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Thu, March 10, 2023
Robert Blake, an actor best known for his portrayal of the television detective Tony Baretta, died on Thursday at the age of 89.
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Despite his success as an actor, Blake’s career was overshadowed by his high-profile trial and subsequent acquittal in the murder of his wife in 2001
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His niece, Noreen Austin, cited long-term heart disease as the cause of death.
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Blake’s career began at the age of 2 when he and his siblings would dance for money in New Jersey parks at the behest of their father.
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By age 5, Blake had already made his film debut in the “Our Gang” series.
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Blake went on to appear in dozens of films and television shows, and was known for his willingness to speak his mind and his tumultuous relationships with colleagues.
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Despite his reputation as a Hollywood troublemaker, he became a household name in the 1970s with his portrayal of the eponymous detective on the tv series “Baretta.”
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The show featured the character’s pet cockatoo named Fred, and Blake’s catchphrase, “You can take dat to da bank,” became iconic.
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Additionally for “Baretta,” he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Perry Smith, a mass murderer in the film adaptation of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”
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Blake sought the role to explore a question that had troubled him, as he explained in a 1977 interview with Playboy.
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