About Robert Osborne
Robert Jolin Osborne (; May 3, 1932 – March 6, 2017) was an American film historian, author, actor and the primary television host for the premium cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) for over twenty years. Born in Colfax, Washington, Osborne graduated from the University of Washington's School of Journalism. In 1959, he signed a contract as an actor with Lucille Ball's production company Desilu. There, he appeared in a television episode of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse and the pilot episode of The Beverly Hillbillies. Ball encouraged Osborne to pursue a career in writing. Afterwards, he published his first book Academy Awards Illustrated in 1965. In 1977, Osborne was hired as a news columnist for The Hollywood Reporter. In 1982, he began writing the "Rambling Reporter" column, whereby he reviewed films and Broadway plays. From 1984 to 1993, Osborne appeared as an on-air host for The Movie Channel. In 1994, Osborne served as the primetime host for Turner Classic Movies (TCM) until 2016. He also hosted the programming series: Private Screenings and The Essentials. In 2010, Osborne hosted the TCM Classic Film Festival and Classic Cruise until 2014. Osborne died on March 6, 2017, at the age of 84. We have enough actors, but we don't have enough writers." In 1965, Osborne published his first book Academy Awards Illustrated with a foreword by Bette Davis. The inspiration behind the book came when during one conversation, he had trouble remembering which actress had won an Oscar during one particular year. In 1977, Osborne interviewed Olivia de Havilland for three hours over champagne in Los Angeles, whereby they became lifelong friends.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.