Clifford Parker Robertson III, a leading man of moderate success, navigated his career without ever achieving major stardom. He initially gained recognition through his strong stage and television performances before making his film debut in a supporting role in Picnic (1955). This was followed by notable appearances in Autumn Leaves (1956),The Naked and the Dead (1958),Gidget (1959),and The Big Show (1961).
Born to Clifford Parker Robertson Jr. and Audrey Olga (nee Willingham) Robertson, Clifford Parker Robertson III's early life was marked by his parents' divorce when he was just a year old, and his mother's untimely death from peritonitis in El Paso, Texas, a year later. He was subsequently raised by his maternal grandmother, Mary Eleanor Willingham, as well as an aunt and uncle.
Robertson's film career was interspersed with notable television appearances, including the lead role in Days of Wine and Roses (1958) and a chilling performance as a petty criminal in Underworld U.S.A. (1961). He also starred in The Interns (1962),playing a pleasant doctor, and demonstrated his range in The Best Man (1964),The Honey Pot (1967),and Charly (1968),for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Throughout the 1970s, Robertson continued to star in notable films, including Too Late the Hero (1970),The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972),and Obsession (1976). He also ventured into directing and producing with J W Coop (1971) and The Pilot (1980),although the latter received less critical acclaim.
In his later years, Robertson took on supporting roles in Star 80 (1983),Escape from L.A. (1996),and Spider-Man (2002). He passed away on September 10, 2011, just one day after his 88th birthday, in Stony Brook, New York.
