Clifford Parker "Cliff" Robertson, III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor with a film and television career that spanned half of a century. Robertson won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie Charly. His last film role was "Uncle Ben Parker" in the Spider-Man film series.
Robertson had a bit part in Mr. Roberts (1950) in Boston. Robertson played a future President of the United States in PT 109 (chosen personally by John F. Kennedy to portray the then-Lt. Kennedy) and a presidential candidate in The Best Man (1964). Later came Charly (an adaptation of Flowers for Algernon for which he won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actor).
Other films included Picnic (1955), Autumn Leaves (1956), Gidget (1959), Sunday in New York (1963), Devil's Brigade (1968), Too Late the Hero (1970), J. W. Coop (1972), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Obsession (1976), Star 80 (1983) and Malone (1987). Late in his life Robertson's career had a resurgence. He appeared as Uncle Ben Parker in the first movie adaptation of Spider-Man (2002), as well as in the sequels Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007). He commented on his website that "Since Spider-Man 1 and 2, I seem to have a whole new generation of fans. That in itself is a fine residual."<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference">[9]</sup> He was also in the horror film Riding the Bullet (2004).
In 1977, Robertson discovered that his name had been forged on a $10,000 check, although it was not money that was due him. He also learned that the forgery had been carried out by Columbia Pictures head David Begelman, and on reporting it he inadvertently triggered one of the biggest Hollywood scandals of the 1970s. Robertson was subsequently blacklisted for several years before he finally returned to film in Brainstorm (1983).<sup id="cite_ref-yahoo_7-1" class="reference">[8]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference">[11]</sup> The story of the scandal is told in David McClintick's 1982 bestseller "Indecent Exposure."
In 1957, Robertson married Jack Lemmon's ex-wife, actress Cynthia Stone, and they had a daughter, Stephanie, before splitting in 1960. In 1966, he married actress and Post Cereals heiress Dina Merrill, and they had a daughter, Heather, before divorcing in 1989. Heather died from cancer in 2007,<sup id="cite_ref-Times_Obit_3-4" class="reference">[4]</sup> predeceasing both parents.
One of Robertson's main hobbies was flying and, among other aircraft, he owned several de Havilland Tiger Moths, a Messerschmitt Bf 108 and a genuine World War II era Mk.IX Supermarine Spitfire MK923.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference">[12]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference">[13]</sup> He even entered balloon races, including one in 1964 from the mainland to Catalina Island that ended with him being rescued from the Pacific Ocean. A certified private pilot, Robertson was a longtime member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, working his way through the ranks in prominence and eventually co-founding the EAA's Young Eagles program, on which he chaired from its 1992 inception to 1994 (succeeded by former test pilot Gen. Chuck Yeager).
Robertson was airborne and piloting a private Beechcraft Baron directly over New York City on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was directly over the World Trade Center, climbing through 7,500 feet, when the first Boeing 767 struck. He was ordered by air traffic control to land immediately at the nearest airport following a nationwide order to ground all civilian and commercial aircraft following the attacks<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference">[14]</sup>
On September 10, 2011, Robertson died from natural causes in New York one day after his 88th birthday.[
