Biography for
Robert Goulet More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

26 November 1933, Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Date of Death

30 October 2007, Los Angeles, California, USA (pulmonary fibrosis)

Birth Name

Robert Gerard Goulet

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

He was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Joseph and Jeannette Goulet. After hearing his son sing "Lead Kindly Light", in their church hall, his father told him, "I'm proud of you, son". A few weeks later his father, lying on his death bed, called Robert to his side and told him the Lord had given him a beautiful voice and he must go and sing. His father died when he was 13 and he moved to Edmonton, Canada, a year later. Goulet won a singing scholarship to the Royal Conservatory of music in Toronto and in 1951 made his concert debut at Edmonton in Handel's Messiah. Goulet was also a DJ on Canada's CKUA in Edmonton for two years. In 1960 he landed one of his biggest roles as Lancelot in Broadway's Camelot opposite Richard Burton and Julie Andrews. He received a Tony award in 1968 for his role in "Happy Time". He and first wife Louise Longmore had one daughter, Nikki. His second wife, actress and singer Carol Lawrence, produced two sons, Christopher and Michael. In 1982, with Glenn Ford giving the bride away, he was married in Las Vegas to Vera Novak, a Yugoslavian-born writer, photographer and artist. When not living at their home in Las Vegas, they reside on their yacht "Rogo" in Los Angeles. Goulet has performed at the White House for three presidents as well as a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II.

On September 30, 2007, he was hospitalized in Las Vegas, where he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, "a rare but rapidly progressive and potentially fatal condition." On October 13 he was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after it was determined he "would not survive without an emergency lung transplant."

Goulet died on October 30, 2007 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, while awaiting a transplant.

He is survived by his wife and three children, sons Christopher and Michael, and daughter Nicolette, who is the mother of his grandchildren, Jordan Gerard and Solange.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Mike Mckinley

Spouse

Vera Goulet	(17 October 1982 - 30 October 2007) (his death)
Carol Lawrence	(12 November 1963 - 1981) (divorced) 2 children
Louise Longmore	(1956 - 8 March 1963) (divorced) 1 child

Trivia

Had a cancerous prostate removed. [December 1993]

Has been awarded a 'Fellowship' at the Royal Conservatory of Music, University of Toronto, Canada, his alma mater.

Longstanding rumor that his real name is Stanley Applebaum is false, although many web sites and even reference books continue to report this. The rumor results from an in-joke that Goulet tried to make to a group of reporters that wasn't understood. Goulet tells the story behind the rumor on his web site.

Guest-starred in an episode of "Police Squad!" (1982) as himself. He later co-starred in The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991).

Is of French-Canadian extraction.

Hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that usually requires a lung transplant [October 22, 2007].

Father of Nicolette Goulet.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6368 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Father-in-law of Tim Fowlar.

Personal Quotes

It would be difficult to decide in my roller coaster existence, just when I had my 'Best Day.' Perhaps it was when I married my present wife, Vera. Or the day when my three children were born. Certainly the day I came away cancer-free from a prostate operation stands near the top. For now, everyday seems as if it should be the best day of them all. I like to think of them as such.

One of the lines in "Man Of La Mancha" spoken of the Duke in the play by Cervantes/Don Quixote is, "He carries his self-importance as if afraid of breaking it", amuses me immensely. No one should take himself that seriously.