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IMDbPro

Rex Robbins(1935-2003)

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Rex McNicol Robbins was an American character actor of stage and screen. He played the Narrator/Mysterious Man in the first national tour of Into the Woods. Robbins appeared opposite Angela Lansbury in the 1974 Broadway revival of Gypsy. He made his Broadway debut in 1963 as the doctor in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and subsequently went on to play roles in over 30 plays and films. He also starred with John Lithgow in several British plays, including The Changing Room (1973) and Comedians (1976) and was directed by Lithgow in Boy Meets Girl (1976) based on the 1938 film of the same name. He replaced David Ogden Stiers in the long-running Doug Henning musical The Magic Show. In 1972, he played the role of Roger Sherman in the film version of the musical 1776. Off-Broadway, he appeared in Urban Blight at Manhattan Theatre Club, A.R. Gurney's The Dining Room at Playwrights Horizons and Henry IV, Part I at the Public Theater. His last stage appearance was as Mr. Brown in the musical adaption of James Joyce's The Dead in 2000. He is most remembered for portraying an openly gay bartender in Shaft.

His last film was a brief appearance in The Royal Tenenbaums. Robbins was born in Pierre, South Dakota, to Lucy Geraldine (McNichol), who worked in journalism, and Clarence Edward Robbins, a doctor. He was an alumnus of Yale University and was married with three children. Robbins died of a stroke on September 23, 2003, at age 68.
BornMarch 30, 1935
DiedSeptember 23, 2003(68)
BornMarch 30, 1935
DiedSeptember 23, 2003(68)
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Known for

1776 (1972)
1776
7.6
  • Roger Sherman (CT)
  • 1972
Richard Roundtree in Shaft (1971)
Shaft
6.6
  • Rollie
  • 1971
Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Jonah Meyerson, and Grant Rosenmeyer in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The Royal Tenenbaums
7.6
  • Mr. Levinson
  • 2001
Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan, and Walter Matthau in I.Q. (1994)
I.Q.
6.2
  • Suit
  • 1994

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor



  • Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Jonah Meyerson, and Grant Rosenmeyer in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
    The Royal Tenenbaums
    7.6
    • Mr. Levinson
    • 2001
  • Tom Cavanagh in Ed (2000)
    Ed
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Councilman
    • 2001
  • Peter Sallis in M.U.G.E.N (1999)
    M.U.G.E.N
    7.3
    Video Game
    • 1999
  • And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? (1997)
    And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
    Video
    • Narrator
    • 1997
  • Tony Goldwyn, Maura Tierney, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Mehcad Brooks, and Odelya Halevi in Law & Order (1990)
    Law & Order
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Kettering
    • Steinman
    • 1992–1997
  • Breathing Room (1996)
    Breathing Room
    4.9
    • David's Father
    • 1996
  • Whoopi Goldberg in The Associate (1996)
    The Associate
    6.2
    • Investor at 21 Club
    • 1996
  • Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan, and Walter Matthau in I.Q. (1994)
    I.Q.
    6.2
    • Suit
    • 1994
  • The Happy Lion
    Short
    • Narrator (voice)
    • 1990
  • Bette Midler and Trini Alvarado in Stella (1990)
    Stella
    6.1
    • Minister
    • 1990
  • Love or Money (1990)
    Love or Money
    4.5
    • Al McDonough
    • 1990
  • Stacy Keach in Hemingway (1988)
    Hemingway
    6.6
    TV Mini Series
    • Max Perkins
    • 1988
  • Max's Christmas (1988)
    Max's Christmas
    6.5
    Short
    • (voice)
    • 1988
  • Nicolas Cage and Jennifer Beals in Vampire's Kiss (1988)
    Vampire's Kiss
    6.1
    • Sidney Langdon
    • 1988
  • Michael J. Fox and Helen Slater in The Secret of My Success (1987)
    The Secret of My Success
    6.5
    • McMasters
    • 1987

Soundtrack



  • 1776 (1972)
    1776
    7.6
    • performer: "But, Mr. Adams"
    • 1972

Personal details

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  • Born
    • March 30, 1935
    • Pierre, South Dakota, USA
  • Died
    • September 23, 2003
    • Pierre, South Dakota, USA(brain aneurysm)
  • Spouse
    • Patricia MoranFebruary 20, 1961 - September 23, 2003 (his death, 3 children)
  • Other works
    He acted in the play, "The Landscape of the Body", at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois with Rex Robbins, Shirley Knight, Paul McCrane and Richard Bauer in the cast. Jennifer Tipton was the lighting designer.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Article

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    He was awarded the 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Cameo Performance in the play, "The Landscape of the Body", at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

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