'Night Court' Star, Charlie Robinson, Dies at 75

Charlie Robinson, best known for his role in the long-running sitcom "Night Court," has died at 75.

The actor died Sunday from cardiac arrest with multisystem organ failures due to septic shock and metastatic adenocarcinoma, his rep told The Hollywood Reporter.

Born on Nov. 9, 1945, in Houston, Texas, Robinson's career began when he was a teenager, singing for groups Archie Bell and the Drells and Southern Clouds of Joy, while also acting in theater, according to Rolling Stone. In the '60s, he joined Chris Wilson’s acting school Studio 7 at the Houston Music Theatre and later moved to Hollywood, where he landed his first film role in 1971’s "Drive, He Said," and his first TV role in "Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law," Entertainment Tonight noted.

Robinson's first recurring role was in the primetime soap opera "Flamingo Road," and in the 1983 short-lived comedy sitcom "Buffalo Bill," but his most memorable role came in 1984, when he was cast as Mac Robinson for Season Two of "Night Court." Robinson went on to play the role for the rest of the show's nine-season run, until it wrapped up in 1992. After that, he appeared in a bevy of film and TV series, including "Home Improvement," "Hart of Dixie," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Key and Peele," "The Bernie Mac Show," and "How I Met Your Mother."

Additionally, Robinson appeared in a number of theater productions and racked up several awards including the Image Theatre Award and FRED Award for playing Simon in "The Whipping Man" and a Best Actor Ovation Award for portraying Troy in "Fences."

Tributes flooded social media shortly after news of Robinson's death broke. Among those honoring his memory was "The Wire" star Wendell Pierce, who recently spent time with the actor. 

"It only took 27 days and we created a lifetime. Charlie Robinson and I quarantined together during this pandemic to create a play and in that short time we created a lifetime of friendship. A special bond, like the father and son, we portrayed in the play," he wrote in a thread on Twitter.

"We had a mission to find a way to create our art while the world was shut down. By chance, we created a friendship in 27 days that only happens with a shared vision. In that short time he became mentor to me as I questioned if my best days had passed. By example he showed hope."

Pierce added, "I will cherish the work that we created and forever remember the brief time I spent with him."

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