Character actor Jay Robinson owned a pair of the narrowest, cruelest-looking eyes in 1950s Hollywood. To compliment them was an evil-looking sneer, crisp and biting diction and a nefarious-sounding cackle. These were all draped upon a lean, bony physique that could slither about menacingly like a ready-to-pounce cobra. With that in mind he made an auspicious film debut as Caligula in "The Robe (19 ...
show all Character actor Jay Robinson owned a pair of the narrowest, cruelest-looking eyes in 1950s Hollywood. To compliment them was an evil-looking sneer, crisp and biting diction and a nefarious-sounding cackle. These were all draped upon a lean, bony physique that could slither about menacingly like a ready-to-pounce cobra. With that in mind he made an auspicious film debut as Caligula in "The Robe (1953)", stealing much of the proceedings from its stars Richard Burton , Jean Simmons and Victor Mature. Though many complained that Jay's interpretation bordered dangerously on outrageous camp, his depraved Roman emperor nevertheless remains the most indelible image when reminded of the epic costumer.
Born April 14, 1930 in New York, Jay came from a fine upbringing, tutored at private schools both here and in Europe. His background in summer stock and repertory companies eventually attracted Broadway work in the Shakespeare classics "As You Like It" (1950) and "Much Ado About Nothing" (1952). He also appeared in and produced the play "Buy Me Blue Ribbons" in 1951, which was short-lived. After his movie bow, Jay went on to reprise the Caligula character in "The Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)" with Mature and Susan Hayward , and offered typically eye-catching supporting turns in "Virgin Queen (1955)" starring Bette Davis , and "My Man Godfrey (1957)" with David Niven and June Allyson.
It was at this juncture, however, that things started going horribly wrong for Jay. His newly-found celebrity went to his head and made him extremely difficult to work with. In addition, he began experimenting dangerously with drugs. In 1958 he was booked for possession of narcotics (methadone) and sentenced to a year in jail. Freed on bail, the incident and resulting notoriety ruined his career. After scraping up work outside the entertainment industry as a cook and landlord, he recovered from his drug addiction and married. Resuming work in obscure bit parts, he had another career relapse when he was forced to spend 15 months in jail after an old warrant was served on him.
In the late 60s Jay started appearing again on TV. He even prodded the memory of his own Caligula character by playing an impertinent Julius Caesar on an episode of "Bewitched." But it took a huge star like Bette Davis to help him regain a footing in films when she insisted he take a prime role in her movie "Bunny O'Hare (1971)". The movie failed miserably, deservedly so, but Jay prevailed and managed to somewhat repair his status with a number of delightfully flamboyant and hammy performances. Jay played fun parts along the way in Woody Allen 's "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972)", Warren Beatty's "Shampoo (1975)", and even Paul Reubens' "Big Top Pee-wee (1988)". While he played the delightfully eccentric Dr. Shrinker on _"Krofft Supershow, The" (1976) for one season, he somewhat balanced this silliness with made-for-video performances in _Macbeth (1981) , _Othello (1981) _ and "Richard II (1982)". Some typical horror roles also came his way with "Train Ride to Hollywood (1975)", in which he played Dracula, and in "Transylvania Twist (1990)" and Bram Stoker's "Dracula (1992)". In 1997, Jay proved an ideal host for the series "Beyond Bizarre" (1997)" He is more or less retired into the millennium.
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