Robert Rockwell

Robert Rockwell (October 15, 1920 – January 25, 2003) was an American actor best known for playing the handsome, but awkward biology teacher Philip Boynton in the radio and television situation comedy Our Miss Brooks opposite Eve Arden.

A native of Chicago, Robert Rockwell became so identified with the role of Mr. Boynton that other roles, particularly dramatic ones, were often denied him. Still, after beginning his career as a contract player for Republic Studios he appeared, in the course of a fifty-year acting career, in over 350 television shows and, on stage, opposite José Ferrer in the 1946 Broadway production of Cyrano de Bergerac, and with Ginger Rogers during the 1960s in a San Diego production of Whitfield Cook's play A More Perfect Union.

Rockwell married Elizabeth Weiss on September 26, 1942 and had five children—two daughters, Susan and Alison and three sons, Robert Jr., Jeffrey and Gregory. His granddaughter, Taylor Rockwell, the daughter of actress Alison Rockwell, is a visual effects coordinator. Robert Rockwell studied at the Pasadena Playhouse where he received a masters degree.

Rockwell was a founding member of the California Artists Radio Theatre. He played standard leads in a couple of Cold War-era features, including 1949's cult favorite The Red Menace wherein he played a war vet who is duped by the Reds. In an early-1950s TV pilot for The Adventures of Superman, he played Superman's father Jor-El. He was also seen a number of times on the 1950s TV anthology The Loretta Young Show, playing Loretta Young's husband. Later in his career he appeared on episodes of Growing Pains and Beverly Hills, 90210. His appearances in commercials and voiceovers totaled more than 200, most notably as the armchair grandfather treating his grandson to a piece of candy in the Werthers Original candy spot.

Robert Rockwell died in Malibu, California at the age of 82.

External links

• Robert Rockwell at the Internet Movie Database
• Robert Rockwell at Find a Grave