 Recipient of 22nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contribution to arts and culture, presented by President Bill Clinton in Wash DC, Dec. 5, 1999. Father of actor Jason Robards III. Father, with actress Lauren Bacall, of actor Sam Robards. Survivor of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. He has 3 children with Eleanor Pitman. He has 2 children with Lois O'Connor. He won an Emmy in 1988 for Inherit the Wind (1988)(TV). He was a Civil War buff in real life. Ironically he played President U.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) In 1972, he was in a horrifying accident on a winding California road. He drove his car into the side of a mountain and nearly died. His acute drinking problem contributed to the accident. He slowly recovered after extensive surgery and facial reconstruction. In one of his last roles, in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999), he portrayed a man dying from lung cancer to excellent effect. Two years later he himself died from the same disease. He 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". First lead role was in the 1953 off-Broadway production of "American Gothic". Two daughters and four sons: Sarah Louise, Shannon Robards, Jason Robards III, Sam Robards, David and Jake Robards. Received all of his Oscar nominations for playing real-life people: Benjamin C. Bradlee in All the President's Men (1976), Dashiell Hammett in Julia (1977) and Howard Hughes in Melvin and Howard (1980). In 1988 he became the 11th performer to win the Triple Crown of acting. 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) (mini). Nominated eight times for a Tony Award, for "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (1957), "The Disenchanted" (1959), "Toys in the Attic" (1960), "After The Fall" (1964), "Hughie" (1965), "The Country Girl" (1972), "A Moon for the Misbegotten" (1974), and "A Touch of the Poet" (1978). "The Disenchanted" - in 1959 was his sole win. Won Broadway's 1959 Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic) for "The Disenchanted." He has been nominated seven other times: as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) in 1957 for "Long Day's Journey into Night;" as Best Actor (Dramatic) in 1960 for "Toys in the Attic," in 1964 for "After The Fall," in 1965 for "Hughie," in 1972 for "The Country Girl" and in 1974 for "A Moon for the Misbegotten;" and as Best Actor (Play) in 1978 for "A Touch of the Poet." With eight nominations, he holds the record for being the actor nominated the most times for a Tony Award, although he only won once. Was the first winner of a Best Actor Obie Award, which recognizes achievement in the Off-Broadway theater, for playing Hickey in the revival of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" during the 1955-56 season. He tied for the Best Actor award with George Voskovec, who was cited for "Uncle Vanya." |