Robert Winthrop Ginty (November 14, 1948 – September 21, 2009) was an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ginty took interest in the arts at a young age and went on to study acting at Yale University. Ginty worked in theatre until he moved to Hollywood in the mid-1970s. He started to play supporting roles on television and films, most notably a recurring role on the series The Paper Chase and two Hal Ashby films: Bound for Glory (1976) and Coming Home (1978). Ginty became an action film lead with his breakthrough role in James Glickenhaus's vigilante film The Exterminator (1980), which became a box-office success.
Up to the early 1990's Ginty acted in action oriented films such as The Act (1982), White Fire (1985), Mission Kill (1986), Programmed to Kill (1987), Out On Bail (1989). He also directed and starred in The Bounty Hunter (1989), Vietnam, Texas (1990) and Lady Dragon (1992). In the 1990s, Ginty focused on directing episodic television, including China Beach (1988), Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), Nash Bridges (1996), Charmed (1998), Tracker (2001), etc.
In the last decade of his life, Ginty, who died in 2009, became a theatre director and an artist in residence at Harvard University.
Early life
Ginty was born in Brooklyn, New York,[1] the son of Elsie M. (née O'Hara), a government worker, and Michael Joseph Ginty, a construction worker.[2] Ginty was involved with music from an early age, playing drums with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker. He studied at Yale[1] and trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio. Ginty worked in the regional theater circuit, and New York theatre on Broadway. Harold Prince hired him as his assistant after seeing him perform in The New Hampshire Shakespeare Festival Summerstock Company under the direction of Jon Ogden in 1973.
Career
Mid 1970s to 1980: early roles to breakthrough
Ginty moved to California in the 1970s, where he found frequent work in various series in the mid-1970s.
That year on television, he appeared in the NBC television movie John O'Hara's Gibbsville (also known as The Turning Point of Jim Malloy). He attained some popularity after finding a steady role starring with Robert Conrad in Baa Baa Black Sheep, a successful television series about the experiences of United States Marine Corps aviator Pappy Boyington and his squadron of misfits during World War II.
In 1978, Ginty worked again with director Ashby, in a supporting role in Coming Home starring Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Bruce Dern (a film which was nominated for eight Oscars). That year, he also appeared in John Llewellyn Moxey's television film The Courage and the Passion.[6]
Around the time he had a recurring role in the series The Paper Chase (1978).
In 1980, Ginty starred in James Glickenhaus's vigilante film The Exterminator. The film is about two Vietnam veterans played by Steve James and Ginty, who live in the Bronx. James's character is attacked and paralyzed by a street gang, which turns Ginty's character into a vigilante.[7] The film was a success grossing $35 million at the box office launching Ginty's career as an action film leading man.[8]
That year on television, he acted in "To Your Health" an episode of CHiPs,[9] and "The Accident" an episode of Diff'rent Strokes.[10]
1981 to 1989: Action film leading man, subsequent roles, and directorial debut
Moving forward, Ginty had the lead in many action movies including The Act (1982),[11]White Fire (1984),[12]Mission Kill (1986),[13]Programmed to Kill (1987),[14]Three Kinds of Heat (1987),[15]Out On Bail (1989),[16]Codename: Vengence (1989),[17] etc.[18]
In 1984, he reprised his role in the sequel Exterminator 2.[19] However the production was troubled, and the film was significantly re-shot and re-edited.[20] The film didn't get good reviews.[19]
Within his career, he became an independent producer/director, and formed his own production company, Ginty Films, buying shares in the special effects studio Introvision which distributed his vehicles both in the United States and abroad. Most were made on very limited budgets, but he had nevertheless done quite well for himself as a writer/producer/director, especially overseas, with such assembly-line fare as Gold Raiders (1983) which was filmed in Thailand, Cop Target (1990) which was shot in France, and Woman of Desire (1993).
In the last years of his life Ginty was a theatre director in Canada, France, Ireland and Italy. Furthermore, he was an artist in residence at Harvard University.[27]
Ginty married Michelle Craske in 2003,[28] they remained together until Ginty's death in 2009.[29]
He began working with Narconon, a Scientology organization which provides drug rehabilitation, drug education and drug prevention programs, in 1979.[30][31]
