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Robert John Burke

Actor | * 09/12/1960 (64) | New York City, New York (United States of America (USA))
2,688
Robert John Burke (born September 12, 1960) is an American actor known for his roles in the early films of Hal Hartley as well as his roles in RoboCop 3 (1993), Tombstone (1993), and Thinner (1996). During the 2000s Burke became well known for his portrayal of Mickey Gavin on Rescue Me (2004–11), Bart Bass in Gossip Girl (2007–12), Ed Tucker in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2002–20), and a number of other film and television roles including Intrusion (2021). ()
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A born-and-bred New Yorker, Robert John Burke made his film debut while in his early 20s with a small part in the drama "The Chosen" (1981), based on the Chaim Potok story. He went on to study acting at SUNY Purchase where he met aspiring filmmaker Hal Hartley, who cast him as one of the leads in his debut feature "The Unbelievable Truth," an offbeat indie tale where he played a man trying to escape his troubled past. Working with Hartley again on the charming brother-centric dark comedy "Simple Men," Burke caught a major break when Hollywood producers decided that his chiseled jawline was the right one to replace Peter Weller's in the sci-fi/action sequel "RoboCop 3." Despite Burke's efforts, the movie tanked, and he went on to smaller roles in major films, including the lauded Western "Tombstone" (1993) and the prison-break movie "Fled" (1996). Burke landed his second chance in a Hollywood starring role with the Stephen King adaptation "Thinner" (1996), but the macabre tale, which featured him under heavy makeup to depict a callous man who magically loses weight, was deemed almost universally unlikable.Though Burke's leading-man days were mostly behind him, his beastly role in Hartley's "No Such Thing" (2001) aside, he soldiered on, and began increasingly working on television with recurring roles on the grim prison drama "Oz" and the police procedural "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC, 1999- ). Appearing in George Clooney's first two movies as director, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002) and "Good Night, and Good Luck." (2005), Burke nonetheless became more familiar to TV audiences, particularly when he signed on to play Mickey Gavin, The Ex-priest cousin of Denis Leary's lead character on the firefighter series "Rescue Me," a part that dovetailed with Burke's real-life second job as a New York State fireman.Often cast as a tough guy, the ruggedly handsome and tall actor continued to play imposing figures such as Major General James "Chaos" Mattis in the Iraq War miniseries "Generation Kill" (HBO, 2008) and Bart Bass, the controlling billionaire father of Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) on the soapy drama "Gossip Girl." Before long, he was juggling his ongoing "Law & Order: SVU" part with regular spots on the military drama "Army Wives" (Lifetime, 2007-) and the tense crime show "Person of Interest" (CBS, 2011- ), while still finding time for supporting turns in films, including the Denzel Washington/Mark Wahlberg action movie "2 Guns" (2013).

Most frequent genres for this person: Drama | Crime | Comedies

Known for these Movies & Shows

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Movies with Robert John Burke as Actor(54)

as Eddie Holland2023 Boston Strangler
as Captain Briggs2022 The Retaliators
as Detective Steven Morse2021 Intrusion
as Sheriff Campbell2020 Being
as Chief Bridges2018 BlacKkKlansman
as Mr. Holcomb2018 Boarding School
as Captain Frascone2017 Where There's Smoke
as General Sportwood2017 Future '38
as Chet2015 Ned Rifle
as Uncle Mack2015 Bait
as Greg Ganley2015 True Story
as Jessup2013 2 Guns
as Captain Wolf2012 Safe
as Pierce2011 Limitless
as State Trooper #12010 Brooklyn's Finest
as General Ned Almond2008 Miracle at St. Anna
as Binky Taylor2006 The Oh in Ohio
as Colonel2006 The Ex
as Belligerent American2005 Munich
as Steven2005 Hide and Seek
as Charlie Mack2005 Good Night, and Good Luck.
as Mr. Neck2004 Speak
as Rudy2004 Connie and Carla
as Jim2003 Piggie
as Instructor Jenks2002 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
as The Monster2001 No Such Thing
as Frank Drummond1998 A Bright Shining Lie
as Frankie1998 Somewhere in the City
as Paul Bacon1998 Midnight Flight
as Tom Hutton1997 Mayday - Flug in den Tod
as Officer B1997 Cop Land
as Billy Halleck1996 Thinner
as Handsome Man1996 If Lucy Fell
as Pat Schiller1996 Fled
as R.G. Greiser1996 Killer: A Journal of Murder
as Men's Room Man #21995 Flirt
as Steve1995 Crazy for a Kiss
as Robocop1993 RoboCop 3
as Paul Parker1993 A Far Off Place
as Men's Room Man1993 Flirt
as Frank McLaury1993 Tombstone
as Paul1993 Heaven & Earth
as Bill McCabe1992 Simple Men
as Dust Devil1992 Dust Devil
as Dave Wilkie1991 Rambling Rose
as Dave1984 Nightmare Weekend
as Levi Saunders1981 The Chosen
as Officer Reardon1981 Gangster Wars

TV Shows/Series with Robert John Burke as Actor(20)

as William Fairchild2019 Project Blue Book
as Special Agent Brock2015 Allegiance
as IAB Lieutenant Ed Tucker2014 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
as Andrew Lightstone2013 Golden Boy
as Officer Patrick Simmons2011 Person of Interest
as Jyle Hogan2010 Blue Bloods
as Patrick O'Leary2009 White Collar
as Bart Bass2007 Gossip Girl
as Bellows2006 Kidnapped
as Jim Resdon2002 CSI: Miami
as Officer Zmuida1999 The Sopranos
as Walker Lewis1998 Sex and the City
as Bill Anders1998 From the Earth to the Moon
as Special Agent Pierce Taylor1997 Oz
as Lt. Colonel Milton Danbury1990 Law & Order
as Arthur "Buzz" Palley1990 Law & Order
as FBI Agent Ron Innes1990 Law & Order
as O'Toole1985 The Equalizer

Full Name: Robert Burke
Born: Monday, 09/12 1960 (September) in New York City, New York (United States of America (USA)) (current age: 64 years + 22 days)
Zodiac sign: Virgo (Chinese zodiac sign: Rat)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: State University of New York at Purchase
Other names for Robert John Burke (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"John Burke"
"Robert Burke"
Robert John Burke frequently works together with these people:
Hal Hartley (22x, Crew)
Lou Martini Jr. (16x, Actor)
James Biberi (15x, Actor)
Michael Gaston (14x, Actor)
Adam LeFevre (14x, Actor)
Terry Serpico (14x, Actor)
Bruce MacVittie (14x, Actor)
Lynn Marocola (13x, Actress)
Robert Turano (12x, Actor)
William H. Burns (12x, Actor)
Jordan Lage (11x, Actor)
Tibor Feldman (11x, Actor)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:3823, Added: 03/23/2018, Last updated: 09/10/2024