Bob Gunton
Bob Gunton | |
---|---|
Born | [1] | November 15, 1945
Alma mater | Paulist Seminary St Peter's College University of California, Irvine |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1965–present |
Bob Gunton(born November 15, 1945) is an Americancharacter actorof stage and screen. He is known for playing strict authoritarian characters, includingWardenSamuel Norton in the 1994prison dramaThe Shawshank Redemption,Chief George Earle in 1993'sDemolition Man,Dr. Walcott, the domineering dean of Virginia Medical School inPatch Adams,and Secretary of StateCyrus VanceinArgo.He also playedLeland Owlsleyin theDaredeviltelevision series, Secretary of DefenseEthan Kaninin24,and Noah Taylor inDesperate Housewives.
In addition to his film and television careers, Gunton is a prolific theatre actor. He originated the role ofJuan Perónin the Broadway premiere ofEvitaand thetitular characterin the 1989 revival ofSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,roles for which he receivedTony Awardnominations. He has received aDrama Desk Award,anObie Award,and aClarence Derwent Award.
Early life, education and the Vietnam War
[edit]Gunton was born inSanta Monica, California,the son of Rose Marie (néeBanovetz) and Robert Patrick Gunton Sr., alabor unionexecutive.[citation needed]He attendedMater Dei High SchoolinSanta Ana, California,the Paulist Seminary St Peter's College, inBaltimore, Maryland,and theUniversity of California, Irvine.A lifelong devoutCatholic,Gunton initially planned to be apriest.[2][3]
He served in theUnited States Army(1969–71) as a radio telephone operator with the 2nd Battalion,501st Infantry Regimentof the101st Airborne Division,and was at theBattle of Fire Support Base Ripcord,South Vietnam,during the 23-day siege.[4]
He and a comrade were awarded theBronze Starfor returning to the base to retrieve important but forgotten radios in the evacuation's final moments, so that they would not fall into the hands of thePeople's Army of Vietnamforces about to capture the base. Due to this, he was one of the last people to evacuate. During the battle, he lost one of hisdog tags,but it was returned to him over 40 years later in 2018.[5][6]
Career
[edit]Gunton played the role ofJuan Perónin the original 1980 Broadway production ofEvita,earning a nomination forTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musicalfor his performance. He had a supporting role in the 1985HBO filmFinnegan Begin AgainstarringRobert PrestonandMary Tyler Moore.Gunton later starred in the title role of a 1989 Broadway revival ofSweeney Toddand received a second Tony nomination for his portrayal. Additional Broadway credits includeWorking,King of Hearts,The Music Man(NYCO),How I Got That Story,andBig River.[citation needed]
Gunton portrayedPresidentRichard Nixonin a recreation of theWatergate tapesincident forNightline.He also played PresidentWoodrow Wilsonin the filmIron Jawed Angels(2004). Gunton is also known for his guest starring role as Capt. Benjamin Maxwell in the 1991Star Trek: The Next Generationepisode "The Wounded".Gunton played Warden Samuel Norton, the head of Shawshank State Prison and the primary antagonist inThe Shawshank Redemption(1994) oppositeTim Robbins.Gunton played Cecil Dobbs in the 2011 filmThe Lincoln Lawyer.
Gunton also guest starred in the first season ofDesperate Housewivesand the sixth season of24,where he portrayedUnited States Secretary of DefenseEthan Kanin.He signed on as series regular afterward and reprised the role of Kanin but now as theChief of Staffto the new president,Allison Taylor,in the show's seventh season as well as the two-hour television prequel film,24: Redemption.He returned again for the eighth season but this time as the President'sSecretary of State.Gunton portraysLeland Owlsleyin the 2015TV seriesDaredevil.[7]Gunton made a guest appearance on[8]Law & Order: Special Victims Unitin January 2017. In 2021, Gunton was used as a body double forHarold Ramis' characterEgon SpenglerinGhostbusters: Afterlife.[9]
Stage credits
[edit]Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Rollover | Sal Naftari | |
1985 | Static | Frank | |
1987 | Matewan | C.E. Lively | |
The Pick-up Artist | Fernando Portacarrero | ||
1989 | Cookie | Richie Segretto | |
Glory | General Charles Harker | ||
Born on the Fourth of July | Doctor | ||
1990 | Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Firehouse | Chief Kirby | Short |
1991 | JFK | TV Newsman | |
Missing Pieces | Mr. Gabor | ||
