Celebrity Nooz: Robert Conrad

Robert Conrad (Actor) - The Wild Wild West

Updated: 4/18/18

Name: Robert Conrad

Birth Name: Conrad Robert Falk

Born: March 1, 1935, Chicago, Illinois

Nickname: Bob

Claim To Fame: He is best known for his role as Secret Service agent James T. West on the 1965-69 CBS television series The Wild Wild West.

Family Life: Conrad was married to Joan Kenlay from February 23, 1952 until their divorce in 1977; the couple had five children. His second marriage was to LaVelda Ione Fann and the couple had three children together. They divorced in 2010.

Info: Before becoming an actor, Conrad released several music recordings during the late 1950s and early 1960s, finding success with the Billboard hit song "Bye Bye Baby."

He went on to get a start as Tom Lopaka on the ABC/WB series Hawaiian Eye. The show ended up being a hit and lasted from 1959 to 1963. Conrad starred on the CBS television series The Wild Wild West from 1965-69.

He played some minor roles in the early 1970s before finding success again in 1976 with his portrayal of World War II fighter ace Pappy Boyington in Baa Baa Black Sheep on NBC, retitled for its second season and in later syndication as Black Sheep Squadron.

In the late 1970s, he served as the captain of the NBC team for six editions of Battle of the Network Stars, and later starred in the short-lived series A Man Called Sloane in 1979.

Conrad also starred in television commercials for Eveready batteries in the late 1970s, where he would challenge viewers to test its long-lasting power: "Come on, I dare ya".

In 1988, he starred in the television series, High Mountain Rangers, with two of his sons. He appeared in the 1990 made for television film Anything to Survive, and in 1992 he played the sheriff in Richard Marx's "Hazard" music video.

In 2003, Conrad drove his Jaguar over the center median of Highway 4 in the California Sierra foothills and slammed head-on into a Subaru being driven by 26 year-old Kevin Burnett.Conrad was convicted of drunk driving (his blood-alcohol level was 0.22) and he was ordered to six months' house arrest, alcohol counseling, and five years probation. Burnett filed a civil suit that was settled for an undisclosed amount. In 2005, Burnett died at age 28 from perforated ulcers.

In 2006, Conrad recorded audio introductions for every episode of the first season of The Wild Wild West for its North American DVD release on June 6. He also appeared in the documentary film Pappy Boyington Field. He hosts a weekly radio talk show on CRN Digital Talk Radio.

Trivia: His mother, Alice Jacqueline Hartman would go on to become first publicity director of Mercury Records, known as Jackie Smith.

Attended Northwestern University (Evanston, IL).

Was a star football and basketball player in middle school and high school.

Speaks Spanish.

Played the drums and the trumpet.

Is of German, Polish, and English decent.

Inducted into the Stuntman's Hall of Fame for his work on "The Wild Wild West" (1965).

Where Are They Now: Conrad hosts a radio talk show on CRN Digital Talk Radio. CRN's "PM SHOW with ROBERT CONRAD" reaches a national audience on Cox Cable, Comcast Cables and radio stations and satellite operators coast to coast. He talks about his views, thoughts and career in a lively 2 hour live national radio show, Thursdays at 3PM PST.

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