Robert Ginty was a versatile and prolific actor, producer, director, and writer who starred in many action films and TV shows in the 1970s and 1980s. He is best known for his role as the vigilante John Eastland in The Exterminator (1980) and its sequel Exterminator 2 (1984). He also appeared in acclaimed films such as Coming Home (1978) and Bound for Glory (1976), and had recurring roles in The Paper Chase (1978-1986) and Black Sheep Squadron (1976-1978). Ginty died of cancer on September 21, 2009, at the age of 60. Here is a brief overview of his life and career, and the details of his illness and death.
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Early Life and Career
Ginty was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 14, 1948, the son of a government worker and a construction worker. He was interested in music from an early age, and played drums with legendary musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, and John Lee Hooker. He studied at Yale University and trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio. He worked in regional theater and Broadway, and was hired by Harold Prince as his assistant after impressing him with his performance in Shakespeare plays.
Ginty moved to Hollywood in the mid-1970s, where he found steady work in various TV series and films. He gained popularity after co-starring with Robert Conrad in Black Sheep Squadron, a show about the exploits of a group of misfit pilots during World War II. He also made a strong impression as Bruce Dern’s friend in Coming Home, a film about the effects of the Vietnam War on veterans and their families, which was nominated for eight Oscars.
Breakthrough and Action Stardom
Ginty’s career took off when he landed the lead role in The Exterminator, a low-budget action film about a Vietnam veteran who becomes a vigilante after his friend is attacked by a street gang. The film was a surprise hit, and spawned a sequel, Exterminator 2, in which Ginty reprised his role. Ginty became a popular action hero, and starred in many other films in the genre, such as The Act (1982), White Fire (1985), Mission Kill (1986), Programmed to Kill (1987), and Out On Bail (1989). He also directed and starred in The Bounty Hunter (1989) and Vietnam, Texas (1990), and wrote, produced, and acted in some of his films.
Later Career and Other Ventures
In the 1990s, Ginty focused on directing episodic television, and worked on shows such as China Beach, Xena: Warrior Princess, Nash Bridges, Charmed, and Tracker. He also directed a rap/hip-hop musical version of A Clockwork Orange, which received positive reviews. Ginty was also an exhibited painter, and founded and was the artistic director of the Irish Theatre Arts Center in Los Angeles in 1994. He became a theater director and an artist in residence at Harvard University in the last decade of his life.
Illness and Death
Ginty was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, and underwent treatment in Ireland and the United States. He died on September 21, 2009, at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family and friends. He was survived by his third wife, Michelle, and his two children, James and Marissa, from his previous marriages to actresses Francine Tacker and Lorna Patterson. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Atlantic Ocean.
Ginty was remembered by his colleagues and fans as a talented and versatile artist, who excelled in various fields and genres. He was also praised for his generosity, kindness, and humor. He left behind a legacy of over 100 films and TV shows, and a loyal fan base that admired his work and personality. Robert Ginty’s cause of death was cancer, but his spirit lives on in his art and his memories.
