• 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 Birth | November 15, 1945 |
Spouse | Carey Pitts Gunton (m. 2006), Annie McGreevey (m. 1980–2006) |
Mark | Often plays strict, authoritarian characters |
Fact | Profiled in "Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting" by Scott Voisin (2009). |

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.
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.
General Info
Full Name | Bob Gunton |
Date Of Birth | November 15, 1945 |
Height | 1.85 m |
Profession | Voice Actor, Soldier |
Education | University of California, Irvine, Mater Dei High School |
Nationality | American |
Family
Spouse | Carey Pitts Gunton (m. 2006), Annie McGreevey (m. 1980–2006) |
Children | Olivia Gunton |
Parents | Rose Marie Banovetz, Robert Patrick Gunton, Sr. |
Accomplishments
Awards | Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Obie Award for Performance |
Nominations | Tony 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 |
Movies | The 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 Shows | 24, Greg the Bunny, Peacemakers, Wild Palms, Daredevil, Murder in the Heartland, Courthouse, Hothouse |
Social profile links
Marks
# | Marks / Signs |
---|---|
1 | Often plays strict, authoritarian characters |
2 | Often plays political figures or military figures |
Quotes
# | Quote |
---|---|
1 | Among the roles I've played on stage, television and in films were politicos as diverse as Abe Lincoln, Juan Peron, Herman Goering, George Wallace and both Roosevelts. |
2 | I was the adoring son of a Welsh-Irish father, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, a Catholic Knight of Columbus who was a blue-collar, trade union organizer and, not surprisingly, a fervid Nixon-hater. |
3 | In film roles, I play a lot of heavies and a lot of bad guys, so I tend to be the jokester and the good-time Charlie on the set. |
4 | I was a grunt, walking around in the jungle of Vietnam, trying not to find the enemy. Because I am so big, they were going to give me either a heavy radio or a huge machine gun to carry. I carried a radio. |
5 | My first presidential primary vote was for Bobby Kennedy. |
6 | Lyndon Johnson may have escalated the war, but when I was drafted and shipped off to Vietnam, the signature on my orders was Nixon's. |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | Has one daughter: Olivia Gunton. |
2 | Parents are Robert Patrick Sr. and Rose Marie Gunton. |
3 | Attended and graduated from the University of California, Irvine (1968). |
4 | Attended and graduated from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California (1964). |
5 | In the original Broadway production of Evita, he was the only cast member who spoke with a Spanish accent. |
6 | Has appeared with David Strathairn in four films: Matewan (1987), Judgment (1990), Dolores Claiborne (1995) and Fracture (2007). |
7 | As of 2014, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Born on the Fourth of July (1989), JFK (1991), The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and Argo (2012), the latter being a winner in the category. |
8 | Has played three historical U.S. presidents: Woodrow Wilson in Iron Jawed Angels (2004), Franklin D. Roosevelt in World War Two: Behind Closed Doors (2008), and Richard Nixon in Elvis Meets Nixon (1997). |
9 | Profiled in "Character Kings: Hollywood's Familiar Faces Discuss the Art & Business of Acting" by Scott Voisin (2009). |
10 | 1980: Won the Clarence Derwent Award and the Obie Award for Best Performance in "How I Got That Story". |
11 | Won the 1980 Drama Desk Award for his role of Juan Domingo Perón opposite Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin in the Broadway musical "Evita". |
12 | Has twice received Tony nominations: in 1980 as Best Actor (Featured Role - Musical) for playing Juan Domingo Perón in "Evita", and ten years later, in 1990, as Best Actor (Musical) for playing the title role in a revival of "Sweeney Todd". |
13 | 1969-71: Served in the United States Army, earning the Vietnam Service Medal and a Bronze Star for valor. |
14 | Born at 12:44pm-PST |
Pictures
Movies
Actor
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Mountain Top | 2017 | post-production | Maxwell Forrest |
The List | 2016 | completed | Mr. Stern |
The Gettysburg Address | 2016 | Documentary post-production | William Herndon (voice) |
