Robert Walker Jr., 'Star Trek' and 'Dallas' Actor, Dead at 79

Robert Walker Jr., an actor who starred in dozens of movies and television shows in a career that [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Robert Walker Jr., an actor who starred in dozens of movies and television shows in a career that stretched more than six decades, died Thursday at age 79. Walker, the son of classic Hollywood legends Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones, was best known for starring in a beloved original Star Trek episode, and his appearances on Dallas. His final role came in the 2018 movie Beyond the Darkness.

"Bob always beat to his own drum and stayed true to himself in all of his endeavors," Walker's wife Dawn, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "Although an accomplished actor, his true art was living fully. He was a photographer, drummer, raconteur and gallery owner. His love of the ocean kept him in Malibu, and he had great tales of his adventures paddling to Catalina from there. Bob [also] had a constant interest in developing his internal martial arts practice."

Walker started his career on television in the late 1950s. In 1964, he starred as the title character in Ensign Pulver, the sequel to Mister Roberts. Two years later, he played Charlie Evans in "Charlie X," the second episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.

In "Charlie X," Walker played Charlie, the last survivor of a transport ship that crashed. The Enterprise crew later learns that Charlie has dangerous powers. Although Charlie was only 17 in the episode, Walker was 26 at the time the episode was filmed, in 1966.

Walker also appeared in episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, CHiPS, Charlie's Angels, The FBI, The Fall Guy, Murder, She Wrote and L.A. Law. In 1985 and 1986, he appeared in three episodes of Dallas as Harding Devers.

His other movie credits include The War Wagon with John Wayne, The Ceremony with Lawrence Harvey, The Hook with Kirk Douglas and Road to Salina with Rita Hayworth. He had a brief role in Easy Rider, appearing in the hippie commune scene with his first wife, Ellie Wood.

Walker's parents were movie stars Robert Walker Sr. and Jones, who were married from 1939 to 1945. Jones later married producer David O. Selznnck in 1945. Jones died in 2009 at age 90. Walker Sr. died in 1951 at age 32.

Walker is survived by his wife, seven children and five grandchildren. His younger brother Michael died in 2007, and half-sister Mary Jennifer Selznick died in 1976.

Photo credit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

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