Jul 26, 1922

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Son of stage and film star Jason Robards Sr.. After receiving the Navy Cross (the second highest decoration in the U.S. Navy) for his service in World War II, he struggled as a small-part actor in local New York theatre, TV and radio before shooting to fame on the New York stage in Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh" as Hickey. He followed that with another masterful O'Neill portrayal, as the alcoholic Jamie Tyrone in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" on Broadway. He entered films in The Journey ... ... (read more...) (1959) and rose rapidly to even greater fame as a film star. Won consecutive Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for All the President's Men (1976) and Julia (1977), in each case playing real-life perople. Has continued to work on the stage, winning continued acclaim in such O'Neill works as "Moon For the Misbegotten" and "Hughie." Died of lung cancer in 2000