Robert "King" Moody (December 6, 1929 – February 7, 2001) was an American film, television and theatre actor, best known for playing Starker on the television comedy spy series Get Smart and for his televised portrayal of McDonald's' advertising spokesperson Ronald McDonald from 1969 to 1985.

Early life Moody was born in New York City on December 6, 1929.

Career

Film

Moody appeared in over a dozen feature films from 1959 to 1992, starting with Teenagers From Outer Space in 1959, where he played an alien spaceship captain. Others included supporting roles in The Glass Cage, an American entry at the International Film Festival in San Francisco in 1961, The Nun and the Sergeant in 1962, Five Minutes to Love in 1963, Sweet November and The Shakiest Gun in the West, both in 1968, and The Nutt House in 1992, his final film role. He also played minor roles in Any Wednesday in 1966 and Get to Know Your Rabbit in 1972.

Television

Moody had guest roles on numerous network television shows from 1960 to 1991, beginning with three episodes of the underwater adventure series Sea Hunt. Others included Combat! in 1964, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in 1966, The High Chaparral in 1967, Bonanza in 1967 and 1968, The Good Guys and Mannix, both in 1969, The Bob Newhart Show and Mission: Impossible, both in 1972, Starsky & Hutch in 1976, Little House on the Prairie in 1978, CHiPs in 1983, Quantum Leap in 1989, and Thirtysomething in 1991. In 1973, he was in the TV movie Message to My Daughter.

In 1970, Moody performed on the televised one act satire We Can Make Our Lives Sublime on Repertoire Workshop, a CBS series. Written by Norman J. Fedder, Moody acted in the supporting role alongside Barbara Sharma, who played the wacky newspaper columnist doling misguided advice.

Starker

Moody's most noted role was on Get Smart, appearing as KAOS henchman Starker (pictured), the "dummkopf" sidekick to Siegfried, played by Bernie Kopell, although he appeared in other guest roles on the series from 1966 to 1969. Moody played Starker comically as an expressive childish buffoon in keeping with the tone of the show. The expression "Starker, this is KAOS!", spoken abruptly by his KAOS boss, was a trope used whenever the character demonstrated such buffoonery.

In 1989, Moody reprised the role, along with most of the original cast, in the TV movie Get Smart, Again!.

Theatre

Moody performed in improvisational theatre in Los Angeles, California in the early-1960s with wife and creative partner Rachel Rosenthal and her repertory company, Instant Theatre, which she founded prior to going commercial with it in 1963. Touted as "Zany! Bad, Provocative!" or described as "improvisation with a difference", Friday and Saturday evening shows were performed weekly at the Horseshoe Theatre in Hollywood, California. Added in 1964 were Sunday matinees for kids titled Instant Fairy Tales, with advertisements boasting "a different story every week" and none repeated. The shows ran until 1966 when Rosenthal developed knee pain from the physical demands of performing and had to withdraw. In 1977, shows were resumed, at Hollywood Center Theater in Hollywood, again with two evening shows and one matinee for the kids. Revues were good but ticket sales could not cover costs, so production ended.

In 1986, Moody played one of the three main characters in the Mario Fratti penned play, Victim, which was a recasting of a 1982 Los Angeles production, and ran for twenty-two shows at the Willows Theatre in Concord, California. Both productions were directed by American actor Lou Wagner of Planet of the Apes fame.

Ronald McDonald

In 1969, Moody became the forth actor to portray Ronald McDonald on McDonald's TV commercials, playing the character for seventeen years until 1985. Success with the character came from his experience with Instant Fairy Tales and improvisational performances in front of kids. Remuneration from it made him rich, affording he and his wife Rachel Rosenthal a more comfortable lifestyle than they were used to during their theatrical work years earlier.

Personal life Moody married performance artist and collaborative partner Rachel Rosenthal in 1960, whom he met in 1958, and remained with her until 1979. They had no children. In 1981, he married his second wife, Jacqueline L. Larson, with this union ending in 1984.

Death Moody died on February 7, 2001 in Tarzana, California at the age of 71.

Filmography Includes performances in film, television and theatre.

Film Year Title Role Notes1959 Teenagers from Outer Space Spaceship Captain 1961 The Glass Cage Tox Milner 1962 The Nun and the Sergeant Pollard Terror at Black Falls Billy, barroom tough-guy 1963 Five Minutes to Love Blowhard 1966 Any Wednesday Milkman 1968 The Destructors Patch P.J. Thorson Friend UncreditedSweet November Digby The Shakiest Gun in the West Ernie Uncredited 1970 The Strawberry Statement TV Newscaster Which Way to the Front? Checkpoint Guard #2 Uncredited1972 Get to Know Your Rabbit TV Reporter 1989 Wedding Band Detective 1991 The Dark Backward Twinkee Doodle 1992 The Nutt House Victor Kaplan Final film role

Television Year Title Role Notes1960–1961 Sea Hunt Consul Baumer, Dr. Herschel, Heinrich Maus 3 episodes1964 Combat! Jouvet Episode: "Silver Service"1966 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. guest star, THRUSH heavy 2 episodes1966–1969 Get Smart Markovich, Kirsch/Y11, Starker, KAOS Scientist 10 episodes1967 The High Chaparral Frank Gore Episode: "Sudden Country"1967–68 Bonanza Carter, Charlie 3 episodes 1969 Mannix John O'Keefe Episode: "Odds Against Donald Jordan" The Good Guys Episode: "Winer, Diner, and Mover"1969–1985 McDonaldland Ronald McDonald 74 episodes 1972 The Bob Newhart Show Deputy Fire Chief Barnsdale, Ken Willet 2 episodes Mission: Impossible Det. Lt. Bruce Leonard Episode: "Cocaine"1973 Message to My Daughter Frank ABC Movie of the Week1976 Starsky & Hutch Nicholas Allen Edwards Episode: "Little Girl Lost"1976 Holmes & Yoyo Clay Dorsey Episode: "The Last Phantom"1978 Little House on the Prairie Otto Schiller Episode: "Harriet's Happenings"1983 CHiPs Capt. Burke 2 episodes 1989 Get Smart, Again! Starker TV movie Night Court Mike Wilson Sr. Episode: "Life with Buddy" Quantum Leap Southern Senator Episode: "Honeymoon Express - April 27, 1960" 1991 Switched at Birth Dr. Zelf TV miniseries Thirtysomething TV Evangelist Episode: "Sifting the Ashes"

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes1964–66 and 1977 Instant Theatre and Instant Fairy Tales various roles A live weekly improvisation for adults and kids, produced and directed with creative partner Rachel Rosenthal at the Horseshoe Theatre in Hollywood, California 1986 Victim Diana's husband Written by Mario Fratti. Performed at the Willows Theatre in Concord, California for 22 performances. Directed by Lou Wagner

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