Actor Charlie Robinson, who was known for his role as Mac on NBC’s Night Court, has died, Variety reports. He was 75. Robinson died Sunday at the UCLA Medical Center due to cardiac arrest and multi-system organ failure due to septic shock and metastatic adenocarcinoma.
While he was widely recognized for his the ’80s and ’90s sitcom — playing Mac for all nine seasons of Night Court — Robinson had a 50-year career that included countless roles in film, stage and television. Over multiple decades, he appeared in movies like Secret Santa, The House Bunny, The River, Set It Off, and Jackson. He also starred in dozens of TV shows, including Love & War, Buffalo Bill, NCIS, The Guestbook, Hart of Dixie, and Home Improvement.
Robinson got his start acting in the late 1960s, when he began taking classes at Houston’s Studio 7, an acting school run by Chris Wilson at the Houston Music Theatre. He later relocated to Hollywood, where his acting career began with early roles in shows like Firehouse, Caribe and Cannon.
Although he made a name for himself onscreen, Robinson was also a celebrated stage actor. He earned multiple awards for his work in theater, including the Image Theatre Award and FRED Award for his role as Simon in “The Whipping Man.” He also won a Best Actor Ovation Award for his role as Troy in “Fences.” His most recent performance was in James Tyler’s “Some Old Black Man,” in which he played 82-year-old Donald Jones.
Robinson continued to act up until his death, appearing in Raven’s Home, Russell Maniac, and Love In the Time of Corona last year. His most recent film credits are listed as Blindfire and Senior Entourage, according to IMDb. Robinson will appear in two productions posthumously; he completed work on Sleepwalker and Underwater Upside Down.
Robinson is survived by his wife, Dolorita, children Luca, Charlie, Christian, and Byron, grandchildren, great grandchildren, daughters-in-law, and dog, Nala.