Robert Blake: biography, filmography, interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Robert Blake (Michael James Vincenzo Gubitosi) is an American actor of Italian origin. He began his acting career as a child and continued it until 1997. He has acted in the film In Cold Blood and in the American detective television series Baretta.

Biography of Robert Blake

Michael James Vincenzo Gubitosi was born on September 18, 1933 in Nutley, New Jersey. His mother, Elizabeth Cayfon, married Giacomo (James) Gubitosi. In 1930, Giacomo worked diligently in a tin can factory until one day he and his wife began performing in musical theater, where their three children also performed. In 1938, the family moved to Los Angeles, where the children began playing bit parts in movies.

Future actor Robert Blake had an unhappy childhood. His father drank, at school he was bullied by classmates, humiliated and mocked him. At 14, Robert Blake ran away from home. In 1956, his father Giacomo Gobitosi committed suicide.

Career at an early age

Robert Blake started acting in films from an early agechildhood. He played a major role in the TV series of the studio "Metro Goldey Mayer" "Our gang". He also appeared in the film franchise "Red Rye". Most often, Robert played the roles of Native Americans or characters of Hispanic origin.

Adult actor career

After serving in the military, Blake returned to work as an actor in film and television.

In his youth, the actor starred in films and television in approximately equal proportions, but in the eighties and nineties of the twentieth century, he worked mainly for television.

From childhood, Robert Blake worked until the end of the nineties. His last film was Lost Highway in 1997. Writer Michael Newton called Robert's acting life the longest in Hollywood history. In his 84 years, Blake has appeared in 141 film and television projects.

Main films with Robert Blake

As an actor:

• "Lost Highway" as Mystery Man.
• "Money Train" - as Donald Patterson.
• "Judgement Day: The John List Story" (TV show) - as John List.
• "Goddamn Town" (TV series) - as Father Noah Rivers.
• "Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story" (TV show) - as Lenny Mancini.
• "Killer-1. Dancer-0" (TV series) - as Joe Dancer.
• "Thorn Feud" (TV Series) - as James Riddle 'Jimmy' Hoffa.
• "Ohmice and people" (TV series) - as George Milton.
• "The Big Black Pill" (TV series) - as Joe Dancer.
• Coast to Coast as Charles Callahan.
• Saturday Night Live (TV show) - as Butler.
• "Baretta" (TV series) - as Detective Tony Barreta.
• "Another Arrest" - as Assistant Detective Patrick Farrell.
• "The Boys in Blue" - as John Wintergreen.
• "Corky" - as Corky Curtis.
• "The Hard Skin Man" - as Teddy 'Cherokee' Wilcox.
• "Tell 'em Billy Boy's here" as Billy Boy.
• "The Greatest Story Ever Told" as Simon the Canonite.
• "Slattery's People" (TV series) - as Jerry Leon.
• "Vertical Takeoff" (TV series) - as Lieutenant Johnny Needle.
• "The Richard Boone Show" (TV series) - as Jimmy Smith.
• "Ruthless City" - as Colonel Jim Larkin.
• "Rebel" (TV series) - as Virgil Moss.
• "Pork Chop Hill Height" - as Sergeant Vali.
• "Rawhide" (TV series) - as Hap Johnson.
• "Naked City" (TV series) - as Knox Macwan.

As producer and writer:

• "Of Mice and Men" - Executive Producer.
• "The Big Black Pill" - Executive Producer.
• "Goddamn Town" - credited as Lyman Docker, producer of both TV series and TV play.
• "Killer 1, Dancer 0" - Writer.

Private life

Robert Blake's first wife was actress Sondra Kerr. The couple got engaged in 1961 and divorced in 1983. In the marriage, the actors had two children-weather: son Noah Blake and daughter Delina Blake.

In 1999, in New Jersey, the actor met his second wife, Bonnie Lee Buckley, who had a notorious profiteer. In parallel with Blake, Birkley had a relationship with Christian Brando. When Buckley became pregnant, she informed both gentlemen that it was their child. She later named the child Christiane Shannon Brando and called Brando's father. Blake insisted on a DNA test that showed his paternity. The parents changed their daughter's name to Rose Lenore Sophia Blake and officially legalized their relationship on November 19, 2000.

This was Blake's second marriage and Bonnie Lee Buckley's tenth.

In May 2001, Bonnie Lee Buckley was shot in the head while waiting for her husband outside a restaurant in the car.

Interesting facts

• Robert Blake is 163 centimeters tall.
• Was arrested as a suspect in the contract killing of his second wife, Bonnie Lee Buckley. The court found Robert not guilty.
• Has a sister, Joan Blake, and a brother, James Gobitosi, who are also actors.
• During the filming of Robert's first movie, one of the child actors froze in front of the camera and couldn't continuefilming due to stage fright. Robert volunteered to replace him, when asked by the director about who he was, the young actor replied: "I'm Mikey Gobitosi, and I can do anything!" So Robert got his first TV role.
• During the filming of the TV movie "Our Gang" a lot of misfortunes happened to the cast. Carl "Alfalfa" Schwitzer was shot to death, Darla Hood died of hepatitis in the hospital, William "Buckwith" Thomas died of a heart attack, Tommy Bond and his wife died in a car accident, and Pete the Dog died of severe poisoning.
• The actor has a full namesake - a famous American psychologist. Robert Blay and Jane Mouton founded the Scientific Methods Corporation in the late 20th century.

Robert Blake has a colossal filmography, his career is one of the longest in Hollywood. Now the actor is 84 years old, the actor has retired and lives in California.