Robert Butler Biography

Fast Facts

• Won two Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for "The Waltons" in 1973 and "Hill Street Blues" in 1982
• Won a Robert B․ Aldrich Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America in 2001
• Was nominated for a CableACE Award for Movie or Miniseries for "White Mile" in 1995
• Graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in English
• Primarily directed episodes for television until 1969, when he directed his first films, "Guns in the Heather" and "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes․"
• Started out as a production clerk and stage manager at CBS Television City
• Started out as a director on the TV series "Hennesey" in 1959
• Quote: "(On the directing process): "[It's] about winning as many arguments as you can․""
• Best known as the director of films like "Turbulence" and "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" and as the creator of "Remington Steele․"