Robert R. Shafer

• Name — Robert R. Shafer • Born — 10 April 1958 • Birthplace — Charleston, West Virginia, U.S. • Birth Name — Robert Ray Shafer Jr. • Height — 6 ft 4 in • Education — Broward College (attended)

Robert Ray Shafer, Jr. was born in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1958. His father, a heavy equipment operator, died in a car accident when he was nine years old. He attended high school in Romeo, Michigan, and graduated in 1976. Shafer attended Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before moving to Los Angeles where he modeled and took acting classes with Peggy Feury.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1985 — Highway to Heaven — Dennis — Episode: "As Difficult as ABC" • 1993 — Wings — Otto — Episode: "The Key to Alex" • 1998 — Arli$ — Reporter — Episode: "Where Do Clients Come From?" • 1999 — Becker — Mr. Preston — Episode: "Hate Thy Neighbour" • 2000 — Titus — Bar Patron — Episode: "Red Asphalt" • 2001 — Malcolm in the Middle — Police Officer — Episode: Flashback • Ultimate Revenge — Mobster — Episode: "2 December 2001" • 2002 — Son of the Beach — Main Crony — Episode: "The Long Hot Johnson" • 2004 — The West Wing — Cable Pundit — Episode: "The Dover Test" • 2005 — Las Vegas — Wally Ford — Episode: "For Sail by Owner" • Boston Legal — Smith — Episode: "Gone" • 2005–2013 — The Office — Bob Vance — Recurring role; 24 episodes • 2006 — In Justice — Prison Guard — Episode: "Pilot" • 2008 — MANTIME with Fran and Ramis — Santa — Episode: "Christmas Special" • The Young and the Restless — Howard Sullivan — Guest role, 1 episode • 2009 — Desperate Housewives — Supervisor — Episode: "The Coffee Cup" • 2010 — Cold Case — Nate 'Red Scare' Beecher '10 — Episode: "One Fall" • 2011 — How I Met Your Mother — Uncle Pete — Episode: "Last Words" • 2012 — The Life & Times of Tim — Rodney's Dad — Episode: "Strip Club Hostage Situation/Game Night" • Pair of Kings — King Malakai — Episode: "The Evil King" • Sherman's in Sanity — Vern Pfinger — 2 episodes • 2013 — The Silicon Assassin Project — Episode: "The Medusa Meeting" • The Bridge — Karl Millwright — Episode: "Pilot" • Side Effects — Police Chief — Episode: "Pilot" • 2015 — The Messengers — Earl Cowen — Episode: "Why We Fight" • 2016 — Criminal Minds — Chief Arthur Emmett — Episode: "The Crimson King" • 2016-2017 — Adam Ruins Everything — Ray Murphy — Recurring role, 4 episodes • 2017 — A Girl Is a Gun — Van De Moortel • 2018 — I'm a Man — Frank — Mini-series • 2025 — The Paper — Bob Vance — Episode: "Pilot"