Robert Stack Biography 

American actor Robert Stack has taken a wide variety of jobs in his time onscreen. He is perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated turn in Written on the Wind, his comedic performance in Airplane!, and his longstanding gig with Unsolved Mysteries.

Robert Langford Modini Stack was born January 13, 1919 in Los Angeles, California. He was subsequently raised in Europe by his mother, Mary Elizabeth Wood. For that reason, his first languages were actually Italian and French. When he and his family relocated to Los Angeles, he finally picked up English.

Stack’s father, James Langford Stack, divorced Mary Elizabeth when Stack was only one. He, therefore, did not help raise his son, and he eventually died when Stack was only nine years old.

Pursuing sports before he stepped in front of the camera, Stack achieved success as both a polo player and a skeet shooter. So accomplished was he in the latter sport that he even earned a spot in the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame.

By the time Stack progresses past his teenage years, his interests shifted, however, to acting. To that end, he attended the University of Southern California to study drama. His classic movie star looks and masculine voice attracted the attention of Joe Pasternak, a Hollywood producer, who offered him an acting gig.

Shortly after, he made his onscreen debut in 1939 with First Love. He appeared with Deanna Durbin.

In 1940, he took the role of Otto von Rohn in The Mortal Storm. Appearing with Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart, Stack’s acting credentials were proven with this role.

He quickly became one of the most active and successful actors of the day. After numerous roles in both film and television, Stack proved his dramatic abilities with Written on the Wind (1956). His costars included Rock Hudson and Lauren Bacall, but it was Stack that earned an Oscar nomination for his work.

He continued his success in 1959 when he landed the role of Eliot Ness in the television series The Untouchables. He remained with the wildly successful program until its conclusion in 1963. Fellow leads included Walter Winchell, Nicholas Georgiade, Abel Fernandez, and others. Stack’s work earned him an Emmy.

Others may know Stack as the voice of Ultra Magnus in The Transformers: The Movie along with Peter Cullen, Corey Burton, and Casey Kasem.

He also honed his comedic skills when he took a sizable role in the 1980 comedy classic Airplane! Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Hays, Leslie Nielsen, and Julie Hagerty costarred.

Stack is perhaps best known, however, as the host of Unsolved Mysteries. With his trademark trench coat and gruff voice, Stack served in this role from 1987 until 2002.

In his personal life, Stack passed away on May 14, 2003 from a heart attack. In the previous year, he had battled prostate cancer.

Stack was married to Rosemarie Stack (born Rosemarie Bowe) from January 23, 1956 until his death. They had two children together.

Before his marriage, he was reportedly linked to Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Nancy Reagan, and many other leadings ladies of the time.