Robert W. Tessier (June 2, 1934 – October 11, 1990) was an American actor and stuntman who was best known for playing heavy, menacing characters in films and on television.
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, of Abenaki and French descent, Tessier served as a paratrooper in the Korean War earning both a Silver Star and Purple Heart.
With his shaven head, size and threatening appearance, Tessier went on to play a series of villainous roles on both TV and in film.
Tessier starred as the menacing convict "Connie Shokner" in the 1974 comedy-drama The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds (whom he counted as one of his friends) and as Kevin in The Deep.
He also played alongside Charles Bronson, as a bare knuckle fighter in the film Hard Times and as a main villain in Breakheart Pass.