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Ralph Meeker
Actor

Ralph Meeker

21 Nov 1920Born
5 Aug 1988Died
67Age at death
87Credits

Biography

Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 – August 5, 1988) was an American actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948–1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned him a Theatre World Award for his performance.

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In film, Meeker is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's 1955 Kiss Me Deadly.

Meeker went on to play a series of roles that used his husky and macho screen presence, including a lead role in Stanley Kubrick's military courtroom drama Paths of Glory (1957), as a troubled mechanic opposite Carroll Baker in Something Wild (1961), as a World War II captain in The Dirty Dozen (1967), and in the gangster film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967). Other credits include supporting roles in I Walk the Line (1970) and Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971).

He also had a prolific career in television, appearing as Sergeant Steve Dekker on the series Not for Hire (1959–1960), and in the television horror film The Night Stalker (1972). After suffering a stroke in 1980, Meeker was forced to retire from acting, and died eight years later of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 87 credits.

  1. 2002The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel FullerFilm: Lt. Driscoll (archive footage)
  2. 1980Without WarningFilm: Dave
  3. 1979Winter KillsFilm: Gameboy Baker
  4. 1978KazSeries (1 episode)
  5. 1978The Eddie Capra MysteriesSeries (1 episode)
  6. 1978The Alpha IncidentFilm: Charlie
  7. 1978Hi-RidersFilm: Mike
  8. 1978My Boys Are Good BoysFilm: Bert Morton
  9. 1977CHiPsSeries (1 episode)
  10. 1976The Food of the GodsFilm: Bensington
  11. 1975Barbary CoastSeries: Big Lou Hobart (1 episode)
  12. 1975Johnny FirecloudFilm: Colby
  13. 1975BranniganFilm: Capt. Moretti
  14. 1975The Dead Don't DieFilm: Lieutenant Reardon
  15. 1974Police WomanSeries (1 episode)
  16. 1974Harry OSeries (1 episode)
  17. 1974Run, Joe, RunSeries (1 episode)
  18. 1974The Girl on the Late, Late ShowFilm: Inspector DeBiesse
  19. 1974Night GamesFilm: Dutch Armbreck
  20. 1974Cry PanicFilm: Chuck Braswell
  21. 1973TomaSeries (1 episode)
  22. 1973Faraday and CompanySeries: Ed Kelso (1 episode)
  23. 1973Angela – Love Comes QuietlyFilm: Ben Hoeksema
  24. 1973The Evil TouchSeries (1 episode)
  25. 1973Police StorySeries (2 episodes)
  26. 1973You'll Never See Me AgainFilm: Will Alden
  27. 1973Birds of PreyFilm: Jim McAndrew
  28. 1972The RookiesSeries (1 episode)
  29. 1972The Mind SnatchersFilm: The Major
  30. 1972The Night StalkerFilm: Bernie Jenks
  31. 1971The Reluctant HeroesFilm: Capt. Luke Danvers
  32. 1971PrimusSeries (1 episode)
  33. 1971CannonSeries (1 episode)
  34. 1971The Anderson TapesFilm: Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
  35. 1970I Walk the LineFilm: Carl McCain
  36. 1970Lost FlightFilm: Glenn Walkup
  37. 1969Room 222Series (1 episode)
  38. 1969The Devil's EightFilm: Burl
  39. 1968The Name of the GameSeries: Senator Goddard (1 episode)
  40. 1968The DetectiveFilm: Curran
  41. 1967Gentle GiantFilm: Fog Hanson
  42. 1967The High ChaparralSeries: Tracy Conlin (1 episode)
  43. 1967CusterSeries (1 episode)
  44. 1967The St. Valentine's Day MassacreFilm: George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran
  45. 1967The Dirty DozenFilm: Captain Stuart Kinder
  46. 1967IronsideSeries (2 episodes)
  47. 1966The Green HornetSeries: Earl Evans (1 episode)
  48. 1966TarzanSeries (1 episode)
  49. 1965The F.B.I.Series: King Hogan, Scott Martin, Graham Newcomb (1 episode)
  50. 1963Kraft Suspense TheatreSeries: Harly Clay (1 episode)
  51. 1963The Outer LimitsSeries: John Dexter (1 episode)
  52. 1963Wall of NoiseFilm: Matt Rubio
  53. 1962Going My WaySeries (1 episode)
  54. 1961Something WildFilm: Mike
  55. 1961A Holster Full Of LawFilm: Frank Clell
  56. 1961The DefendersSeries: Floyd Cooper (1 episode)
  57. 1961AdaFilm: Colonel Yancey
  58. 1961Tallahassee 7000Series (1 episode)
  59. 1960Route 66Series (2 episodes)
  60. 1959Not for HireSeries: US Army Sergeant Steve Dekker (39 episodes)
  61. 1958The TexanSeries (1 episode)
  62. 1958Wanted: Dead or AliveSeries: Martin Ash (1 episode)
  63. 1957Paths of GloryFilm: Cpl. Philippe Paris
  64. 1957Run of the ArrowFilm: Lieutenant Driscoll
  65. 1957The Fuzzy Pink NightgownFilm: Mike Valla
  66. 1957Four Women in BlackFilm: Carbine Webb
  67. 1956A Woman's DevotionFilm: Trevor Stevenson
  68. 1956Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreSeries: Steve Elkins (1 episode)
  69. 1955Desert SandsFilm: Capt. David Malcolm
  70. 1955The 20th Century Fox HourSeries (1 episode)
  71. 1955Alfred Hitchcock PresentsSeries: Carl Spann, Carl Borden, Mel Reeves, John Forbes (1 episode)
  72. 1955Kiss Me DeadlyFilm: Mike Hammer
  73. 1955Big House, U.S.AFilm: Geraldo 'Jerry' Barker aka Iceman
  74. 1954Climax!Series: Alex Hill, 'Griff' Griffith (1 episode)
  75. 1953Letter to LorettaSeries: Joe Martin, Ed James, Pilot Duke Cavanaugh, Willis Cooper (1 episode)
  76. 1953Code TwoFilm: Chuck O'Flair
  77. 1953JeopardyFilm: Lawson the Fugitive
  78. 1953The Naked SpurFilm: Roy Anderson
  79. 1952Somebody Loves MeFilm: Benny Fields
  80. 1952Shadow in the SkyFilm: Burt

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.