Coloradans Talk Colorado
ROBERT WAGNER
His friends call him RJ. Robert Wagner has enjoyed an acting career spanning some 70 years. Early on, Wagner appeared in the 1954 western Broken Lance with Spencer Tracy and went on to make a name for himself on the big and small screens, including in the series Hart to Hart, most recently appearing as Anthony DiNozzo’s father on NCIS for nine years. He’s been married for 31 years to wife and fellow actor Jill St. John; the couple have lived in Aspen for decades.
What drew him to Colorado and Aspen
Well, obviously, Jill. But I first came to Colorado after the war in the late 1940s and more specifically to Aspen in 1949. I have always loved horses, wildlife, rivers, and streams. When I came here to go skiing with two French Canadian ski instructors who stayed on here and made Aspen their home, Aspen was a much smaller and different place.
A perfect day in Aspen
When I wake up I realize that I am one of the most fortunate men in the world. First I look over at Jill and then out across the Elk Mountains. Frequently I’ll see elk, fox, and deer and feel so lucky to literally live in a forest. As Jill says, “There are only so many front-row seats,” and we are fortunate to have one.
JILL ST. JOHN
She heated up the big screen as Tiffany Case opposite Sean Connery’s James Bond and went on to a decades-long film and television career, including appearing as herself in Robert Altman’s Hollywood satirical comedy .
