Born in La Jolla, CA; educated at Antioch College. A former sailor, Robertson turned to the stage in the 1950s, and made his film debut in PICNIC (1955), playing the wealthy boyfriend of Kim Novak. He also found steady work on TV, particularly in the "golden age" of live TV drama; he starred in the Saturday morning series "Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers" (1953-54), guested on many TV anthology shows, and created the role of the alcoholic husband in "Days of Wine and Roses" (1958) played on film by Jack Lemmon. (In later years he made other high-profile TV appearances, won an Emmy® for a "Chrysler Theater" episode in 1965, and even spent a season on "Falcon Crest" in the 1983-84 season.) He was selected by then-president John F. Kennedy to portray the young JFK in the adaption of his wartime memoir, PT 109 (1963). Alfred Hitchcock considered him for the Sam Loomis part in "Psycho" but the part went to John Gavin; Robert Wise considered him for the lead role in "The Sand Pebbles" but that part went to Steve McQueen. Robertson was acclaimed for his poignant characterization of a mentally retarded bakery worker in CHARLY (1968), for which he received an Academy Award. Regarding his Oscar®, he's been quoted as saying: "The year you win an Oscar is the fastest year in a Hollywood actor's life. Twelve months later they ask - 'Who won the Oscar last year?'." Robertson's most ambitious undertaking was J.W. COOP (1972), an engrossing drama following the career of a would-be rodeo star, which he wrote, produced, and directed in addition to starring. (A second effort as star/director/writer, THE PILOT was made in 1979 but barely released.) In recent years he has done some particularly fine character work, in films like WILD HEARTS CAN'T BE BROKEN (1991, as a poor man's 20th-century Buffalo Bill Cody). Robertson made headlines as the victim of check-forging studio head David Begelman, who put the actor's name on checks he cashed himself; when Robertson blew the whistle on the popular producer, he found himself ostracized in Hollywood. He was for years the TV spokesman for AT&T. He is a well-known sailplane pilot and was the voice in the RUNNING ON EMPTY documentary video about the Barron Hilton Cup, a prestigeous soaring competition. He owns a number of vintage aircraft, including an original German WW II Messerschmitt 109-E, which is currently on diplay at the Parker/O'Malley Air Museum in upstate New York. Other notable credits include THE NAKED AND THE DEAD (1958), GIDGET (1959), THE HONEY POT (1967), THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE (1968), THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975), MIDWAY and OBSESSION (both 1976), CLASS, BRAINSTORM and STAR 80 (as Hugh Hefner) (all 1983), REMAISSANCE MAN (1994), ESCAPE FROM L.A. (1996), FAMILY TREE (1999), the SPIDER-MAN series (2002-07, as Uncle Ben Parker), 13TH CHILD (2002), and RIDING THE BULLET (2004). His first wife (1957-1959) was Jack Lemmon's ex-wife, Cynthia Stone Lemmon. He was married to actress Dina Merrill from 1966-89.  Actor 1968: CHARLY 1 nomination, 1 Award