Warren Oates

Biography

Warren Oates was an American actor known for Westerns and crime films, and for his work with directors Sam Peckinpah and Monte Hellman. He grew up in Depoy, Kentucky, and took up theater at the University of Louisville before moving to Los Angeles, where he spent much of the 1950s playing guest parts on television Westerns. Guest work on The Rifleman brought him to Peckinpah, and he went on to appear in Ride the High Country (1962) and Major Dundee (1965) before taking the outlaw role of Lyle Gorch in The Wild Bunch (1969). Among his other films were In the Heat of the Night (1967), in which he played the officer Sam Wood, Terrence Malick's Badlands (1973), and the title part in Dillinger (1973). He was the lead in Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), a role the critic Leonard Maltin said deserved an Oscar, and later played Sergeant Hulka in the comedy Stripes (1981). He died in 1982.

53years old at death

Born July 5, 1928Depoy
Died April 3, 1982Los Angeles
Star sign: CancerThe sign runs June 21 to July 22
Also credited as Warren Mercer Oates

Movie Career

Films: 34
Career span: 24 years1959 to 1983

Genres

Drama50%, 17 films
Action35%, 12 films
Western29%, 10 films
Crime26%, 9 films
Comedy21%, 7 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Big break
While taking various guest parts on The Rifleman, a hit television show Peckinpah helped create and occasionally directed, Oates made his first acquaintance with him. Oates also had a supporting role in The Westerner, Peckinpah's short-lived series, in 1960.
Getting ready for a role
In the 1974 action/tragedy Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, filmed in Mexico, Oates took the lead as Bennie, a hard-drinking musician and bartender down on his luck. Oates wore the director's sunglasses during scenes for authenticity.
Early training
Oates became interested in theater at the University of Louisville, where he starred in several plays in 1953, and four years later got a chance to star in a live New York production of the television series Studio One.
First role
Oates's first starring film role came in Leslie Stevens's 1960 film Private Property, before he worked with directors such as Norman Jewison, Terrence Malick and Steven Spielberg.

Warren Oates movies on Netflix

Blue Thunder1983IMDb rating 6.4as Capt. Jack Braddock
The Border1982IMDb rating 6.4as Red
Stripes1981IMDb rating 6.8as Sgt. Hulka
19411979IMDb rating 5.7as Col. 'Madman' Maddox
The Brink's Job1978IMDb rating 6.5as Specs O'Keefe
American Raspberry1977IMDb rating 5.0as Celebrity Sportsman
Sleeping Dogs1977IMDb rating 6.4as Col. Willoughby
Drum1976IMDb rating 5.5as Hammond Maxwell
92 in the Shade1975IMDb rating 5.8as Nichol Dance
Race with the Devil1975IMDb rating 6.6as Frank
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia1974IMDb rating 7.4as Bennie
Cockfighter1974IMDb rating 6.9as Frank Mansfield
The White Dawn1974IMDb rating 7.0as Billy
Badlands1973IMDb rating 7.7as Father
Dillinger1973IMDb rating 6.9as John Dillinger
The Thief Who Came to Dinner1973IMDb rating 6.1as Dave Reilly
Tom Sawyer1973IMDb rating 6.4as Muff Potter
The Hired Hand1971IMDb rating 6.9as Arch Harris
Two-Lane Blacktop1971IMDb rating 7.2as G.T.O
Barquero1970IMDb rating 6.3as Remy
There Was a Crooked Man...1970IMDb rating 6.8as Floyd Moon
The Wild Bunch1969IMDb rating 7.9as Lyle Gorch
The Split1968IMDb rating 6.0as Marty Gough
In the Heat of the Night1967IMDb rating 7.9as Officer Sam Wood
Return of the Seven1966IMDb rating 5.5as Colbee
The Shooting1966IMDb rating 6.4as Willett Gashade
Major Dundee1965IMDb rating 6.7as O. W. Hadley
The Rounders1965IMDb rating 6.1as Harley Williams
Hero's Island1962IMDb rating 5.5as Wayte Giddens
Ride the High Country1962IMDb rating 7.4as Henry Hammond
Private Property1960IMDb rating 6.7as Boots
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond1960IMDb rating 6.7as Eddie Diamond
Up Periscope1959IMDb rating 6.4as Seaman Kovacs
Yellowstone Kelly1959IMDb rating 6.6as Corporal

