Bob May, "Lost in Space" Actor, Dies at 69

Actor and stuntman Bob May, the man responsible for the wild gyrating arms and keeping up with the rest of the cast of "Lost In Space" as the lovable and protective Robbie the Robot, died Sunday of congestive heart failure.

Bob May was in the right place at the right time in 1965. When Irwin Allen, the director of the then new show "Lost In Space," needed someone to literally fill the role of Robbie the Robot, Bob May happened to be on the studio lot. June Lockhart, the actress who played Maureen Robinson, the female matriarch on "Lost In Space," told the Associated Press that May always said he got the job because he fit into the suit. After being sent over to Allen to audition, Allen told May, "If you can fit into the suit, you've got the job."

He fit and became part of Hollywood history.

"Lost In Space," a futuristic version of the classic story "The Swiss Family Robinson," became a hit and Bob May, securely ensconced inside the robot suit, loyally accompanied the stranded family through each show warning them of threats, arms flailing, "Danger, Will Robinson." Those words became a national catchphrase.

Although Bob May made Robbie the Robot ambulatory, he did not provide the voice. Announcer Dick Tufeld made Robbie the Robot talk.

Hollywood has a history of providing voices for its mechanical characters.

The god-like voice of James Earl Jones provided the voice of Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" series, although Jones did not appear in the movies. David Prowse was the man behind the black breathing mask. George Lucas, creator and director of the "Star Wars" movies, felt that Prowse's English accent was not right for the part.

The insistent, condescending voice of HAL 9000 in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" was desensitized to perfection by Douglas Rain. Since Rain's character was an omniscient computer, the audience never saw the actual actor, who was a Tony-nominated Broadway performer and acted in dozens of films.

The talented William Daniels gave voice to K.I.T.T., the computerized supercar (a Pontiac Trans Am) of Michael Knight (played by David Hasselhoff) in the 1980's hit show "Knight Rider." Daniels would go on to win two Emmys for his performance on "St. Elsewhere" with Howie Mandel, Ed Flanders, Ed Begley, Jr., and Denzel Washington.

June Lockhart said that Bob May was a smoker and would not take the suit off during breaks (because of the difficulty in getting it on), getting a kick out of watching people react to smoke coming out of the robot. "That always amused us," Lockhart recalled.

Bob May also was a popular attraction at memorabilia shows over the years as well, drawing countless fans for his work as Robbie the Robot on "Lost In Space."

But his work as Robbie the Robot was not all Bob May was known for. He starred in several movies with actor/comedian Jerry Lewis. He appeared on television on "McHale's Navy" and "The Red Skelton Show." And he performed work as a stuntman throughout the 1960's on shows such as "Cheyenne," "Surfside 6," and "Hawaiian Eye."

Bob May is survived by his wife, Judith, a son, daughter, and four grandchildren.

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Source:

Associated Press

IMDb.com