Actor, comedian and singer Dick Gautier, who had a long career in television that included playing the iconic role of Hymie the Robot on the late ’60s sitcom “Get Smart,” has died.
Gautier died Friday, Jan. 13, in Los Angeles of pneumonia, according to media reports. He was 85.
Gautier appeared in a number of TV guest spots early in his career — “Gidget,” “The Patty Duke Show,” “Bewitched” and others — before landing a steady role on the short-lived sitcom “Mr. Terrific” in 1967. He soon turned up on “Get Smart” as Hymie, and became one of the show’s most popular recurring characters.
He was a series regular on the 1970s Larry Hagman-Diane Baker sitcom “Here We Go Again” before landing the lead role of Robin Hood on the Mel Brooks sendup “When Things Were Rotten.” The show, which also featured Dick Van Patten and Bernie Kopell, aired a single season on ABC in 1975.
Gautier went on to a prolific career as a guest actor with appearances on “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “Wonder Woman,” “Happy Days,” “Alice” and many other shows. He later transitioned to voice work and became known to new generations of young fans as the voice of Serpentor on “G.I. Joe” and Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime on “Transformers” in the 1980s along with multiple voice roles on “Foofur,” “DuckTales,” “The New Yogi Bear Show,” “The Smurfs,” “The Addams Family,” “Cow and Chicken” and other animated shows of the ’80s and ’90s.
Here’s a short clip featuring Gautier as Hymie the Robot on “Get Smart” …