Bob Gunton
Like all good character actors, Bob Gunton is probably known more by his face than his name - his craggy, often impassive visage has essayed a score of tough, taciturn, often morally questionable men, the best known of which was the cold-hearted warden in "The Shawshank Redemption." But the California native has given life to a wide variety of roles during his four decades as an actor, including several award-winning musical performances on Broadway and in several comedies, including "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" on the big screen and the cult series "Greg the Bunny" (2002) on the small screen. Born Robert Gunton, Jr. in Santa Monica, CA on Nov. 15, 1945, he attended St. Peter's College in Maryland and the University of California at Irvine, graduating in 1968. Soon after, the young man served in the Army from 1969 to 1971, where he received the Viet Service Medal and Bronze Star for Valor. Upon his return to civilian life, Gunton gravitated towards theater work; his earliest credit is the off-Broadway production "Who Am I?" in 1971. Over the next decade, he amassed an impressive list of stage credits in dramas, comedies, and musicals, including "King of Hearts," "Evita" (opposite Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin), "Big River," "How I Got That Story," and the 1989 revival of "Sweeney Todd." For his work, Gunton received a Drama Desk Award in 1980 for "Evita" and an Obie that same year for "How I Got That Story," as well as Tony nominations for "Evita" and "Sweeney Todd." Gunton began working in front of cameras in the early 1980s, starting with a supporting role in Alan J. Pakula's "Rollover" (1981). He would divide his time between film and television for the next decade, with occasional inroads onto a TV series, including a stint on the little-seen sketch improv show "Comedy Zone" (CBS, 1983-84) which also featured Joe Mantegna and Mark Linn-Baker. Gunton's screen persona was quickly established during this period; he was drawn to and effectively portrayed strong-willed men of power - like Jacqueline Bouvier's stepfather Hugh Auchincloss in "A Woman Called Jackie" (NBC, 1991), Governor George Wallace in "Unconquered" (CBS, 1989) - or calculating heels, like his villainous company spy in John Sayles' "Matewan" (1987). He also covered his share of military men ("Glory" (1989) and "Mission of the Shark" (CBS, 1991)) and government types ("The Public Eye" (1992)), before catching the attention of Oliver Stone, who cast him in smaller roles in "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989) and "JFK" (1991). Higher profile projects seemed to follow, including turns in Stone's miniseries "Wild Palms" (ABC, 1993), "Patriot Games" (1992), the excellent Charles Starkweather biopic "Murder in the Heartland" (ABC, 1993), and the TV miniseries "Sinatra" (CBS, 1992) in which he played bandleader Tommy Dorsey. In 1994, Gunton caught audiences' attention as Warden Norton in Frank Darabont's "The Shawshank Redemption," an adaptation of a Stephen King novella that developed a sizable following in the decade after its release. Gunton's roles grew somewhat meatier after "Shawshank," though his characters remained essentially the same - he played Franklin D. Roosevelt in the TV movie "Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long" (TNT, 1995), Richard Nixon in the comic revisionist TV movie "Elvis Meets Nixon" (Showtime, 1997) and prosecuting attorney Finley Largent in Clint Eastwood's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (1997). Gunton also appeared in the feature films "The Perfect Storm" (1999), John Woo's "Broken Arrow" (1996), and perhaps his most hissable antagonist in the Robin Williams melodrama, "Patch Adams" (1998). Gunton also logged considerable hours on episodic television and made-for-TV features, including recurring roles on "Nip/Tuck" (FX 2003-2010) and "Desperate Housewives" (ABC 2004-2012), as well as a turn as Woodrow Wilson in the HBO production "Iron-Jawed Angels" (2004). He also appeared in high profile films including "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), Matthew McConaughey's comeback vehicle "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011), Best Picture Oscar winner "Argo" (2012), and miner rescue drama "The 33" (2015). He also began a recurring role on the comic book series "Daredevil" (Netflix 2015- ) as supervillain Leland Owlsley.
