Richard Gautier

Richard "Dick" Gautier (October 30, 1931 - January 13, 2017) was an actor, comedian, composer, singer and author. Among his most well-known television roles are for Hymie the Robot in the television series Get Smart, and Robin Hood in the short-lived TV comedy series When Things Were Rotten, a Mel Brooks send-up of the classic legend.

Early life
Gautier was born in Los Angeles, California.

Early career
Gautier started his career as a night-club comic and a singer for dance orchestras; he joined ASCAP in 1959 after serving in the United States Navy. In 1960, he portrayed fictional rock 'n roll star Conrad Birdie in the original Broadway theatre production of Bye Bye Birdie, receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance. He also portrayed the clumsy robot "Hymie" on TV's Get Smart.

As a game show panelist
During the 1970s and 1980s, Gautier was a frequent game show panelist, appearing on Match Game, Tattletales, Showoffs, You Don't Say!, Liar's Club, Password Plus, Body Language, Super Password, Win, Lose or Draw, and the TV version of Can You Top This?. He also briefly tried his hand at emceeing on the early 1970s celebrity couples game It's Your Bet.

Batman
In 1972, when Burt Ward and Yvonne Craig reprised their Batman roles (as Robin and Batgirl respectively) for a TV public service announcement about equal pay for women, Adam West (who was trying to distance himself from the Batman role at the time) was absent. Instead, Gautier filled-in for West as Batman.

Voice-over roles
Gautier performed several voice-over roles in animation, including Rodimus Prime in the third season of the Transformers animated series from 1986–1987 (taking over for Judd Nelson, who previously performed the role in the 1986 Transformers movie), as well as Serpentor in the G.I. Joe series. He was also the narrator for Discovery Channel's Search for Adventure.

Caricatures of celebrities
He was known for his caricatures of celebrities, and has written several instructional books on caricature, drawing, and cartooning.

Personal life
Gautier had three children. He was divorced from actress Barbara Stuart.

Gautier died on January 13, 2017, at an assisted living facility in Arcadia, California, following a long illness.