# Ross Martin
**Ross Martin** (born Martin Rosenblatt; March 22, 1920 – July 3, 1981) was a Polish-born American radio, voice, stage, film, and television actor best known for portraying Secret Service agent Artemus Gordon, a master of disguise, on the CBS Western series *The Wild Wild West* from 1965 to 1969.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014/bio/) He received a Primetime Emmy nomination for the role in 1969 and reprised Artemus Gordon in two television reunion films.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ross-martin) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Martin Rosenblatt, March 22, 1920, Gródek, Poland (now Horodok, Lviv Oblast, Ukraine)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014/bio/) |
| Signature role | Artemus Gordon on *The Wild Wild West* (CBS, 1965–1969), 104 episodes, opposite Robert Conrad[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) |
| Emmy nomination | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series, 1969[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ross-martin) |
| Education | Cum laude graduate of City College of New York; law degree from the National University School of Law, now part of George Washington University[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/) |
| Languages | Spoke Yiddish, Polish, and Russian before learning English, later adding French, Spanish, and Italian[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014/bio/) |
| Notable films | *Conquest of Space* (1955), *Experiment in Terror* (1962), *The Great Race* (1965)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) |
| Died | July 3, 1981, of a heart attack while playing tennis near Ramona, California, at age 61[5](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/04/Actor-Ross-Martin-who-co-starred-in-televisions-Wild-Wild/6875363067200/) |
## Early life and education
Martin was born in Gródek, Poland, to Isak Rosenblatt, a tinsmith, and moved with his family to New York City as an infant, growing up on the [Lower East Side](https://www.edgepedia.org/lower-east-side) in a tenement district.[5](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/04/Actor-Ross-Martin-who-co-starred-in-televisions-Wild-Wild/6875363067200/) • [4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/) He spoke Yiddish, Polish, and Russian before learning English, and later added French, Spanish, and Italian.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014/bio/) According to a [Baruch College](https://www.edgepedia.org/baruch-college) profile, his parents hoped he would become "a professional man," and he graduated from the Baruch School before attending the National School of Law in Washington, D.C., on a scholarship.[6](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/)
His path to performance ran through City College, where the president of the drama group Theatron invited him to audition for Clifford Odets' *Awake and Sing!*; his drama teacher Louis Levy urged him to take the part, and Martin later credited Levy with redirecting his life toward the theater.[6](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/) After finishing at the [City College of New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/city-college-of-new-york) with cum laude honors, he pursued legal studies at the National University School of Law, which today forms part of [George Washington University](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-washington-university).[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/) He held a series of jobs, including law clerk, teacher, testing psychologist, buyer, and public relations work for a national distillery, before turning to acting as a career.[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/)
## Radio, stage, and early screen work
Martin performed prolifically on radio in his twenties, using a talent for imitating dialects to play characters of many ages and ethnic backgrounds.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ross-martin/bio/3000766667/) On Broadway he appeared in *Hazel Flagg* and *Shinbone Alley* (1957), and he toured as Nathan Detroit in *Guys and Dolls* in 1955.[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/)
His first film was the George Pal production *Conquest of Space* (1955), in which he played Andre Fodor.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) Director Blake Edwards then cast him in a series of widely varied roles: the short-lived series *Mr. Lucky* (1959–60), in which he played the title character's sidekick Andamo; the 1962 thriller *Experiment in Terror*, as the asthmatic kidnapper Garland Humphrey "Red" Lynch; and the 1965 comedy *The Great Race*, as the villainous Baron Rolfe von Stuppe.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ross_martin) He also starred in the television series *Stump the Stars* (1961–64).[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/)
## The Wild Wild West
After *The Great Race*, CBS cast Martin in what became his most famous part: Secret Service agent Artemus Gordon in *The Wild Wild West* (1965–1969), opposite [Robert Conrad](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-conrad) as James T. West.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) The hour-long series, set in the post-Civil War era, followed the two agents as they worked directly for President Ulysses S. Grant, roaming the country in a lavishly appointed railroad car and combining Western, spy, and science-fiction elements.[9](https://digitalarchives.aum.edu/sites/default/files/2024-02/williams_thesis_2023%20%281%29.pdf) • [10](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Business/Dictionary-of-Teleliteracy-Bianculli-1996.pdf)
**A role built for a character actor.** The part made Artemus Gordon a master of disguise and accents, requiring Martin to create a different character in disguise in nearly every episode, from a 90-year-old preacher to a Mexican gunfighter.[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/) He often designed Gordon's disguises himself during pre-production, surprising the cast with his attire on set; he once recounted that a neighbor called the police on him after seeing him return home in costume to pick up a script.[7](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ross-martin/bio/3000766667/) By his own account he turned the role down five times before accepting, having been promised "the character actor's dream of a strong new role in each segment," a promise he said took three years to be fulfilled.[6](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/)
The physical demands were new to him. He was afraid of horses when the series began and took riding and fencing lessons; in one of the first episodes a stuntman struck his skull with a saber.[5](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/04/Actor-Ross-Martin-who-co-starred-in-televisions-Wild-Wild/6875363067200/) In 1968 he suffered a near-fatal heart attack that disrupted production for months; the show brought in substitute actors, including Charles Aidman, William Schallert, and [Alan Hale Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-hale-jr), for nine episodes and explained Gordon's absence by sending him to Washington on special assignment.[11](https://academia-lab.com/enciclopedia/ross-martin/) • [6](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/) He returned in time to film the last three episodes produced for the series.[6](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/)
