Robert Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an American actor. He played the starring role in the television series Spenser: For Hire (1985–1988) and Vega$ (1978–1981). He also appeared in other television series over the years including: S.W.A.T. (1975), Soap (1977), and The Lazarus Man (1996), as well as in several feature films including Turk 182!, The Ice Pirates, and Magnum Force. Urich died in 2002 in Thousand Oaks, California. The actor announced in 1996 that he was suffering from synovial cell sarcoma, a rare cancer that attacks the body's joints, for which he underwent several treatments during the last years of his life.
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 19, 1946
- April 16, 2002 (aged 55)
- Toronto, Ohio, USA
- Actor, also producer
- 39 on MovieCove · 81 credits in all
What are Robert Urich's films like?
Across their 35 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 27
Light 8 · Serious 13 · Dark 9
Grounded 24 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1
Gentle 4 · Charged 14 · Intense 12
Steady 12 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 21 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 2
Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 2
Casual 13 · Engaged 16 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 9 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 5
Resolved 26 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 17 of 30 analyzed roles.
Show the 30 rolesHide the roles
- Allyas Officer Jim Street in S.W.A.T. (1975)
- Allyas Bob Morgan in When She Was Bad... (1979)
- Heroas Rocky Bleier in Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier (1980)
- Heroas Charles Duke in Killing at Hell's Gate (1981)
- Heroas Ruben Castle in Endangered Species (1982)
- Heroas Jess Marriner in Take Your Best Shot (1982)
- Heroas Matt Winslow in Invitation to Hell (1984)
- Heroas Jason in The Ice Pirates (1984)
- Heroas Spenser in Spenser: For Hire (1985)
- Heroas Johnny 'Joker' Johnson in The Defiant Ones (1986)
- Shapeshifteras Johnny 'Joker' Johnson in The Defiant Ones (1986)
- Allyas Joseph Simmons in April Morning (1988)
- Tricksteras Jake Spoon in Lonesome Dove (1989)
- Allyas Harry in She Knows Too Much (1989)
- Allyas Ross Pegler in A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder (1990)
- Heroas Bradley Burdock in 83 Hours 'Til Dawn (1990)
- Heroas Jack Bauer in ...And Then She Was Gone (1991)
- Heroas Thomas Booker in Blind Man's Bluff (1992)
- Heroas Jake Downey in To Save the Children (1994)
- Allyas Uncle Eddie in Saratoga Summer (1995)
- Heroas Spenser in Spenser: A Savage Place (1995)
- Shadowas Angus Feagan in The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996)
- Mentoras Capt. Matthew Troop in Captains Courageous (1996)
- Heroas Capt. Glen (Lucky) Singer in Final Descent (1997)
- Heroas Glen 'Lucky' Singer in Final Run (1999)
- Heroas Mitch McKinley in Miracle on the 17th Green (1999)
- Heroas Bill in Clover Bend (2002)
- Mentoras President Adam Mayfield in The President's Man: A Line in the Sand (2002)
- Allyas Purly Owens in Night of the Wolf (2002)
- Shadowas Jack in A Long Way Home (2003)
Moods and endings
- Happy14
- Bittersweet18
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Robert Urich's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (21).
- Lonesome Dove (1989) · actor · free
- Soap (1977) · actor · free
- Captains Courageous (1996) · actor · free
- Saratoga Summer (1995) · actor · free
- April Morning (1988) · actor · free
- The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996) · actor · free
- To Save the Children (1994) · actor · free
- ...And Then She Was Gone (1991) · actor · free
- S.W.A.T. (1975) · actor · free
- The Defiant Ones (1986) · actor, producer · free
- When She Was Bad... (1979) · actor · free
- Mistral's Daughter (1984) · actor · free
- +9 more
- Lonesome Dove (1989) · actor
- Captains Courageous (1996) · actor · free
- April Morning (1988) · actor
- The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996) · actor
- To Save the Children (1994) · actor
- ...And Then She Was Gone (1991) · actor
- When She Was Bad... (1979) · actor
- Miracle on the 17th Green (1999) · actor, producer
- The President's Man: A Line in the Sand (2002) · actor
- Invitation to Hell (1984) · actor
- Clover Bend (2002) · actor
- Lonesome Dove (1989) · actor · free
- Soap (1977) · actor · free
- Captains Courageous (1996) · actor · free
- Saratoga Summer (1995) · actor · free
- S.W.A.T. (1975) · actor · free
- When She Was Bad... (1979) · actor · free
- Charlie's Angels (1976) · actor · free
- The President's Man: A Line in the Sand (2002) · actor · free
- Clover Bend (2002) · actor · free
Subscription and free streaming for Robert Urich's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
81 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

