Lion King," "Meteor Man," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Seems Like Old Times," "Lean on Me," and "Death Warrant." His work in television has included "John Grin's Christmas" (which he also directed), "The Penthouse," "The Kid with the Broken Halo," "The Kid With the 200 IQ," "Greyhounds," "Children of the Dust," "Panic in the Skies," "His Bodyguard", "Silicon Towers," and “North and South.”

"As a television performer on 'Soap,' 'Benson,' 'The Robert Guillaume Show,' and 'Pacific Station,' I sought consciously to avoid the stereotypical sociological traps," said Guillaume.

"I always wanted kids of any background to understand the characters I've portrayed were real, that the solutions they found were true and possible. It has always been important to me to stress that there was no diminution of power or universality just because my characters are African-Americans."

Guillaume had also been the recipient of the prestigious Grammy Award for his reading of "The Lion King" book (on audiotape) in the voice of the beloved character, Rafiki.

Guillaume recorded three CDs which are available on iTunes and soon can be purchased on through this website: Robertguillaume.com. Classic songs from “Phantom of the Opera” as well as many beloved standards are on his collections.

In addition to his work as a performer, Robert Guillaume had generously given both time and resources to numerous charitable and social organizations, among them, TransAfrica, AmFar, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, the Special Olympics, and is a founding member of Artists for a New South Africa.

TV audiences enjoyed Guillaume every week for two seasons as "Isaac Jaffe," executive producer of a national cable sports news show, on the ABC series "Sports Night." He was featured in the 2003 Tim Burton film “Big Fish” starring Albert Finney and Jessica Lange, where he played a small town Southern doctor and was seen in the drama “Century City,” which aired on CBS. Recently Guillaume directed a one-man show, “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder,” at the American Negro Playwright Theatre at Tennessee State University and recently completed shooting an independent film, “Jack Satin” . He played a wheeling-dealing gambler last season on CSI: Crime Scene Investigations, recently spoke at a conference in San Jose, California on behalf of the American Stroke Association and was featured in a May 2010 issue of Jet magazine.