1992 | Patriot Games | Interviewer | |
The Public Eye | Older Agent | ||
Jennifer 8 | Director Goodridge | ||
1993 | Father Hood | Lazzaro | |
Demolition Man | Chief George Earle | ||
1994 | The Shawshank Redemption | Warden Sam Norton | |
1995 | Dolores Claiborne | Mr. Pease | |
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | Burton Quinn | ||
1996 | Broken Arrow | Mr. Pritchett | |
The Glimmer Man | Frank Deverell | ||
1997 | A Thousand Acres | Judge | Uncredited |
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | Finley Largent | Uncredited | |
1998 | Patch Adams | Dean Walcott | |
1999 | Bats | Dr. Alexander McCabe | |
2000 | The Perfect Storm | Alexander McAnally III | |
2001 | Scenes of the Crime | Steven, Jimmy's Partner | |
2002 | Boat Trip | Boat Captain | |
2003 | Dallas 362 | Joe | |
2004 | I Heart Huckabees | Mr. Silver | |
2006 | Believe in Me | Hugh Moreland | |
2007 | Dead Silence | Edward Ashen | |
Fracture | Judge Gardner | ||
Numb | Dr. Townsend | ||
Rendition | Lars Whitman | ||
2008 | Player 5150 | Nick Villa | |
The Lazarus Project | Father Ezra | ||
2008 | The Least of These | Father Thomas Peters | |
2009 | Tenure | William Thurber | |
2010 | The Trial | Joe Whetstone | |
2011 | The Lincoln Lawyer | Cecil Dobbs | |
Kill the Irishman | Jerry Merke | ||
2012 | Get the Gringo | Thomas Kaufmann | |
Argo | Secretary of StateCyrus Vance | Hollywood Film Awards for Best Ensemble Cast | |
Trouble with the Curve | Watson | ||
2013 | Highland Park | Bert | |
Decoding Annie Parker | Dr. Benton | ||
Jimmy | Sheriff Brinson | ||
Runner Runner | Dean Alex Monroe | ||
Live at the Foxes Den | Tony O'Hara | ||
2014 | Mountain Top | Mr Forest | |
2015 | Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant | Flight School Instructor | |
The 33 | PresidentSebastián Piñera | ||
2017 | Alex & the List | Mr. Stern | |
2018 | Unbroken: Path to Redemption | Major Zeigler | |
2021 | Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Egon Spengler | Motion capture role, withHarold Ramis' likeness superimposed[10] |
TBA | The Gettysburg Address | William Herndon(voice) |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1985 | Finnegan Begin Again | Christian Jamison | Television film |
The Equalizer | Cronin | Episode "Mama's Boy" | |
1988 | Hothouse | Dr. Leonard Schrader | 7 episodes |
Miami Vice | Rivas | Episode: "Heart of Night" | |
1989 | Unconquered | GovernorGeorge Wallace | Television film |
1990 | Judgment | Monsignor Beauvais | Television film |
The Bride in Black | Sydney | Television film | |
Law & Order | Gil Himes | Episode: "Happily Ever After" | |
L.A. Law | Bob Weston | Episode: "New Kidney on the Block" | |
1991 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Captain Benjamin Maxwell | Episode: "The Wounded" |
Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin | Assistant District Attorney Scott Willard | Television film | |
A Woman Named Jackie | Hugh Auchincloss | 3 episodes | |
1992 | Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life | Texas Preacher | Television film |
Sinatra | Tommy Dorsey | 2 episodes | |
Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster | Larry Dietrick, State of Alaska | Television film | |
1993 | Wild Palms | Dr. Tobias Schenkl | 5 episodes |
Murder in the Heartland | Governor Anderson | 2 episodes | |
1994 | Roswell | Frank Joyce | Television film |
Cosmic Slop | President Ellis (Space Traders segment) | Television film | |
1995 | In Pursuit of Honor | Colonel John Hardesty | Television film |
Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Television film | |
1995 | Courthouse | Judge Homer Conklin | 11 episodes |
1996 | The Siege at Ruby Ridge | Bo Gritz | Television film |
1997 | Elvis Meets Nixon | PresidentRichard Nixon | Television film |
Buffalo Soldiers | ColonelBenjamin Grierson | Television film | |
1998 | Nothing Sacred | Bishop Corey | Episode: "Signs and Words" |
The Outer Limits | Clute Nichols | Episode: "The Hunt" | |
Ally McBeal | Michaelson | Episode: "These Are the Days" | |
2000 | Running Mates | Terrence Randall | Television film |
Family Law | Judge Mason | Episode: "Telling Lies, Conclusion" | |
2001 | When Billie Beat Bobby | Jerry Perenchio | Television film |
61* | Dan Topping | Television film | |
2002 | The Court | Casey | Episode: "Back in the Bottle" |
Spin City | Governor Riley | Episode: "A Friend in Need" | |
Touched by an Angel | Sidney Alcott | Episode: "A Feather on the Breath of God" | |
