For my generation, Robert was more of a skit from Mr. Show, a bit by Patton Oswalt and a really funny guest on The Simpsons because the movies he was involved with came out while I was a kid: The Godfather and The Godfather 2 and I think Love Story. Well, those were the big ones I can think of right away on a Saturday. During the Nineties, his tell-all book The Kid Stays in the Picture became the fodder of what Hollywood was like before the corporations gobbled up the studios. His rat-a-tat style of speaking is another reason why Patton and Bob Odenkirk imitated him, telling jokes on par with the outlandishness of his stories from the book. The South Park duo had a short-lived cartoon starring Robert’s voice as well, Kid Notorious, yet it died quickly on the ever brain-dead Comedy Central. Despite there not being much material to work on beyond a couple seasons, I think the executives at the network didn’t get the humor.
Thanks for all your contributions to well-loved movies Robert. I’m sorry your dreams of being an actor didn’t go well but you still got to live your dream as an executive, producer and studio boss.