Longtime actor Charlie Robinson, who was best known for his role as Mac Robinson on the hit NBC TV series Night Court, has died.
Robinson died Sunday at the age of 75. His manager, Lisa DiSante, confirmed his passing to Entertainment Weekly, saying the cause of death was cardiac arrest with multi-system organ failures due to septic shock and metastatic adenocarcinoma.
The actor began his career as a singer with the Houston native often singing background for such acts as Archie Bell & the Drells and Southern Clouds of Joy. He attended acting school in the 1960s and moved to Hollywood, where he appeared in films before landing his signature role on the second season of Night Court in 1984, which aired on NBC until it wrapped in 1992.
“Once referred to by Martin Landau as the ‘greatest underestimated actor in Hollywood,’ Charlie Robinson was the love of my life, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather,” Dolorita Noonan-Robinson, Robinson’s wife, said in a statement. “He was truly the working actor’s actor, and of all his passions, his craft took center stage, with his family being the wind beneath his wings, so he could soar to unbelievable heights!”
“On behalf of my husband and family, I thank you for being a part of the audience,” said Noonan-Robinson.
Robinson’s final performance was in a reprise of James Anthony Tyler’s play, Some Old Black Man. The short film was crafted during the coronavirus pandemic, and his costar, actor Wendell Pierce, shared that he and Robinson formed a bond during quarantine.
Pierce wrote on Twitter: “It only took 27 days and we created a lifetime. Charlie Robinson and I quarantined together during this pandemic to create a play and in that short time, we created a lifetime of friendship. A special bond, like the father and son, we portrayed in the play. We had a mission.”
“We had a mission to find a way to create our art while the world was shut down,” Pierce added. “By chance, we created a friendship in 27 days that only happens with a shared vision. In that short time, he became a mentor to me as I questioned if my best days had passed. By example, he showed hope.”
According to the acclaimed The Wire actor, Robinson had a strict morning routine that included working out and performing while sharing stories about his family.
“I will cherish the work that we created,” Pierce wrote, “and forever remember the brief time I spent with him.”
In addition to his wife, Robinson is survived by his children, Luca, Charlie, Christian and Byron, as well as his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, daughters-in-law and his dog, Nala.
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