Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Robert Picardo (Bob) graduated from the William Penn Charter School. He entered Yale University as a pre-med student, not knowing that he would someday portray doctors in three separate productions: first as Dr. Dick Richard on the ABC series China Beach, then as Dr. McCaskill in the theater production In The Waiting Room at the Mark Taper Forum, and now as The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager.
While at Yale, Bob landed a role in Leonard Bernsteins Mass, a musical theater piece originally commissioned for the 1972 opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 1974, armed with a B.A. in Drama from Yale, he enrolled at the Circle in the Square Professional Theater Workshop (fellow alumni include Kevin Bacon and Ken Olin). He waited tables for a couple of years, and then his theatrical work prospered (in 1976) when he appeared in the David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and with Diane Keaton in The Primary English Class.
In 1977, Bob made his Broadway debut in the leading role in the comedy hit Gemini with Danny Aiello (picture from Gemini). He went on to co-star with Jack Lemmon (picture of Bob and Jack Lemmon) in Bernard SladesTribute in 1978 on Broadway (picture of Bob and Catherine Hicks in Tribute) and in a west coast run which brought him to Los Angeles, where he decided to try out film and TV. Dr. Dick RichardHis work in theater also includes Beyond Therapy and Geniuses at the Los Angeles Public Theater, The Normal Heart at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, for which he won a Drama-Logue Award (picture of Bob and James Carpenter), A Class Act at the Pasadena Playhouse (picture of Bob and director Lonny Price), and On the Twentieth Century, for which Bob was nominated for an Ovation Award (picture of Bob and co-star Dan Butler).
The awards and recognition continued as Bob became involved in television. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as Mr. Cutlip on the ABC series The Wonder Years. Furthermore, Bob was awarded the Viewers For Quality Television Founders Award for his outstanding performances in The Wonder Years and as military surgeon Dr. Dick Richard on China Beach.
Bobs extensive television work has included a starring role opposite Helena Bonham-Carter in NBCs movie-of-the-week Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald, the HBO movie White Mile, and the NBC mini-series Deadly Matrimony.Mr. Ed CutlipHe has had recurring roles on Stargate SG-1, The Lyons Den, Home Improvement, L.A. Law, and Alice, and he has guest-starred in such series as The Dead Zone, The Practice, Frasier, Crossing Jordan, Seven Days, Ally McBeal, Outer Limits, Early Edition, ER, Tales From The Crypt, Amazing Stories, Benson, and Taxi. Bob recently appeared in the feature films Looney Tunes: Back in Action and Small Soldiers, and he starred in the feature film Wagons East. For a listing of his many other film and television appearances, go to his filmography.
Picardo has also been on the Advisory Council for The Planetary Society - the world's largest non-profit space-interest group that is dedicated to inspiring the public with the adventure and mystery of space exploration - since 1999. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and manages a monthly newsletter, The Planetary Post with Robert Picardo.
Bob resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Linda, and two daughters.
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