Robert Osborne, genial face of TCM, dead at 84

AP logo
Monday, March 6, 2017
Robert Osborne, genial face of TCM, dead at 84
Osborne was an American film historian and former actor best known as the primary host for Turner Classic Movies.

NEW YORK -- Robert Osborne, the genial face of Turner Classic Movies and a walking encyclopedia of classic Hollywood, has died. He was 84.

Jennifer Dorian, general manager of TCM, announced Osborne's death Monday. A publicist for the network said he passed away Monday in New York.

Osborne, who began his career as an actor, was a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter. He was the on-air host of Ted Turner's fledgling classic movie network from its inception in 1994. He was there from the start, to introduce "Gone With the Wind," and remained Turner Classic's primary - and often sole - host since.

IN MEMORIAM: Celebrities and notable figures who have recently passed away

1 of 125
In this Feb. 10, 2012 file photo, actor Max von Sydow poses at the International Film Festival Berlinale, in Berlin.
AP Photo/Gero Breloer, File

If you're viewing on our ABC13 news app, tap on the photo above to see more images.

For TCM viewers, Osborne was a constant and calming presence. He introduced films with bits of history and trivia, and conducted interviews with stars about their favorite old films.

Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.