Actor Robert Guillaume, the butler of popular TV series Soapand the voice of baboon Rafiki in The Lion King, has died aged 89 at his home in Los Angeles.
SEE ALSO:Prince George's favourite film proves once and for all he just can't wait to be kingHis wife Donna told The Associated Pressthe actor died of complications of prostrate cancer, which he battled for years.
Guillaume starred as the butler Benson DuBois in Soapfrom 1977 to 1981 -- for which he won an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor -- and later in the spinoff sitcom Benson, from 1979 to 1986. For the latter role, he became the first black actor to win an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in 1985.
In 1990, he was the first black actor to play Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera.
Tweet may have been deleted
His unique voice is impressed in the memory of a generation as Rafiki, the baboon in Disney's The Lion King.
Tweet may have been deleted
He also won a Grammy in 1995 for narrating a version for children of The Lion King.
Guillaume had a minor stroke in 1999, at the age of 71. At the time he was playing the role of an executive producer named Isaac Jaffe on Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night. The actor recovered and resumed his role in the series, with the stroke integrated in the script.
Tweet may have been deleted
“Robert was a lovely man who we brought in for one interpretation of Rafiki and who then completely reinvented it working in the studio. His passion and dedication and willingness to keep working created an indelible Disney character for the ages,” Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said in a statement.
Celebrities from Samuel L. Jackson to Shonda Rhymes paid tribute to the actor on Twitter:
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
TopicsCelebrities
(责任编辑：時尚)
Mom discovers security cameras hacked, kids' bedroom livestreamedReport: How Facebook is getting your private data from hospitals, according to The Markup
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover films dust devil mayhemTwitter to Elon Musk after he pulled out of buyout deal: 'We'll see you in court'
Satisfy your Olympics withdrawals with Nike's latest appDog elected for third term as mayor of Minnesota town
Hopefully he has a human chief of staff. 。Duke the Great Pyrenees is the only dog that's ever been el
...[详细]How can men help dismantle misogyny and violence? This book will tell you how.
How can men help dismantle misogyny? What are tangible things men can do to end male violence? What
...[详细]Most streamed TV shows of the week prove the Force is strong with 'Obi
What's everybody been watching this week then?We've dug into the latest data from streaming aggregat
...[详细]Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for May 26
Can't get enough of Wordle? Try Mashable's free version nowIt's Wordletime! It's a new day, which me
...[详细]PlayStation Now game streaming is coming to PC
Sony's PlayStation Now service is launching for Windows PC, meaning subscribers will soon be able to
...[详细]Airbnb horror stories are taking over Twitter
Earlier this week, a Twitter user shared picturesof what she thought looked like cameras disguised a
...[详细]5 kids movies on Amazon Prime Video that are actually worth watching
You don't have to be under the age of 12 to enjoy kids' movies.Main target demographic aside, someti
...[详细]Hands on with Stage Manager in Apple's macOS Ventura
New versions of Apple's macOS typically feel like taking your car for regular maintenance: Oil and f
...[详细]Visualizing July's astounding global temperature records
July set a rare temperature record during a year that is featuring off the charts warmth. The month
...[详细]TikTok trend reminds people to be kinder to themselves
Remember that TikTok trendwhere people posted their unique and sometimes embarrassing fun facts to O
...[详细]