Robert Prosky (born Robert Joseph Porzuczek, December 13, 1930 – December 8, 2008) was an American actor. He became a well-known supporting actor in the 1980s with his roles in '' Thief'' (1981), ''

Christine Christine may refer to: People * Christine (name), a female given name Film * ''Christine'' (1958 film), based on Schnitzler's play ''Liebelei'' * ''Christine'' (1983 film), based on King's novel of the same name * ''Christine'' (1987 fil ...

'' (1983), ''

The Natural ''The Natural'' is a 1952 novel about baseball by Bernard Malamud, and is his debut novel. The story follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked after being shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. The story mo ...

'' (1984), and '' Broadcast News'' (1987). Prosky's other notable movies include '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990), '' Hoffa'' (1992), '' Mrs. Doubtfire'' (1993), '' Last Action Hero'' (1993), '' Miracle on 34th Street'' (1994), '' Dead Man Walking'' (1995), and '' Mad City'' (1997). His most notable television role was of Sgt. Stan Jablonski on the TV police drama ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

''.

Early life

Prosky, a Polish American, was born in the Manayunk neighborhood of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, to Helen (Kuhn) and Joseph Porzuczek. His father was a grocer and butcher. He was raised in a working-class neighborhood and studied at the American Theatre Wing, later graduating from

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...

. He performed at Old Academy Players, a small theater in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, adjacent to Manayunk. He also served in the U.S. Air Force during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

, but got a hardship discharge to help with the family store when his father died suddenly.

Career

Prosky appeared in '' Thief'', ''

'', '' Hanky Panky'', ''

'', '' Hoffa'', '' Broadcast News'', '' Things Change'', '' The Great Outdoors'', '' Loose Cannons'', '' Rudy'', '' Mrs. Doubtfire'', '' Green Card'', and '' Dead Man Walking''. He also appeared as Will Darnell, the man who owned the auto repair shop where Arnie Cunningham ( Keith Gordon) rebuilds the possessed car "Christine" in the film '' John Carpenter's Christine'' based on

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 novel. In addition to appearing in films, he appeared in many television shows, as a regular on ''

'', '' Danny'', and '' Veronica's Closet''. Prosky also portrayed Jake "the Snake" Connolly on a two-part 1991 episode of ''

Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

''. He was considered for the role of Martin Crane in ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'' and later made a guest appearance in the series as a reclusive writer who befriended the character. He was offered the role of Coach Ernie Pantusso on ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'', but turned it down; he later portrayed Rebecca Howe's father on the same show. His role in '' Veronica's Close''t was likely a nod to this, as in both shows he would play the father of a character portrayed by

Kirstie Alley Kirstie Louise Alley (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress. Her breakout role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 ...

. In addition to his film and television career, he appeared in numerous productions at the

Arena Stage Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest, Washington, D.C. Established in 1950, it was the first racially integrated theater in Washington, D.C. and its founders helped start the U.S. regional theater movement. It is ...

in Washington, D.C., most notably as Willy Loman in '' Death of a Salesman''. Prosky often performed at

with over 100 stage credits to his name at that theatre alone. He played Shelly Levene in the 1984 Chicago and Broadway production of

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

-winning play ''

Glengarry Glen Ross ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' is a play by David Mamet that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984. The play shows parts of two days in the lives of four desperate Chicago real estate agents who are prepared to engage in any number of unethical, illegal acts ...

''. He was also a board member of the

Cape May Stage The Cape May Stage is a theatre company that performs in the Robert Shackleton Playhouse located at the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets in downtown Cape May, New Jersey, United States. Aim Cape May Stage provides professional Equity theatre, ...

Cape May, New Jersey Cape May is a city located at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations, and part of ...

. Prosky appeared in two films, ''Dead Man Walking'' and ''The Chamber'', with actor Raymond J. Barry. He received or was nominated for two Tony awards, two Helen Hayes awards, an Emmy, the Drama Desk award, and the American Express Tribute To An American Actor. He continued to perform on stage and present lectures on his long career at universities, film festivals, for theater benefits, business groups and on cruises.

Personal life

In 1960, he married Ida Hove with whom he had three sons, Stefan,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and Andrew Prosky. John and Andrew are also actors.

Death

Prosky died on December 8, 2008, at the age of 77. His son John said that the cause was complications of heart surgery at the Washington Hospital Center.Martin, Douglas. (December 11, 2008)
"Robert Prosky, 77, an Actor of Wide Range and Acumen, Is Dead"
''The New York Times''. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' described him: "a craggy-faced, heavyset character actor who, after 23 years in regional theater, became a familiar face on Broadway, in movies and on television, notably as a gruff desk sergeant in the later years of ''Hill Street Blues''." ''Playbill'' described him: "He was best suited to playing salt-of-the-earth characters, sometimes with a mischievous or slightly sinister edge." At the time of his death, he was living in the

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...

neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Filmography

* '' The Brink's Job'' (1978) - Cop in Police Lineup (uncredited) * '' Thief'' (1981) - Leo * ''

World War III World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since at ...

