Jason Nelson Robards
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Awards
Jason Robards won consecutive Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in 1976’s All the President’s Men and 1977’s Julia, playing real-life figures. In 1988 he became the 11th performer to win the Triple Crown of acting — Oscar, Tony, Emmy. He is closely associated with Eugene O’Neill’s works, notably playing Hickey in The Iceman Cometh and Jamie Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Robards died of lung cancer in 2000 at age 78.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Jason Robards — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Jason Robards by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Jason Robards — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Jason Nelson Robards Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 26, 1922 to Hope Maxine Glanville and stage and film star Jason Robards Sr. He was raised mostly in Los Angeles and attended Hollywood High School, where he excelled in football, baseball, basketball, and track. After serving as a radioman in the U.S. Navy during World War II and surviving the sinking of the USS Northampton, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and HB Studio.
Robards earned an Obie Award in 1955 playing Hickey in Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh. He then played Jamie Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey into Night in 1956. Avoiding films until age 37 to avoid his father’s going Hollywood fate, he entered features in 1959’s The Journey. His film career peaked with supporting Oscar wins playing Ben Bradlee in All the President’s Men 1976 and Dashiell Hammett in Julia 1977. He also received an Oscar nomination for playing Howard Hughes in Melvin and Howard 1980. Robards continued stage work, winning a Tony for The Disenchanted 1959 and earning a record eight Tony nominations.
Robards was married four times: Eleanor Pitman 1948-1958, Rachel Taylor 1959-1961, Lauren Bacall 1961-1969, and Lois O’Connor 1970 until his death. He had six children: Jason Robards III, David, Sarah, Sam with Bacall, Shannon, and Jake. Katharine Hepburn was godmother to his son Sam. He was a Civil War buff and portrayed President Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln on screen.
Robards is the only actor to win consecutive Best Supporting Actor Oscars. He became the 11th performer to achieve the Triple Crown of acting — Oscar, Tony, Emmy. The Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre was established in 2002 and first awarded to Christopher Plummer. He received the National Medal of Arts in 1997 and Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Robards is closely identified with Eugene O’Neill’s works, particularly his performances as Hickey in The Iceman Cometh and Jamie Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey into Night.
The complete filmography of Jason Robards — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Jason Robards — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Jason Robards — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
An Actor Doesn’t Change Thought, Theme, or Mood Unless the Character Does, and the Character Only Does It Within the Words of the Play.
I’ve Always Played Disintegrated Characters.
All I Know Is, I Don’t Do a Lot of Analysis. I Know Those Words Have to Move Me. I Rely on the Author. I Don’t Want Actors Reasoning with Me About Motivation and All That Bull. All I Want ‘Em to Do Is Learn the Goddamn Lines and Don’t Bump into Each Other.
The Theatre Has Kept Me Alive, and It’s Allowed Me to Work at My Craft.
Sometimes You Do Junk Just to Keep Alive. You Know It’s Junk When You Go In. You Just Hope You Will Do the Best You Can, and That the Film Will Be Entertaining. Many Times, It Isn’t, but You Just Do Those Things to Pay the Bills.
I Would Much Rather Be on the Stage. I Do Films, but I’ve Really Been on Stage Most of My Life. It’s Not Only More of an Emotional Experience, but It’s Also a Communication. It’s the Satisfaction of Saying Something About the Human Condition Through the Author, with the Actors Acting as the Instrument, and Then Hearing the Audience Response.
Little-known facts about Jason Robards — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Jennifer Jason Leigh added the Jason to her stage name in tribute to Robards, a long-time family friend. She said she liked the way it sounded between Jennifer and Leigh.
In one of his last roles, in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia 1999, he portrayed a man dying from lung cancer to excellent effect. One year later he himself died from the same disease.
Preferred working in the theater, and said once that he performed in Hollywood films so that he could grab the money and go back to Broadway as fast as he could.
As of 2015, he is the only actor to win consecutive best supporting actor Oscars for All the President’s Men 1976 and Julia 1977. In both films, he was playing someone he actually knew.
Avoided films until age 37 because he felt his acting father, Jason Robards Sr., had sold out and tarnished his own reputation by going Hollywood.
In 1988, he became the 11th performer to win the Triple Crown of acting: Oscar, Tony, Emmy. Two Oscars: Best Supporting Actor, All the President’s Men 1976, and Best Supporting Actor, Julia 1977. Tony: Best Actor, Play, The Disenchanted 1959. Emmy: Best Actor, Miniseries/Special: Inherit the Wind 1988.