Photos
Bob Gunton
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
38% |
|
The Inheritance | Charles Abernathy (Character) | - | 2024 |
40% |
|
Unbroken: Path to Redemption | Major Zeigler (Character) | $6.2M | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
The List | Mr. Stern (Character) | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mountain Top | Maxwell Forrest (Character) | - | 2017 |
48% |
|
The 33 | President Sebastián Piñera (Character) | $12.0M | 2015 |
No Score Yet |
|
Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant | Flight School Instructor (Character) | - | 2015 |
54% |
|
Decoding Annie Parker | Dr. Benton (Character) | $39.9K | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Highland Park | Burt (Character) | - | 2013 |
0% |
|
Live at the Foxes Den | Tony O'Hara (Character) | - | 2013 |
8% |
|
Runner Runner | University Dean (Character) | $19.3M | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
Jimmy | Sheriff Brinson (Character) | - | 2013 |
96% |
|
Argo | Cyrus Vance (Character) | $136.0M | 2012 |
51% |
|
Trouble With the Curve | Watson (Character) | $35.8M | 2012 |
80% |
|
Get the Gringo | Thomas Kaufman (Character) | - | 2012 |
83% |
|
The Lincoln Lawyer | Cecil Dobbs (Character) | $58.0M | 2011 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Trial | Joe Whetstone (Character) | $19.2K | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Tenure | William Thurber (Character) | - | 2009 |
80% |
|
24: Redemption | Ethan Kanin (Character) | - | 2008 |
60% |
|
The Lazarus Project | Father Ezra (Character) | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
Player 5150 | Nick Villa (Character) | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Least of These | Father Thomas Peters (Character) | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
Numb | Dr. Townshend (Character) | - | 2007 |
72% |
|
Fracture | Judge Frank Gardner (Character) | $39.0M | 2007 |
21% |
|
Dead Silence | Edward Ashen (Character) | $16.5M | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
Pandemic | Dr. Max Sorkosky (Character) | - | 2007 |
60% |
|
Believe in Me | Hugh Moreland (Character) | $208.6K | 2006 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ichabod! | Baltus Van Tassel (Character) | - | 2004 |
56% |
|
Iron Jawed Angels | President Woodrow Wilson (Character) | - | 2004 |
63% |
|
I Heart Huckabees | Mr. Silver (Character) | $12.8M | 2004 |
No Score Yet |
|
Judas | High Priest Caiaphas (Character) | - | 2004 |
56% |
|
Dallas 362 | Joe (Character) | $18.9K | 2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Pact | James (Character) | - | 2002 |
No Score Yet |
|
When Billie Beat Bobby | Jerry Perenchio (Character) | - | 2001 |
86% |
|
61* | Dan Topping (Character) | - | 2001 |
50% |
|
Scenes of the Crime | Steven (Character) | - | 2001 |
46% |
|
The Perfect Storm | Alexander McAnally III (Character) | $182.6M | 2000 |
14% |
|
Running Mates | Sen. Terrence Randall (Character) | - | 2000 |
17% |
|
Bats | Dr. Alexander McCabe (Character) | $10.1M | 1999 |
21% |
|
Patch Adams | Dean Walcott (Character) | $135.0M | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Elvis Meets Nixon | Richard M. Nixon (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
|
Buffalo Soldiers | Col. Grierson (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
|
Changing Habits | Bishop Creighton (Character) | - | 1997 |
53% |
|
Broken Arrow | Pritchett (Character) | $70.6M | 1996 |
11% |
|
The Glimmer Man | Frank Deverell (Character) | $20.4M | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
In Pursuit of Honor | Col. John Hardesty (Character) | - | 1995 |
86% |
|
Dolores Claiborne | Mr. Pease (Character) | $22.8M | 1995 |
21% |
|
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | Burton Quinn (Character) | $107.5M | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long | Franklin D. Roosevelt (Character) | - | 1995 |
89% |
|
The Shawshank Redemption | Warden Samuel Norton (Character) | $27.3M | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Roswell | Frank Joyce (Character) | - | 1994 |
63% |
|
Demolition Man | Chief George Earle (Character) | $57.2M | 1993 |
10% |
|
