That same year, Benson left the Tates for the governor’s mansion and his own series. In its first seasons he was the head of household affairs for Gov. Eugene Gatling (James Noble); he eventually rose to budget director, lieutenant governor and finally a rival for the governor’s seat itself.

Image Robert Guillaume received a 1985 Emmy Award from the actress Linda Gray of “Dallas” for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his performance on “Benson.” Credit... Associated Press

“Benson” ended in 1986 with Benson and Gatling, now consummate equals, seated side by side awaiting the results of the election in which they had run against each other.

Mr. Guillaume won the Emmy for best lead actor in a comedy series in 1985.

“Benson” was followed in 1989 by “The Robert Guillaume Show,” a comedy in which he played a psychologist who becomes romantically involved with a white woman. The show was canceled after 12 episodes.

Mr. Guillaume, who had had interracial relationships long before they were more widely accepted in the United States, blamed his own naïveté for the show’s demise.

“I was ultimately responsible for that failure by not understanding what a wrenching change it would represent” to an audience still uncomfortable with the subject, he said in 2011.

Mr. Guillaume went on to play an executive producer, Isaac Jaffe, on Aaron Sorkin’s “Sports Night” (1998-2000), a sitcom about the inner workings of a show much like ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” When Mr. Guillaume had a stroke in 1999, Mr. Sorkin wrote a stroke into the script for the character so that he could continue playing the part.