Katharine Hepburn was the godmother of his son Sam Robards.
Received all of his Oscar nominations for playing real-life people: Ben Bradlee in All the President’s Men 1976, Dashiell Hammett in Julia 1977, and Howard Hughes in Melvin and Howard 1980.
Was a Civil War buff in real life. He played President Ulysses S. Grant in The Legend of the Lone Ranger 1981, and was the voice of General Grant in the PBS mini-series The Civil War 1990.
Served as a radioman aboard the U.S.S. Northampton, which was sunk by Japanese torpedoes in the Battle of Tassafaronga.
Has portrayed President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln 1992, The Perfect Tribute 1991 and Abe Lincoln in Illinois 1964; President Ulysses S. Grant in The Civil War 1990 and The Legend of the Lone Ranger 1981; President Franklin D. Roosevelt in F.D.R.: The Last Year 1980; and a fictional President Richard Monckton in Washington: Behind Closed Doors 1977.
He won an Oscar for playing Benjamin Bradlee in All the President’s Men 1976, making him one of 17 actors to win the Award for playing a real person who was still alive at the evening of the Award ceremony as of 2015.
On April 22, 2002, the first Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre was awarded to Christopher Plummer by the Roundabout Theatre.
His and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar nominations for playing Howard Hughes makes them only the second pair to both lose. Robards lost to Timothy Hutton, while DiCaprio lost to Jamie Foxx.
In 1978 he became the second actor to receive an Oscar, Emmy and Tony nomination in the same calendar year for Julia 1977, Washington: Behind Closed Doors 1977 and A Touch of the Poet, respectively.
He and Leonardo DiCaprio both received Oscar-nominations for portraying Howard Hughes. Robards was nominated for Melvin and Howard 1980 and DiCaprio for The Aviator 2004.
He is more closely associated with the works of Eugene O’Neill than any other actor.
Recipient of 22nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contribution to arts and culture, presented by President Bill Clinton in Washington, DC, Dec. 5, 1999.
His maternal grandmother was Swedish. His other roots were English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and German.
Attended Hollywood High School in Hollywood, CA, and played on the football, baseball, basketball, and track teams, at one time entertaining the idea of becoming a professional athlete.
Father of Jason Robards III, Sarah Louise Robards born September 20, 1951 and David Robards with his first wife, Eleanor Pitman. Father of Sam Robards with his third wife Lauren Bacall and father of Shannon Robards and Jake Robards with his fourth wife Lois O’Connor.
He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1997 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, DC.
Is one of 9 actors to have won the Triple Crown of Acting an Oscar, Emmy and Tony.
Won Broadway’s 1959 Tony Award as best actor dramatic for The Disenchanted. He was nominated seven other times, holding the record for most Tony nominations for an actor with eight.
He won an Emmy in 1988 for Inherit the Wind 1988.
Broadway and NYC-Hollywood television actor Jack Dodson and Jason Robards were extremely close friends. Their friendship began when they were cast in a Broadway production. They became bar mates after their curtain calls.
Played Hickey in three different productions of Eugene O’Neill’s play The Iceman Cometh — off-Broadway in 1955, on television in 1960, and on Broadway in 1955. Also played Hickey in production of Iceman Cometh 1985/86 in NYC and LA.
He has appeared in three films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: A Thousand Clowns 1965, All the President’s Men 1976 and Julia 1977.
Was the first winner of a Best Actor Obie Award, for playing Hickey in the revival of Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh during the 1955-1956 season.
He was nominated for a 1976 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Guest Artist in a play, Hughie, at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
First lead role was in the 1953 off-Broadway production of American Gothic directed by Jose Quintero.
Shares the role of Howard Hughes with Leonardo DiCaprio.
He studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.
He was cast as the lead in Fitzcarraldo 1982 but had to drop out after filming started, because of ill-health.
He was awarded the 1986 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Lead Performance for The Iceman Cometh at the Mark Taper Forum.
He was awarded the 1986 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Performance for The Iceman Cometh.
Alumnus of the AADA American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Class of 1948.
Born on exactly the same date as Blake Edwards.
Was a trustee at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
Jason Robards received more nominations 8 for acting Tony Awards than any other actor.
He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry: Once Upon a Time in the West 1968, All the President’s Men 1976 and Philadelphia 1993.
He was a survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Jason Robards.
Celebrities similar to Jason Robards — same craft, ranked by reach.
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