Robert Donner
While never achieving star status, or even top billing in the many films he appeared in, Robert Donner's face is very recognizable as a popular character actor of the '60s, '70s and '80s. Raised in New Jersey and Texas, Donner wound up in Los Angeles after a stint in the Navy. He was working odd jobs when his neighbor, Clint Eastwood, suggested that he try his hand at acting. Gaunt with heavy eyes and angular features, Donner's distinctive look made him easy to cast as menacing bad guys or comic heavies. He debuted in "Rio Bravo" with John Wayne and also appeared in the films "El Dorado" and "Rio Lobo" and on TV in "Rawhide," "Laredo," "The Big Valley," and "Bonanza." As the trend in the '70s switched from Westerns to crime dramas Donner went along, playing on episodes of "The Mod Squad," "Adam-12," and "S.W.A.T.." Still, he remained close to his Western roots, working with Eastwood in "High Plains Drifter" in 1973. Some of his more memorable television roles were as Yancy Tucker on "The Waltons" and the weird Exidor on "Mork and Mindy." He slowed down in the '90s but did find time to take a starring role on the 1995 series "Legend." Donner was just as well known in the Los Angeles celebrity community as he was on screen as an avid golfer, fundraiser, and popular "corporate speaker" in the Hollywood area. He died in 2006 at the age of 75.
Photos
Robert Donner
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion | Yancy Tucker (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
With a Vengeance | Det. Max Borovey (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
|
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold | Swarma (Character) | $2.0M | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rocket Boy | Hawkhead (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain | Yancey Tucker (Character) | - | 1982 |
0% |
|
Under the Rainbow | The Assassin (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Trail of Danger | The Sheep Boss (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Standing Tall | Sheriff Brumfield (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Five Days From Home | Karl Baldwin (Character) | - | 1978 |
42% |
|
Damnation Alley |
Man/ |
- | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Young Pioneers | Mr. Peters (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Young Pioneers' Christmas | Mr. Peters (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Last Hard Men | Lee Roy (Character) | - | 1976 |
No Score Yet |
|
Take a Hard Ride | Skave (Character) | - | 1975 |
73% |
|
Bite the Bullet | Reporter (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nakia | Fischer (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mrs. Sundance | Ben Lant (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet |
|
Santee | J.C. (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing | Dub (Character) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | No Place to Run | Car salesman (Character) | - | 1972 |
No Score Yet |
|
One More Train to Rob | Sheriff Adams (Character) | - | 1971 |
0% |
|
Something Big | Angel Moon (Character) | - | 1971 |
79% |
|
Vanishing Point | Deputy Collins (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet |
|
Fool's Parade | Willis Hubbard (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Intruders | Roy Kirsh (Character) | - | 1970 |
83% |
|
Chisum | Bradley Morton (Character) | - | 1970 |
70% |
|
Rio Lobo | Whitey Carter (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lassie: Well of Love | Clay Braddock (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Zigzag | Mason Weber (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet |
|
Catalina Caper | Fingers O'Toole (Character) | - | 1967 |
96% |
|
El Dorado | Milt (Character) | - | 1966 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dharma & Greg | Joe (Guest Star) | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Early Edition | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999-2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Pacific Blue | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
64% | No Score Yet | The Naked Truth | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
60% | No Score Yet | Legend | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | 80% | Columbo | Arnie (Guest Star) | 1973 1991 1994 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Sheriff Tyrone McKenna (Guest Star) | 1991 |
No Score Yet | 70% | MacGyver | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1987 1989-1990 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saved by the Bell | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Matlock | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1986 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fame | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Fall Guy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1983-1985 |
No Score Yet | 71% | The A-Team | Sheriff J.C. Bickford (Guest Star) | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Little House on the Prairie | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1983 |
90% | No Score Yet | Mork & Mindy | Exidor (Character) | 1978-1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Password 79 | Guest | 1980-1982 |
No Score Yet | 74% | Incredible Hulk | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1980-1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Eight Is Enough | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | B.J. and the Bear | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | CHiPs | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Waltons | Yancy Tucker (Guest Star) | 1972-1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Charlie's Angels | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1976 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Six Million Dollar Man | Kermit (Guest Star) | 1974-1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cannon | Sheriff Dodd (Guest Star) | 1973 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunsmoke | Brown (Guest Star) | 1968 1973 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Adam-12 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1969 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rookies | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mannix | Rizo (Guest Star) | 1973 |
No Score Yet | 100% | Kung Fu | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alias Smith and Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1971-1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Longstreet | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mod Squad | Emory (Guest Star) | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lassie | Clay Braddock (Guest Star) | 1970-1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The High Chaparral | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bonanza | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1969-1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Big Valley | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Guns of Will Sonnett | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | I Spy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Good Morning World | Justice of the Peace (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Garrison's Gorillas | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 1963 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Quest | Unknown (Guest Star) |