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USA - Robert Guillaume at Home in Encino

Source: Ann Johansson / Getty

Robert Guillaume was an accomplished actor that filled our hearts with joy and made us laugh when we first saw him on “Benson” as well as other roles he played. According to the Chicago Tribune the Emmy Award winner died at the age of 89 and was battling prostate cancer. Gulliaume was known for being the first African-America to sing in “Phantom of the Opera” while being on stage with his all-white cast.

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How can we forget Guillaume being the voice of Rafiki in “The Lion King” for which he won a Grammy Award for. In the late 90’s he worked on the ABC sitcom “Sports Night” and while on the show had a stroke, which he survived. In his autobiography Guillaume wrote, “To assuage bitterness requires more than human effort. Relief comes from a source we cannot see but can only feel. I am content to call that source love.” We will keep his family and friends in our prayers.

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