• Bob Gunton is an experienced American actor, most famous for his role in "The Shawshank Redemption"
• He served in the US Army from 1969-1971 and earned the Vietnam Service Medal and Bronze Star of Valor
• He has starred in many films and TV series, including "JFK" (1991), "Family Guy" (2011), and "24" (2001-2010)
• He is a folk singer and his net worth is estimated to be around $3 million
• He is an opponent of President Donald Trump, and often wears suits and light-colored clothing



Known for movies

Short Info

Date Of BirthNovember 15, 1945
SpouseCarey Pitts Gunton (m. 2006), Annie McGreevey (m. 1980–2006)
MarkOften plays political figures or military figures
Fact1969-71: Served in the United States Army, earning the Vietnam Service Medal and a Bronze Star for valor.

Bob Gunton is an experienced American actor, who is most famous for his role of Warden Norton is the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”. Along with his film career, he developed his stage performing skills, and is also a folk singer. Let’s find out more about his current wife, net worth, family, etc.

Early life and family

Robert Patrick “Bob” Gunton Jr. was born on 15 November 1945, in Santa Monica, California USA, so under the sign of Scorpio, and holding American nationality. His mother’s name was Rose Marie Gunton (née Banovetz); his father’s name was Robert Patrick Gunton, Sr. – little is known about his parents, except that his father was a labor union executive, and both of Bob’s parents were very religious.

Bob doesn’t have any siblings; not so much is known about his childhood, except that he spent his early years in California, being interested in various sports activities, such as soccer, basketball and baseball.

Educational background, army

Bob attended Mater Dei High School, located in Santa Ana, California, matriculating from there in 1963. After that he entered the Paulist Seminary St Peter’s College, located in Baltimore, Maryland, and later he attended the University of California, Irvine. From his early youth Bob planned to become a priest, as he was brought up as a devout Roman Catholic. However, his plans were destined to change. Bob served in the US Army from 1969 to 1971, participating in military operations in Vietnam. For his successful service he earned the Vietnam Service Medal and a Bronze Star of Valor.

Career

Starting as a stage actor

Little is known about his activities in the times after he got back from his service in the US Army. Occasionally feeling that acting was something he was good at and interested in, Bob tried himself as a stage actor, appearing in such productions as “Evita” (1979), playing Juan Peron along with Patti LuPone, who played Evita Peron herself; “Sweeney Todd”, playing the title role in the first Broadway Revival of 1989 at the Circle in the Square Theatre; he also played in “King of Hearts” and “Working”, both in 1978, and “Big River” (1984), in which he landed the role of the King.

Bob Gunton

For his successful stage performances, he was twice nominated for Tony Awards for his work in “Evita” and “Sweeney Todd”; he also won the Drama Desk Award in 1980 for his work in “Evita” and the Clarence Derwent Award as well as the Obie Award for his performance in Amlin Gray’s black comedy about Vietnam, “How I Got That Story”. In this production Bob was the only actor on the stage, performing for more than 20 characters of both sexes and of various ages, along with the sounds of gunfire, bombing runs, etc.

First steps in acting career

Bob’s first work on the silver screen happened in 1981, when he landed the role of Sal Naftari in “Rollover”.

Later he accepted more offers from directors of various series and movies, and performed minor roles in such projects as “Static” (1985), “The Pick-up Artist” (1987), “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) and “JFK” (1991). He could also be seen in “The Public Eye” (1992), “Father Hood” (1993) and “Demolition Man” (1993). His most valuable role of all times has been the character of Warden Samuel Norton in “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994). The movie got seven Academy Awards nominations, including “Best Picture”, “Best Actor” (Morgan Freeman) and “Best Adapted Screenplay”, but didn’t win any of them. However, after this appearance, Bob earned the line on authoritative, political or military characters.

His role in this movie also saw him featuring in the popular animated comedy series “Family Guy”, in which he voiced-over the prison warden in the episode “Cool Hand Peter” in 2011.

Further successful acting career

Bob started appearing in more series and films, mostly thrillers and dramas. He performed minor roles in “In Pursuit of Honor” (1995), “The Siege at Ruby Ridge” (1996), and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” (1997), playing opposite Kevin Spacey and John Cusack. He also played in “The Perfect Storm” (2000), “I Heart Huckabees” (2004), “The Lazarus Project” (2008), “The Lincoln Lawyer” (2011) and “Trouble with the Curve (2012), sharing the screen with Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman and Amy Adams.

