Robert Sampson Passes On

Robert Sampson, who had regular roles on Bridget Loves Bernie and Falcon Crest as well as guest starred on such shows as Alfred Hitchcoc Presents and Star Trek, died on January 18 2020 at the age of 86.

Robert Sampson was born on May 10 1933 in Santa Barbara, California. He made his television debut in a guest appearance on Meet Corliss Archer in 1954. In the Fifties he had a recurring role on the TV show Steve Canyon. He guest starred on such shows as Matinee Theatre, Man Without a Gun, Goodyear Playhouse, The Deputy, Markham, One Step Beyond, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, and Adventures in Paradise. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in The Bamboo Prison in 1954. In the Fifties he appeared in such films as 5 Against the House (1955), The Peacemaker (1956), Up Periscope (1959), and Strangers When We Meet (1960).

In the Sixties Mr. Sampson guest starred on such shows as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Sea Hunt, The Asphalt Jungle, Rawhide, The Lawless Years, Outlaws, Frontier Circus, 87th Precinct, Tales of Well Fargo, Alcoa Premiere, The Twilight Zone, Thriller, The Virginian, Bonanza, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Outer Limits, Combat!, Ben Casey, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, That Girl, Star Trek, Gunsmoke, I Spy, T.H.E. Cat, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Green Acres, Mayberry R.F.D., and The Immortal. He appeared in the movies A Fever in the Blood (1961), Look in Any Window (1961), The Broken Land (1962), Hero's Island (1962), Della (1965), The Restless Ones (1965), For Pete's Sake (1966), and Zig Zag (1970).

In the Seventies Robert Sampson was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie. He guest starred on such TV shows as Mission: Impossible; Lassie; Ironside; Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law; Sarge; Griff; Adam's Rib; Hawkins; McCloud; The Wonderful World of Disney; Switch; Police Woman; Police Story; Good Heavens; The Jeffersons; The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries; CHiPs; The Rockford Files; Wonder Woman; and The Love Boat. The Sky's the Limit (1975), Mr. Ricco (1975), and Paura nella città dei morti viventi (1980).

In the Eighties Mr. Sampson had a recurring role on Falcon Crest. He guest starred on such shows as Dallas, Code Red, Strike Force, Hill Street Blues, Dynasty, Quincy M.E., Capitol, Knight Rider; The A-Team, Trapper John M.D., Knot's Landing, Magnum P.I., Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Hardcastle and McCormick, The Colbys, Amen, and Matlock. He appeared in the films Re-Animator (1985), Double Revenger (1988), Robot Jox (1989), and The Dark Side of the Moon (1990).

In the Nineties he guest starred on the shows Santa Barbara and Profiler. He appeared in the movies The Arrival (1991), Netherworld (1992), Indecent Behaviour (1993), and Annie's Garden (1997). In the Naughts he appeared in the films Shadow People (2007) and Faded Memories (2008).

If Robert Sampson guest starred on so many television shows, it is perhaps because he was very versatile as an actor. He played a Catholic priest on Bridget Loves Bernie and the local sheriff on Falcon's Crest. Over the years he played everything from mob hit man Vincent "Mad Dog' Coll on The Lawless Years to cavalry officer Lt. Meadows on Rawhide to an ophthalmologist on Dynasty. It was his versatility that made him so much in demand as a guest star on various TV shows.