‘BENSON’ STAR GUILLAUME DIES:
Sitcom star Guillaume dead at 89
EMMY-WINNING actor Robert Guillaume — a veteran of the stage and TV who shot to national fame as the sharp-tongued butler in “Soap” who became a lieutenant governor in “Benson” — died Tuesday. He was 89. Guillaume, who was suffering from prostate cancer, died in his Los Angeles home, according to his wife, Donna Brown Guillaume.
Among his many stage achievements was a Tony nomination in 1977 for his portrayal of Nathan Detroit in an all-black production of “Guys and Dolls.”
He was also the first African-American to sing the title role of “Phantom of the Opera,” performing with an all-white cast.
But his career really took off when he was asked to read for the role of Benson DuBois — a sardonic and observant butler for a prime time TV sitcom called “Soap.”
In the satire of soap operas, Guillaume delighted in playing Benson.
“The minute I saw the script, I knew I had a live one,” he recalled in 2001.
“Every role was written against type, especially Benson, who wasn’t subservient to anyone. To me, Benson was the revenge for all those stereotyped guys who looked like Benson in the ’40s and ’50s (movies) and had to keep their mouths shut,” he said in a 2001 interview.
The character became so popular that he got a spinoff show, “Benson,” which ran from 1979 to 1986.
On that show, Guillaume’s character started as the head of household affairs for a fictional governor, rose to budget director, lieutenant governor and then a candidate for the gubernatorial seat.
Guillaume became the first black actor to win a comedy Emmy for his portrayal of Benson DuBois. He took home a statue for best supporting actor in a comedy in 1979 and best actor in a comedy in 1985.
Guillaume also starred in ABC’s 1998-2000 comedy “Sports Night.”
But the road to stardom wasn’t easy for Guillaume, who left a string of broken marriages and abandoned children in his wake. He fathered five children with two wives and two other women.
“I’m a bastard, a Catholic, the son of a prostitute, and a product of the poorest slums of St. Louis,” he wrote in his 2002 autobiography.
Guillaume found his way to St. Louis University — after stints as a motorman and an honorable discharge from the Army — where he excelled in Shakespeare and philosophy.