(Robert Conrad (R) with Ross Martin in "The Wild, Wild West".
BY LEE PFEIFFER
Actor Robert Conrad has died at age 84. Conrad's got his first big break with a key role in the 1950s hit TV series "Hawaiian Eye". But it was in the 1960s that he soared to fame in "The Wild, Wild West", one of the more enduring TV series inspired by the James Bond phenomenon. Set in the late 1800s, Conrad and co-star Ross Martin played government agents James West and Artemus Gordon, who employed Victorian-age super gadgets to thwart nefarious megalomaniacs. The show's tongue-in-cheek approach to plots relied heavily on the comedic byplay between Conrad and Martin. The series lasted four seasons and the actors returned in TV movies based on the show many years later. In 1999, the series inspired the poorly-received big screen adaptation starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline. Conrad excelled at stunt work and one of the show's trademarks was his ability to do many of the more dangerous action scenes without a stuntman. He was ultimately afforded the honor of being inducted into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame. After the series left the air, Conrad remained a regular presence on television, often guest-starring on popular series. In 1976, he scored another hit by starring in the WWII series "Black Sheep Squadron". In 1978, he won praise for his performance in the epic TV mini-series "Centennial". Although Conrad was primarily associated with television, he occasionally appeared in feature films such as "Young Dillinger", "Palm Springs Weekend", "Murf the Surf", "Jingle All the Way" and "Wrong is Right".
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