Robert J. Wilke

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. -

Robert J. Wilke is known for work in acting across film and television.

New Release currently presents 29 verified screen credits connected to this profile. Selected work includes Days of Heaven (1978), The Legend of Jesse James (1965), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), War Paint (1953), High Noon (1952), Perry Mason (1957), Lassie (1954), Dallas (1978).

The recorded credits span 1949 to 1978, including 4 movies and 25 TV shows. The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles.

This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.