Robert Conrad is a former American actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for the series, The Wild Wild West as James T. West. He was also known as the singer, Bob Conrad in the 1950s and 1960s. As a singer, he sang several pop/rock songs.
Early Life and Education of Robert Conrad
Conrad Robert Norton Falk was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 1, 1935. His mother, Alice Jacqueline Hartman was just 15 while his father, Leonard Henry Falk was 16 years old when they had Robert.
CAPTION: Robert Conrad SOURCE: Heightline Alice Jacqueline then became the first publicity director of Mercury Records and changed her alias to Jackie Smith. She reportedly married again.
Robert grew up with 9 siblings.
Education
Robert Conrad attended several schools during his childhood. He first attended South Shore High School and then Hyde Park High School. He also went to the YMCA Central School and New Trier High School. He dropped out of school when he was just 15.
He later joined college and graduated from Northwestern University after studying theater arts for several years to pursue acting.
How old is Robert Conrad?
Joan Conrad’s age is 84, as of 2019.
Personal Life: Marriage, Divorce, Children, Accident
Robert Conrad was first married to Joan Kenlay on February 23, 1952. They have five children together. Their sons, Shane Conrad and Christian Conrad are actors along with the youngest daughter, Nancy Conrad. Their oldest daughter Joan Conrad is a producer.
Conrad and Kenlay split amicably in 1977 after 25 years of marriage. Joan passed away on January 6, 1998, at the age of 63.
CAPTION: Robert Conrad with his second wife, LaVelda Fann. SOURCE: Getty Images He then married actress LaVelda Fann on March 28, 1977. They have three children together. Their daughters’ names are Kaja Conrad, Camille Conrad, and Chelsea Conrad.
Robert and LaVelda split in 2010 after 23 years in marriage.
Accident
Robert Conrad was critically injured after he drove his car while drunk and slammed head-on into an oncoming car in March 2003. The driver of the car was seriously injured and eventually died two years later. Conrad also suffered from severe nerve injuries and was left with his right side partially paralyzed.
CAPTION: Robert Conrad's right side was partially paralyzed after a serious accident. SOURCE: Getty Images He was tried for felony charges for the accident and convicted of drunk driving. His sentence was six months of house arrest, alcohol counseling and five years of probation.
Robert Conrad ‘s Career
Robert first debut in a movie was in Juvenile Jungle in 1958 with no dialogue. After making a positive impression in several small roles on-screen. He got a contract with Warner Bros.
With Warner Bros, he released few songs like Bye Bye Baby under the name Bob Conrad. He also proceeded to act on several TV shows.
Conrad’s big break came from the 1959- series, 77 Sunset Strip and its follow up show, Hawaiian Eye where he played the character of the detective, Tom Lopaka.
Robert then joined the role of agent James West in CBS’ superhit show, The Wild Wild West in 1965 for four years. For his work in the series, the actor was given a space in the Stuntman’s Hall of Fame.
After the popularity of The Wild Wild West, Conrad took countless projects and continued to act till the early 2000s.
Net Worth of Robert Conrad
Robert Conrad has been part of innumerable projects in the several decades he has been in the entertainment industry.
He earned $300 a week for his role in Hawaiian Eye. He was part of the show for 4 years and earned a total of $57,600 during his time from 1959 to 1963.
CAPTION: Robert Conrad SOURCE: Fanpop Conrad then earned $5,000 a week for his iconic role in The Wild Wild West in 1965. The show ran for four years. He earned a whopping $960,000 during his tenure on the show.
For the 1981-movie, Death Ray 2000, Conrad earned a total of $170,000 for his skilled acting.
Accounting to all his roles, Robert Conrad has a net worth of $2 million as of 2019.
