Robert Guillaume (born Robert Peter Williams; 1927–2017) was an American actor and singer whose versatile career spanned theater, television, and film. He began his career on the Broadway stage, earning a Tony Award nomination for his acclaimed performance in the musical *Guys and Dolls*. His breakthrough role was the butler Benson DuBois, first in the sitcom *Soap*, which earned him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, and subsequently in the spin-off *Benson*, for which he won a second Emmy, this time as Outstanding Lead Actor. His deep, distinctive voice is inextricably linked to the character of Rafiki in the Disney animated classic *The Lion King*, a role that also earned him a Grammy Award for the audiobook recording. Among his other significant performances was his portrayal of editor Isaac Jaffe in the television series *Sports Night*.