Biography for
Bob May (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

4 September 1939, New York City, New York, USA

Date of Death

18 January 2009, Lancaster, California, USA (congestive heart failure)

Birth Name

Robert M. May

Mini Biography

In their heyday, stage and movie stars Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson reigned as two of the most outrageous comedians who ever set out to tickle America's collective funnybone. The son of Johnson's daughter, June, Bob May was born in New York in 1939 and put a (very) small foot on the first rung of the show biz ladder two years later, when he replaced a midget in the comics' show "Sons-a-Fun". May later worked with the comedy team on live TV ("Fireball Fun-for-All", "All-Star Revue", "The Colgate Comedy Hour"). A singer and dancer, May danced in some of Elvis Presley's early films and turned up in several Jerry Lewis vehicles. While applying for the job of Red Buttons' stunt double on Stagecoach (1966), May was offered the "role" of the Environmental Control Robot in 20th Century-Fox's TV series "Lost in Space" (1965). (On the show, May operated the Robot and Dick Tufeld provided its voice.) More recently, May, his wife and kids toured with an Olsen & Johnson-style stage show call ed "Funs-a-Bustin."

IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom Weaver <TomWeavr@aol.com>

Spouse

Judith D. Wells

(18 February 1961 - 18 January 2009) (his death) 2 children

Trivia

He has two children

Interviewed in Tom Weaver's book "Monsters, Mutants and Heavenly Creatures" (MidMar Press, 1996).

He and his wife lost their home during the November 2008 San Fernando Valley wildfires, which destroyed their upscale mobile home park.

When he went to see "Lost in Space" (1965) producer Irwin Allen about "The Robot" role, Allen told him, "If you can fit in the suit, you've got the job".

He enjoyed playing the Robot, and once said that he considered his Robot suit "a home away from home".