Ralph Meeker

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

100

Gender

Male

Birthday

1920-11-21

Day of death

1988-08-05 (67 years old)

Place of Birth

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Ralph Meeker

Biography

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, including a lead role in Stanley Kubrick's military courtroom drama Paths of Glory (1957), as a troubled mechanic opposite Carroll Baker in Something Wild (1961), as a World War II captain in The Dirty Dozen (1967), and in the gangster film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967). Other credits include supporting roles in I Walk the Line (1970) and Sidney Lumet's The Anderson Tapes (1971). 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.

Known For

  • Ironside

    Ironside

  • The F.B.I.

    The F.B.I.

  • The F.B.I.

    The F.B.I.

  • The F.B.I.

    The F.B.I.

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

    Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre

  • Climax!

    Climax!

  • Climax!

    Climax!

  • Studio One

    Studio One

  • Studio One

    Studio One

  • Cannon

    Cannon

  • Police Woman

    Police Woman

  • The Defenders

    The Defenders

  • Wanted: Dead or Alive

    Wanted: Dead or Alive

  • The Outer Limits

    The Outer Limits

  • Route 66

    Route 66

  • The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

  • The Rookies

    The Rookies

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

  • Kraft Suspense Theatre

    Kraft Suspense Theatre

  • The High Chaparral

    The High Chaparral

  • The Texan

    The Texan

  • The Name of the Game

    The Name of the Game

  • Police Story

    Police Story

  • Room 222

    Room 222

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour

    The 20th Century Fox Hour

  • Gentle Giant

    Gentle Giant

  • Hi-Riders

    Hi-Riders

  • Tarzan

    Tarzan

  • CHiPs

    CHiPs

  • Harry O

    Harry O

  • The Green Hornet

    The Green Hornet

  • Night Games

    Night Games

  • The Dirty Dozen

    The Dirty Dozen

  • The Naked Spur

    The Naked Spur

  • The Night Stalker

    The Night Stalker

  • The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown

    The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown

  • Going My Way

    Going My Way

  • The Eddie Capra Mysteries

    The Eddie Capra Mysteries

  • Lux Video Theatre

    Lux Video Theatre

  • Lux Video Theatre

    Lux Video Theatre

  • Kaz

    Kaz

  • Birds of Prey

    Birds of Prey

  • Not for Hire

    Not for Hire

  • Paths of Glory

    Paths of Glory

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame

    Hallmark Hall of Fame

  • Four Women in Black

    Four Women in Black

  • Toma

    Toma

  • Jeopardy

    Jeopardy

  • I Walk the Line

    I Walk the Line

  • My Boys Are Good Boys

    My Boys Are Good Boys

  • Ada

    Ada

  • Somebody Loves Me

    Somebody Loves Me

  • Custer

    Custer

  • Letter to Loretta

    Letter to Loretta

  • Letter to Loretta

    Letter to Loretta

  • Letter to Loretta

    Letter to Loretta

  • Letter to Loretta

    Letter to Loretta

  • Barbary Coast

    Barbary Coast

  • Run, Joe, Run

    Run, Joe, Run

  • Los Angeles Plays Itself

    Los Angeles Plays Itself

  • Primus

    Primus

  • The Evil Touch

    The Evil Touch

  • Without Warning

    Without Warning

  • Kiss Me Deadly

    Kiss Me Deadly

  • The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

    The St. Valentine's Day Massacre

  • The Anderson Tapes

    The Anderson Tapes

  • Brannigan

    Brannigan

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Tallahassee 7000

    Tallahassee 7000

  • The Food of the Gods

    The Food of the Gods

  • Winter Kills

    Winter Kills

  • Something Wild

    Something Wild

  • Big House, U.S.A

    Big House, U.S.A

  • The Dead Don't Die

    The Dead Don't Die

  • The Detective

    The Detective

  • The Devil's Eight

    The Devil's Eight

  • Desert Sands

    Desert Sands

  • Teresa

    Teresa

  • The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller

    The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller

  • Cry Panic

    Cry Panic

  • A Holster Full Of Law

    A Holster Full Of Law

  • Run of the Arrow

    Run of the Arrow

  • Wall of Noise

    Wall of Noise

  • Shadow in the Sky

    Shadow in the Sky

  • The Mind Snatchers

    The Mind Snatchers

  • A Woman's Devotion

    A Woman's Devotion

  • Glory Alley

    Glory Alley

  • The Alpha Incident

    The Alpha Incident

  • Code Two

    Code Two

  • Lost Flight

    Lost Flight

  • Johnny Firecloud

    Johnny Firecloud

  • Four in a Jeep

    Four in a Jeep

  • You'll Never See Me Again

    You'll Never See Me Again

  • The Reluctant Heroes

    The Reluctant Heroes

  • The Girl on the Late, Late Show

    The Girl on the Late, Late Show

  • Angela - Love Comes Quietly

    Angela - Love Comes Quietly