# Randolph Roberts

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{{short description|American actor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Randolph Roberts
| image        = Cunningham family Christmas Happy Days 1974.JPG
| image_size   =
| caption      = Cast of ''[Happy Days](/source/Happy_Days)'' (1974). L-R: [Ron Howard](/source/Ron_Howard), [Tom Bosley](/source/Tom_Bosley), [Erin Moran](/source/Erin_Moran), Randolph Roberts, and [Marion Ross](/source/Marion_Ross)
| birth_name   = 
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1947|10|05}}
| birth_place  = [Fresno, California](/source/Fresno%2C_California), U.S.
| death_date   = 
| death_place  = 
| occupation   = Actor
| years_active = 1973–1986 
}}

'''Randolph Roberts'''  (born October 5, 1947), also known as '''Will Roberts''', is an American actor best known for being the second actor (after [Gavan O'Herlihy](/source/Gavan_O'Herlihy)) to portray [Richie Cunningham](/source/Richie_Cunningham)'s older brother Chuck on two episodes of ''[Happy Days](/source/Happy_Days)''.

Gavan O'Herlihy played Chuck Cunningham in 9 episodes of [season 1](/source/Happy_Days_(season_1)) and the role was recast with Randolph Roberts for [season 2](/source/Happy_Days_(season_2)). Roberts played Chuck starting in season 2's first episode "Richie Moves Out" and ending with "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas". Chuck was not seen again but was later mentioned in a few other episodes ending with "Fish and the Fins" later in the season. After that, Chuck was written off the show completely with later episodes depicting the Cunningham family with only two children with [Richie](/source/Richie_Cunningham) as the elder. The character gave rise to the pejorative term "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome", referring to characters who disappear from TV-shows without an In-Universe explanation and are later [retconned](/source/Retroactive_continuity) to have never existed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-most-ridiculous-sitco_n_541532 |title=The 13 Most Ridiculous Sitcom Mysteries Of All Time (PHOTOS) |first=Dan |last=Abramson |date=June 17, 2010 |work=[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost)}}</ref>

Roberts also landed the leading role in ''[Wicked, Wicked](/source/Wicked%2C_Wicked)'' (1973), guest starred on ''[Gunsmoke](/source/Gunsmoke)'' (1974) and played a minor role in ''[Logan's Run](/source/Logan's_Run_(film))'' (1976). The filming of Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas, one of the props on the scene gave Roberts a [black eye](/source/black_eye).

Roberts eventually sidelined his acting career and became an education supervisor for [ITT Technical Institute](/source/ITT_Technical_Institute) in San Diego.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sitcomsonline.com/where.html |title=Happy Days: Where Are They Now? |access-date=February 20, 2010 |website=SitcomsOnline.com}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0731505}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smCobuF-hHU Roberts on ''Happy Days''] via [YouTube](/source/YouTube) (episode "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas")

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Randolph}}
Category:Living people
Category:1946 births
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male musical theatre actors
Category:Male actors from Greater Los Angeles
Category:Male actors from Fresno, California

{{US-screen-actor-1940s-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Randolph Roberts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_Roberts) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_Roberts?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.