Director, Writer and 'Exterminator' Star Robert Ginty Dies at 60

Robert Ginty, experimental theater director, producer, scenarist, film director and stage and screen actor died yesterday of cancer in Los Angeles.  He was 60 years old.  

Though most famous for his roles in "The Exterminator" and "The Exterminator 2," Ginty had a prolific career in the arts both behind and in front of the scenes.  He was involved with music from an early age, playing with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker. He studied at Yale and trained at The Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actor's Studio. Ginty worked in the regional theater circuit, and moved to Broadway after Harold Prince hired him as his assistant after seeing him perform Shakespeare in New Hampshire.

Ginty appeared on Broadway in THE GREAT GOD BROWN in 1972 and in DON JUAN later that year. Considered one of the most important figures in experiemental theater, Ginty is famous for challenging the traditional notion that artist must have a set style and constantly experimented with different media, subjects and formats. He directed over three dozen off Broadway and international plays, including the acclaimed A CLOCKWORK ORANGE in Toranto in 2004, and has performed in nearly a dozen others. 

Ginty moved to California in the 1970s, where he found frequent work as a strong-armed player on TV action, appearing in different series in the mid-1970s. In 1976, he attained popularity after starring with Robert Conrad on "Baa Baa Black Sheep." Ginty had small parts in "Bound for Glory" (1976) and "Two-Minute Warning" (1976). He later made his biggest impression as Bruce Dern's pal in "Coming Home" (1978) a film that was nominated for 8 Oscars. He went on to co-star in three television series: "The Paper Chase" (1978), "Falcon Crest" and "Hawaiian Heat." He also appeared in John Llewellyn Moxey's "The Courage and the Passion."

Ginty won his first film action lead in "The Exterminator" (1980), which became a surprising box-office hit, taking his place amongst Clint Eastwood and Sylvester Stallone as a high-action anti-hero. Hereafter,  he went on to star in a string of action movies such as "Gold Raiders," "Cop Target," "The Alchemist," "Gold Raiders," "The Scarab" and the sequel "Exterminator 2."  Ginty's acting career faded in the 1990s, although he played some higher-quality roles, such as in Tom Ropelewski's comedy "Madhouse"  and "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" with Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson. 

In all, Robert Ginty has contributed to: 3 Series Leads, 20 Television shows guest appearances, 35 Feature Films, 5 Broadway Plays, 9 Off-Broadway Plays and 17 Repertory Plays. 

Ginty resided, variously, in Los Angeles, Dublin, Toronto, and Vancouver. He is survived by his wife, Michelle Ginty and son, actor James Ginty.