Dick Gautier

Dick Gautier
File:Dick Gautier 1975.JPG Gautier as Robin Hood in When Things Were Rotten, 1975.
Born	Dick Gautier (1931-10-30)October 30, 1931 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	Arcadia, CA, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1959–2010
Spouse(s)	Beverly J. Gerber (1954-?) Barbara Stuart (m. 1967–79) Tess Hightower (m. 2003–17)
Website	http://www.dickgautier.com

Dick Gautier (October 30, 1931 - January 13, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and caricaturist. Among his most best-known television roles are that of Hymie the Robot in the television series Get Smart, and Robin Hood in the short-lived TV comedy series When Things Were Rotten, a Mel Brooks send-up of the classic legend.

Gautier also has a cult following for his role as Hal, the partner of Stanley Beamish in the short-lived sitcom series Mister Terrific (1967); and for his various voice roles in the 1986 animated Transformers series (including the voice of Rodimus Prime).

Career

Early career

Gautier started his career as a night-club comic and a singer for dance orchestras; he joined ASCAP in 1959 after serving in the United States Navy. In 1960, he portrayed fictional rock 'n roll star Conrad Birdie in the original Broadway theatre production of Bye Bye Birdie, receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance.

He appeared in an episode of The Patty Duke Show, "Anywhere I Hang My Horn Is Home". He portrayed the clumsy robot "Hymie" on TV's Get Smart. He portrayed a dance instructor in the original TV series Gidget and a French dress designer in the episode "Samantha, the Dressmaker" from the second season of the TV situation comedy Bewitched. In 1978, he appeared as Harriman in the episode "The Intimate Friends of Janet Wilde" in the NBC crime drama series The Eddie Capra Mysteries.

As a game show panelist

During the 1970s and 1980s, Gautier was a frequent game show panelist, appearing on Match Game, Family Feud Tattletales, Showoffs, You Don't Say!, Liar's Club, Password Plus, Body Language, Super Password, Win, Lose or Draw, and the TV version of Can You Top This?.

Batman

In 1974, when Burt Ward and Yvonne Craig reprised their Batman roles (as Robin and Batgirl respectively) for a TV public service announcement about equal pay for women, Adam West (who was trying to distance himself from the Batman role at the time) was absent. Instead, Gautier filled in for West as Batman.

Voice-over roles

Gautier performed several voice-over roles in animation, including Rodimus Prime in the third season of the Transformers animated series from 1986–1987 (taking over for Judd Nelson, who previously performed the role in the 1986 Transformers movie), as well as Serpentor in the G.I. Joe series, played Spike the Dog in Tom and Jerry Kids, and he was also narrator for Discovery Channel's Search for Adventure.

Caricatures of celebrities

Gautier is known for his caricatures of celebrities, and has written several instructional books on caricature, drawing, and cartooning, including Drawing and Cartooning 1001 Caricatures, Drawing and Cartooning 1001 Figures in Action and Creating Comic Characters.

Other

Gautier attended TFcon 2013 as a guest where he reprised his role as Rodimus Prime from the Transformers series for a voice play.

Personal life

Gautier has three children from his first marriage. He was divorced from his second wife, actress Barbara Stuart (1930-2011), and is currently married to Tess Hightower, a psychologist.

Filmography

• Ensign Pulver (1964)

External links

• Official website
• Dick Gautier at the Internet Movie Database
• Dick Gautier at the Internet Broadway Database
• Interview, TheTransformers.net

Preceded by Adam West

Actors to portray Batman 1972

Succeeded by Adam West

Preceded by Judd Nelson

Voice of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime 1986–1988

Succeeded by Paul Dobson