During his long career, Robards appeared in more than 50 films. Many remember him for his portrayal of newspaper editor Ben Bradlee in "All the President's Men." He won an Oscar for his work in that film and another for his role in "Julia" the following year. He also had roles in "Divorce American Style," "Comes a Horseman" and "Melvin and Howard," in which he portrayed eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes.
Nearly killed in a horrific car wreck in 1972, he was out of the limelight for nearly two years as doctors reconstructed his face. It was during this time that he also worked to rid himself of an addiction to alcohol.
In addition to his work in major movies, he was active in legitimate theater. Several documentary producers called upon Robards to lend his authoritative voice to their projects. Filmmaker Ken Burns tapped Robards to narrate "Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio."
He is also remembered for narrating a look at the 1939 New York World's Fair in which his memories of attending the fair were combined with color home movies taken of him and his family during visits there.
Robards was the son of prolific actor Jason Robards Sr., but at first showed no desire to follow in his father's footsteps. That all changed when the younger Robards became engrossed in reading plays while serving in the military.
Jason Robards was 78.
(C) 2000 UPI All Rights Reserved.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.