2002–2004 | Greg the Bunny | Jack 'Junction Jack' Mars | Main role |
2003 | Mister Sterling | California Governor Marino | 4 episodes |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Director Robert Carvallo | Episode: "Play with Fire" | |
Peacemakers | Mayor Malcolm Smith | Main role | |
2003–2004 | Judging Amy | Dr. Alan Foster | 3 episodes |
2004 | Iron Jawed Angels | PresidentWoodrow Wilson | Television film |
Judas | High PriestCaiaphas | Television film | |
Monk | Dwight Ellison | Episode:"Mr. Monk and the Game Show" | |
2004–2006 | Desperate Housewives | Noah Taylor | Recurring role |
2005 | Nip/Tuck | Agent Sagamore | 3 episodes |
2006 | Pepper Dennis | Dick Dinkle | Recurring role |
Numbers | Boyd Resnick | Episode: "Waste Not" | |
E-Ring | General Hughes | 3 episodes | |
2007 | Pandemic | Dr. Max Sorkosky | Miniseries |
The Batman | Gorman | Voice, Episode: "Riddler's Revenge" | |
Women's Murder Club | Arthur Lazar | Episode: "Train In Vain" | |
2007–2010 | 24 | Ethan Kanin | Main role |
2008 | Boston Legal | Attorney William Connolly | Episode: "The Court Supreme" |
24: Redemption | Ethan Kanin | Television film | |
World War II: Behind Closed Doors | PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt | BBCdocumentary with historical reconstructions[11] | |
2010 | The Mentalist | Alexander Harrington | Episode: "Red All Over" |
Warren the Ape | Unknown | Episode: "Out with the Old" | |
2010–2016 | Royal Pains | General William Collins | Recurring role |
2011 | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | Marshall Phelps | Episode: "Strays" |
Family Guy | Warden | Voice, Episode: "Cool Hand Peter" | |
2012 | Wilfred | Warner | Episode: "Now" |
Up All Night | Tom | Episode: "The Wedding" | |
2014 | New Girl | Ed | Episode: "Basketsball" |
Trophy Wife | Francis Harrison | Episode: "The Wedding: Part Two" | |
2015 | Daredevil | Leland Owlsley | Main cast (season 1) |
Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street | Grandpa | 2 episodes | |
2016 | The Last Tycoon | Vanderbilt Riddle | Episode: "Pilot" |
2017 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lawrence Hendricks Sr. | Episode: "Decline and Fall" |
Trial & Error | Jeremiah Jefferson Davis | 6 episodes | |
2018 | The Blacklist | Nicholas Moore | 2 episodes |
2019 | The Cool Kids | Colonel Christianson | Episode: "Funeral Crashers" |
Project Blue Book | PresidentHarry S. Truman | Episode: "The Washington Merry-Go Round" | |
Elementary | Frederick Wentz | Episode: "Reichenbach Falls" |
References
[edit]- ^"Bob Gunton".prod.tcm.com.
- ^"Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search".google.com.
- ^Angelo Stagnaro (February 26, 2017)."Where the Stars Go to Pray: The Churches of Hollywood".ncregister.com.RetrievedJune 15,2017.
- ^"Hollywood star, Vietnam vet reunites with dog tag in Cherry Hill".Courier-Post.RetrievedNovember 26,2019.
- ^"Robert Gunton - Actor, Vietnam Veteran and Bronze Star recipient reunited with his long lost dog tag - Patriot Connections Dog Tag Project | Patriot Connections".RetrievedNovember 26,2019.
- ^"Actor/Vietnam Veteran and Bronze Star recipient, Bob Gunton, to be reunited with his Dog Tag at Cherry Hill Legion | Patriot Connections".April 3, 2018.RetrievedNovember 26,2019.
- ^Thompson, Zac (January 7, 2015)."Netflix Sets Marvel's" Daredevil "For April!".
- ^"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit".NBC.com.RetrievedSeptember 1,2022.
- ^Vespe, Eric (December 14, 2021)."Ghostbusters: Afterlife Cast Shawshank Redemption Actor Bob Gunton As Egon's Stand-In".SlashFilm.com.
- ^"The Day Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson Became Ghostbusters Again".Vanity Fair.November 22, 2021.RetrievedNovember 22,2021.
- ^"BBC Two - World War II: Behind Closed Doors".Bbc.co.uk. December 19, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 20,2012.
Further reading
[edit]- Voisin, Scott.Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting.BearManor Media, 2009.ISBN978-1-59393-342-5.
External links
[edit]- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male stage actors
- American Roman Catholics
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Living people
- Male actors from Santa Monica, California
- University of California, Irvine alumni
- United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
- United States Army soldiers
- Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California) alumni
- 1945 births