- Imposing and intimidating when he chose to be, Burkley was a powerfully-built 6'3" 300 lb. television character actor who usually had a beard and often spoke with a Texan accent (he was born in California but raised in Dallas), who did both comedy and brutal violence.
- Played a character named "James 'Sonny' Crockett" during a 1983 four episode arc of Hill Street Blues (1981), co-written by Anthony Yerkovich, who re-cycled the name the following year when he co-created Miami Vice (1984).
- Burkley wore the same motorcycle club vest in an episode of Designing Women (1986) (episode: "High Noon in a Laundry Room") as he did in Mask (1985).
- Died at age 67 after a period of ill health. Survived by his wife of 46 years (Laura), their son (Shawn) and daughter (Shannan).
- Guest-starred on the last episode of Maude (1972).
- Grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas, outside of Dallas. Performed at Six Flags Over Texas in the late 1960s in the gunfight shows, Graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) with a degree in Theatre.
- Well known for voicing the Principal Moss character on the popular animated series "King of the Hill.".
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content