Robert Guillaume, 'Benson' Star and Voice of Rafiki in 'The Lion King', Dies at 89

Robert Guillaume, who famously starred as Benson DuBois in the “Soap” TV series spin-off “Benson” in 1979 and voiced Rafiki in 1994’s “The Lion King,” died Tuesday at the age of 89 due to prostate cancer complications.
Aside from starring on the big screen and showing off his comedic chops on TV, Guillaume was also a stage actor and opera singer. Born Robert Peters Williams on November 30, 1927, Guillaume experienced a very troubled childhood and went on to have a complicated personal life. He was a victim of racism back then as his mother outrightly rejected him just because he was black. But despite these trials, he went on to study at St. Louis University and Washington University. However, Guillaume had to leave school for his service in the U.S. Army.

Robert Guillaume’s rise to fame

After his military duty, he went on a tour with the Broadway musical “Free and Easy” back in 1959. His real break on Broadway happened in 1961’s Kwamina. Since then, he has appeared on multiple TV shows in the early 70’s/ Among the shows he appeared on were “Good Times,” “The Jeffersons,” and “Sanford and Son.” However, it was during “Soap” that he became a series regular, and was considered to be the best acts of the show. He even starred in his own character’s spin-off, titled “Benson.”
As for his film accomplishments, Guillaume is best known for voicing Rafiki in “The Lion King,” which he also won a Grammy Award in 1994. He also starred with Morgan Freeman in the 1987 movie “Lean On Me,” and also in the 1990 action movie “Death Warrant” with Jean-Claude Van Damme.