TOLUCA LAKE, CALIF.–Robert Easton, a character actor whose command of foreign and American regional accents led to a flourishing second career as a dialect coach to Hollywood stars died of natural causes Friday, Dec. 16, at his home here. He was 81.MSTies will remember him as Dan Kester in the movie in episode 810- THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION and as Mr. Keitel in episode 908- THE TOUCH OF SATAN, but he also did the voices of Phones and X20 in the movie in episode K01- INVADERS FROM THE DEEP, of which no fan copy exists.
His L.A. Times obit is here.
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Sad news; I liked him in Giant Spider… But, damn, that’s an amazing obituary!
All stained back braces are to be lowered to half-mast.
Godspeed, mr Cracker Mind, I shall sing public domain songs in your honor.
I just read his obituary. What an incredibly talented man! How he ended up in that piece of sh… surely fine drama that was Giant Spider Invasion, I’ll never understand. Seriously, he’d have to rank with Gene Hackman and Gregory Peck among the most talented people to appear in a MSTed movie. RIP.
Phones is dead? That’s bad news. Love those Gerry Anderson Supermarionation shows and Stingray is still available and a lot of fun thanks to the full series DVD set. “Anything can happen in the next half hour!”
I always thought he was among the more natural actors to appear on MST. His body language and line delivery in both movies suggested actual talent (albeit while playing despicable characters). I remember looking him up a few years ago and thinking he sounded like a pretty awesome guy.
God speed and condolences you truly were an awesome B Movie actor
Very interesting obit. R.I.P. Bob. I will “Be hittin the booze” tonight in your honor!
Hopefully, Ev is hitting the booze again, in mourning.
I agree that Mr. Easton seems to have had lots of natural talent; just a shame most of us never got to see it. RIP
Two actors whose life outside of their “star” roles in MST3K movies amazed me: Mr. Easton and Bryant Haliday, the man who helped bring Kurosawa to the Anglophonic world. Rest in peace after what sounds like a wonderful life.
“He was a wonderful man, a very unique personality, and a master at his craft.” What an amazing story!
Anyone who can keep ploughing forward, creating careers for themselves throughout their life, is worthy of phrase.
I tend to be one of those people who ‘files’ actors away when I see them and then recalls them anew when they pop-up again on screen.
This guy has popped-up A LOT over the course of time.
A quirk of mine is that I always think of the actor as the character I first saw them as….
Well,’SPARKS’, the Seaview Radioman from the ol` ‘Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea’ is GONE.
I know that Gypsy is as saddened as I am that another member of the Seaview crew has left us.
However bad the films that were done on the show you can’t say the makers and actors were without talent. It is us who should take a bow to you Mr. Eastman. RIP my friend.
Wow. He sounded like a very nice and very cool guy. Rest in peace Robert.
I too know Mr. Easton from many character roles that span decades. I first saw him as Luke from Abbott & Costello’s COMIN’ ROUND THE MOUNTAIN (1951) when I was a kid.
He will be missed.
I only just watched “Comin’ Round the Mountain” for the first time not too long ago and had that “Hey, it’s that guy!” moment. I won’t pretend I remembered his name, but I had read about him and he’s one of those guys I always kept my eyes open for.
Loved him in GSI. What an interesting career he had!
RIP, Mr. Easton. You will be missed.
And I do love that he was the Klingon judge that sentenced Kirk and McCoy to the prison planet in Trek VI.
Easily 99 of 100 times I read of an actor’s passing, I do not care. This time I did. I’ll have to screen “Giant Spider” after I get through my que of Christmas stuff.
Anyone else feel kind of bad that we Msties’ only exposure to him was as a cynical hick who cheated on his wife and burned religious people alive?
I do.
All set to poke fun at him…then I read his obit. Ain’t gonna happen. Neat guy.
All set to poke fun at him…then I read his obit. Ain’t gonna happen. Neat guy.
