Robert is a well-known actor who has played difficult parts and is featured in many big shows in the television industry.
Who is Robert Urich?
Robert Michael Urich was an American actor, television producer, and stage performer. His birthday is celebrated on December 19, 1946. He also appeared in a record 15 television series over the course of his 30-year career.
In 1978, he played the lead role of Dan Tanna in the crime drama series, which was shown on ABC from 1978 to June 1981 and earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations.
Urich not only appeared in television shows but also co-starred in a number of big-budget movies. He played the title character in the detective television series Spenser.
He began filling in as the host of the National Geographic Traveler Explorer series in 1988. For his work on the show, he received a CableACE Award. Furthermore, he got a Golden Boot Award for his presentation in Western films and TV programs.
He got an Emmy in 1993 for his narration of a nature documentary. He admitted during a segment of The Late Show with David Letterman that he was unaware of his nomination or victory. It was sent to his home.
What happened to Robert Urich and his wife?
Urich, who had a rare form of tissue cancer called synovial sarcoma, passed away at the age of 55. Heather Menzies-Urich, his wife, died from complications brought on by brain cancer.
For six years, Robert battled cancer. When he was still the lead actor in The Lazarus Man, Urich received his diagnosis.
Heather Menzies passed away on Christmas Eve of 2017, surrounded by the family that she and Robert Urich had created together.
Many would find it somewhat ironic that the woman who persevered and helped her husband through his cancer diagnosis ended up passing away from the disease, especially in the short amount of time she did.
Robert, a well-known actor who excelled in difficult parts, battled the illness without letting his acting career suffer.
While undergoing treatment, he agreed to serve as an advocate for cancer research, earning him the Gilda Radner Courage Award.
He established the Urich Fund with his late wife, Heather Menzies-Urich, to assist the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in obtaining funding for cancer research.
In 1998, he declared himself to be cancer-free. In 2001, lumps were discovered in his body, but they were removed by a “miraculous” drug.
He had only recently been admitted to Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks for respiratory problems when he passed away there on April 16, 2002. He had issues like an injured lung and an internal hemorrhage.
He was fought alongside the entire time by Heather Menzies. They were married for more than 25 years and endured the disease together.
Menzies was probably not too afraid to reunite with her husband after so many years of leaving this world. In spite of the tragedy, many people would consider this sad story of a long battle to have a somewhat happy ending.
Robert Urich’s kids
Ryan, 40, and his sisters Emily, 39, and Allison, 21, were adopted by the couple after Heather experienced numerous miscarriages. Robert was a sensitive father to his children in the same way.
Ryan’s father’s cancer returned just as he was about to graduate from high school. Their three children stuck with them until the very end, just as Menzies had done for her husband over 15 years prior.
Their first two adopted children, Ryan and Emily Urich, were born in 1978 and 1980, respectively. Another is Allison Grady Urich, who was born in 1998.
The only person to choose to pursue her parents’ acting career is Ryan Urich (1989), who is known for movies like Night Walk and The Killer Inside.
His son, Ryan, is currently a doctor listed with the Lovelace Medical Group. According to US News Health, Ryan is an infectious diseases specialist in New Mexico.
Ryan claimed that he was inspired to become a doctor because his father suffered from cancer. He stated that although he could not help his father, with his medical degree, he could help someone else.