ROBERT WAGNER BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Robert Wagner was born on February 10th, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.  His birth name was Robert John Wagner and he was the son of a steel executive.  His family moved to Los Angeles when he was a seven years old and he always had dreams of becoming an actor.  Thankfully, his dad was well connected in Hollywood and he was able to frequently visit the film studio's.  He attended military academies, Santa Monica High School and the Harvard schools. 

He worked part time as a caddy for actor Clark Gable and was soon spotted by a talent scout.  In 1950 was given his first role in, "The Happy Years".  Following two years later with another small role on, "With a Song in My Heart" (1952) co-starring Susan Hayward, Rory Calhoun, David Wayne, Thelma Ritter, Helen Westcott and Una Merkel.  20th Century Fox signed him to a contract in 1953 and he starred in several movies under his contract such as, "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef" (1953) starring with J. Carrol Naish, Gilbert Roland, Peter Graves, Terry Moore, Richard Boone and Harry Carey Jr., "Titanic" (1953) co-starring Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, Brian Aherne, Audrey Dalton, Thelma Ritter and Richard Basehart, "Prince Valiant" (1954) starring alongside James Mason, Janet Leigh, Debra Paget, Sterling Hayden, Victor McLaglen, Brian Aherne and Donald Crisp, "Broken Lance" (1954) also starring Spencer Tracy, Jean Peters, Katy Jurado, Hugh O'Brian, Richard Widmark and Earl Holliman, "Kiss Before Dying" (1956) starring with Jeffrey Hunter, Virginia Leith, Joanne Woodward, George Macready and Mary Astor and "Between Heaven and Hell" (1956) also starring Buddy Ebsen, Terry Moore, Broderick Crawford, Robert Keith and Brad Dexter.  Wagner played outlaw Jesse James in the 1957 film "The True Story of Jesse James" co-starring Jeffrey Hunter, Hope Lange, Agnes Moorehead, Frank Gorshin, Alan Hale Jr. and John Carradine.  He was becoming one of Fox's rising Hollywood stars.

In the early '60s, Wagner suffered a series of personal and professional letdowns.  He did appear in, "The War Lover" (1962) opposite Steve McQueen and traveled to Europe to work on the film, "The Longest Day" (1962) starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Peter Lawford, Sean Connery, Richard Burton, Eddie Albert, Rod Steiger, Tom Tryon, Robert Ryan, Roddy McDowall, Red Buttons, Ray Danton, Sal Mineo, Steve Forrest, Dewey Martin, Fabian Forte, Mel Ferrer, Edmond O'Brien and Jeffrey Hunter.  His film career skidded to a stop after, "The Pink Panther" (1964) starring Peter Sellers, Capucine, Claudia Cardinale and David Niven.

By the late 1960's he had become a regular on TV yet his television debut was on "Jukebox Jury" (1953).  He signed with Universal Studios in 1967, where he starred in three lighthearted action series: "It Takes a Thief" (1968-70) co-starring with Fred Astaire, "Switch" (1975-78) starring with Eddie Albert and "Hart to Hart" (1979-84) starring with Stefanie Powers. 

Wagner went on to appear in the blockbuster film, "The Towering Inferno" (1974) with such blockbuster stars as Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Shelley Winters, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Susan Blakely, Jennifer Jones, Robert Vaughn, Faye Dunaway, Dabney Coleman and William Holden.  He also starred in two successful television series.  The first was the police show "Switch" (1975) starring alongside Eddie Albert and the series lasted three years before its cancellation in 1978. The second was in the hit "Hart to Hart" (1979), which lasted five years before its cancellation in 1984.  His professional and personal lives seemed to be right on track.

In the 1990's Wagner made a comeback, in Austin Powers, "International Man of Mystery" (1997) and its two sequels (1999 and 2002).  In 2008 he began a recurring role on the hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men".  He also sued Aaron Spelling Productions for $20 million in June 2000, charging that he was cheated out of profits on the Fox series "Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990).

Wagner had a long time love affair with actress Natalie Wood whom he married in 1957 but later divorced in 1962.  He then went on to marry Marion Marshall, another actress from 1963 to 1970, however they divorced shortly later and he re married Woods until in 1981 when she died in a boating accident.  He was single for about 10 years before marrying actress Jill St. John in 1991.  He then published an autobiography in 2008, Pieces of My heart in which he revealed that he had a four year relationship with actress Barbara Stanwyck in the 1950's.  He dedicated his book to his mother, sister, daughters Katie and Courtney Wagner and to his wife Jill St. John where he thanked all of them for being, "the meaning of his life".

Robert Wagner was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures and earned the Golden Globe Award for the most promising newcomer in Motion Pictures.  He was also nominated for Golden Globe award four times and an Emmy award for his roles as a Television actor and motion pictures.

On November 2, 2009, it was announced that Wagner will guest-star as Tony's father, Anthony DiNozzo Sr, in the 150th episode of NCIS starring Mark Harmon.  He entered the year 2010 continuing to live a succesful life personally and professionally. 

Filmography

2011   Making the Boys
2007   Man in the Chair
2006   Everyone's Hero
2006   Hoot
2004   El Padrino
2003   Hollywood Homicide
2002   Austin Powers in Goldmember
2002   Man of Faith
2000   Play It to the Bone
1999   Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me 
1999   Crazy in Alabama
1999   Dill Scallion
1999   No Vacancy
1999   Tiara Tango
1998   Something to Believe In
1998   Wild Things
1997   Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
1997   Overdrive
1993   Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story
1992   The Player
1991   Delirious
1983   Curse of the Pink Panther
1983   I Am the Cheese
1979   The Concorde - Airport '79
1976   Midway
1974   The Towering Inferno
1969   Winning
1968   Don't Just Stand There!
1968   The Biggest Bundle of Them All
1967   Banning
1966   Harper
1963   The Condemned of Altona
1963   The Pink Panther
1962   The Longest Day
1961   Sail a Crooked Ship
1960   All the Fine Young Cannibals
1959   Say One For Me
1958   In Love and War
1958   Mardi Gras
1958   The Hunters
1957   Stopover Tokyo 
1957   The True Story of Jesse James
1956   A Kiss Before Dying
1956   Between Heaven and Hell
1956   The Mountain
1955   White Feather
1954   Broken Lance
1954   Prince Valiant
1953   Beneath the 12-Mile Reef
1951   Let's Make It Legal 
1950   Halls of Montezuma