Robert Rodan

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Robert Rodan (January 30, 1939 – March 25, 2021), born Robert Berger, was an American actor best known for playing the created monster Adam on the TV soap opera Dark Shadows.

Career[edit]

Rodan was born Robert Michael Berger on January 30, 1939,[1] in Newark, New Jersey.[2] He later changed his name to Robert Trimas, to take his stepfather's last name.[1] After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Miami and majored in art. After college, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he was assigned to a special services unit that produced skits, plays, and other forms of live entertainment for troops.[2]

Leaving the army, he intended to find work as a commercial artist.[3] Dark, handsome, and 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall,[4] so many people approached him on the street to ask if he was an actor that he decided to try his hand at it.[3] He acted in a few plays on the West Coast[5] and had a small role in the 1964 film Goodbye Charlie.[6]

Under the stage name Robert Rodan, he made his debut on Dark Shadows on May 3, 1968.[4] His role lasted only until the end of 1968, and he left the series rather than play other characters.[7] He made only one more acting appearance, in the 1969 film The Minx.[8]

After leaving acting, Rodan became a real estate broker in Southern California.[7]

Rodan was an avid painter, sculptor, sailor, and swimmer.[4]

Rodan returned to Dark Shadows in 2007, providing the voice of the new character Oswald Gravenor in the Big Finish Productions audio drama Dark Shadows: The Rage Beneath.

Death[edit]

Rodan died of heart failure on March 25, 2021, at his home in Oregon.[7]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hamrick, Craig; Jamison, R.J. (2012). Barnabas & Company: The Cast of the TV Classic 'Dark Shadows'. Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse. p. 317. ISBN 9781475910346.
  2. ^ a b "Do You Prefer 'Jenkins' to 'Burton'?". The Waterloo Courier. December 6, 1968. p. TV Showtime 6.
  3. ^ a b Shull, Richard K. (April 11, 1969). "Shull's Mailbag". The Indianapolis News. p. 19.
  4. ^ a b c "'Shadows' Monster Adam Created, as in Bible". Dayton Daily News. June 15, 1968. p. 26.
  5. ^ "Ask TV Scout". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. November 3, 1968. p. G19.
  6. ^ "TV Mailbag". Hartford Courant. July 14, 1968. p. TV Week 5.
  7. ^ a b c Evans, Greg (March 29, 2021). "Robert Rodan Dies: Actor Who Played 'Dark Shadows' Frankenstein Monster Was 83". Deadline. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Thomas, Kevin (February 2, 1970). "Corporate Espionage Picgtured in 'The Minx'". The Los Angeles Times. p. IV-5.

External links[edit]

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