Robert John Burke
Updated: 12/10/2025, 8:15:44 PM Wikipedia source
Robert John Burke (born September 12, 1960) is an American actor known for his roles in the early films of Hal Hartley as well as his roles in RoboCop 3 (1993), Tombstone (1993), and Thinner (1996). Burke became well known for his portrayal of Mickey Gavin on Rescue Me (2004–11), Bart Bass in Gossip Girl (2007–12), Ed Tucker in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2002–20), Officer Patrick Simmons in Person of Interest (2011–2013), and a number of other film and television roles including Intrusion (2021).
Infobox
Born
(1960-09-12) September 12, 1960 (age 65)Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City , U.S.
Education
State University of New York, Purchase (BFA)
Occupations
Actor, firefighter
Years active
1986–present
Children
2
Tables
· Filmography › Film
1993
Role(s)
Paul Parker
Role(s)
G.I. Paul
Role(s)
Frank McLaury
1996
Role(s)
Handsome Man
Role(s)
U.S. Marshal Pat Schiller
Role(s)
Billy Halleck
1997
May day – Flug in den Tod
Role(s)
Tom Hutton
Role(s)
Officer B
Role(s)
Henry
2005
Role(s)
Steven
Role(s)
Charlie Mack
Notes
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with cast)
Role(s)
Belligerent American
2006
Role(s)
Binky Taylor
Jack's Law
Role(s)
Det. Ron Banks
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | The Unbelievable Truth | Josh | |
| 1991 | Rambling Rose | Dave Wilkie | |
| 1992 | Dust Devil | Dust Devil | |
| Simple Men | Bill McCabe | ||
| 1993 | A Far Off Place | Paul Parker | |
| RoboCop 3 | Alex Murphy / RoboCop | Credited as Robert Burke | |
| Heaven & Earth | Paul | ||
| Tombstone | Frank McLaury | ||
| 1995 | Flirt | Men's Room Man # | |
| Killer: A Journal of Murder | Greiser | ||
| 1996 | If Lucy Fell | Handsome Man | |
| Fled | Marshal Pat Schiller | ||
| Thinner | Billy Halleck | ||
| 1997 | May day – Flug in den Tod | Tom Hutton | |
| Cop Land | Officer B | ||
| First Love, Last Rites | Henry | ||
| 1998 | Somewhere in the City | Frankie | |
| 2001 | No Such Thing | Monster | |
| 2002 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind | Drill Instructor Jenks / TV Censor | |
| 2003 | Tea Time with Roy & Sylvia | Roy | Short film |
| Piggie | Dad | ||
| 2004 | Speak | Mr. Neck | |
| Connie and Carla | Rudy | ||
| 2005 | Hide and Seek | Steven | |
| Good Night, and Good Luck. | Charlie Mack | Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with cast) | |
| Munich | Belligerent American | ||
| 2006 | The Oh in Ohio | Binky Taylor | |
| Jack's Law | Det. Ron Banks | ||
| The Ex | Colonel | Previously titled Fast Track | |
| 2008 | Miracle at St. Anna | General Ned Almond | |
| 2010 | Brooklyn's Finest | State Trooper | |
| 2011 | Limitless | Pierce | |
| 2012 | Safe | Captain Wolf | |
| 2013 | 2 Guns | Jessup | |
| 2015 | True Story | Detective Greg Ganley | |
| 2017 | Future '38 | General Sportwood | |
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Chief Bridges | |
| Boarding School | Mr. Holcomb | ||
| 2021 | Intrusion | Detective Stephen Morse | |
| 2022 | The Retaliators | Captain Briggs | |
| Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Smitty | ||
| 2023 | Boston Strangler | Eddie Holland | |
| 2026 | Untitled Alejandro G. Iñárritu film | Post-production | |
| TBA | Subversion | Filming |
· Filmography › Television
1995
Crazy for a Kiss
Role(s)
Steve
Notes
Television film
1995–2004
Role(s)
Law & Order
Notes
Arthur "Buzz" Palley / FBI Agent Ron Innes / Lt. Colonel Milton Danbury
