You know that face. Everyone does.
Maybe it’s the wild, unkempt hair of a cult leader claiming to be an emissary from Venus. Or perhaps it’s the scruffy, earnest look of a mountain man sleeping with his dogs. Robert Donner was the ultimate "Hey, it's that guy!" of 20th-century television and film. He didn't just play characters; he became the weird, soulful, or menacing glue that held some of Hollywood’s biggest projects together.
Honestly, he had one of those careers where you stop counting the credits after a while. Over 100 TV appearances. Dozens of films. And it all started because his neighbor—some guy named Clint Eastwood—told him he had a "good face" for the screen.
The Eastwood Connection and the Early Westerns
Clint wasn't wrong. Donner had a look that could pivot from terrifying to hilarious in a heartbeat.
It’s actually kind of a cool Hollywood legend. Donner was just a Navy vet working odd jobs in California when he met Eastwood in their apartment building. Clint basically nudged him into the industry. Because of that connection, robert donner movies and tv shows often feel like a roadmap of the American Western's evolution.
His first big break? An uncredited role in the 1959 John Wayne classic Rio Bravo.
He didn't stay uncredited for long. He ended up in the "sequels" (the spiritual ones, anyway) like El Dorado and Rio Lobo. If John Wayne was on a horse in the late 60s, there was a solid chance Robert Donner was somewhere in the background, probably getting shot at or causing trouble.
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High Plains Drifter and the Menacing Preacher
One of his most striking film roles came in 1973 with High Plains Drifter.
He played the Preacher. Now, in a movie where the main character literally paints a whole town red and calls it "Hell," you need a cast that can handle the grit. Donner delivered. He brought this specific, nervous energy to the role that fit perfectly with Eastwood’s supernatural-leaning Western.
The Weirdness of Exidor on Mork & Mindy
If you grew up in the late 70s, you don't remember him as a cowboy. You remember him as Exidor.
Mork & Mindy was already a weird show—I mean, it’s Robin Williams playing an alien from Ork. But Donner managed to be the weirdest thing on the screen. He played the leader of "The Friends of Venus," an invisible cult.
He was brilliant.
He’d show up in these long, tattered robes, shouting about cosmic conspiracies while Robin Williams improvised around him. It’s hard to overstate how much skill it took to keep up with Williams in his prime, but Donner did it for all four seasons. He made Exidor more than a caricature; he made him a lovable, albeit totally delusional, staple of the show.
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Yancy Tucker: The Heart of Walton’s Mountain
It’s almost jarring to see him go from the manic energy of Exidor to the gentle, scruffy charm of Yancy Tucker on The Waltons.
Yancy was the town’s local "fixer" and animal lover. He was the guy who could find you a part for your truck but might also be found sleeping in a barn with his hounds.
People loved him.
Fans of the show still talk about Yancy’s devotion to his pets. It’s a testament to Donner’s range. He could play a stone-cold killer in a guest spot on Adam-12 one week and a sensitive mountain man the next. He stayed with The Waltons for years, appearing in the original series and several of the follow-up TV movies, like A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (1993).
A Career That Never Really Stopped
Donner didn't just stick to Westerns and sitcoms. He was everywhere.
- Cool Hand Luke: He was Boss Shorty.
- Columbo: He popped up in multiple episodes, including the 1994 "Undercover" special.
- The A-Team: He played a classic corrupt sheriff.
- Vanishing Point: He had a role in this cult-classic car chase film.
- MacGyver: He played Milt Bozer in the mid-80s.
He even made it into the 2000s, appearing in the film Hoot shortly before he passed away in 2006.
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What’s interesting about robert donner movies and tv shows is the sheer lack of ego. He was a professional. He knew his job was to make the lead look good while providing the audience with a memorable moment. Whether he was acting alongside Paul Newman, John Wayne, or a young Richard Dean Anderson, he always felt "real."
The Golf Connection
Off-screen, he was a huge golfer. Like, a 7-handicap huge golfer. He was part of Don Porter’s Thursday Golf Group and did a bunch of those hilarious "Stupid Golf" videos with Leslie Nielsen. If you haven't seen Bad Golf Made Easier, it’s worth a look just to see two veteran character actors having the time of their lives.
What We Can Learn From His Legacy
Robert Donner proves that you don't need your name above the title to be a legend. He was a "Working Actor" in the truest sense.
If you want to see the best of his work today, start with Mork & Mindy for the laughs, then pivot to High Plains Drifter to see his range. You'll quickly see why he was the first choice for directors who needed someone who could look a little rough around the edges but carry a scene with pure charisma.
Your next steps for a Robert Donner marathon:
- Watch "The Waltons" Episode: "The Conflict": See him establish the character of Yancy Tucker.
- Stream "High Plains Drifter": Pay attention to the Preacher; it’s a masterclass in supporting tension.
- Check out "Mork & Mindy" Season 1: Find any episode with Exidor to see the birth of a comedy icon.