Robert Osborne

For other people named Robert Osborne, see Robert Osborne (disambiguation).
Robert Osborne

Osborne in April 2007
Born Robert Jolin Osborne
(1932-05-03) May 3, 1932
Colfax, Washington
United States
Residence New York, New York
Nationality American
Alma mater University of Washington
Occupation TCM Host
Years active 1958-present
Employer Turner Classic Movies
Home town Whitman County, Washington
Height 6’1” (1.85 m)

Robert Jolin Osborne (born May 3, 1932) is an American actor and film historian best known as the primary host for Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Prior to TCM, Osborne had been a host on The Movie Channel.[1]

Life and career

Born in the small town of Colfax, Washington, Osborne graduated from the University of Washington's School of Journalism. He began his career working as a contract actor for Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball's Desilu Studios. There, Osborne became part of Lucille Ball's Desilu Workshop, in which Ball worked with and nurtured such young performers as Osborne and actress-singer Carole Cook. One of Osborne's early television appearances was in a 1959 episode of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse called "Chain of Command," starring Hugh O'Brian. He was also featured in the Christmas Day Desilu Playhouse installment "The Desilu Revue" in December 1959. He also had small roles in such TV shows as The Californians and the 1962 pilot episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, "The Clampetts Strike Oil" (as Jeff Taylor). Not thinking the show would be a success, he decided not to sign up for the series, instead deciding to focus on acting in television commercials.[2]

Ball suggested that Osborne focus his energies on becoming a journalist, as he would often quip, "especially after she saw me act".[3] After The Beverly Hillbillies, Osborne would focus more on writing and journalism. In 1965, he had his first book published, Academy Awards Illustrated.

In 1977, Osborne began his long-standing stint as a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter. The following year, he published 50 Golden Years of Oscar, which won the 1979 National Film Book award. Having joined the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, he was elected its president in 1981, a position he would be re-elected to for the next two years. In 1982, he began a five-year stint as the entertainment reporter/critic on KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles. In addition, he began his Rambling Reporter column for The Hollywood Reporter, published five times weekly. In 1984, Osborne began hosting for The Movie Channel, as well as winning the Publicists Guild of America 1984 Press Award. The following year, he began a relationship with Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), when he hosted a tribute to Shirley Temple at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills. Three years later, AMPAS commissioned him to write 60 Years of the Oscar.

In 1994, Ted Turner created Turner Classic Movies as a competitor to American Movie Classics (now known as AMC).[4][5] Osborne was selected as the host of their nightly broadcasts.[2] For TCM, in addition to hosting four primetime movies seven days a week, he has also been the host of special one-on-one "Private Screening" interviews featuring many familiar actors and directors. Beginning in 2006, he has also co-hosted TCM's The Essentials. His co-hosts have been Molly Haskell from 2006 to 2007, Carrie Fisher from 2007 to 2008, Rose McGowan from 2008 to 2009, Alec Baldwin from 2009 to 2011, Drew Barrymore and currently Sally Field.[6]

Osborne has also participated in events at the Paley Center for Media in New York City saluting the television careers of Lucille Ball and Cloris Leachman. He recently served as moderator at the Paley for an evening celebrating the 100th birthday of Academy Award-winning songwriter Johnny Mercer. Beginning in 2005, Osborne has hosted the annual Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival[7] in Athens, Georgia.[8] The non-profit event is held by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.[8] In 2010, he hosted the very first TCM Classic Film Festival, and has participated in subsequent annual festivals.

In 2011, TCM announced that Osborne would be taking "a short break from his TCM hosting duties for minor surgery, followed by a vacation." Osborne did, however, continue to appear on Saturday nights hosting "The Essentials" with Alec Baldwin.[9] In 2012 Osborne began to share some of his hosting duties with Ben Mankiewicz.[10][11] Mankiewicz hosts primetime films two nights a week as well as many daytime events.[12] Osborne stated that he will continue to work “as long as I have health, and as long as I think I look O.K. on camera.” He also said, “If I really couldn’t do it with enthusiasm, that would be the time to quit.”[13]

Osborne resides in New York City.[3]

Awards and honors

Osborne won the Publicists Guild of America 1984 Press Award. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Art University in 2005, and was awarded a star at Vine Street on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. In 2008, he received the National Board of Review's William K. Everson Award.

Works

References

  1. ↑ Susan King, "Robert Osborne: a classic gentleman", Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2013. ("Osborne's hosting gig on TCM has made him a superstar among classic film buffs.")
  2. 1 2 Bernstein, Adam (August 14, 2005). "Turner's Classic Host Robert Osborne Brings Film Gems to Life on TCM". Washington Post.
  3. 1 2 "Robert O. Bio". RobertOsborne.com. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ Mitchell, Kim; Granger, Rod (April 18, 1994). "Turner launches TCM". Multichannel News. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  5. ↑ Grahnke, Lon (April 10, 1994). "Classic Films Find New Cable Outlet In Turner Empire". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Robert Osborne Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  7. ↑ http://www.robertosbornefilmfestival.com/
  8. 1 2 Film Festival overview
  9. ↑ Lumenick, Lou (July 11, 2011). "Robert Osborne taking leave from TCM". New York Post.
  10. ↑ Bobbin, Jay (July 5, 2012). "Turner Classic Movies' Ben Mankiewicz: 'It is a big responsibility' hosting the channel". Zap2it.
  11. ↑ Lumenic, Lou (October 1, 2012). "New movie maven". New York Post.
  12. ↑ Mckinely, Will (October 1, 2012). "Robert Osborne Taking Time Off from Turner Classic Movies".
  13. ↑ Barry, Dan (November 19, 2014). "Up Next, a Classic Who Loves Old Films: Robert Osborne Is the Face of TCM". New York Times.

Further reading

External links

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