RIP
Wow. I just read the obit (I highly recommend it) and that’s all I can say.
I’m trying to imagine Mr. Easton making his wife keep talking to a local just so he can take notes on their speech patterns. Hahaha!!
Twelve Virginian accents?!?!
RIP man. I shout a farewll “PACKRRRRRRRRRS!” to the heavens in your honor. ( no irony intended )
Man, one of my favorite actors in a MST3K movie. This year is really packing in the deaths.
A very talented man who we were able to have some fun with. RIP Mr. Easton.
After reading everyone’s posts, I was reminded that I am always amazed at the kindness and thoughtfulness of Misties. You really are a great group to hang with.
Yes, he was a fine actor and very convincing as country boy Dan Kester. Thanks for the obit and his background information. Would have never realized he was such a talent just based on his performances. RIP Robert Easton.
Of course it’s sad that he has passed but it makes me happy to now know the guy from Giant Spider Invasion who shows up in Touch of Satan (which feels like a celebrity cameo in the world of MST3K) went on to a successful career as a dialect coach. Bonus: He was born in my hometown (and eventual home to Mike and the bots) Milwaukee.
One of those weird moments: I just watched The Touch of Satan last Friday night. Amazing obit.
Another of those “Everybody comes from somewhere” moments-I am as amazed to read his obit as I was when Bill pointed him out in the Rifftrax of Star Trek VI as the Klingon judge. Good lord, when I watched Giant Spider Invasion I thought he was a local hire. RIP. The great ones truly do make it look effortless.
Wow. What a brilliant guy – RIP. And it’s a credit to him that he is very memorable in both Giant Spider Invasion and Touch of Satan. I love working actors like this – they adore their job and want to act, even if it involves a movie with a big fake spider. He’ll be missed.
This only struck me a moment ago. Doesn’t the late Mr. Easton’s astonishing real life story – overcoming his own childhood stammer, then becoming an expert in dialect and teaching others how to retrain their own speech, for profit and/or personal improvement – remind anyone else besides me more than a bit of the dramatized version of the real-life speech therapist-slash-actor played by Geoffrey Rush in the movie “The King’s Speech”?
Now, of course, I’m not saying that there was anything shady going on :-D but I thought it made for an interesting parallel. Mr. Easton was likely an indispensible aid to any number of people, famous or not.
Rest in peace, you wonderful slob of a man.
It’s funny, though. When I first saw Giant Spider Invasion I couldn’t possibly imagine casting a more unappealing character…. and yet GSI is now one of my all-time favorites thanks to him. Rob OWNED that character. He IS Dan Kester. And then to see him again in Touch of Satan, I knew I had another actor to add to my MST favorites list.
And that really is an awesome obit. Who’da thunk he’d have such a talent? This is what I love about MST, you see a guy and go “wtf” and then later learn he was a living legend. Kinda makes you feel all fuzzy inside.
He also had a cameo in the BEVERLY HILLBILLIES movie. GIANT SPIDER INVASION episode is one of my favorites.
He was in an episode of The Munsters. He played a basketball player named Moose.
^ I remember that now!
I knew I’d seen him in something…was thinking Gomer Pyle, Andy or Beverly Hillbillies. But I remember his appearance in The Munsters and taking some time to finally guess who he was.
Probably most of the GSI cast has passed on at this point. I just know Dan is “up there” being hassled by the local law, Sheriff Skipper…over the phone.
R.I.P., Don Juan Destinko. I will tighten my back brace in your honor.
Seriously, though, he was obviously a very talented man. God’s speed Mr. Easton.
What can I add to what’s already been said so eloquently? “So BE it.”
What a nice obit. Loved him in Giant Spider Invasion, one of my faves. Evan enjoyed it unriffed.
And he sounds like an awesome guy. And to make a nice, intelligent guy into a Dickweed, he was truly was a good actor.
No more ‘You been hittin the booze again?!’