‘Charly’ actor Cliff Robertson dies
Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson died Saturday at the age of 88, says the Hollywood Reporter.
Robertson earned a Best Actor Oscar for his role in 1968’s “Charly,” in which he played a disabled man who gets a miracle medical treatment that turns him into a genius before he regresses to his previous mental state.
Also among his hundreds of memorable movie and TV roles was his portrayal of John F. Kennedy in the WWII film “PT-109.”
But there was even more drama off-screen for Robertson when he blew the whistle on Columbia studio head David Begelmann for misappropriation of funds. The actor was considered a hero by many, says the entertainment industry magazine, for risking being blacklisted.
He did work again – plenty. His other movie credits include “The Naked and the Dead,” “Gidget,” “Three Days of the Condor” and in more recent times as Ben Parker in “Spider-Man” 1, 2 and 3.
Robertson’s TV work began back when shows were aired live, and he appeared in “Outlaws,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Falcon Crest,” to name a few.
Robertson was married to actress Dina Merrill, 1966-1989. Previously he was married to Cynthia Stone Lemmon. He had one daughter from each marriage.