Trial & Error | 2017 | TV Series | Jeremiah Davis |
Royal Pains | 2010-2016 | TV Series | General William Collins / Ret. General William Collins |
The Last Tycoon | 2016 | TV Series | Vanderbilt Riddle |
Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street | 2015 | TV Series | Grandpa |
The 33 | 2015 | President Piñera | |
Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant | 2015 | Flight School Instructor | |
Daredevil | 2015 | TV Series | Leland Owlsley |
Trophy Wife | 2014 | TV Series | Francis Harrison |
New Girl | 2014 | TV Series | Ed |
Live at the Foxes Den | 2013 | Tony O'Hara | |
Runner Runner | 2013 | Dean Alex Monroe | |
Jimmy | 2013/I | Sheriff Brinson | |
Decoding Annie Parker | 2013 | Dr. Benton | |
Highland Park | 2013 | Bert | |
Up All Night | 2012 | TV Series | Tom |
Trouble with the Curve | 2012 | Watson | |
Argo | 2012 | Cyrus Vance | |
Wilfred | 2012 | TV Series | Warner |
Get the Gringo | 2012 | Thomas Kaufman | |
Family Guy | 2011 | TV Series | Warden |
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | 2011 | TV Series | Marshall Phelps |
Kill the Irishman | 2011 | Jerry Merke | |
The Lincoln Lawyer | 2011 | Cecil Dobbs | |
The Trial | 2010 | Joe Whetstone | |
Warren the Ape | 2010 | TV Series | |
The Mentalist | 2010 | TV Series | Alexander Harrington |
24 | 2007-2010 | TV Series | Ethan Kanin |
World War Two: Behind Closed Doors | 2008-2009 | TV Series documentary | Franklin Roosevelt |
Tenure | 2008 | William Thurber | |
The Least of These | 2008 | Father Thomas Peters | |
24 | 2008 | TV Movie | Ethan Kanin |
The Lazarus Project | 2008 | Father Ezra | |
Player 5150 | 2008 | Nick Villa | |
Boston Legal | 2008 | TV Series | Attorney William Connolly |
Women's Murder Club | 2007 | TV Series | Arthur Lazar |
Rendition | 2007 | Lars Whitman | |
Numb | 2007/I | Dr. Townshend | |
Fracture | 2007 | Judge Gardner | |
Dead Silence | 2007 | Edward Ashen | |
The Batman | 2007 | TV Series | Gorman |
Pandemic | 2007 | TV Movie | Dr. Max Sorkosky |
Imperfect Union | 2007 | TV Movie | |
Numb3rs | 2006 | TV Series | Boyd Resnick |
Pepper Dennis | 2006 | TV Series | Dick Dick Dinkle |
Desperate Housewives | 2004-2006 | TV Series | Noah Taylor |
Believe in Me | 2006 | Hugh Moreland | |
E-Ring | 2006 | TV Series | General Hughes |
Nip/Tuck | 2005 | TV Series | Agent Sagamore |
Fur on the Asphalt: The Greg the Bunny Reunion Show | 2005 | TV Movie | Prison Warden |
Greg the Bunny | 2002-2004 | TV Series | Junction Jack |
Ichabod! | 2004 | Baltus Van Tassel | |
I Heart Huckabees | 2004 | Mr. Silver | |
Monk | 2004 | TV Series | Dwight Ellison |
Judas | 2004 | TV Movie | High Priest Caiaphas |
Iron Jawed Angels | 2004 | TV Movie | President Woodrow Wilson |
Judging Amy | 2003-2004 | TV Series | Dr. Alan Foster |
Peacemakers | 2003 | TV Series | Mayor Smith |
Dallas 362 | 2003 | Joe | |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | 2003 | TV Series | Director Robert Carvallo |
Mister Sterling | 2003 | TV Series | California Governor Marino |
The Pact | 2002 | TV Movie | James |
Touched by an Angel | 2002 | TV Series | Sidney |
Boat Trip | 2002 | Boat Captain | |
Spin City | 2002 | TV Series | Governor Riley |
The Court | 2002 | TV Series | Casey |
Scenes of the Crime | 2001 | Steven, Jimmy's Partner | |
61* | 2001 | TV Movie | Dan Topping |
When Billie Beat Bobby | 2001 | TV Movie | Jerry Perenchio |
Family Law | 2000 | TV Series | Judge Mason |
Running Mates | 2000 | TV Movie | Sen. Terrence Randall |
The Perfect Storm | 2000 | Alexander McAnally III | |
Bats | 1999 | Dr. Alexander McCabe | |
Patch Adams | 1998 | Dean Walcott | |
Ally McBeal | 1998 | TV Series | Michaelson |
The Outer Limits | 1998 | TV Series | Clute Nichols |
Nothing Sacred | 1998 | TV Series | Bishop Corey |
Buffalo Soldiers | 1997 | TV Movie | Col. Benjamin Grierson |
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | 1997 | Finley Largent | |
A Thousand Acres | 1997 | Judge (uncredited) | |
Elvis Meets Nixon | 1997 | TV Movie | Richard M. Nixon |
Changing Habits | 1997 | Bishop Creighton | |
The Glimmer Man | 1996 | Frank Deverell | |
The Siege at Ruby Ridge | 1996 | TV Movie | Bo Gritz |
Broken Arrow | 1996 | Pritchett | |
Courthouse | 1995 | TV Series | Judge Homer Conklin |
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | 1995 | Burton Quinn | |