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

In the Heat of the Night1967 Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thrilleras Officer Sam Wood
IMDb rating 7.992K votes
Stripes1981 Action, Comedy, Waras Sgt. Hulka
IMDb rating 6.887K votes
Badlands1973as Father
IMDb rating 7.786K votes
The Wild Bunch1969as Lyle Gorch
IMDb rating 7.995K votes
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia1974as Bennie
IMDb rating 7.424K votes
Blue Thunder1983as Capt. Jack Braddock
IMDb rating 6.425K votes
Two-Lane Blacktop1971as G.T.O
IMDb rating 7.215K votes
The Shooting1966as Willett Gashade
IMDb rating 6.47.6K votes

Most often with

Sam Peckinpah directed four of these films, Monte Hellman three and Burt Kennedy three. Harry Dean Stanton appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Harry Dean Stanton

Peter Fonda

R.G. Armstrong

Ben Johnson

Dub Taylor

L.Q. Jones

Sam PeckinpahDirector, 4 films

Monte HellmanDirector, 3 films Burt KennedyDirector, 3 films

Films together

Harry Dean Stanton5 films together, 1962 to 1975
Harry Dean Stanton's page
- 92 in the Shade1975IMDb rating 5.8Oates as Nichol DanceStanton as Carter
- Cockfighter1974IMDb rating 6.9Oates as Frank MansfieldStanton as Jack Burke
- Dillinger1973IMDb rating 6.9Oates as John DillingerStanton as Homer Van Meter
- Two-Lane Blacktop1971IMDb rating 7.2Oates as G.T.OStanton as Oklahoma Hitchhiker
- Hero's Island1962IMDb rating 5.5Oates as Wayte GiddensStanton as Dixey Gates
Peter Fonda3 films together, 1971 to 1975
Peter Fonda's page
- 92 in the Shade1975IMDb rating 5.8Oates as Nichol DanceFonda as Tom Skelton
- Race with the Devil1975IMDb rating 6.6Oates as FrankFonda as Roger
- The Hired Hand1971IMDb rating 6.9Oates as Arch HarrisFonda as Harry Collings
R.G. Armstrong3 films together, 1962 to 1975
R.G. Armstrong's page
- Race with the Devil1975IMDb rating 6.6Oates as FrankArmstrong as Sheriff Taylor
- Major Dundee1965IMDb rating 6.7Oates as O. W. HadleyArmstrong as Reverend Dahlstrom
- Ride the High Country1962IMDb rating 7.4Oates as Henry HammondArmstrong as Joshua Knudsen
Ben Johnson3 films together, 1965 to 1973
Ben Johnson's page
- Dillinger1973IMDb rating 6.9Oates as John DillingerJohnson as Melvin Purvis
- The Wild Bunch1969IMDb rating 7.9Oates as Lyle GorchJohnson as Tector Gorch
- Major Dundee1965IMDb rating 6.7Oates as O. W. HadleyJohnson as Sergeant Chillum
Dub Taylor3 films together, 1965 to 1973
Dub Taylor's page
- Tom Sawyer1973IMDb rating 6.4Oates as Muff PotterTaylor as Clayton
- The Wild Bunch1969IMDb rating 7.9Oates as Lyle GorchTaylor as Wainscoat
- Major Dundee1965IMDb rating 6.7Oates as O. W. HadleyTaylor as Priam
L.Q. Jones3 films together, 1962 to 1969
L.Q. Jones's page
- The Wild Bunch1969IMDb rating 7.9Oates as Lyle GorchJones as T.C
- Major Dundee1965IMDb rating 6.7Oates as O. W. HadleyJones as Arthur Hadley
- Ride the High Country1962IMDb rating 7.4Oates as Henry HammondJones as Sylvus Hammond
Sam PeckinpahDirector, 4 films, 1962 to 1974
All films by Sam Peckinpah
- Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia1974IMDb rating 7.4Oates as Bennie
- The Wild Bunch1969IMDb rating 7.9Oates as Lyle Gorch
- Major Dundee1965IMDb rating 6.7Oates as O. W. Hadley
- Ride the High Country1962IMDb rating 7.4Oates as Henry Hammond
Monte HellmanDirector, 3 films, 1966 to 1974
All films by Monte Hellman
- Cockfighter1974IMDb rating 6.9Oates as Frank Mansfield
- Two-Lane Blacktop1971IMDb rating 7.2Oates as G.T.O
- The Shooting1966IMDb rating 6.4Oates as Willett Gashade
Burt KennedyDirector, 3 films, 1965 to 1976
All films by Burt Kennedy
- Drum1976IMDb rating 5.5Oates as Hammond Maxwell
- Return of the Seven1966IMDb rating 5.5Oates as Colbee
- The Rounders1965IMDb rating 6.1Oates as Harley Williams
Also three films together2 more actors
- John Davis ChandlerBarquero (1970), Major Dundee (1965) and Ride the High Country (1962)
- Emilio FernándezBring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), The Wild Bunch (1969) and Return of the Seven (1966)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.