Ralph Meeker
Ralph Meeker (born Ralph Rathgeber; November 21, 1920 – August 5, 1988) was an American actor. He first rose to prominence for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mister Roberts (1948–1951) and Picnic (1953), the former of which earned him a Theatre World Award for his performance. In film, Meeker is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's 1955 Kiss Me Deadly.
Meeker went on to play a series of roles that used his husky and macho screen presence, includi
He also had a prolific career in television, appearing as Sergeant Steve Dekker on the series Not for Hire (1959–1960), and in the television horror film The Night Stalker (1972). After suffering a stroke in 1980, Meeker was forced to retire from acting, and died eight years later of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
Born
Nov 21, 1920
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Died
Aug 05, 1988
Known For
Acting
Movies
47 acting
1 crew
Popularity
1.0
Known For
The Dirty Dozen
1967
as Captain Stuart Kinder
Paths of Glory
1957
as Cpl. Philippe Paris
The Night Stalker
1972
as Bernie Jenks
Kiss Me Deadly
1955
as Mike Hammer
Without Warning
1980
as Dave
The Food of the Gods
1976
as Bensington
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
1967
as George Clarence 'Bugs' Moran
The Naked Spur
1953
as Roy Anderson
Brannigan
1975
as Capt. Moretti
The Anderson Tapes
1971
as Police Captain 'Iron Balls' Delaney
Add to Watchlist
Movie will be added to your watchlist