Robert Blake (actor)
| Robert Blake | |
|---|---|
Blake in 1977
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| Born |
Michael James Gubitosi January 18, 1933 Nutley, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Other names | Bobby Blake Lyman P. Docker Mickey Gubitosi |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1939–1997 |
| Spouse(s) | Sondra Blake (m.1961–1983; divorced) Bonnie Lee Bakley (m.2000–2001; deceased) |
| Children |
With Sondra Blake: Noah Blake, Delinah Blake With Bonnie Lee Bakley: Rosie Blake |
| Website | robertbobbyblake |
Robert Blake (born Michael James Gubitosi on January 18, 1933) is a retired American actor, having starring roles in the film In Cold Blood and the U.S. television series Baretta.
Blake began performing as a child, with a lead role in the final years of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Our Gang (Little Rascals) short film series from 1939 to 1944. He also appeared as a child actor in 22 entries of the Red Ryder film franchise. In the Red Ryder series and in many of his other roles as an adult, he was cast as a Native American or Latino character.
After a stint in the Army, Blake returned to acting in both television and movie roles. He was married to Sondra Kerr, his first wife, with whom he had two children, from 1964 until their divorce in 1983. He continued acting through 1997's Lost Highway for a career that author Michael Newton called "one of the longest in Hollywood history."
In 2005, Blake was tried and acquitted of the 2001 murder of his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley. On November 18, 2005, he was found liable in a California civil court for her wrongful death.
Blake was born Michael James Gubitosi in Nutley, New Jersey. His mother, Elizabeth Cafone (b. 1910), was married to Giacomo (James) Gubitosi (1906–1956). In 1930, James worked as a die setter for a can manufacturer. Eventually, James and Elizabeth began a song-and-dance act. In 1936, the three children began performing, billed as "The Three Little Hillbillies." They moved to Los Angeles, in 1938, where their children began working as movie extras.
Blake had an unhappy childhood and was allegedly abused by his alcoholic father. When he entered public school at age 10, he was bullied and had fights, which led to his expulsion. Blake states that he was physically and sexually abused by his parents while growing up and was frequently locked in a closet and forced to eat off the floor. His father committed suicide in 1956. At age 14, he ran away from home, leading to several more difficult years.
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