As far as I can tell, Robert Urich never appeared at any of the ladies on the Strip but his contribution was his TV show Vega$ which utilized most of the ladies but centered around the Desert Inn.
Robert Urich aka Robert York was born on December 19, 1946 in Toronto, a blue-collar steel town in Ohio. The 6'2 Urich was a football star and attended Florida State University on a football scholarship. As a student, he earned a bachelor's degree in radio and TV communications in 1968 and received a master's in broadcast research and management from Michigan State University three years later. In 1968, he married Barbara Rucker and was divorced in 1974.
Urich's brother Tom is also an actor starring in among others, Meredith Baxter's TV movie A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story (1992)
Urich worked briefly as a TV weatherman and as an account executive at WGN-AM radio in Chicago. While at WGN he was hired to play a young soldier and open a Jewish United Bond drive with a patriotic speech.
Urich made his stage debut in a community theater production in Chicago of Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna's romantic comedy, Lovers and Other Strangers. For the next 18 months, he performed at Chicago's Ivanhoe, Arlington Park and Pheasant Run Theaters.
His big break came when Florida State alum Burt Reynolds cast him as his younger brother in a 1972 stage production of Richard Nash's The Rainmaker.
In 1973, Urich starred as Bob in the TV series Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. The same year his feature movie debut was in Clint Eastwood's movie Magnum Force.
On November 21, 1975 he married Heather Menzies who played Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 movie The Sounds of Music. They have three children Allison, Ryan and Emily.
Urich starred in many TV shows including S.W.A.T. (1975-1976); Soap (1978); Tabitha (1977-1978); Vega$ (1978-1981); Gavilan (1982-1983); Spenser: For Hire (1985-1988); American Dreamer (1990-1991); Crossroads (1992-1993); It Had to be You (1993); The Lazarus Man (1995-1996); Love Boat: the Next Wave (1998); and Emeril (2001).
In 1995, Urich received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also was the founder of Beaver Dam Press, which specializes in outdoor books.
In 1996, while starring in The Lazarus Man, Urich was diagnosed with synovial cell sarcoma, a rare cancer that attacks the body's joints. Urich went public and appeared on talks shows such as Larry King Live during his chemotherapy treatment to discuss his condition. His openness and optimism about his battle with cancer made him a popular lecturer.
Urich was the recipient of the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, and was named national spokesman for the American Cancer Society in 1998.
In 2000, Urich sued Castle Rock TV, the studio producing The Lazarus Man, alleging that the company pulled the plug on the series because of his illness. Urich had told the company in 1996 that despite his cancer he would be able to perform. In the breach of contract suite, which was settled, Urich sought the approximately $73,000 that he would have received for each episode in the second season.
Urich and his wife formed the Heather and Robert Urich Foundation for Sarcoma Research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 2002, Urich donated the $125,000 he won on the ABC game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire to the foundation.
Urich died on April 16, 2002, Thousand Oaks, California of his cancer. Donations are to made to The University of Michigan Comprehensive Center's Robert Urich Fund, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-0755.
"He was just one of the sweetest men I've ever met. No matter what you put him in, the audience loved him." - Aaron Spelling, producer of S.W.A.T., and Vega$.
Beside the above, Urich's credits include: The President's Man: A Line in the Sand (2002) as President Adam Mayfield; Aftermath (2001) as Jack Clover; For Love of Olivia (2001) as Horton Roundtree; Miracle on the 17th Green (1999) as Mitch McKinley; Final Run (1999) as Glen 'Lucky' Singer; Invasion America (1998) as Briggs;
Boatworks (1997) Host; Final Descent (1997) as Capt. Glen (Lucky) Singer; Vital Signs (1997) Host; Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue (1996) as Angus Feagan; When Animals Attack! (1996) Host; Captains Courageous (1996) as Capt. Matthew Troop; Alien Encounters from New Tomorrowland (1995) Host; A Horse for Danny (1995) as Eddie Fortuna; She Stood Alone: The Tailhook Scandal (1995) as Adm. Williams ; A Perfect Stranger, A as Alex;
To Save the Children (1994) as Jake Downey; A Musical Christmas at Walt Disney World (1993) Host; Deadly Relations (1993) as Leonard J. Fagot; Blind Man's Bluff (1992) as Thomas Booker; Jock of the Bushveld (1992)
"Crossroads" (1992) as John Hawkins; Revolver (1992); Double Edge (1992/I) as Harry Carter; Survive the Savage Sea (1992) as Jack Carpenter; And Then She Was Gone (1991) as Jack Bauer; Stranger at My Door (1991) as Joe Fortier; Circus of the Stars #15 (1990) as Ringmaster; 83 Hours 'Til Dawn (1990) as Bradley Burdock; A Quiet Little Neighborhood, a Perfect Little Murder, A (1990) as Ross Pegler; Blind Faith (1990) as Rob Marshall; Spooner (1989) as Harry Spooner/Michael Norton; Night Walk (1989) as Simon; Murder by Night (1989); Lonesome Dove" (1989) as Jake Spoon; She Knows Too Much (1989); The Comeback (1989) as Scotty Malloy; April Morning (1988) as Joseph Simmons; Amerika (1987) as Peter Bradford; Young Again (1986) as Michael Riley; The Defiant Ones (1986) as Johnny 'Joker' Johnson; Turk 182! (1985) as Terry Lynch; Mistral's Daughter (1984) as Jason Darcy; His Mistress (1984) as Allen Beck; He's Not Your Son (1984); Invitation to Hell (1984) as Matt Winslow; The Ice Pirates (1984) as Jason; Princess Daisy (1983) as Patrick Shannon; Endangered Species as Ruben Castle; Take Your Best Shot (1982) as Jess Marriner; Killing at Hell's Gate (1981) as Charles Duke; Fighting Back (1980) as Rocky Bleier; When She Was Bad (1979) as Bob Morgan; Leave Yesterday Behind (1978) as David Lyle; Bunco (1977) as Walker;
Get Rich Quick (1977) as Panelist; The Specialists (1975) (as Robert York) as Dr. William Nugent; Killdozer (1974) as Mack McCarthy; and Magnum Force (1973) as Officer Mike Grimes.
His off-screen credits include Miracle on the 17th Green (1999) (executive producer); Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes (1994) (co-executive producer); Blind Man's Bluff (1992) (co-producer)
His guest appearances included The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (1999); First Years (2001); The Nanny (1993); Samson, He Denied Her; Cheers (1982); Little House on the Prairie; (1974); Little House on the Prairie (1974) (billed as Bob Ulrich); The Love Boat (1977); Charlie's Angels (1976) (playing "Dan Tana"); Nakia (1974); Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969); Kung Fu (1972); and The F.B.I. (1965).
"I've been flying around the country for the last year talking to groups. It's part of my deal I made with God to spread the word that it is survivable, that this notion of 'cancer-free is one that you can achieve. I think my longevity has a lot to do with where I come from - a blue-collar town in Ohio - and how I was raised: to work hard and respect other folks. I know it sounds hokey but I think, ultimately, on TV you can't hide who you are. It's why people are always coming up to me, not to talk about my shows but about their families, their pets. They obviously feel comfortable with me." - Robert Urich to the L.A. Times, 1998.
"Robert Urich was an athlete, artist, a wonderful friend, and he was one of those rare people who never said anything unkind about anybody. His professionalism was exemplary. I have known Bob for 35 years and in all that time has has been the kindest and most loyal friend. I adore him, his wife and children, and we will all miss him greatly." - Burt Reynolds