It is worth mentioning that Bob had a chance to play four US Presidents: President Richard Nixon in “Elvis meets Nixon” (1997), President Thomas Woodrow Wilson in “Iron Jawed Angels” (2004), President Franklin D. Roosevelt in “World War Two: Behind Closed Doors”, a documentary movie of 2008, and President Harry S. Truman in “Project Blue Book” (2019). He also played President Sebastián Piñera, the current President of Chile, in “The 33” (2015).

Appearing in TV series

Bob Gunton appeared in dozens of TV series, in both minor and major roles.

At the beginning of his acting career he started with such series as “Law & Order”, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, “A Woman Named Jackie” and “Miami Vice”. Later he landed the main roles of Junction Jack in “Greg the Bunny” (2002 – 2004), and Mayor Malcolm Smith in “Peacemakers” (2003). He also played in “Desperate Housewives” from 2004 to 2006, “Pepper Dennis” in 2006 and “Women’s Murder Club” in 2007. He gained the main role of Ethan Kanin in the popular series “24” (2001 – 2010) in 2007 and starred in the series ‘til 2010. His latest works in series are the role of Ed in “New Girl”, the character of Ranger’s grandfather in “Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street”, and as Leland Owlsley in the main cast of “Daredevil” (2015).

Personal life, wife Carey Pitts

Bob married his first wife, actress Annie McGreevey, in 1980. Born in July 1946, she could be seen in such movies and series as “Another World” (1964 – 1999), “Tales of the Unexpected” (1979 – 1988), “Law & Order” (1990 – 2010), “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (1999 – present). She also played minor roles in “Six Degrees” (2006 – 2008), “Anomaly” (2014) and “Bessie” (2017). During their marriage, Annie gave birth to their daughter, Olivia Gunton, but in 2006 the couple divorced, and Bob married Carey Pitts the same year, and is still living with her, having no more kids. Nothing is known about his current wife, as Bob keeps her profile and all the details of his private life low-key.

Hobbies, favorite things and interesting facts

During his spare time Bob likes to do some singing, as he is a mature folk singer and performer. Bob became the hero of the meme called “… Or am I being obtuse?”, as a lot of people use the screenshot of his “The Shawshank Redemption” character, Warden Norton, pointing on the brick wall with his finger, saying that phrase.

Social media presence

Bob Gunton is not very active on social media platforms, being consistent only on his Twitter account, which is read by only 450 people. However, he tweets and shares other people’s posts quite often, almost on a daily basis. One can see that he is a passionate opponent of President Donald Trump, sharing a lot of news and articles on his low ratings, fails, etc.

https://twitter.com/bob_gunton/status/987910891914973184

Appearance, clothing style

Bob has short grey hair and blue eyes. He is      6ft 1in (1.87m) tall and weighs around 187lbs (85kgs). His vital statistics are not available at the moment. As to his clothing style, he prefers classy looks, and often wears suits, shirts and trousers of light colors, such as grey, light-blue, etc.

Net worth and salary

According to authoritative sources, Bob’s current net worth is estimated to be around $3 million, accumulated by working hard as a stage actor, and starring in numerous series and movies. As he is still assigned to several series and keeps on accepting new offers from Hollywood directors, his net worth is going to grow in future.

Subscribe for the updates

* indicates required

General Info

Full NameBob Gunton
Date Of BirthNovember 15, 1945
Height1.85 m
ProfessionVoice Actor, Soldier
EducationUniversity of California, Irvine, Mater Dei High School
NationalityAmerican

Family

SpouseCarey Pitts Gunton (m. 2006), Annie McGreevey (m. 1980–2006)
ChildrenOlivia Gunton
ParentsRose Marie Banovetz, Robert Patrick Gunton, Sr.

Accomplishments

AwardsDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Obie Award for Performance
NominationsTony Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
MoviesThe Shawshank Redemption, Dead Silence, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Patch Adams, Demolition Man, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Lazarus Project, The 33, The Glimmer Man, Argo, The Perfect Storm, Broken Arrow, Fracture, Born on the Fourth of July, Glory, Matewan, Get the Gringo, I Heart Huckabees, Iron ...
TV Shows24, Greg the Bunny, Peacemakers, Wild Palms, Daredevil, Murder in the Heartland, Courthouse, Hothouse

Social profile links


Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
Author

As a Freelance Writer at Biography Pedia, I oversee the full writing process, from in-depth research to the development of compelling narratives, ensuring accuracy and excellence in our output. Our goal is to produce insightful profiles that deeply explore the lives of prominent figures in business, entertainment, and other fields. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, we spotlight the significant journeys and achievements of individuals who captivate and inspire our readers.

Write A Comment

Pin It