'Night Court' & 'Sugar Hill' Actor Charlie Robinson Dead At 75
Actor Charlie Robinson has died at the age of 75 due to cardiac arrest and cancer, per Variety.
Robinson was best known for his role as Mac in the sitcom Night Court. He also appeared in Sugar Hill, The Black Gestapo, Caribe, Nowhere To Hide, The Trial Of Lee Harvey Oswald, The White Shadow and Buffalo Soldiers.
Throughout his 50-year-career, Robinson also had roles in NCIS, Home Improvement and Mom, among other TV shows and movies.
Robinson began his career as a theater actor, and he was also a singer for R&B groups such as Archie Bell and the Drells and Southern Clouds of Joy. He attended Chris Wilson’s acting school Studio 7, and later moved to Hollywood where he began acting on screen.
Robinson's work was much acclaimed and he was awarded the Image Theatre Award and FRED Award for his role as Simon in The Whipping Man as well as Best Actor Ovation Award for his stint as Troy in Fences.
The late star's final performance was in James Tyler’s Some Old Black Man.
Fans and fellow actors offered tributes for Robinson.
"Rest in power to the lovely Charlie Robinson. Always a gentleman…" actress Jackée Harry tweeted.
"RIP Charlie Robinson. You were a wonderful actor," Viola Davis wrote.
"It only took 27 days and we created a lifetime. Charlie Robinson and I quarantined together during this pandemic to create a play and in that short time we created a lifetime of friendship. A special bond, like the father and son, we portrayed in the play. We had a mission," The Wire star Wendell Pierce shared.
"We had a mission to find a way to create our art while the world was shut down. By chance, we created a friendship in 27 days that only happens with a shared vision. In that short time he became mentor to me as I questioned if my best days had passed. By example he showed hope," Pierce continued. "I will cherish the work that we created and forever remember the brief time I spent with him."
Robinson is survived by his wife Dolorita; his children Luca, Charlie, Christian and Byron, as well as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
