Robert John Burke

Robert John Burke Movies and TV Shows

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).

Personal info

  • Gender: Male
  • Date of birth: 9/12/1960 (63 years old)
  • Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
Year
Genre
IMDB
TMDB
Available on the following streaming services in the United States
Boston Strangler
IMDB 6.5
TMDB 67%
role:
Eddie Holland
2023

Crime

Drama

Thriller

6.5
67%
2022

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

6.7
71%
The Retaliators
IMDB 5.3
TMDB 56%
role:
Captain Briggs
2022

Action

Horror

5.3
56%
Intrusion
IMDB 5.3
TMDB 60%
role:
Detective Steven Morse & 1 more
2021

Thriller

5.3
60%
Boarding School
IMDB 5.8
TMDB 64%
role:
Mr. Holcomb
2018

Horror

Mystery

5.8
64%
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BlacKkKlansman
IMDB 7.5
TMDB 75%
role:
Chief Bridges
2018

Comedy

Crime

Drama

History

7.5
75%
True Story
IMDB 6.3
TMDB 63%
role:
Greg Ganley
2015

Crime

Drama

History

Mystery

6.3
63%
Ned Rifle
IMDB 6.2
TMDB 57%
role:
Chet
Not available
2015

Drama

6.2
57%
Not available
2 Guns
IMDB 6.7
TMDB 65%
role:
Jessup
2013

Action

Comedy

Crime

6.7
65%
Safe
IMDB 6.5
TMDB 65%
role:
Captain Wolf
2012

Action

Crime

Thriller

6.5
65%
Limitless
IMDB 7.4
TMDB 72%
role:
Pierce
2011

Mystery

Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

7.4
72%
Brooklyn's Finest
IMDB 6.7
TMDB 63%
role:
State Trooper #1
2010

Crime

Drama

Thriller

6.7
63%
Miracle at St. Anna
IMDB 6.1
TMDB 61%
role:
General Ned Almond
2008

Drama

War & Politics

6.1
61%
The Ex
IMDB 5.4
TMDB 51%
role:
Colonel
2006

Comedy

Romance

5.4
51%
The Oh in Ohio
IMDB 5.5
TMDB 53%
role:
Binky Taylor
2006

Comedy

Romance

5.5
53%
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Munich
IMDB 7.5
TMDB 71%
role:
Belligerent American
2005

Action

Drama

History

Thriller

7.5
71%
2005

Drama

History

7.4
71%
Hide and Seek
IMDB 5.9
TMDB 64%
role:
Steven
2005

Horror

Mystery

Thriller

5.9
64%
2004

Comedy

Crime

Music

6.2
61%
Speak
IMDB 7.2
TMDB 69%
role:
Mr. Neck
2004

Drama

7.2
69%
2002

Comedy

Crime

Drama

Romance

Thriller

7.0
67%
Cop Land
IMDB 7.0
TMDB 68%
role:
Officer B
1997

Action

Crime

Drama

7.0
68%
Thinner
IMDB 5.8
TMDB 59%
role:
Billy Halleck
1996

Horror

Thriller

5.8
59%
Fled
IMDB 5.4
TMDB 56%
role:
Pat Schiller
1996

Action

5.4
56%
Tombstone
IMDB 7.8
TMDB 76%
role:
Frank McLaury
1993

Action

Western

7.8
76%
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1993

Action

Drama

History

War & Politics

6.8
67%
RoboCop 3
IMDB 4.1
TMDB 47%
role:
RoboCop
1993

Action

Adventure

Crime

Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

4.1
47%
Dust Devil
IMDB 6.2
TMDB 64%
role:
Dust Devil
1992

Horror

Mystery

Thriller

6.2
64%
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
IMDB 6.7
TMDB 67%
role:
Patrick
Not available
1977

Drama

6.7
67%
Not available

FAQs

Some movies or TV shows available in the United States starring or involving Robert John Burke are, for example, Boston Strangler, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Retaliators.
The streaming services with the largest selection are Prime Video, iTunes and Amazon.
The best Anystream ratings are Tombstone (7.7), BlacKkKlansman (7.5) and Good Night, and Good Luck. (7.3).
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