'Night Court' actor Charlie Robinson dies at 75

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Charlie Robinson, the versatile and prolific actor whose many credits ranged from stage productions of 'œDriving Miss Daisy'ť and 'œFences'ť to such films as 'œSecret Santa'ť and 'œMiss Lettie and Me'ť to his long-running role as the court clerk Mac Robinson in the sitcom 'œNight Court,'ť has died. He was 75.

Robinson died Sunday at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to his manager, Lisa DiSante-Frank. The cause was cardiac arrest with multisystem organ failures due to septic shock, and metastatic adenocarcinoma.

'œCharlie Robinson, was the love of my life, husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather,'ť his wife and fellow actor Dolorita Noonan-Robinson said in a statement. 'œHe was truly the working actor's actor, and of all his passions, his craft took center stage, with his family being the wind beneath his wings, so he could soar to unbelievable heights! On behalf of my husband and family, I thank you for being a part of the audience.'ť

Charlie Robinson was a Houston native who in his teens sang with a local group that later became known nationally, Archie Bell and the Drells. His acting career started in the late 1960s when he joined the Houston-based school Studio 7. He made his film debut with a brief role in 'œDrive, He Said,'ť a 1971 release directed by Jack Nicholson, and worked steadily over the next 50 years. Besides 'œNight Court,'ť which ran from 1984-1992, he also appeared in the acclaimed, but short-lived 'œBuffalo Bill'ť; 'œHome Improvement"; 'œThe Game'ť and 'œHart of Dixie'ť among other series.

Recent credits include the teleplay 'œSome Old Black Man'ť and the stage play 'œThe Last Romance,'ť in which he appeared with Michael Learned.