Dolores Claiborne | 1995 | Mr. Pease | |
Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long | 1995 | TV Movie | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
In Pursuit of Honor | 1995 | TV Movie | Col. John Hardesty |
The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | Warden Norton | |
Roswell | 1994 | TV Movie | Frank Joyce |
Demolition Man | 1993 | Chief George Earle | |
Father Hood | 1993 | Lazzaro | |
Wild Palms | 1993 | TV Mini-Series | Dr. Tobias Schenkl |
Murder in the Heartland | 1993 | TV Mini-Series | Governor Anderson |
Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster | 1992 | TV Movie | Larry Dietrick - State of Alaska |
Jennifer 8 | 1992 | Goodridge | |
The Public Eye | 1992 | Older Agent | |
Ladykiller | 1992 | TV Movie | Wolkowski |
Patriot Games | 1992 | Interviewer | |
Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life | 1992 | TV Movie | Texas Preacher |
Sinatra | 1992 | TV Mini-Series | Tommy Dorsey |
JFK | 1991 | TV Newsman #3 | |
Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis | 1991 | TV Movie | Chaplain |
Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin | 1991 | TV Movie | Asst. D.A. Scott Willard |
Star Trek: The Next Generation | 1991 | TV Series | Capt. Benjamin Maxwell |
A Woman Named Jackie | 1991 | TV Mini-Series | Hugh Auchincloss |
Missing Pieces | 1991 | Mr. Gabor | |
L.A. Law | 1990 | TV Series | Robert Weston |
Law & Order | 1990 | TV Series | Gil Himes |
The Bride in Black | 1990 | TV Movie | Sydney |
Judgment | 1990 | TV Movie | Monsignor Beauvais |
Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Firehouse | 1990 | Video short | Chief Kirby |
Born on the Fourth of July | 1989 | Doctor #1 - VA Hospital | |
Glory | 1989 | Gen. Charles Garrison Harker | |
Cookie | 1989 | Richie Segretto | |
Unconquered | 1989 | TV Movie | Governor George Wallace |
Miami Vice | 1988 | TV Series | Rivas |
Hothouse | 1988 | TV Series | Dr. Leonard Schrader |
The Pick-up Artist | 1987 | Fernando Portacarrero | |
Matewan | 1987 | C.E. Lively | |
Adam: His Song Continues | 1986 | TV Movie | Edgar Milton |
The Equalizer | 1985 | TV Series | Cronin |
Static | 1985 | Frank | |
Finnegan Begin Again | 1985 | TV Movie | Christian Jamison |
Comedy Zone | 1984 | TV Series | Various |
Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal | 1982 | TV Movie | Harry Gibbs |
Rollover | 1981 | Sal Naftari |
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Ichabod! | 2004 | performer: "Ichabod" | |
Great Performances | 2003 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | performer: "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" - uncredited | |
Star Trek: The Next Generation | 1991 | TV Series performer - 1 episode | |
Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Firehouse | 1990 | Video short performer: "Waiting For The Bell To Ring" | |
The 34th Annual Tony Awards | 1980 | TV Special performer: "Dice Are Rolling", "A New Argentina" |
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Char·ac·ter: The Interviews | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
I Heart Huckabees: Production Surveillance | 2005 | Video documentary short | Himself |
Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at 'The Shawshank Redemption' | 2004 | Video documentary short | Himself |
The Shawshank Redemption: Cast Interviews | 2004 | Video documentary | Himself |
Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature | 2001 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
'Bats' Abound | 1999 | Video documentary short | Himself |
The 44th Annual Tony Awards | 1990 | TV Special | Himself - Nominee: Best Leading Actor in a Musical |
Forever James Dean | 1988 | Documentary | Narrator (voice) |
Soldiers in Hiding | 1985 | Documentary | Narrator |
The 34th Annual Tony Awards | 1980 | TV Special | Himself - Performer & Nominee: Best Featured Actor in a Musical |
Awards
Won Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Hollywood Film Award | Hollywood Film Awards | Ensemble of the Year | Argo (2012) |
Nominated Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | ACCA | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Cast Ensemble | The Shawshank Redemption (1994) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
ncG1vNJzZmiamaS0s63PobCpnZSerm%2B70aBmm6eSYrS2utOopWamlal6uLvRrZ9moJWetKnAjJqenmWWlrqquNhmmaKnl6eusbTYaA%3D%3D