Paul Burke

Paul Raymond Burke (July 21, 1926 – September 13, 2009) was an American actor, best known for his lead roles in two 1960s ABC television series, Naked City and 12 O'Clock High. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of New York Police Department detective Adam Flint in Naked City.

Burke was born in New Orleans on 21 July 1946. He was the son of Santa Maria (née Palermo) and Martin Joseph "Marty" Burke, a boxer who twice fought Gene Tunney and later owned a restaurant and nightclub known as Marty Burke's in the New Orleans French Quarter.

After training at the Pasadena Playhouse, Burke's film career began with a small role in the movie Golden Girl. Early in his career, Burke guest-starred in the syndicated series Highway Patrol and Men of Annapolis. In 1956–57, Burke was cast as Dr. Noah McCann in Noah's Ark, a weekly program produced by Jack Webb which aired on NBC, the story of a pair of dedicated veterinarians. Victor Rodman played the older colleague, Dr. Sam Rinehart.

After Five Fingers Burke was cast in the lead role of the police show Naked City, in which he appeared as Adam Flint from 1960 to 1963. Burke then appeared in the starring role of Captain (later Maj., then Col.) Joe Gallagher on 12 O'Clock High between 1964 and 1967, during which time he met his wife, Lyn. The 12 O'Clock High role was Burke's last lead television role.

In 1967, Burke starred in the film Valley of the Dolls as Lyon Burke, the young lawyer who befriended all three female stars and had a tempestuous relationship with Anne Welles. He also played a police officer who pursued a bank robber played by Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. He appeared in supporting roles in a number of television series, including recurring roles in Dynasty from 1982 to 1988 and in Tom Selleck's Magnum, P.I., from 1981 to 1985 as Rear Admiral Hawkes. Burke also served as a television commercial spokesman for the electronics retailer RadioShack, and for Buick Division, General Motors Corporation in the early 1970's. At the end of each Buick commercial, Burke would state Buick's then current motto: "Buick, something to believe in."

At the age of 19, Paul married Peggy Pryor (born Alice Louise Wilkan; 2 December 1926 – 12 September 1996), also 19 on 8 June 1946. Together they had 3 children :-

• Paula Santa Maria Burke-Lopez (13 April 1948 – 2013)
• Paul Brian Burke (10 April 1950 – 13 May 2024)
• Dina Burke-Shawkat, a film producer and mother of actress Alia Shawkat.

After staying together for roughly 26 years, Paul Burke and Peggy Pryor divorced on 13 March 1972. Later, Paul married Lyn Peters in 1979 and remained married to her till his death. He had a stepson Karl Erik Steiner (12 December 1962 – 5 January 1989) from Lyn's previous marriage / relationship with Lars Erik Steiner (16 October 1920 – 14 March 2004). Karl died from a motorcycle accident in 1989 at a premature age of 26.

Burke is the grandfather of actress Alia Shawkat, whose mother is Burke's daughter, Dina. He retired from acting in the early 1990s. Suffering from leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, he died in 2009 at his home in Palm Springs, California, aged 83. His second wife, Lyn Peters, died in Palm Springs on September 10, 2013, at the age of 72.