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IMDbPro

R.G. Armstrong(1917-2012)

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
R.G. Armstrong in Dynastia (1981)
Trailer
Play trailer0:30
Muukalainen (1986)
12 Videos
18 Photos
A golden career was reflected in his name. Robert Golden Armstrong ("Bob" to his friends) was born in Birmingham, Alabama on April 7, 1917. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While there, he was frequently performing on stage with the Carolina Playmakers. After graduating, R.G. headed to New York, where his acting career really took off. In 1953, along with many of his Actors Studio buddies, he was part of the cast of "End As a Man" -- this became the first play to go from off-Broadway to Broadway. The following year, R.G. got his first taste of movies, appearing in Eedenin yrttitarha (1954). However, he returned to New York and the live stage. He received great reviews for his portrayal of Big Daddy in the Broadway production of "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" in 1955.

In 1958, R.G. took the plunge to Hollywood -- he appeared in two movies, a television series, and did numerous guest appearances on television series that year, usually in Westerns such as The Rifleman (1958), Have Gun - Will Travel (1957) and Zane Grey Theatre (1956), among others. He would go on to appear in 80 movies and three television series in his career, and guest-starred in 90 television series, many of them Westerns, often as a tough sheriff or a rugged land baron. R.G. was a regular cast member in the television series T.H.E. Cat (1966), playing tough, one-handed Captain MacAllister. During the filming of Steel (1979) in Kentucky, watching the mammoth Kincaid Tower being built, he made some good friends in the cast: "You become a family on the set," he said in an interview at the time.

Even though he had a long, versatile career, the younger generation knows him as the demonic Lewis Vandredi (pronounced VON-drah-dee), who just would not let the main characters have a good night's sleep on the television series Aaveita ja kummituksia (1987). Finally retiring after six successful decades in show business -- his last film appearance was Purgatory (1999) -- R.G. and his lovely wife Mary Craven were mostly just enjoying life in California, and still traveled and vacationed in Europe occasionally. His upbeat, fun-loving personality made him a delight for all who came in contact with him. R.G. Armstrong died at age 95 of natural causes in Studio City, California on July 27, 2012.
BornApril 7, 1917
DiedJuly 27, 2012(95)
BornApril 7, 1917
DiedJuly 27, 2012(95)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 2 wins

Photos18

R.G. Armstrong and Craig Curtis in Ryövärit (1972)
R.G. Armstrong, Luke Askew, Barry Brown, Dana Elcar, Robert H. Harris, Donald Moffat, and Cliff Robertson in Ryövärit (1972)
R.G. Armstrong and Luke Askew in Ryövärit (1972)
R.G. Armstrong, Cliff Robertson, and Wayne Sutherlin in Ryövärit (1972)
R.G. Armstrong, Charles Drake, and Edgar Stehli in Luodissa ei ole nimeä (1959)
R.G. Armstrong and Charles Drake in Luodissa ei ole nimeä (1959)
R.G. Armstrong, Willis Bouchey, Charles Drake, and Joan Evans in Luodissa ei ole nimeä (1959)
Audie Murphy, R.G. Armstrong, and Charles Drake in Luodissa ei ole nimeä (1959)
R.G. Armstrong in Hämärän rajamailla (1959)
R.G. Armstrong in Hämärän rajamailla (1959)
R.G. Armstrong and Gladys Cooper in Hämärän rajamailla (1959)
Raymond Burr and R.G. Armstrong in Perry Mason yllättää (1957)

Known for:

Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator - saalistaja (1987)
Predator - saalistaja
7.8
  • General Phillips
  • 1987
Warren Beatty in Dick Tracy (1990)
Dick Tracy
6.2
  • Pruneface
  • 1990
Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, and James Caan in El Dorado (1966)
El Dorado
7.5
  • Kevin MacDonald
  • 1966
Children of the Corn (1984)
Children of the Corn
5.6
  • Diehl
  • 1984

