[6] Shortly after his father's death, 13-year-old Goulet moved with his mother and sister Claire to Girouxville, Alberta, and he spent his formative years in Canada.

[11] He appeared in eight productions, including Pajama Game (1959), Bells Are Ringing (1959), Dream Girl (1959), South Pacific (1960), Meet Me in St. Louis (1960) and Carousel (1960).

[12] In 1959, Goulet was introduced to librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe, who were having difficulty casting the role of Lancelot in their stage production Camelot.

Lerner and Loewe, impressed by Goulet's talent, signed the virtual newcomer to play the part, opposite Richard Burton (King Arthur) and Julie Andrews (Queen Guenevere).

[17] In 1966, Goulet starred in the television series Blue Light, in which he played a journalist working undercover in Nazi Germany as a spy on behalf of the Allies.

He also starred in an award-winning 1966 television version of Brigadoon,[18][19] which won five primetime Emmy Awards,[20] Carousel in 1967, and Kiss Me Kate in 1968, opposite his then-wife Carol Lawrence.

The plot involves Mel (Vic Tayback) and the girls winning a free trip to Las Vegas, and while there, losing his diner in a gambling spree.

That same year, he appeared as Quentin Hapsburg, opposite Priscilla Presley and Leslie Nielsen, in the comedy film The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear.

In 1992, Goulet made an uncredited appearance as the piano player who suffers agonizing injuries in the "Weird Al" Yankovic video for "You Don't Love Me Anymore".

In 1995 he appeared fronting a big band in a small sports themed nightclub, for a series of humorous 30-second ESPN ads revolving around NCAA basketball.

NCAA head coaches appeared in the audience as Goulet happily, not to mention strongly and authoritatively, sang variations on popular songs, with lyrics changed to include college basketball references.

In 1996, Goulet appeared in Ellen DeGeneres' first starring movie, Mr. Wrong, as an insecure TV host; and he returned to Broadway in Moon Over Buffalo, co-starring Lynn Redgrave.

In 2000, he played himself on two episodes of the Robert Smigel series TV Funhouse; as a sort-of mentor to the show's animal puppet troupe, he was the only character who had the respect of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Goulet played Don Quixote in the 1997–98 U.S. national tour of Man of La Mancha and recorded the theme song for the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!

His commercial work included a 30-second spot for the 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, showing him in different costumes (toll collector, construction worker, meter maid, etc.

In 2005, he appeared on the Broadway stage for the last time as a mid-run replacement in La Cage aux Folles and found critical success once again.

Clive Barnes of The New York Post wrote of his performance:Goulet's still radiant grin is in better shape than his joints, giving his movements rather less grace than before.

His gorgeous voice seems untouched by time, and his dapper presence fills the stage... With Robert Goulet's new, expansively embracing Georges, Beach seems revitalized, appearing to find a passion and pathos in the role previously eluding him.

[24] His last public performance was on the PBS televised special, My Music: 50's Pop Parade, broadcast on August 1, 2007, in which he sang "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If Ever I Would Leave You".

[25] Goulet and his first wife Louise Longmore had one daughter, Nicolette (died April 17, 2008), who gave birth to his two grandchildren, Solange-Louise and Jordan Gerard.

[30] On September 30, 2007, Goulet was hospitalized in Las Vegas, where he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare but rapidly progressive and potentially fatal condition.

In one segment Will Ferrell, portraying Goulet, performed several songs from a farce compilation album titled Coconut Bangers Ball: It's A Rap!

[37] Ferrell portrayed Goulet on the April 7, 2001 episode of SNL in a lengthy sketch opposite fellow cast member Chris Parnell and host Alec Baldwin.

A cult favorite, the sketch is ostensibly a commercial for a stage production of a new musical titled "Red Ships of Spain" in which Robert Goulet (Ferrell) is appearing in the leading role of Captain Ferdinand Poncho.

Ana Gasteyer also appears as Robert's (fictitious) daughter Sheila Goulet, who is oddly cast as her father's character's love interest.

Journalist Scott Simon, host of Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR, said in 2007:A professional entertainer doesn't give any less of himself just because the audience gets a little smaller.