5 actors who have played Robert Kennedy on TV
Robert Kennedy Credit: Getty Images / Hulton Archive
“Bobby Kennedy for President,” a new documentary that starts streaming Friday, April 27, on Netflix, marks the 50th anniversary of RFK’s 83-day presidential run, which ended with his assassination on June 5, 1968. Here are five actors who have portrayed the former U.S. attorney general and U.S. senator in TV movies and miniseries over the years:
MARTIN SHEEN, “The Missiles of October” (1974) The ABC-TV-movie dramatization of the Cuban missile crisis.
JOHN SHEA, NBC miniseries “Kennedy” (1983) Focused on the 1961-63 presidency of John F. Kennedy (played, ironically, by Martin Sheen).
COTTER SMITH, the syndicated miniseries “Blood Feud” (1983) Focused on the long-running feud between RFK and Teamsters boss James Hoffa (played by Robert Blake).
BRAD DAVIS, the three-part CBS miniseries “Robert Kennedy and His Times” (1985) Based on Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.’s 1978 book of the same name.
BARRY PEPPER, the 8-part Reelz miniseries “The Kennedys” (2011) For which he won an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie.
Andy Edelstein, Newsday's entertainment editor, supervises coverage of TV, celebrities, movies and pop music. He has written three books on popular culture, including "The Brady Bunch Book."
