Robert John Burke (born September 12, 1960) is an American actor known for his roles in '' RoboCop 3'' (1993), '' Tombstone'' (1993), and '' Thinner'' (1996). During the 2000s Burke became well known for his portrayal of Mickey Gavin on '' Rescue Me'' (2004–11), Bart Bass in '' Gossip Girl'' (2007–12), Ed Tucker in '' Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2002–20), and a number of other film and television roles including Netflix ''Intrusion'' (2021).

Early life and education

Burke was born in

Washington Heights, Manhattan Washington Heights is a neighborhood in the uppermost part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest natural point on Manhattan by Continental Army troops to defen ...

, the son of immigrants from Galway, Ireland. He graduated from Northport High School and attended the Acting Conservatory at State University of New York at Purchase.

Career

Burke's television roles include Mickey Gavin on '' Rescue Me'', Bart Bass on '' Gossip Girl'', ''

Kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Cam ...

'', '' Six Degrees'', ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...

'' and IAB Captain Ed Tucker on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', Officer Patrick Simmons on ''

Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no le ...

'', ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...

'', and ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

''. Burke's film work began as a regular performer in fellow Purchase alumnus Hal Hartley's indie films, such as 1989's '' The Unbelievable Truth''. Burke appeared opposite

Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and act ...

's Academy Award nominated performance in the 1991 feature ''Rambling Rose''. He returned to work with Hartley again in 1992 in the Cannes Film Festival,

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

nominated ''

Simple Men ''Simple Men'' is a 1992 American film written and directed by Hal Hartley and starring Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas, and Martin Donovan. It was the debut film of actress Holly Marie Combs, in a supporting role. It was entered into ...

''. He also appeared in Hartley's 1995 film '' Flirt''. Burke took over the lead from

Peter Weller Peter Weller (born June 24, 1947) is an American film and stage actor, television director, and art historian. He has appeared in more than 70 films and television series, including '' RoboCop'' (1987) and its sequel '' RoboCop 2'' (1990), in wh ...

in '' RoboCop 3''. He starred in Richard Stanley's 1993 film ''

Dust Devil A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively short-lived whirlwind. Its size ranges from small (half a metre wide and a few metres tall) to large (more than 10 m wide and more than 1 km tall). The primary vertical motion is ...

'', and in 2001's '' No Such Thing''. In 1996, he played the lead role in the film adaptation of

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

's '' Thinner''. In 2004, Burke played the role of Mr. Neck in the independent film '' Speak''. In 2005, Burke had a role in ''

Hide and Seek Hide-and-seek (sometimes known as hide-and-go-seek) is a popular children's game in which at least two players (usually at least three) conceal themselves in a set environment, to be found by one or more seekers. The game is played by one chose ...

'', a

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...

. He had roles in the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated films ''

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

'' directed by

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

and '' Good Night, and Good Luck'', directed by

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards, one for his acting and the ot ...

. In 2008, he portrayed James Mattis, Commanding General of 1st Marine Division in the HBO miniseries '' Generation Kill''. Burke also portrayed General Ned Almond, commanding general of the 92nd Division, Buffalo Soldiers, in the 2008

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

film ''

Miracle at St. Anna ''Miracle at St. Anna'' is a 2008 AmericanItalian epic war film directed by Spike Lee and written by James McBride, based on McBride's 2003 novel of the same name. The film stars Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Pier ...

''. He appeared in the 2012 film ''

Safe A safe (also called a strongbox or coffer) is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or fire. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face being removable or hinged to form a door. The body and ...

''. He played the Colorado Springs chief of police in Spike Lee's ''

BlacKkKlansman ''BlacKkKlansman'' is a 2018 American biographical black comedy crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee and written by Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Lee, based on the 2014 memoir ''Black Klansman'' by Ron Stallworth. ...

'' (2018). In 2015 and 2017, he appeared in three episodes of ''

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' (often abridged as ''Last Week Tonight'') is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by comedian John Oliver. The half-hour-long show premiered in April 2014 on HBO. ''Last ...

'', once parodying his role on ''Law & Order''. Burke is seen opposite Frieda Pinto in the Netflix thriller "Intrusion". Currently, Robert John Burke has entered the Marvel Universe portraying CIA agent Smitty in Black Panther 2 : Wankanda Forever. 2023 will see Burke opposite Kiera Knightly in The Boston Strangler.

Personal life

Burke holds a second degree black belt in Matsubayashi, Shorin-ryu Okinawa

karate (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

. He is a certified and active New York State

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions als ...

, currently captain of an engine. Burke is also active with foundation work including VETHACK, Leary Firefighter Foundation (LFF), FDNY Foundation, FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation, Lt. Joseph DiBernardo Foundation for Fire Fighter Survival.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Robert John Burke
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Robert John 1960 births Living people Male actors from New York City American male film actors American people of Irish descent American male television actors American male voice actors American firefighters State University of New York at Purchase alumni People from Washington Heights, Manhattan 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Shōrin-ryū practitioners