| Robert V. Barron | |
| Occupation: | Actor, screenwriter, producer, director |
| Yearsactive: | 1954–1995 |
| Birth Name: | Robert V. Barron |
| Birth Date: | 26 December 1932 |
| Birth Place: | Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Salinas, California, U.S. |
Robert V. Barron (December 26, 1932 – December 1, 2000) was an American TV and film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.[1] He was best known for his role as the voice of Admiral Donald Hayes in 1980s animated TV series Robotech, of which he also served as the producer. He is also well known for playing Abraham Lincoln in the 1989 comedy film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Barron attended Morris Harvey College in Charleston, West Virginia, and UCLA. He subsequently trained at American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, and at Max Reinhardt Workshop in Los Angeles.
He got his entertainment start in radio, co-producing a two-hour Saturday morning radio program, the "Bop Shop," which aired for two years on radio station WGKV-AM (later WHMS and WXIT, now WSWW (AM)) in his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia.
Before permanently moving to California and beginning his Hollywood work, he spent several years in regional theater across the U.S. He built an impressive resumé of glowing reviews of his performances in such roles as Cyrano de Bergerac, Abe Lincoln In Illinois, Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons, Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind, Richard III, but was never offered major roles in films or television.
In Hollywood, he made acting appearances in television shows such as Quantum Leap, Get a Life, Father Dowling Mysteries, and movies such as The Spring and A Dangerous Place. He also wrote episodes of the NBC television western series Bonanza and the CBS-TV western/spy series Wild, Wild West. Perhaps his best-remembered television script was his first, a lighthearted comedy episode of Bonanza, "Hoss and the Leprechauns".
As a writer, Barron drifted into adapting English dubbing scripts of foreign films. American producers began buying successful Japanese animated series and dubbing them in English, and Barron was a pioneer in that industry, which grew rapidly and enormously. He became executive director and story editor for Saban Productions, which in five years became one of the world's largest producers of children's programming, with such shows as X-Men (1992) and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993). He also made appearances on TV series such as Bonanza, Mannix, Love American Style and Night Court, and played a pool player in an episode of CBS-TV's The Dukes of Hazzard.[2]
Barron died in December 1, 2000 at age 67 in Salinas, California, and was interred in Salinas's Garden of Memories Memorial Park.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Don de la mancha | Doctor / Dream Quixote / Villager 1 | 2 episodes; uncredited | |
| 1980 | Tomb of Dracula | Al / Narrator / Stud / Tomo / Walla | Uncredited | |
| 1981 | Dr. Slump | Bear / Coach / Frank | Episode: "Arale-chan Tanjou/Ossu! Otomodachi"; uncredited | |
| 1981 | Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds | Treville | ||
| 1984 | Macross: Boobytrap | Airshow Announcement | ||
| 1985 | Time Patrol | TV movie; credited as Merle Pearson | ||
| 1985 | Robotech | Admiral / Detroit Mayor / MC | 85 episodes | |
| 1985 | Qing bao long hu men | Kramer | Credited as Robert Barron | |
| 1985 | Captain Harlock and the Queen of a Thousand Years | Bully / Devlin / General / Major / Walla | 65 episodes; uncredited | |
| 1986 | Prof. Embry | Credited as Merle Pearson | ||
| 1986 | Macron 1 | Narrator / Geraldan / Computer | Uncredited | |
| 1987 | Wicked City | President (USA dub) | ||
| 1987 | Twilight of the Cockroaches | Elder | Credited as Robert Barron |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Las Vegas Hillbillys | Donald | Credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1967 | Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers | Cousin Elwood | Credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1968 | The Road Hustlers | Luke Reedy | Credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1977 | MacArthur | POW | Uncredited | |
| 1980 | The Private Eyes | Gas Station Attendant | ||
| 1982 | Eating Raoul | Butler at Swingers Party | ||
| 1982 | Rocket to Stardom | Farmer | Short Film | |
| 1982 | Honkytonk Man | Undertaker | ||
| 1983 | A Minor Miracle | Drunk #1 | Credited as Robert Barron | |
| 1986 | The Supernaturals | Old Vet | Credited as Robert Barron | |
| 1987 | Disorderlies | Funeral Home Director | ||
| 1988 | Daddy's Boys | Axelrod | ||
| 1989 | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | Abraham Lincoln | ||
| 1989 | The Horror Show | Death-a-Thon Announcer | ||
| 1989 | The Spring | Old Indian | ||
| 1989 | The Brave Frog | Goliath / Narrator (voice) | ||
| 1994 | A Dangerous Place | Homeless Man | Final Film Role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The Virginian | Chuck | Episode: "The Girl from Yesterday"; credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1964 | Valentine's Day | Angry Patron / Club Member | 2 episodes | |
| 1965–1969 | The Wild Wild West | Servant #2 / Mark Dawson | 2 episodes; credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1966–1969 | Bonanza | Cavalry Trooper / Stagecoach Driver / Hunter | 3 episodes; credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1967 | The Red Skelton Hour | Minor Role | Episode: "Where There's Smoke, There's a Dragon" | |
| 1967 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Harold | Episode: "Robin Hood and the Sheriff"; credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1967 | Judd, for the Defense | George Flowers | Episode: "Firebrand"; credited as Christian Anderson | |
| 1968 | Mannix | Car Rental Manager | Episode: "A View of Nowhere"; uncredited | |
| 1972 | Love, American Style | Abraham Lincoln | Episode: "Love and the Ghost" | |
| 1978 | The Next Step Beyond | Peter Combs | Episode: "The Haunted Inn" | |
| 1979 | Detective School | Burt | Episode: "The Bank Job" | |
| 1980 | Young Maverick | Undertaker | 2 episodes | |
| 1982 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Chickasaw Thins | Episode: "A Little Game of Pool" | |
| 1983 | Ace Diamond Private Eye | The Organist | TV movie | |
| 1985 | Wildside | Cook | Episode: "Well Known Secret" | |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories | Curator | Episode: "Alamo Jobe" | |
| 1985 | Night Court | Ray Muntz | Season 3, episode 10 "The Wheels of Justice (Part 2)" | |
| 1987 | Night Court | Jeff Prescott / The Red Ranger | Season 5, episode 7 "Who Was That Mashed Man?" | |
| 1987 | The Magical World of Disney | Mortician | Episode: "Bride of Boogedy" | |
| 1987 | Falcon Crest | Hippie | Episode: "Hunter's Moon" | |
| 1987–1989 | L.A. Law | Leonard / Wino | 2 episodes | |
| 1989 | Out of This World | Abraham Lincoln | Episode: "Honest Evie" | |
| 1989 | Alien Nation | Celinite Priest | Episode: "Fountain of Youth" | |
| 1990 | Father Dowling Mysteries | Tony | Episode: "The Medical Mystery" | |
| 1990 | Thanksgiving Day | Father Joe | TV movie | |
| 1991 | Get a Life | Abe Lincoln | Episode: "Psychic 2000" | |
| 1991 | Frankenstein: The College Years | Prof. Lippzieg | TV movie | |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Old Convict | Episode: "Unchained - November 2, 1956" | |
| 1993–1994 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | Additional Voices | 39 episodes |