Actor Robert Vaughn, 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' Star, Dead at 83

Actor Robert Vaughn

By JIM PURCELL

American actor Robert Francis Vaughn, 83, died in his Ridgefield, Connecticut home today on Friday, November 11, eleven days before his 84th birthday. The reported cause of his death was leukemia.

Mr. Vaughn was born on November 22, 1932, in New York City. His parents were radio actor Gerald W. Vaughn and his wife, Marcella Frances (Gaudel), a stage actress in the city. Mr. Vaughn attended the University of Minnesota, but ended up earning his Master's Degree in theater at Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in communications from the University of Southern California in 1970.

Mr. Vaughn is well known for his starring role on "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," which ran from 1964-1968. However, Mr. Vaughn had an impressive list of roles on television, on the stage and in the movies, ranging from 1955-2016. To name some of the productions he was associated with includes: "The Ten Commandments," 1956; "Teenage Cave Man," 1958; "The Magnificent Seven," 1960; "The Venetian Affair," 1967; "The Bridge at Remagen," 1969; and "Gold Star," 2016, to name a very few.

Personally, my favorite role from Mr. Vaughn's career was his portrayal of "Lee" from the "Magnificent Seven." In a star-studded film that included great actors like James Coburn and Yul Brenner, he stood out.

Mr. Vaughn was also well known for his political views. He opposed the Vietnam War, supported Democratic candidates like Eugene McCarthy, and other liberal-minded candidates, and was reported to have political ambitions of his own. However, in 1973, Mr. Vaughn denied that report.