Robert Wuhl

Actors/Directors
Bellaire High School

Arli$$, Bull Durham, Batman, Good Morning Vietnam, Mistress, Blaze, Cobb

Biography

ROBERT WUHL has thoroughly enjoyed the success of ARLI$$ in all of it's seven seasons on HBO.

Wuhl has also been critically praised for his work in films such as Bull Durham, Batman, Good Morning Vietnam, Mistress, Blaze, and Cobb. In 1996, he directed, wrote, and starred in his own independent feature, Open Season, a hilarious and biting satire of the TV rating system.

Wuhl has been twice honored with Emmy Awards in '91 and '92 for writing the Academy Awards telecasts hosted by Billy Crystal. He has also received a CableAce Best Actor nomination from the fist season of Tales of the Crypt (directed by Richard Donner).

As a comedian, Robert starred in his own HBO Comedy Hour titled Robert Wuhl's World Tour. Pushing the envelope on stand-up, the revue-style shows made use of animation and special visual effects to underscore the stores Robert told on stage. He has performed stand-up in numerous and prestigious venues around the country, including the early years of Comic Relief.

But in the beginning� after high school in Union, NJ, Robert headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in both the drama and athletic departments (with artist and director Julian Schnabel as his roommate). Leaving Houston ("after cramming four years into seven"), Wuhl returned to the east coast and began performing at The Improv in New York. His routines drew such a strong following that Rodney Dangerfield hired Wuhl to write jokes for him.

In 1979, Robert headed to Hollywood where he won the coveted role of "Newbomb Turk" in the cult classic comedy Hollywood Knights. Soon after, he sold a TV series idea, pursued screenwriting, and wrote for the critically acclaimed TV comedy Police Squad. But for the last seven years, ARLI$$ has consumed Wuhl's creative life. As its creator, star, periodic writer and director, Wuhl is the consummate artisan. He works tirelessly to produce the quality programming that HBO's viewership demands. His commitment to his beloved series, both in front of and behind the camera is evident on the screen. "Work is good," he says, "I want to be a craftsman, to work consistently to produce a body of work which will be respected by my peers and, hopefully, the public." Wuhl does allow himself a few pleasures during his rare free time: an occasional round of golf and Rotisserie baseball.