Pioneering actor Robert Guillaume dead at 89

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Robert Guillaume has died, according to the Associated Press.

The beloved actor best known for his Emmy-winning role in Benson, succumbed to prostate cancer at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.

The actor was a treasured member of Black Hollywood and his voice was as familiar as his face.

Guillaume was a trailblazer who served as the first black actor to snag the lead in Phantom of The Opera and lent his voice to “Rafiki” in The Lion King and starred in ABC’s hit-series, Sports Night.

He earned a Tony nomination for his role in Guys and Dolls in 1977 and served in the U.S. Army as a young adult.