Robert J. Wilke

Biography

Robert Joseph Wilke was an American character actor known for his villainous roles in Westerns and other films. Born to German parents in Cincinnati, he began working as a stuntman before landing regular character parts, including memorable appearances in "High Noon," "The Farm Foreman" in "Days of Heaven," and the TV series "Laramie." He also worked extensively in television, becoming an enormously familiar face despite relative anonymity. Wilke died in 1989.