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Robert Fuller (born July 29, 1933) is an American former television Western actor and current rancher. In his five decades of television, he's best known for starring roles on the popular 1960s western series Laramie as Jess Harper, and Wagon Train as Cooper Smith, as well as his work for his lead role, Dr. Kelly Brackett, in the popular 1970s medical drama Emergency!, opposite his best friends Julie London and her husband Bobby Troup.
Early life
Robert Fuller was born Leonard Leroy Lee on July 29, 1933, in Troy, New York, the only child of Elizabeth Lee, a dance instructor. Later in his childhood, Betty married Robert Simpson Sr., a Naval Academy officer. In 1939, the family moved to Key West, Florida, where, already known by the nickname of "Buddy", he took the name Robert Simpson Jr. His parents owned a dancing school in Florida. His family also lived in Chicago for a year before moving back to Florida. Simpson, Jr., as he was then still formally known, attended the Miami Military School for fifth and sixth grades, and Key West High School for ninth grade. He dropped out at age 14 because he disliked school and was doing poorly there. In 1950, at the age of 16, he and his parents moved to Hollywood, California, where his first job was as a stunt man. Television work in the late 1950s and 1960s
Fuller was David Dortort's second choice for the role of Lorne Greene's youngest cocky, impish son, Joseph "Little Joe" Cartwright, on NBC's Bonanza, but the role went to Michael Landon. Fuller then landed the role of Jess Harper on Laramie, which ran from 1959 to 1963. Fuller was cast opposite one of his best friends, John Smith. Smith had already been cast as Jess Harper; Fuller was asked to screen test for the character of Slim Sherman. Fuller insisted he would be better as Harper, and after the screen test, he became Jess and Smith got the part of Slim.
Laramie eventually aired in more than 70 countries. When it ended its run in 1963, Fuller jumped to another Western, Wagon Train alongside John McIntire (a veteran film actor, a two-time guest-star on Laramie), Frank McGrath, and Terry Wilson. According to an August 17, 2009, interview for On Screen and Beyond, Fuller noted that he was not brought in to replace Robert Horton (a lifelong friend Fuller had met in 1954) as the wagon train scout. He resembled Horton and the two shared the same birthday, but Horton was nine years Fuller's senior. Horton had already departed from the cast a year prior to Fuller's stepping in to complete the series' final two seasons.
Personal life
Fuller and Patricia Lee Lyon married on December 20, 1962, and had three children. The two divorced in 1984; Lyon died of cancer in 1994.
By the 1990s, Fuller had largely retired from the film business. His last acting credit was in 2001. He married actress Jennifer Savidge, known for her role on NBC's St. Elsewhere series, on May 19, 2001.
In 2004, Fuller and wife Jennifer Savidge moved from Los Angeles to a ranch in north Texas. His neighbor and long-term friend Alex Cord had urged Fuller to move to Cooke County. The two met in 1961 on the set of Laramie when Cord made his television acting debut. CLR
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