Robert Klein will take over the role as Martin Adler, Grace’s father on Will & Grace. The role was previously played by Alan Arkin. Arkin played the role back in 2005 for a single episode called It’s a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World.
Debra Messing announced the news on Instagram, revealing she was very excited about Klein coming on board to play her father on the show, as they had previously worked together on NBC’s short-lived series called The Mysteries of Laura. As Debra pointed out, he had previously played her father.
But who is the man who is taking over the role from Alan Arkin?
Robert Klein is an actor, born on February 8, 1942. He’s a New York City native and his first acting credit in from 1970, where he played Peter in The Landlord.
He’s best known for his work on Two Weeks Notice with Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant, One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney, The Back-up Plan with Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin, and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days with Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, and Adam Goldberg.
However, he’s also worked on Sharknado 2: The Second One, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, Madam Secretary, The Good Wife, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Heartland, Saturday Night Live, The Stones, Grace Under Fire, The Twilight Zone, and Sisters – a show that ran from 1993 to 1996.
Klein was previously married to Brenda Boozer, but the two divorced in 1989. They have one child together, son Alexander Stuart Klein. He entered the acting world after graduated from Alfred University in Alfred New York with a BA in History and Political Science.
Throughout his career, he has been nominated for numerous awards, including Primetime Emmy awards. In 2001, he took home the award for the Best Narration for Dynasty: The New York Yankees at the New York Film Festival. He shared the award with Marino Amoruso, who directed the project.
Robert Klein is also known for his musical talents. He has released a handful of albums, where the first two appeared to be the most successful. His songs focused on being a child of the 1950s, about air raid drills, about meeting Yankee stars and the New York Yankees losing the World Series. His album, Mind Over Matter from 1974, even included a discussion of the Watergate scandal.
Klein is the author of The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue: A Child of the Fifties Looks Back, an autobiography published in 2006.
Will & Grace airs on Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.