Ralph Meeker

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.

Ralph Meeker is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 35 verified screen credits connected to this profile. Selected work includes Without Warning (1980), Angela – Love Comes Quietly (1973), The Mind Snatchers (1972), The Night Stalker (1972), Custer (1967), The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Paths of Glory (1957). The recorded credits span 1948 to 1980, including 10 movies and 25 TV shows. The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.