'' (1982) - General Rudenski * '' Hanky Panky'' (1982) - Hiram Calder * ''

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ...

'' (1982) - Bishop Walkman * ''

The Lords of Discipline ''The Lords of Discipline'' is a 1980 novel by Pat Conroy that was later adapted in a 1983 film of the same name. The story centers on Will McLean, who is in his fourth year at the fictional Carolina Military Institute in Charleston, South ...

'' (1983) - LTC Thomas "The Bear" Berrineau * ''

'' (1983) - Will Darnell * '' The Keep'' (1983) - Father Fonescu * ''

'' (1984) - The Judge (team owner) * '' Outrageous Fortune'' (1987) - Stanislav Korzenowski * '' Big Shots'' (1987) - Keegan * '' Broadcast News'' (1987) - Ernie Merriman * ''

The Murder of Mary Phagan ''The Murder of Mary Phagan'' is a 1988 American two-part television miniseries starring Jack Lemmon. The supporting cast features Richard Jordan, Robert Prosky, Peter Gallagher, Kathryn Walker, Rebecca Miller, Paul Dooley, Charles Dutton, Kevin ...

''(1988, Miniseries) - Thomas Edward Watson * '' The Great Outdoors'' (1988) - Wally * '' Things Change'' (1988) - Joseph 'Don Giuseppe' Vincent * '' The Heist'' (1989) -

Dancer Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

* '' Loose Cannons'' (1990) - Von Metz * '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990) - Grandpa Fred * ''

Funny About Love ''Funny About Love'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder in his first romantic lead. With a screenplay by Norman Steinberg and David Frankel, the film is based on the article "''Conventi ...

'' (1990) - Emil Thomas "E.T." Bergman * '' Green Card'' (1990) - Brontë's Lawyer * ''

Age Isn't Everything ''Age Isn't Everything'' (also known as ''Life in the Food Chain'') is a 1991 comedy film directed by Douglas Katz and starring Jonathan Silverman, Robert Prosky, and Rita Moreno. The film premiered at the 1991 American Film Market, and was consec ...

'' (1991) - Grandpa Irving * '' Far and Away'' (1992) - Daniel Christie * '' Hoffa'' (1992) - Billy Flynn * '' Last Action Hero'' (1993) - Nick * '' Rudy'' (1993) - Father Cavanaugh * '' Mrs. Doubtfire'' (1993) - Jonathan Lundy * '' Miracle on 34th Street'' (1994) - Judge Henry Harper * ''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne ...

'' (1995) - Horace Stonehall * '' Dead Man Walking'' (1995) - Hilton Barber * '' The Chamber'' (1996) - E. Garner Goodman * '' Mad City'' (1997) - Lou Potts * '' The Lake'' (1998) - Herb * '' Dudley Do-Right'' (1999) - Inspector Fenwick * '' Eye See You'' (2002) - McKenzie * ''

Death to Smoochy ''Death to Smoochy'' is a 2002 satirical black comedy crime film directed by Danny DeVito and written by Adam Resnick. Starring Robin Williams, Edward Norton, DeVito, Catherine Keener and Jon Stewart, the film centers on "Rainbow" Randolph Sm ...

'' (2002) - Network Chairman (uncredited) * ''Suits on the Loose'' (2005) - Bishop Hollister * '' The Skeptic'' (2008) - Father Wymond (final film role)

Television

* ''

'' (1984–1987) - Sgt. Stan Jablonski * '' Murder She Wrote'' (1987) - Bishop Patrick Shea * ''

'' (1988) - Tom Watson * ''From the Dead of Night'' (1989) - Dr Walter Hovde''From the Dead of Night''
Turner Classic Movies, accessed December 18, 2015 * ''A Green Journey'' (1990) - Bishop Baker * ''

'' (1991) - Jake "The Snake" Connolly * ''

'' (1992) - Navy Captain Franklin Howe * ''

'' (1996) - T.H. Houghton * '' Veronica's Closet'' (1997-1998) - Pat Chase * '' ER'' (2007) - Wayne Rutley

Stage

References

External links

Robert Prosky Papers at GMU
* * * *
AP Obituary in ''The Philadelphia Inquirer''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prosky, Robert 1930 births 2008 deaths Male actors from Philadelphia American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of Polish descent Drama Desk Award winners Temple University alumni Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors