Elisha Cook Jr.

Elisha Cook Jr.
Cook in Wildcat (1942)
Born
Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr.

(1903-12-26)December 26, 1903
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 1995(1995-05-18) (aged 91)
OccupationActor
Years active1926–1988
Spouses
Mary Gertrude Dunckley
(m. 1928; div. 1941)
Peggy McKenna
(m. 1943; div. 1968)
(m. 1971)

Elisha Vanslyck Cook Jr. (December 26, 1903 – May 18, 1995) was an American character actor famed for his work in film noir. He played cheerful, brainy collegiates until he was cast against type as the bug-eyed baby-faced killer Wilmer Cook in the 1941 version of The Maltese Falcon. He went on to play deceptively mild-mannered villains. Cook's acting career spanned more than 60 years, with roles in productions including The Big Sleep, Shane, The Killing, House on Haunted Hill and Rosemary's Baby.