When he went to see Lost in Space (1965) producer Irwin Allen about "The Robot" role, Allen told him, "If you can fit in the suit, you've got the job".
He enjoyed playing the Robot, and once said that he considered his Robot suit "a home away from home".
He had 2 children with his wife, Judith: son, Martin, and daughter, Deborah.
Interviewed in Tom Weaver's book "Monsters, Mutants and Heavenly Creatures" (MidMar Press, 1996).
He and his wife lost their home during the November 2008 San Fernando Valley wildfires, which destroyed their upscale mobile home park.