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Bob Gunton

ACTOR · BORN 1945

Bob Gunton

Born
15 November 1945, Santa Monica, California, USA
Known for
The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Kill the Irishman (2011), Dolores Claiborne (1995), Trial & Error (2017)

23 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

Bob Gunton (born 15 November 1945) is an actor best known for The Shawshank Redemption, Kill the Irishman and Dolores Claiborne.

23 Interesting Facts About Bob Gunton

Interesting Facts (2)

  1. #001

    In 2009, Bob Gunton was one of the actors profiled in the book 'Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting', written by Scott Voisin. The book examines the experiences of character actors who are recognized in Hollywood but generally appear in supporting roles, and their perspectives on the art of acting. Gunton's inclusion in the book shows his standing in the industry and the value of his experience.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

  2. #002

    Bob Gunton was born on November 15, 1945, at 12:44 in the afternoon Pacific Time. This birth time is frequently mentioned by fans interested in his astrological profile. Gunton's moment of birth was recorded as part of his personal history and has taken its place among biographical information.

    INTERESTING FACTS · SOURCED

Characters & Cast (12)

  1. #003

    Bob Gunton served in the United States Army between 1969 and 1971. During his service in this period, he was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal for his participation in the conflicts in Vietnam and the Bronze Star for his courage. His military experience played an important role in shaping his disciplined and determined character and added depth to the authoritarian characters he would later portray.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  2. #004

    Throughout his career, Bob Gunton brought four different U.S. presidents to the screen. He played Richard Nixon in the 1997 production Elvis Meets Nixon, Woodrow Wilson in the 2004 production Iron Jawed Angels and Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 2008 production World War Two: Behind Closed Doors. Finally, in 2019, he appeared before audiences as Harry S. Truman in the tenth episode of the series Project Blue Book, titled 'The Washington Merry-Go-Round'. Portraying these four different presidents demonstrated Gunton's mastery of characterizing historical figures.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  3. #005

    In his film career, Bob Gunton succeeded in appearing in four productions nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. These include Born on the Fourth of July from 1989, JFK from 1991, The Shawshank Redemption from 1994 and Argo from 2012. Argo won the award in this category, making it Gunton's only Oscar-winning film on this list.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  4. #006

    Bob Gunton was the only actor with a Spanish accent in the original Broadway production of the musical Evita. This detail shows the care he gave to his character and his commitment to his role. His use of the accent while portraying the Argentine figure Juan Domingo Perón added authenticity to his performance and made it easier for audiences to believe in the character.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  5. #007

    In his theater career, Bob Gunton was nominated for a Tony Award twice. He received his first nomination in 1980 in the Best Featured Actor in a Musical category for the musical Evita. Ten years later, in 1990, he was nominated in the Best Actor in a Musical category for his leading role performance in the revived version of Sweeney Todd.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  6. #008

    Bob Gunton was honored with a Drama Desk Award in 1980 for the musical Evita staged on Broadway. He won this award for his performance in the role of Juan Domingo Perón and worked on stage alongside important names of the period such as Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. This success consolidated his reputation in the world of musical theater and was an important turning point in his career.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  7. #009

    Bob Gunton has a daughter named Olivia Gunton. Gunton, who prefers not to share much information about his family, has managed to keep his private life out of the spotlight. Alongside her father's success in the art world, Olivia is known as one of his most important sources of inspiration.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  8. #010

    Bob Gunton was one of the actors profiled in the 2009 book 'Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting', written by Scott Voisin. This book addresses the experiences of character actors who are recognized in Hollywood but generally appear in supporting roles, as well as their perspectives on the art of acting. Gunton's inclusion in this book shows his standing in the industry and the value of his experience.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  9. #011

    Throughout his career, Bob Gunton acted alongside David Strathairn in four different films. These films include Matewan from 1987, Judgment from 1990, Dolores Claiborne from 1995 and Fracture from 2007. This long-running collaboration between the two actors reveals the strength of the harmony and professional relationship between them. Both actors are known for their mastery of character acting.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  10. #012

    Bob Gunton's parents are Robert Patrick Sr. and Rose Marie Gunton. Although many details about his family have not been shared with the public, Gunton's roots and family ties form an important part of his personal history. This information is a valuable detail for fans who want to understand his life story.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  11. #013

    In 1980, Bob Gunton was honored with two important theater awards at once for his performance in the play 'How I Got That Story': the Clarence Derwent Award and the Obie Award. This success consolidated Gunton's place in the theater world and opened the door to larger projects in the later stages of his career.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

  12. #014

    Bob Gunton was born on November 15, 1945, at 12:44 in the afternoon Pacific Time. This birth time is often mentioned by fans interested in his astrological profile. Gunton's moment of birth was recorded as part of his personal history and took its place among biographical information.

    CHARACTERS & CAST · SOURCED

Career & Awards (7)

  1. #015

    Bob Gunton served in the United States Army between 1969 and 1971. During that service he was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal for his participation in the conflict in Vietnam and the Bronze Star for his courage. His military experience played a significant role in shaping his disciplined and determined character and added depth to the authoritarian roles he would later portray.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

  2. #016

    Over the course of his career, Bob Gunton portrayed four different U.S. presidents on screen. He played Richard Nixon in the 1997 production Elvis Meets Nixon, Woodrow Wilson in the 2004 production Iron Jawed Angels, and Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 2008 production World War Two: Behind Closed Doors. Finally, in 2019 he appeared before audiences as Harry S. Truman in the tenth episode of the series Project Blue Book, titled 'The Washington Merry-Go-Round'. Playing these four different presidents demonstrated Gunton's mastery of characterizing historical figures.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

  3. #017

    In his film career, Bob Gunton succeeded in appearing in four productions nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. These are Born on the Fourth of July (1989), JFK (1991), The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and Argo (2012). Argo won the award in that category, making it the only Oscar-winning film on Gunton's list.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

  4. #018

    Bob Gunton was the only actor with a Spanish accent in the original Broadway production of the musical Evita. This detail shows the care he gave to his character and his commitment to the role. His use of the accent while playing the Argentine figure Juan Domingo Perón added authenticity to his performance and made it easier for audiences to believe in the character.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

  5. #019

    Bob Gunton was nominated for a Tony Award twice in his theater career. He received his first nomination in 1980 in the Best Featured Actor in a Musical category for the musical Evita. Ten years later, in 1990, he was nominated in the Best Actor in a Musical category for his leading performance in the revived version of Sweeney Todd.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

  6. #020

    Bob Gunton was honored with a Drama Desk Award in 1980 for the musical Evita staged on Broadway. He won the award for his performance as Juan Domingo Perón and worked on stage alongside such notable names of the period as Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. This success consolidated his reputation in the world of musical theater and was an important turning point in his career.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

  7. #021

    In 1980, Bob Gunton was honored with two important theater awards for his performance in the play 'How I Got That Story': the Clarence Derwent Award and the Obie Award. This success consolidated Gunton's place in the theater world and opened the door to larger projects in later periods of his career.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

Life & Family (2)

  1. #022

    Bob Gunton has a daughter named Olivia Gunton. Gunton, who prefers not to share much information about his family, has managed to keep his private life out of the public eye. Alongside her father's success in the art world, Olivia is known as one of his most important sources of inspiration.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

  2. #023

    Bob Gunton's parents are Robert Patrick Sr. and Rose Marie Gunton. Although many details about his family have not been shared with the public, Gunton's roots and family ties form an important part of his personal background. This information is a valuable detail for fans who want to understand his life story.

    LIFE & FAMILY · SOURCED

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Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
  • IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

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