Jason Robards

    Actor, Soundtrack

    Birthdate: Jul 26, 1922

    Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Died: Dec 26, 2000

    Powerful and highly respected American actor Jason Nelson Robards, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Hope Maxine (Glanville) and stage and film star Jason Robards Sr. He had Swedish, English, Welsh, German, and Irish ancestry. Robards was raised mostly in Los Angeles. A star athlete at Hollywood High School, he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, where he saw combat as a radioman (though he is not listed in official rolls of Navy Cross winners, despite the claims he and his public relations personnel made. Neither was he at Pearl Harbor during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack, his ship being at sea at the time.) Returning to civilian life, he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and struggled as a small-part actor in local New York theatre, TV and radio before shooting to fame on the New York stage in Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" as Hickey. He followed that with another masterful O'Neill portrayal, as the alcoholic Jamie Tyrone in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" on Broadway. He entered feature films in The Journey (1959) and rose rapidly to even greater fame as a film star. Robards won consecutive Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for All the President's Men (1976) and Julia (1977), in each case playing real-life people. He continued to work on the stage, winning continued acclaim in such O'Neill works as "Moon For the Misbegotten" and "Hughie." Robards died of lung cancer in 2000.

    Known For

    All the President's Men
    All the President's Men

    (1976)

    Magnolia
    Magnolia

    (1999)

    Parenthood
    Parenthood

    (1989)

    Jason Robards Movies

    actor

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    Previous (62)

    • 2026 |

      Reunion

      asHenry Strauss
    • 2023 |

      The Good Mother

      asW. O. Muth
    • 2021 |

      Julia

      asHammett
    • 2019 |

      Long Day’s Journey Into Night

      asJamie Tyrone
    • 2017 |

      The Journey

      asPaul Kedes
    • 1999 |
      Magnoliaas Earl Partridge
    • 1999 |

      Magnolia

      asEarl Partridge
    • 1998 |
      Heartwoodas Logan Reeser
    • 1998 |
      The Real Macawas Grandpa Girdis
    • 1997 |
      A Thousand Acresas Larry Cook
    • 1994 |
      Over Washington D.C.: Our Nation's Capitalas Narrator
    • 1994 |
      Little Big Leagueas Thomas Heywood
    • 1994 |
      The Paperas Graham Keighley
    • 1993 |
      The Trialas Doctor Huld
    • 1993 |
      The Adventures of Huck Finnas The King
    • 1992 |
      Deceptionsas Clay
    • 1992 |
      The Peoples Palace: Secrets of the New York Public Libraryas Narrator
    • 1992 |
      Storyvilleas Clifford Fowler
    • 1991 |
      Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radioas Narrator
    • 1989 |
      Black Rainbowas Walter Travis
    • 1989 |
      Reunionas Henry Strauss
    • 1989 |
      Parenthoodas Frank Buckman
    • 1989 |
      Dream a Little Dreamas Coleman Ettinger
    • 1987 |
      Square Danceas Dillard
    • 1984 |
      America and Lewis Hine
    • 1984 |
      The World of Tomorrow
    • 1983 |

      Something Wicked This Way Comes

      asCharles Halloway
    • 1983 |
      Max Dugan Returnsas Max Dugan
    • 1982 |
      Burden of Dreamsas Fitzcarraldo
    • 1981 |
      The Legend of the Lone Rangeras President Grant
    • 1980 |
      Cabo Blancoas Gunther Beckdorff
    • 1980 |
      Ghosts of Cape Hornas Narrator
    • 1980 |
      Raise the Titanicas Admr. James Sandecker
    • 1980 |
      Melvin and Howardas Howard Hughes
    • 1979 |
      Hurricaneas Capt. Charles Bruckner
    • 1978 |
      Comes a Horsemanas Ewing
    • 1976 |
      The Spy Who Never Wasas Inspector Barkan
    • 1976 |
      All the President's Menas Ben Bradlee
    • 1975 |
      A Boy and His Dogas Lou Craddock
    • 1975 |
      Mr. Sycamoreas John Gwilt
    • 1973 |
      Pat Garrett & Billy the Kidas Governor Wallace
    • 1972 |
      The War Between Men and Womenas Stephen Kozlenko
    • 1971 |
      Johnny Got His Gunas Joe's Father
    • 1971 |
      Murders in the Rue Morgueas Cesar Charron
    • 1970 |
      Foolsas Matthew South
    • 1970 |
      Julius Caesaras Brutus
    • 1970 |
      Rosolino Paternò, soldato...as Sam Armstrong
    • 1970 |
      The Ballad of Cable Hogueas Cable Hogue
    • 1970 |

      Tora! Tora! Tora!

      asGeneral Walter C. Short
    • 1969 |

      Once Upon a Time in the West

      asManuel 'Cheyenne' Gutiérrez
    • 1968 |
      Isadoraas Singer
    • 1968 |
      The Night They Raided Minsky'sas Raymond Paine
    • 1967 |
      Divorce American Styleas Nelson Downes
    • 1967 |
      Hour of the Gunas Doc Holliday
    • 1967 |
      The St. Valentine's Day Massacreas Al Capone
    • 1966 |
      A Big Hand for the Little Ladyas Henry Drummond
    • 1966 |
      Any Wednesdayas John Cleves
    • 1966 |
      The Face of a Genius
    • 1965 |
      A Thousand Clownsas Murray
    • 1963 |
      Act Oneas George S. Kaufman
    • 1962 |
      Tender Is the Nightas Dr. Richard 'Dick' Diver
    • 1961 |
      By Love Possessedas Julius Penrose