He got a degree in drama and then broke into films in 1957; he appeared in a film per year through the early '60s, meanwhile returning to school to get his master's degree in acting and a Ph.D. in political science. For his work in The Young Philadelphians (1959) he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. In the mid '60s he starred in the popular TV spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Although never a movie star, he has sustained a busy screen career through the '90s. He is the author of Only Victims (1972), a study of Hollywood blacklisting during the McCarthy Era.
Robert Vaughn
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Biography by AllMovie
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- First film appearance was as an uncredited extra in The Ten Commandments (1956).
- First major film role was in the 1957 western Hell's Crossroads.
- Most famous for playing Napoleon Solo in the 1960s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
- Even after achieving fame as an actor, he continued his education, earning a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Southern California in 1970.
- Was involved for many years in political causes; a longtime Democrat, he campaigned for candidates such as John F. and Robert F. Kennedy.
- Was a member of the Vietnam War-era group Another Mother for Peace, as well as Dissenting Democrats.
- Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.