Classic Morning Man: Robert Wagner!

One of the better books I read last year was Pieces of My Heart: A Life, an autobiography written by Robert Wagner.

Talk about an epic life! Wagner, who turns 80 years old in February, writes about it all quite candidly and pulls no punches.

Wagner married Natalie Wood when he was quite young then lost her to Warren Beatty. But they found each other again a decade later and stayed together until her tragic drowning death in 1981.

He was never as big a movie star as his wife but he was starring in films as far back as the early 50s including Prince Valiant, Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, Stars and Stripes Forever, Titanic, The War Lover and The Longest Day.

But R.J. struck gold on television starting in 1967 with the ABC series It Takes a Thief which co-starred Fred Astaire. He followed that up with the hit show Switch with Eddie Albert. That was followed by his most successful series to date: Hart to Hart which had a five-year run on ABC.

Wagner, married to actress Jill St.John since 1990, appeared in three Austin Power movies as Dr. Evil’s henchman Number 2. He also had a recurring role as Holland Taylor’s boyfriend on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men.