LOS ANGELES — Bob May, who donned The Robot’s suit in the hit 1960s television show “Lost in Space,” has died. He was 69.
May died Sunday of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Lancaster, said his daughter, Deborah May.
He was a veteran actor and stuntman who appeared in movies, TV shows and on the vaudeville stage when he was tapped by “Lost in Space” creator Irwin Allen to play the Robinson family’s loyal metal sidekick in the series that debuted in 1965.
“He always said he got the job because he fit in the robot suit,” said June Lockhart, who played family matriarch Maureen Robinson. “It was one of those wonderful Hollywood stories. He just happened to be on the studio lot when someone saw him and sent him to see Irwin Allen about the part. Allen said, ‘If you can fit in the suit, you’ve got the job.’ ”
Although May didn’t provide the robot’s distinctive voice (done by announcer Dick Tufeld), he developed a following of fans who sought him out at memorabilia shows.
“Lost in Space” was a retelling of “The Swiss Family Robinson” story in which professor John Robinson, his wife and their children were on a space mission when their craft was knocked off course by the evil Dr. Zachary Smith, who became trapped in space with them.
May’s robot would warn the family of approaching disaster that seemed to appear at every turn. His line to one of the children, “Danger, Will Robinson,” became a national catchphrase.
The grandson of famed vaudeville comedian Chic Johnson, May was introduced to show business at age 2 when he began appearing in the “Hellzapoppin” comedy revue.
He went on to appear in numerous films with Jerry Lewis and in such TV shows as “The Time Tunnel,” “McHale’s Navy and “The Red Skelton Show.”
He also was a stuntman in such 1950s and ’60s TV shows as “Cheyenne,” and “Stagecoach.”
He was fond of his Robot role, saying he came to consider the suit a “home away from home.”
Lockhart said May wore the suit for hours and because it wasn’t easy to take off, he kept it on during breaks.
“He was a smoker,” Lockhart remembered. “From time to time, we’d see smoke coming out of the robot. That always amused us.”
In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Judith; his son, Martin; and four grandchildren.
