After over a year following her death, he was arrested for the murder of his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley. He was acquitted on 16th March 2005. Eight months later, however, a jury in a civil suit brought on behalf of her children found Blake liable for the murder and ordered him to pay over $30 million in damages.
Almost had the role of Jim Rockford on "The Rockford Files" (1974), but Stephen J. Cannell thought that, since Rockford didn't like to fight, the diminuitive Blake would have seemed too cowardly in the role.
Although he is of Italian descent, for many years he specialised in playing either Latino characters or Native Americans.
Appears in the film Lost Highway (1997), about a man who murders his wife. It was inspired, according to David Lynch, by the O.J. Simpson case. Blake later became the centre of another high-profile wife-killing case in real life.
Blake's wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, was shot in the head and killed while sitting in her car waiting for her husband outside of a restaurant. [4 May 2001]
Born at 8:30am EDT.
Brother of Joan Blake and James Gubitosi.
Daughter, Rose Lenore Sophia Blake (with Bonnie Lee Bakley) was born June 2000.
Father of Noah Blake.
He received accolades for his performance as a killer who goes to the gallows in 1967's In Cold Blood (1967), and he won a 1975 Emmy for "Baretta: He'll Never See Daylight (#1.1)" (1975), but his career had been stalled for years.
Passed on Ratzo Ritzo in Midnight Cowboy (1969), and lost out on a role in The Godfather (1972) (presumably in the role of Michael or Sonny). He also turned down the role of Angel in The Wild Bunch (1969).
To prepare for the role of Hannibal Lecter, Anthony Hopkins had watched Blake's performance in In Cold Blood (1967) several times (Hopkins said this having visited Blake, whom he didn't know personally, in prison after being accused of murdering his wife).
Walked away from his career 1986-93.