Jason Robard dies at age 78

Dec 27, 2000 by Ian Evans

Jason Robards, who was last seen in Magnolia, has died after a long battle with cancer. The two-time Oscar®-winner was 78.

Robards won his Best Supporting Actor Oscars® for 1976’s All the President’s Men and 1977’s Julia. His distinguished career spanned movies, stage and television. Broadway director Ellis Rabb once called him “the greatest American actor of his time.”

On stage Robards was considered the perfect interpreter of the works of Eugene O’Neill, especially for his work in The Iceman Cometh and Long Day’s Journey Into Night. He received eight Tony nominations for his stage work.

His film career started with 1959’s The Journey and included Tender is the Night, A Thousand Clowns, Comes a Horseman and Melvin and Howard.

Robards is survived by his fourth wife, Lois O’Connor and six children, including actor Sam Robards, his son by Lauren Bacall who married him after the death of Humphrey Bogart.