# Neil Summers
**Neil Summers** (1944–2025) was a British-born American [stunt performer](https://www.edgepedia.org/stunt-performer) and character actor whose career in Hollywood westerns and action films ran from the early 1960s to the late 2000s. He appeared in more than 60 on-screen roles and accumulated over a hundred stunt credits, and was best known for playing The Rodent in *Dick Tracy* (1990) and Dougy in *RoboCop* (1987).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612) • [2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/dick-tracy-and-robocop-star-neil-summers-dead-at-81/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | Born in 1944 in Bromley, Kent, England; died 4 September 2025 in Kanab, Utah, aged 81[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612) |
| Profession | Stunt performer and actor; described as a British-born American former film actor and stunt performer[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US) |
| Career volume | 122 stunt credits and 71 actor credits listed on IMDb; TV Guide lists 67 acting credits and 107 stunt credits[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612) • [3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/neil-summers/credits/3000596628/) |
| Signature roles | The Rodent in *Dick Tracy* (1990); Dougy in *RoboCop* (1987)[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/dick-tracy-and-robocop-star-neil-summers-dead-at-81/) |
| Other acting roles | Pete in *The Shawshank Redemption* (1994); Dodge in *Troublemakers* (1994); Ned, Jarrett Gang, in *Bad Girls* (1994); Bragg's Fourth Man in *Appaloosa* (2008)[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US) |
| Also known as | Neal Summers, Neil Summer, Neil Sommers[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US) |
| Outside film | Collector of Western film memorabilia; wrote books about his experience in the film industry[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US) |
## Life
Summers was born in 1944 in Bromley, Kent, England. The Movie Database gives his place of birth as London, England, while IMDb places it in Bromley, Kent.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612) • [4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US) He later became an American, and database profiles describe him as a British-born American performer.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US) He was married to Karen Jean Stewart.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612) He died on 4 September 2025 in Kanab, Utah, at the age of 81.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612)
## Stunt career
Summers worked chiefly as a stunt performer, with credits spanning the western era of American television and film through late-2000s productions. His earliest listed stunt work includes *[McLintock!](https://www.edgepedia.org/mclintock)* (1963), *[Rio Lobo](https://www.edgepedia.org/rio-lobo)* (1970), *Mackenna's Gold* (1969), *True Grit* (1969), and *El Dorado* (1967).[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/neil-summers/credits/3000596628/) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/person/neil-summers/) On television he performed stunts for series including *Gunsmoke*, *Bonanza*, *[The High Chaparral](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-high-chaparral)*, and *Death Valley Days*.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/neil-summers/credits/3000596628/)
His later stunt credits include *RoboCop* (1987, uncredited), *[Raw Deal](https://www.edgepedia.org/raw-deal-1986-film)* (1986), *U.S. Marshals* (1998), *The Jackal* (1997), *Go* (1999), *Bedazzled* (2000), *[The Way of the Gun](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-way-of-the-gun)* (2000), *Holes* (2003), and *Appaloosa* (2008, uncredited).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612) He also served as stunt coordinator on the television movie *Doc West* (2009) and on *Unrest* (2006).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612) • [3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/neil-summers/credits/3000596628/)
## Acting
Alongside stunt work, Summers took small character parts, often in the same productions. In *[My Name Is Nobody](https://www.edgepedia.org/my-name-is-nobody)* (1973) he appeared as Squirrel while also performing stunts; in *[Joe Kidd](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-kidd)* (1972) he played a posse member, and in *The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean* (1972) he played Snake River Rufus Krile.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/person/neil-summers/) His best-remembered roles came in the 1990s: The Rodent in *Dick Tracy* (1990) and Dougy in *RoboCop* (1987).[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/dick-tracy-and-robocop-star-neil-summers-dead-at-81/) In 1994 he appeared as Pete in *The Shawshank Redemption*, as Dodge in *Troublemakers*, and as Ned of the Jarrett Gang in *Bad Girls*; in 2008 he played Bragg's Fourth Man in *Appaloosa*.[4](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US) [Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/television) acting credits include *Magnum, P.I.*, *The Fall Guy*, *Petrocelli*, and *Daniel Boone*.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/neil-summers/credits/3000596628/)
## Recognition
Obituaries at his death described him as a veteran Hollywood stuntman who transitioned into acting, with a filmography that also includes *The Shawshank Redemption* and *My Name Is Nobody*.[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/dick-tracy-and-robocop-star-neil-summers-dead-at-81/) Streaming guides in Sweden and elsewhere list him among the recognizable supporting figures of *The Shawshank Redemption*, *RoboCop*, and *Wild at Heart*.[6](https://www.tv.nu/medverkande/neil-summers)
## References
1. [Neil Summers, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838612)
2. ['Dick Tracy' and 'RoboCop' Star Dead at 81, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/dick-tracy-and-robocop-star-neil-summers-dead-at-81/)
3. [Neil Summers List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/neil-summers/credits/3000596628/)
4. [Neil Summers, The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/person/179188-neil-summers?language=en-US)
5. [Neil Summers, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/neil-summers/)
6. [Filmer och serier med Neil Summers, tv.nu](https://www.tv.nu/medverkande/neil-summers)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Stunt performers and physical performance specialists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license