In 1969 Martin was nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series for the role.[3](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ross-martin) CBS canceled the series that year amid a controversy over television violence, following congressional hearings led by Milton Eisenhower.[10](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Business/Dictionary-of-Teleliteracy-Bianculli-1996.pdf)
## Later career
After the series ended, networks were reluctant to give a lead role to an actor with a heart condition, and Martin worked mainly as a guest star.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014/bio/) His post-*Wild Wild West* credits showed his range: he played art critic and murderer Dale Kingston in the *Columbo* episode "Suitable for Framing" (1971), starred as [Charlie Chan](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlie-chan) in the 1973 television film *The Return of Charlie Chan*, voiced Dr. Paul Williams on the animated series *Sealab 2020* (1972), and took a recurring role as crime boss Tony Alika on *Hawaii Five-O* from 1978 to 1979.[12](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/ross-martin/umc.cpc.2j321i3wyvo6v09p1da1tn961) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ross_martin) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) An Associated Press obituary also reported that he starred as Charlie Chan in a 1971 television special.[13](https://groups.google.com/g/alt.obituaries/c/XrvOlKfMhSs) He made guest appearances on *Fantasy Island*, *The Love Boat*, and *Charlie's Angels*, and returned to the stage in a 1976 touring production of the musical *1776* as [John Adams](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-adams).[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/) • [6](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/)
A decade after the original series, Martin and Conrad reunited as Gordon and West in the made-for-television films *The Wild Wild West Revisited* (1979) and *More Wild Wild West* (1980).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014) His last broadcast appearance during his lifetime was a guest role on *Mork & Mindy* in the episode "Mork and the Bum Rap," which aired on January 15, 1981; he received a posthumous screen credit as Jacob Spiegler in the television film *I Married Wyatt Earp* (1983).[6](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/) • [14](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/85216/ross-martin)
## Death
On July 3, 1981, Martin collapsed while playing tennis at a club near Ramona, in San Diego County, and was pronounced dead at Pomerado Hospital in Poway; the San Diego County coroner identified the cause as a heart attack.[5](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/04/Actor-Ross-Martin-who-co-starred-in-televisions-Wild-Wild/6875363067200/) A doctor playing on the next court began cardiopulmonary resuscitation before paramedics took over.[4](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/) He was survived by his wife Olavee, daughters Phyllis Rosenblatt and Rebecca Schacht, and son [George Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-martin); funeral services were held at Mount Sinai Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles.[15](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/05/Funeral-services-will-be-held-Tuesday-for-actor-Ross/6562363153600/) Conrad, who said he wept on learning of the death, reported that Martin had been set to star as a corporate board chairman in a television series Conrad was producing.[15](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/05/Funeral-services-will-be-held-Tuesday-for-actor-Ross/6562363153600/)
## References
1. [Ross Martin, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014)
2. [Ross Martin Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553014/bio/)
3. [Ross Martin, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ross-martin)
4. [Ross Martin, 61, Actor Who Appeared In 'Wild, Wild West' Television Series, The Washington Post (Los Angeles Times), July 4, 1981](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/07/05/ross-martin-61-actor-who-appeared-in-wild-wild-west-television-series/a689230f-0f87-4dd3-8d1c-9b63bc7425e9/)
5. [Actor Ross Martin, who co-starred in television's 'Wild, Wild West' series, is dead of a heart attack, UPI Archives, July 4, 1981](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/04/Actor-Ross-Martin-who-co-starred-in-televisions-Wild-Wild/6875363067200/)
6. [Ross Martin's Transformation From Law School To Wild Wild West Secured His Status As A Hollywood Icon, The List](https://www.thelist.com/2240116/ross-martin-transformation-from-law-school-to-wild-wild-west-hollywood-icon/)
7. [Ross Martin Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ross-martin/bio/3000766667/)
8. [Ross Martin Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ross_martin)
9. [Williams, Introduction (thesis on The Wild Wild West), AUM Digital Archives, 2023](https://digitalarchives.aum.edu/sites/default/files/2024-02/williams_thesis_2023%20%281%29.pdf)
10. [David Bianculli, Dictionary of Teleliteracy (1996), WorldRadioHistory](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/Business/Dictionary-of-Teleliteracy-Bianculli-1996.pdf)
11. [Ross Martín, AcademiaLab](https://academia-lab.com/enciclopedia/ross-martin/)
12. [Ross Martin Movies and Shows, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/person/ross-martin/umc.cpc.2j321i3wyvo6v09p1da1tn961)
13. [Associated Press obituary of Ross Martin (July 4, 1981), archived in alt.obituaries](https://groups.google.com/g/alt.obituaries/c/XrvOlKfMhSs)
14. [Ross Martin, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/85216/ross-martin)
15. [Funeral services will be held Tuesday for actor Ross Martin, UPI Archives, July 5, 1981](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/07/05/Funeral-services-will-be-held-Tuesday-for-actor-Ross/6562363153600/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1940s to 1960s › Surnames M*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license