I liked working in a series, going to work every day and not having to leave town for long locations. I was producing them and building an audience.

Evil's henchman Number 2 in all three films: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). As Wagner is considered "a suave icon of American caper television including It Takes a Thief and Hart to Hart" Robert Glenister (Hustle's fixer Ash Morgan) commented that "to have one of the icons of that period involved is a great bonus for all of us". In 2005 Wagner became the television spokesman for the Senior Lending Network a reverse mortgage lender and in 2010 began as a spokesman for the Guardian First Funding Group also a reverse mortgage lender.

He also had a recurring role as Teddy Leopold on the TV sitcom Two and a Half Men. In movies Wagner is known for his role as Number Two in the Austin Powers trilogy of films (1997 1999 2002). Wagner's autobiography Pieces of My Heart: A Life written with author Scott Eyman was publiRobert Wagnerd on September 23 2008.