1998
Midnight Flight
Role(s)
Paul Bacon
Notes
Television film
2000
2000–2003
Role(s)
Oz
Notes
Special Agent Pierce Taylor
2002
2002–2020
Role(s)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Notes
IAB Sergeant/Lieutenant/Captain Ed Tucker
2004
2004–2011
Role(s)
Rescue Me
Notes
Mickey Gavin
2007
2007–2012
Role(s)
Gossip Girl
Notes
Bart Bass
2011
2011–2013
Role(s)
Person of Interest
Notes
Officer Patrick Simmons
2012
2012–2013
Role(s)
Army Wives
Notes
Major General Kevin Clarke
2015
2015–2017
Role(s)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Notes
Forensic Scientist, Cop
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | O'Toole | Episode: "Torn" |
| 1994 | Roseanne | Bodyguard | Episode: "Girl Talk" |
| 1995 | Crazy for a Kiss | Steve | Television film |
| 1995–2004 | Law & Order | Arthur "Buzz" Palley / FBI Agent Ron Innes / Lt. Colonel Milton Danbury | 3 episodes |
| 1998 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Jeffrey Andrews | Episode: "Abduction" |
| From the Earth to the Moon | William Anders | 2 episodes | |
| A Bright Shining Lie | Frank Drummond | Television film | |
| Midnight Flight | Paul Bacon | Television film | |
| 2000 | Falcone | Jules Weller | Episode: "Windows" |
| 2000–2003 | Oz | Special Agent Pierce Taylor | 8 episodes |
| 2002 | Witchblade | Det. Dean Gorner | Episode: "Agape" |
| Sex and the City | Walker Lewis | 2 episodes | |
| 2002 | CSI: Miami | FBI Agent Jim Resdon | 1 episode |
| 2002–2020 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | IAB Sergeant/Lieutenant/Captain Ed Tucker | 30 episodes |
| 2004 | The Sopranos | Officer Zmunda | Episode: "Two Tonys" |
| 2004–2011 | Rescue Me | Mickey Gavin | 54 episodes |
| 2006 | Six Degrees | David | 2 episodes |
| 2006–2007 | Kidnapped | Bellows | 10 episodes |
| 2007 | Queens Supreme | Special Agent Jeff Donaldson | Episode: "Permanent Markers" |
| 2007–2012 | Gossip Girl | Bart Bass | 27 episodes |
| 2008 | Generation Kill | Major General James "Chaos" Mattis | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | Blue Bloods | Jyle Hogan | |
| 2011 | White Collar | Patrick O'Leary | Episode: "The Dentist of Detroit" |
| 2011–2013 | Person of Interest | Officer Patrick Simmons | 16 episodes |
| 2012 | NYC 22 | Deputy Inspector Dennis McClaren | Episode: "Thugs and Lovers" |
| 2012–2013 | Army Wives | Major General Kevin Clarke | 16 episodes |
| 2013 | Golden Boy | Andrew Lightstone | Episode: "Next Question" |
| 2014 | Nurse Jackie | Dick Richards | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Allegiance | Special Agent Brock | 8 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Forensic Scientist, Cop | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Project Blue Book | William Fairchild | 6 episodes |
| 2025 | The Last of Us | Seth | 4 episodes |
References
- "The Hill Files: An Interview with Actor Robert John Burke"https://podcastingthemsoftly.com/2015/09/21/1230/
- The New York Timeshttps://web.archive.org/web/20150916020303/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/9625/Robert-John-Burke/biography
- The New York Timeshttps://web.archive.org/web/20160307151857/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/9625/Robert-John-Burke/filmography
- Slatehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/09/14/john_oliver_s_public_defender_system_breakdown_on_last_week_tonight_starring.html
- "The Hill Files: An Interview with Actor Robert John Burke"https://podcastingthemsoftly.com/2015/09/21/1230/