J. Robert Wagoner was born in North Carolina. The son of a preacher father, Wagoner attended Alabama State College on a trombone scholarship for a year. After serving four years in the US Navy, J. Robert went to New York to study acting and made plays on 42nd Street before going back to college in North Carolina. Wagoner majored and minored in English at college. Following graduation from college in 1967, Wagoner embarked on a career in both film and television as well as worked for the Peace Corps. His sole feature film directorial credit was the Rudy Ray Moore vehicle Disco Godfather (1979).