Photo of Robert J. Wilke
Acting

Robert J. Wilke

Profession
Acting
Born
May 18, 1914 · Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Died
March 28, 1989

Biography

Prolific American character actor of primarily villainous roles. The son of German parents, Cincinnati feed-store manager August Wilke and his wife Rose, Robert Joseph Wilke grew up in Cincinnati. He worked as a lifeguard at a Miami, Florida, hotel, where he made contacts in the film business. He was able to obtain work as a stuntman and continued as such until the mid-'40s, when he began getting actual roles in low-budget westerns and serials. A prominent appearance as one of the heavies in Le train sifflera trois fois (1952) led to work in higher-quality films. He worked extensively in television as well as movies, and became an enormously familiar face, though a fairly anonymous one to the general public. His weathered visage made him a perfect western bad guy, but he occasionally played sympathetic parts as well, as in Les moissons du ciel (1978). An expert golfer, he was said by his friend Claude Akins to have earned more money on the golf course than he ever did in movies. He died in 1989. -

Known for

Spartacus poster
Spartacus
Film · 1960 · ★ 7.5
The Magnificent Seven poster
The Magnificent Seven
Film · 1960 · ★ 7.5
High Noon poster
High Noon
Film · 1952 · ★ 7.7
Days of Heaven poster
Days of Heaven
Film · 1978 · ★ 7.5
Stripes poster
Stripes
Film · 1981 · ★ 6.6
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea poster
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Film · 1954 · ★ 7.1
From Here to Eternity poster
From Here to Eternity
Film · 1953 · ★ 7.3
Bonanza poster
Bonanza
Series · 1959 · ★ 7.5
Written on the Wind poster
Written on the Wind
Film · 1956 · ★ 7.0
Dallas poster
Dallas
Series · 1978 · ★ 6.9
Man of the West poster
Man of the West
Film · 1958 · ★ 6.6
Kung Fu poster
Kung Fu
Series · 1972 · ★ 7.7

Filmography