Martin E. Brooks

Martin E. Brooks
Born Martin Baum
(1925-11-30)November 30, 1925
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Died December 7, 2015(2015-12-07) (aged 90)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active 1951–1996
Known for Dr. Rudy Wells in The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman

Martin E. Brooks (born Martin Baum;[1] November 30, 1925 – December 7, 2015) was an American character actor known for playing scientist Dr. Rudy Wells in the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and its spin-off, The Bionic Woman,[2] from 1975 onward (a role originally portrayed by Martin Balsam and then by Alan Oppenheimer).

Early life

Brooks was born Martin Baum in The Bronx. When he was 10, he moved with his family to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. After high school, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army, became a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division and was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries received during World War II. He attended Penn State University and enrolled at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research in New York City. He won the off-Broadway best actor award for his performance in Outside the Door and changed his name to Martin Brooks, following the advice of producer Richard Rodgers.[1]

Career

In the fall of 1977, Brooks and Richard Anderson (as Oscar Goldman) became the first known actors to portray the same characters as regulars simultaneously on two different networks. NBC picked up The Bionic Woman after the series had been cancelled by ABC. ABC continued to air The Six Million Dollar Man. Brooks had, by that time, been promoted to series regular on both series. The unusual situation lasted only one season as the two series were cancelled by their respective networks in the spring of 1978.

Brooks reprised the role of Wells in three television movies: The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1987), Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1989) and Bionic Ever After? (1994). His other television roles include Ted Burton in Knots Landing, Mike Snow in Hunter, Dr. Arthur Bradshaw in General Hospital, Deputy D.A. Chapman in McMillan & Wife, and Edgar Randolph in the soap opera Dallas, in a story arc involving J.R. Ewing.[3] He also guest-starred in an episode of The Silent Force in 1970.[4]

Personal life

According to Jon Landau, Brooks was the "soulmate" of Landau's mother, Edie, for over 20 years. They were friends as children and reconnected in 1993 after her husband died.[1]

Death

Brooks died on December 7, 2015, of natural causes at his home in Studio City, Los Angeles. He had turned 90 a week prior to his death.[1][5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Barnes, Mike (December 7, 2015). "Martin E. Brooks, Actor on 'The Six Million Dollar Man,' Dies at 90". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Bionicon 2.0 Announces New Guests for The June 29 -July 1, 2007 Convention". NewsBlaze. NewsBlaze. March 22, 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Season Six". Dallas Episode Guide. Ultimate Dallas. 2003. Retrieved September 6, 2008.
  4. ↑ The Classic TV Archive: The Silent Force
  5. ↑ "Martin E. Brooks, actor on Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman, dies at 90". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
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