Father Hood | Lazzaro (Character) | $3.3M | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Murder in the Heartland | Governor Anderson (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Wild Palms | Unknown (Character) | - | 1993 |
61% |
|
The Public Eye | Older Agent (Character) | $3.0M | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
|
Sinatra | Tommy Dorsey (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
|
Missing Pieces | Mr. Gabor (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mission of the Shark | Chaplain (Character) | - | 1991 |
No Score Yet |
|
Judgment | Monsignor Beauvais (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Bride in Black | Sydney (Character) | - | 1990 |
13% |
|
Cookie | Richie Segretto (Character) | $1.4M | 1989 |
95% |
|
Glory | Gen. Harker (Character) | $25.5M | 1989 |
58% |
|
The Pick-Up Artist | Fernando Portacarrero (Character) | $11.6M | 1987 |
94% |
|
Matewan | C.E. Lively (Character) | $23.9K | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal | Harry Gibbs (Character) | - | 1982 |
70% |
|
Rollover | Sal Naftari (Character) | - | 1981 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
95% | 89% | Elementary | Frederick Wentz (Guest Star) | 2019 |
65% | 79% | The Cool Kids | Colonel Christianson (Guest Star) | 2019 |
91% | 79% | The Blacklist | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2018 |
88% | 87% | Trial & Error | Jeremiah Jefferson Davis (Guest Star) | 2017 |
78% | 83% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lawrence Hendricks Sr. (Guest Star) | 2017 |
94% | 78% | Royal Pains | General William Collins (Guest Star) | 2010-2013 2016 |
92% | 89% | Marvel's Daredevil | Leland Owlsley (Character) | 2015 |
76% | 76% | Trophy Wife | Francis Harrison (Guest Star) | 2014 |
95% | 85% | New Girl | Ed (Guest Star) | 2014 |
67% | 64% | Up All Night | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2012 |
No Score Yet | 64% | Family Guy | Warden (Guest Voice) | 2011 |
42% | 27% | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour | Marshall Phelps (Guest Star) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 90% | The Mentalist | Alexander Harrington (Guest Star) | 2010 |
87% | 87% | 24 |
Ethan Kanin (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
2007 2009-2010 |
86% | 90% | Boston Legal | Attorney William Connolly (Guest Star) | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Women's Murder Club | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Pandemic | Dr. Max Sorkosky (Character) | 2007 |
No Score Yet | 93% | Numb3ers | Boyd Resnick (Guest Star) | 2006 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Courthouse | Judge Homer Conklin (Character) | 1995 2006 |
72% | 89% | Desperate Housewives | Noah Taylor (Guest Star) | 2004-2006 |
74% | 82% | Nip/Tuck | Agent Sagamore (Guest Star) | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Greg the Bunny | Junction Jack Mars (Character) | 2002 2004 |
92% | 80% | Veronica Mars | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2004 |
89% | 88% | Monk | Dwight Ellison (Guest Star) | 2004 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Judging Amy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2003-2004 |
No Score Yet | 81% | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Director Robert Carvallo (Guest Star) | 2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mister Sterling | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Touched by an Angel | Unknown (Character) | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Family Law | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
61% | 78% | Ally McBeal | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Outer Limits | Clute Nichols (Character) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wild Palms | Unknown (Character) | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sinatra | Unknown (Character) | 1992 |
92% | 90% | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Capt. Benjamin Maxwell (Guest Star) | 1991 |
No Score Yet | 83% | Law & Order | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1990 |
71% | 89% | Miami Vice | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Equalizer | Cronin (Guest Star) | 1985 |