Robert Karvelas (April 3, 1921 – December 5, 1991) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the lovable, dim-witted CONTROL agent Larabee on the classic 1960s spy spoof sitcom Get Smart. Born in New York City and raised in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Karvelas served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, during which time he also competed as a Golden Gloves boxing champion. Following his military service, he worked as a stockbroker before taking a path toward Hollywood.

His entry into acting came largely through his cousin, Get Smart lead actor Don Adams, who initially encouraged Karvelas to take small background parts on set. However, Karvelas’ natural, unassuming comic timing quickly won over the show's creators, leading to his expansion into a prominent recurring role. As Larabee—a character somehow even more bewildered and absent-minded than Maxwell Smart—he became a widely recognizable fan favorite. Following the end of the series, Karvelas continued his collaboration with Adams on the comedy series The Partners (1971), made guest appearances on television series such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and ultimately reprised his signature role as Larabee in the feature film The Nude Bomb (1980) and the follow-up television movie Get Smart, Again! (1989). Karvelas passed away in 1991 at age 70 and was laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

Riverside National Cemetery

Grave marker image for (ROBERT KARVELAS).

ROBERT KARVELAS

Service

CPL

Resting Place

33.88342842, -117.27047049

Mementos

Tributes

Word Cloud

undefined

Milestones

Mementos

Historical Documents

Veteran programs and services

More VA resources

Get VA updates

In crisis? Get help now

Contact us