Tribute to Bob May. See the full tribute article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bob May? Bob May was the actor who physically performed the B9 robot in all 83 episodes of Lost in Space from 1965 to 1968. He operated the mechanical suit on set, animating the robot’s characteristic gestures and movements under hot studio lights in a cramped, poorly ventilated costume. He was not credited for this work at the time — the robot was classified as a special effect.
When did Bob May pass away? Bob May passed away on January 18, 2009, at the age of 69. His death marked the end of a direct human connection to the original B9 prop for the community of B9 robot builders and Lost in Space fans who had come to know him through the science fiction convention circuit.
How did the science fiction convention community recognize Bob May? The convention circuit, which grew significantly through the 1980s and 1990s, gave May a venue where fans who had grown up watching the show — and who knew by then who had been inside the suit — could meet him directly. He was by all accounts a warm and generous presence at these events who genuinely engaged with the connection fans felt to the B9 robot he had operated.
What is Bob May’s legacy for B9 replica builders? For B9 replica builders, May’s legacy adds a human dimension to the prop being replicated — the robot’s characteristic gestures, hesitant head turns, and emphatic arm movements came from May’s moment-by-moment performance choices, not from scripts. Each completed replica is in part an acknowledgment that the original mattered enough to recreate, and May’s physical performance is part of what made it matter.
Further Reading from Authoritative Sources
- Bob May — Wikipedia’s Bob May (actor) article provides authoritative biographical information about the actor’s life, career, and legacy.
- Lost in Space — Wikipedia’s Lost in Space article provides authoritative series history including episode count, production dates, and cast information relevant to this tribute.