A Long Way Home(2003)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Night of the Wolf(2002)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Clover Bend(2002)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Emeril (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

For Love of Olivia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Final Run(1999)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Love Boat: The Next Wave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

Final Descent(1997)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all filmsVital Signs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Captains Courageous(1996)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Lazarus Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

Jock of the Bushveld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

Spenser: A Savage Place(1995)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Saratoga Summer(1995)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Spenser: The Judas Goat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

A Perfect Stranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

To Save the Children(1994)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

The Nanny(1993)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
It Had to Be You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Spenser: Ceremony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Deadly Relations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

Crossroads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Revolver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Double Edge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Blind Man's Bluff(1992)
Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films
Survive the Savage Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

...And Then She Was Gone(1991)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Stranger at My Door (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

83 Hours 'Til Dawn(1990)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
American Dreamer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Carol & Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Blind Faith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Spooner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Night Walk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Murder by Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

Lonesome Dove(1989)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
She Knows Too Much(1989)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
The Comeback (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

April Morning(1988)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Amerika (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

Young Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

The Defiant Ones(1986)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Spenser: For Hire(1985)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows
Turk 182! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

Scandal Sheet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all shows
His Mistress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

Mistral's Daughter(1984)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows
Invitation to Hell(1984)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
The Ice Pirates(1984)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Princess Daisy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Gavilan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Take Your Best Shot(1982)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Cheers(1982)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows
Endangered Species(1982)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all filmsThe Billy Crystal Comedy Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Killing at Hell's Gate(1981)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
When She Was Bad...(1979)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Vega$ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

Leave Yesterday Behind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

The Love Boat(1977)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows
Soap(1977)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Tabitha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

Bunco (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

Battle of the Network Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

Charlie's Angels(1976)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows
S.W.A.T.(1975)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
The Specialists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

Killdozer(1974)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Magnum Force(1973)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

Kung Fu(1972)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

Gunsmoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Career shape
Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 80 titles from 1951 to 2003; peak year 1985.

Biggest box office
Magnum Force (1973)

Highest rated
Lonesome Dove (1989)

Most popular right now
Spenser: For Hire (1985)
Film career
Peak 1985 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 6 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1973Screen debut· Magnum Force
- 1982First top-billed film· Endangered Species
- 1985Career best· Spenser: For Hire
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Robert Urich's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 30th percentile, the median of all 28; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 34th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up5
- 50th to 74th8
- 25th to 49th16
- Below 25th10
Shape of the crowd
24 of their 39 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved2
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser10
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed24
Reviewers score the acting 60/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Robert Urich's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Robert Urich work with?
People who share at least 2 of Robert Urich's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Meredith Baxter shares the most, 4.
Directors
- David GreeneShared titles: ...And Then She Was Gone (1991), Take Your Best Shot (1982)See all 2 shared titles with David Greene

Writers
- James Lee BarrettShared titles: April Morning (1988), The Defiant Ones (1986)See all 2 shared titles with James Lee Barrett
Actors
- Meredith BaxterShared titles: A Long Way Home (2003), Miracle on the 17th Green (1999), She Knows Too Much (1989), Take Your Best Shot (1982)See all 4 shared titles with Meredith Baxter

- Barry CorbinShared titles: Clover Bend (2002), The Defiant Ones (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Barry Corbin

- Chuck NorrisShared titles: The President's Man: A Line in the Sand (2002), The Ultimate Stuntman: A Tribute to Dar Robinson (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Chuck Norris

- Cathy Lee CrosbyShared titles: Final Run (1999), The Ultimate Stuntman: A Tribute to Dar Robinson (1987)See all 2 shared titles with Cathy Lee Crosby

Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Stevan LarnerShared titles: ...And Then She Was Gone (1991), Take Your Best Shot (1982), Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier (1980)See all 3 shared titles with Stevan Larner

- Peter Manning RobinsonShared titles: A Long Way Home (2003), ...And Then She Was Gone (1991)See all 2 shared titles with Peter Manning Robinson

- Peter V. WhiteShared titles: Final Run (1999), A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Peter V. White
- Stephen LawrenceShared titles: Spenser: A Savage Place (1995), To Save the Children (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Stephen Lawrence

Producers
- Robert A. HalmiShared titles: Night of the Wolf (2002), Lonesome Dove (1989), April Morning (1988)See all 3 shared titles with Robert A. Halmi

- Mike RobeShared titles: Final Run (1999), Final Descent (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Mike Robe
- Tom PatriciaShared titles: Final Run (1999), Final Descent (1997)See all 2 shared titles with Tom Patricia
- Lisa TowersShared titles: Captains Courageous (1996), The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Lisa Towers


