Robert Webber

Early life

Webber was born in Santa Ana, California, the son of Alice and Robert Webber, who was a merchant seaman. Webber graduated from Oakland Technical High School, and served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, serving on Guam and Okinawa.

Career

Webber had a 40-year career as a character actor, during which he appeared as Juror No. 12 in 12 Angry Men (1957), as Dudley Moore's gay lyricist in 10 (1979) and Cybill Shepherd's father in the hit series Moonlighting. Other notable turns were in the films The Sandpiper, in which he played a supporting role as Elizabeth Taylor's character's former lover, opposite Richard Burton; The Nun and the Sergeant, in which he played the lead; The Dirty Dozen, where he played a general who disliked a character played by Lee Marvin; a sadistic lowlife encountered by Paul Newman in the anti-hero detective drama Harper; a hitman in Sam Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia; and a killer in the Dean Martin spy spoof, The Silencers. He appeared in several films directed by Blake Edwards. On television Webber appeared in many of the popular dramas of the time, including four episodes of The Rockford Files and three of Cannon.

Personal life

Webber was married to actress and model Miranda "Sammy" Jones on October 1, 1953, and was divorced in July, 1958. He married his second wife, Del Mertens, on April 23, 1972. He died from Lou Gehrig's disease at age 64 in Malibu, California.