Robert Urich

The never-ruffled, ruggedly handsome tough-guy star of "Vega$" (ABC, 1978-81) and "Spencer: For Hire" (ABC, 1985-88), Robert Urich, who long played characters who were up to the task no matter how daunting, demonstrated the same resilience in his personal life, bouncing back no matter how many TV shows of his got canceled. His biggest challenge, however, came in 1996 when he learned he had a rare form of cancer, and he met the dreaded disease head-on, exhibiting the courage he'd always said he had with a power of positive energy and prayer approach that, coupled with medical technology, rid him of the scourge. Though the cancer cost him a second season of "The Lazarus Man" (TNT, 1996-97), his first show renewed since "Spencer," Urich remained upbeat about losing his favorite series (and first truly heroic) role, saying, "I think we could still be on the air, even with treatment, but maybe that is my destiny, to do something else. I'm still trying to find the full answer to what this has meant."