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • The Waking (2001)
    The Waking
    2.1
    • Edward Sloan
    • 2001
  • Eric Roberts, Randy Quaid, Sam Shepard, Brad Rowe, and Donnie Wahlberg in Purgatory (1999)
    Purgatory
    6.8
    TV Movie
    • Coachman
    • 1999
  • Lance Henriksen and Klea Scott in Millennium (1996)
    Millennium
    8.0
    TV Series
    • The Old Man
    • 1997–1998
  • The Man in the Iron Mask (1998)
    The Man in the Iron Mask
    4.7
    • Old Farmer
    • 1998
  • Hyvät pahat pojat (1997)
    Hyvät pahat pojat
    8.2
    TV Series
    • Clergyman (as Robert Armstrong)
    • 1997
  • Invasion of Privacy (1996)
    Invasion of Privacy
    4.9
    • Sam Logan - Storekeeper
    • 1996
  • Don't Look Back (1996)
    Don't Look Back
    5.9
    TV Movie
    • Isaiah Parish
    • 1996
  • Cybill Shepherd, Alicia Witt, Christine Baranski, Dedee Pfeiffer, and Alan Rosenberg in Cybill (1995)
    Cybill
    6.9
    TV Series
    • Stitch Sullivan
    • 1995
  • Joan Severance and C. Thomas Howell in Payback (1995)
    Payback
    5.7
    • Mac
    • 1995
  • Chuck Norris in Texas Ranger (1993)
    Texas Ranger
    5.6
    TV Series
    • Frank Dodge
    • 1994
  • Justin Lazard and Rachel York in Dead Center (1993)
    Dead Center
    4.1
    • Art Fencer
    • 1993
  • Julian Sands in Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)
    Warlock: The Armageddon
    5.4
    • Franks
    • 1993
  • L.A. Law (1986)
    L.A. Law
    7.1
    TV Series
    • Frank Osgood
    • 1992–1993
  • Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell in Aikahyppy (1989)
    Aikahyppy
    8.2
    TV Series
    • Davison
    • 1991
  • Mitzi Kapture and Rob Estes in Silkkiä ja luoteja (1991)
    Silkkiä ja luoteja
    6.5
    TV Series
    • Mr. Cameron
    • 1991

Soundtrack

  • Charlton Heston, James Coburn, Senta Berger, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and Michael Anderson Jr. in Majuri Dundee (1965)
    Majuri Dundee
    6.7
    • performer: "Shall We Gather at the River?" (uncredited)
    • 1965

Videos12

El Dorado
Clip 0:28
El Dorado
El Dorado
Clip 0:41
El Dorado
El Dorado
Clip 0:39
El Dorado
El Dorado
Clip 0:14
El Dorado
Trailer
Trailer 2:27
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 2:26
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:59
Official Trailer
The Car
Trailer 2:01
The Car
Race with the Devil
Trailer 2:03
Race with the Devil
Evilspeak
Trailer 1:50
Evilspeak
Children of the Corn (1984)
Trailer 1:17
Children of the Corn (1984)
The Red-Headed Stranger
Trailer 0:30
The Red-Headed Stranger

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • R. G. Armstrong
  • Height
    • 1.91 m
  • Born
    • April 7, 1917
    • Birmingham, Alabama, USA
  • Died
    • July 27, 2012
    • Studio City, California, USA(natural causes)
  • Spouses
      Mary CravenJuly 19, 1993 - November 1, 2003 (her death)
  • Relatives
    • Jake Craven(Niece or Nephew)
  • Other works
    Music video: Appeared in the Metallica music video "Enter Sandman". He was the old man they kept flashing in portions of the video.
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Interviews

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Died 24 days after the death of his best friend, Andy Griffith.
  • Quotes
    I had to learn it the hard way. I studied with Lee Strasberg. Acting is not acting. It's being. If you have the kind of personality makeup where you can transform into being the character in that situation, it brings about authenticity. You get a feel of the situation, the line in a scene and where your hearts goes to in a scene and you always keep that in mind.
  • Nickname
    • Bob

FAQ13

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