Robert Donner

Robert Donner (April 27, 1931 – June 8, 2006) was an American television and film actor.

Early life Donner was born in New York City on April 27, 1931. He was raised in New Jersey, Michigan and Texas. He spent four years in the United States Navy and was stationed in California. After he completed his military service, he settled in the Los Angeles area.

Career Donner's first role was an uncredited part in the 1959 John Wayne Western Rio Bravo; he also appeared in the sequels (which formed a loose trilogy), El Dorado and Rio Lobo. He also appeared in Chisum, The Undefeated, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. His best-known television roles were as the ex-convict/informant T.J. on Adam-12, Yancy Tucker on The Waltons and Exidor on Mork & Mindy. As Exidor, Donner's comic performance opposite Robin Williams's Mork made him an audience favorite.

Personal life and death Donner married producer/writer Jill Sherman in 1982. He died June 8, 2006 of a heart attack. He was 75.

Selected filmography Films

1959: Rio Bravo as Pedro 1963: The Nutty Professor as College Student (uncredited) 1964: The Disorderly Orderly as Interne (uncredited) 1965: Red Line 7000 as Leroy Agers (uncredited) 1966: Agent for H.A.R.M. as Morgue Attendant 1967: Catalina Caper as Fingers O'Toole 1967: El Dorado as Milt 1967: The Spirit Is Willing as Ebenezer Twitchell 1967: Cool Hand Luke as Boss Shorty 1968: The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell as Marine Private Ogg 1968: Skidoo as Another Switchboard Operator 1969: The Undefeated as Judd Mailer 1970: Mrs. Pollifax-Spy as Larrabee 1970: Zig Zag as Sergeant Mason Weber 1970: Chisum as Bradley Morton 1970: Rio Lobo as Whitey Carter 1971: Vanishing Point as Deputy Collins 1971: One More Train to Rob as Sheriff Adams 1971: Fools' Parade as Willis Hubbard 1971: Something Big as Angel Moon 1972: Pickup on 101 as Jesse (1st Farmer) 1973: High Plains Drifter as Preacher 1973: The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing as Dub 1973: Santee as J.C. 1975: Bite the Bullet as Reporter 1975: The Boy Who Talked to Badgers as Burton 1975: Take a Hard Ride as Skave 1976: The Last Hard Men as Lee Roy 1977: Damnation Alley as Man / Guard 1979: Five Days from Home as Karl Baldwin 1981: Under the Rainbow as The Assassin 1983: Hysterical as Ralph 1986: Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold as Swarma 1998: Leslie Nielsen's Stupid Little Golf Video as Himself, Leslie Nielsen's Trusted Caddie 2006: Hoot as Kalo

Television

1961–1965: Rawhide episodes; Toland in S3:E25, "Incident of the Running Man", Billings in S4:E4, "Judgement at Hondo Seco", Billy Bob Harger in S6:E4, "Incident of the Travellin' Man" & Adjutant in S8:E12, "The Testing Post" 1965: Combat! – episode: "Odyssey" as American GI 1965: I Spy – episode: "Dragon's Teeth" as Dr. Bustard 1966/67: Daniel Boone – episodes: "The Trap", "Take the Southbound Stage" 1967: Laredo – episode: "A Question of Guilt" as Patrick Clancy 1967: Garrison's Gorillas – episodes: "The Great Crime Wave", "The Great Theft 1968: I Spy – episode: "Home to Judgment" as Mailman 1968: Death Valley Days – episode: "Ten Day Millionaires" as Tom 1968: The Guns of Will Sonnett – episodes: "Guilt", "Look for the Hound Dog" 1968: Gunsmoke – episode: "A Noose for Dobie Price" as Gil Boylan 1968: Good Morning World – First Down and 200 Miles to Go" as Justice of the Peace 1968: The Guns of Will Sonnett – episode: as Lou Parkin 1968: The Virginian – episode: "Ride to Misadventure" as Matt Dooley 1968–1973: Adam-12 – 6 episodes as T.J. 1969: Bonanza – episode: "Meena" as Owen 1969: The Big Valley – episode: "Town of No Exit" as Pete Haunch 1969: Ironside – episode: "A Bullet for Mark" as Gas Station Owner 1970: The High Chaparral – episode: "A Matter of Vengeance" as Wilby 1970: Bonanza – episode: "The Horse Traders" as Owen Potter 1970: The High Chaparral – episode: "The Reluctant Deputy" as Sam Pelletier 1971: Alias Smith and Jones – episode: "Never Trust an Honest Man" as Preacher 1971: Mod Squad – episodes: "Feet of Clay", "The Hot, Hot Car" 1971: Alias Smith and Jones – episode: "The Bounty Hunter" as Nate 1971: The Bold Ones: The Senator – episode: "George Washington Told a Lie" as Matlock 1973: Columbo – episode: "Any Old Port in a Storm" as The Drunk 1973: The Rookies - episode 5: "Get Ryker" 1973: McMillan & Wife – episode: "Two Dollars on Trouble to Win" as Price 1973: Cannon – episode: "The Seventh Grave" as Chief 1973: Kung Fu – episode: "The Tide" as Amos Houlton 1973: Griff – episode: "Isolate and Destroy" as Roscoe 1973: Mannix – episode: "Climb a Deadly Mountain" as Rizo 1974-1975: The Six Million Dollar Man – episodes: "Stranger in Broken Fork" & "The White Lightning War" 1974: McCloud – episode: "The Concrete Jungle Caper" as Val 1975: S.W.A.T. – episode: "Time Bomb" as Sarge 1975: Gunsmoke – episode: "The Hiders" as Belnap 1975: Cannon – episode: "Perfect Fit for a Frame" as Sheriff 1975: Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color – episode: "The Boy Who Talked to Badgers: Parts 1 & 2" as Burton 1976: Sara – episode: "When Gentlemen Agree" as Harrington 1976: Captains and the Kings – miniseries – episode: "Chapter VII" as Wounded Texan 1976: Territorial Men – movie as Harrington as 1976: Young Pioneers' Christmas – movie as Mr. Peters 1976: Charlie's Angels – episode: "To Kill an Angel" as Korbin / Frank Evans 1976: The Quest – episode: "Incident at Drucker's Tavern" as Mr. Drucker 1976: City of Angels – episode: "The Bloodshot Eye" 1977: The Feather and Father Gang – episode: "Flight to Mexico" 1972–1978: The Waltons – 19 episodes as Yancy Tucker 1978–1982: Mork & Mindy – 22 episodes as Exidor 1978: How the West Was Won – episode: "Brothers" as Mr. Evans 1978: Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color – episode: "Trail of Danger: Parts 1 & 2" as The Sheep Boss 1979: The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove – episode: "Last of the Red Hot Luaus" as Insbrocker 1979: B.J. and the Bear – episode: "Lobo" 1980-1981: The Incredible Hulk – episodes: "Sideshow", "The Phenom" 1981: Match Game – episode: "261" as himself 1983: Voyagers! – episode: "Buffalo Bill and Annie Play the Palace" as Buffalo Bill Cody 1983: Little House on the Prairie – episode: "The Older Brothers" as Bart Younger 1983: The Mississippi – episode: "Crisis of Identity" as Bates 1984: The A-Team – episode: "Breakout!" as Sheriff J.C. Bickford 1984: Simon & Simon – episode: "A Little Wine with Murder?" as Cody Dexter 1984: Oh Madeline – episode: "Ladies' Night Out" as Gambler 1984: Blue Thunder – episode: "Revenge in the Sky" as Neil Gerrard 1986-1988: Matlock – episodes: "The Cop", "The Fisherman" 1986: Murder, She Wrote – episode: "If a Body Meet a Body" as Silas Pike 1987-1989: MacGyver – episodes: "Soft Touch", "Cleo Rocks" 1987: Fame – episode: "That Was the Weekend That Was" as Exalted Muskrat 1987–1988: Falcon Crest – 5 episodes as Tucker Fixx 1988: Webster – episode: "The Cuckoo's Nest" as Tiger 1989: Good Morning, Miss Bliss – episode: "The Mentor" as James Lyman 1990: MacGyver – episode: "Serenity, and MacGyver's Women" as Milt Bozer 1991-1994: Columbo – episodes: "Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health", "Undercover" 1991: Murder, She Wrote – episode: "From the Horse's Mouth" as Sheriff Tyrone McKenna 1992: In the Heat of the Night – episode: "Family Reunion" as Roy Paxton 1995: Legend – 5 episodes as Mayor Chamberlain Brown 1998: Pacific Blue – episode: "Heat of the Moment" as Luther 1999-2000 Early Edition - 2 episodes "Time" and "Fate" as Lucius Snow