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Robert Guillaume

Robert Guillaume

Actor, also producer and director · Died October 24, 2017, aged 89 · St. Louis, Missouri, USA

2 Primetime Emmys · Golden Globe nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee · 1 other major award body

Robert "Bob" Guillaume (November 30, 1927 – October 24, 2017) was an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night. In a career that spanned more than 50 years he worked extensively on stage (including a Tony Award nomination), television (including winning two Emmy Awards), and film. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Guillaume, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 30, 1927
Died
October 24, 2017 (aged 89)
From
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer and director
Titles
58 on MovieCove · 83 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 8% in 30 days

What are Robert Guillaume's films like?

Across their 39 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 30th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Action movies
Animation5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

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

share of theme weight
Bonds
30%
Self
21%
Society
16%
Morality
16%
Survival
7%
Ideas
6%
Power
4%
Friendship9 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 35 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 21 · Serious 10 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 23 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 15 · Charged 16 · Intense 4

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 23 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 8

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 23 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 33 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

17 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 11 of 17 analyzed roles.

Mentor
11 of 17
Ally
3 of 17
Hero
2 of 17
Threshold guardian
1 of 17
Show the 17 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
21
Joyful
16
Tense
13
Hopeful
10
Absurd
6
Other
31

How their films linger

Feel-good26 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy25
  • Bittersweet9
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

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 Guillaume's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 38 of their 58 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Guillaume'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

83 credits, 58 with a MovieCove page; 17 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Once Upon a Studio(2023)

    as Rafiki (voice) (archive sound)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Columbus Circle(2012)

    as Howard Miles

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Satin(2011)

    as Doc Bishop

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry(2008)

    as Mr. Barnes

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Lion King 1½(2004)

    as Rafiki (voice)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Timon & Pumbaa Virtual Safari 2.0 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Rafiki (voice) (archive audio)

  • Century City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge

  • Timon & Pumbaa's Virtual Safari 1.5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Rafiki (voice) (archive sound)

  • Big Fish(2003)

    as Dr. Bennett (senior)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Timon & Pumba's Virtual Safari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Rafiki (voice) (archive audio)

  • The Adventures of Tom Thumb & Thumbelina(2002)

    as Ben (voice)

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives(2003)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • 13th Child(2002)

    as Riley

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • 8 Simple Rules(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Cody Grant

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze(2001)

    as Mr. Thicknose (voice)

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Proud Family(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Parker (voice)

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Sonny Bridges

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Silicon Towers(1999)

    as Detective Green

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • The Lion King II: Simba's Pride(1998)

    as Rafiki (voice)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Sports Night(1998)

    Show 45 episodes · as Isaac Jaffe

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • His Bodyguard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Garrett

  • The Easter Story Keepers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Ben (voice)

  • Merry Christmas, George Bailey(1997)

    as Mr. Gower

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Pandora's Clock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Ambassador Lee Lancaster

  • Panic in the Skies(1996)

    as Rob Barnes

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Promised Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • First Kid(1996)

    as Wilkes

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story(1996)

    as Reverend Devers

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Spy Hard(1996)

    as Agent Steve Bishop

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Lamb Chop's Chanukah and Passover Surprise(1996)

    as Robert

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Moesha(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Arthur

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows

  • Timon & Pumbaa(1995)

    Show 169 episodes · as Rafiki (voice)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Outer Limits(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Brown

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child(1995)

    Show 39 episodes · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Children of the Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mossburger

  • Cosmic Slop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Gleason Golightly (segment 'Space Traders')

  • Touched by an Angel(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Dawes

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Greyhounds(1994)

    as Robert Smith

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Lion King(1994)

    as Rafiki (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Eugene Sayers

  • Diagnosis Murder(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Father Morrissey

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • The Meteor Man(1993)

    as Ted Reed

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Saved by the Bell: The College Years(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Arthur Hemmings

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • Mastergate(1992)

    as Senator Sellers

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Jack's Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Fish Police (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 6 episodes · as Det. Catfish (voice)

  • You Must Remember This(1992)

    as Uncle Buddy

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Pacific Station (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 13 episodes · as Bob Ballard

  • Fire and Rain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Carter

  • Death Warrant(1990)

    as Hawkins

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Pete Fletcher

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Robert Guillaume Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 12 episodes · as Edward Sawyer

  • The Penthouse(1989)

    as Eugene St. Clair

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Lean on Me(1989)

    as Dr. Frank Napier

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel(1987)

    as Harlan Wade

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • A Different World(1987)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dean Winston · as Prof. Murphy

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • Crossbow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • They Still Call Me Bruce(1987)

    as V.A. Officer Johnson

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Wanted: Dead or Alive(1986)

    as Philmore Walker

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • John Grin's Christmas(1986)

    Director · Producer · as John Grin

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • L.A. Law(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Edward Rollins

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • Passion and Memory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Host

  • Prince Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Martin Luther King

  • North & South: Book 1, North & South(1985)

    Show 5 episodes · as Frederick Douglass

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins(1984)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Kid with the 200 I.Q.(1983)

    Executive Producer · as Prof. Jason Mills

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Kid with the Broken Halo(1982)

    as Blake

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Purlie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Purlie

  • Seems Like Old Times(1980)

    as Fred

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Donna Summer Special(1980)

    as An Angel

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Kid from Left Field(1979)

    as Larry Cooper

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Benson(1979)

    Show 158 episodes · as Benson DuBois

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows

  • The Love Boat(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · as Allan Curtis · as Frank Belloque

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all shows

  • Soap(1977)

    Show 47 episodes · as Benson

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Jeffersons(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Good Times(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Super Fly T.N.T. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Jordan Gaines

  • Sanford and Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • All in the Family(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Franklin

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Marcus Welby, M.D.(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Aaron Carothers

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Julia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Bob Hope Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as The Singer

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 83 titles from 1950 to 2023; peak year 2003.

Biggest box office

The Lion King (1994)

$979M worldwide

Highest rated

The Lion King (1994)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Timon & Pumbaa (1995)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19502023

Peak 2003 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 4 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting82 of 83: 80 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thDirecting1 of 83: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 83: 1 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s1 · acting1960s2 · acting1970s9 · acting1980s20 · 19 acting · 3 crew1990s34 · acting2000s14 · acting2010s2 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 0% of 15 roles
8095

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; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys and 1 other major award from 11 major nominations, 1979–2000.

WinNomination
  1. 2000
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  2. 1995
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Spoken Word Album for Children
  3. 1985
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
  4. 1984
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
  5. 1983
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
  6. 1982
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
  7. 1980
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
  8. 1979
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Robert Guillaume's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 36; across their 35 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Reach · how many have seen their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Midcredits score across 58 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th13

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 58 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Universally Panned1
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic6
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed21

Most divisive · actor

Satin (2011)

93rd percentile spread · 46% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Lion King (1994)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 62/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 39. 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 Guillaume's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, alcohol & drugs runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles24–82 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles16–42 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles3–76 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles2–39 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles20–56 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Robert Guillaume work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Guillaume's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ernie Sabella shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles