Why Bob Schwartz From Yellowstone Looks So Familiar

Over the course of its first four seasons, Paramount Network's smash-hit neo-Western drama "Yellowstone" has delivered thrills and chills the likes of which the small screen has rarely seen. It's also delivered ratings even Paramount bosses likely hadn't anticipated, and has become a franchise-starting cultural phenomenon to boot. 

If you've yet to indulge in that phenomenon, the series follows the Dutton family as they fend off any and all who aim to claim their vast Montana ranching lands for themselves. To date, much of that defense has been spearheaded by the fiery Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), who has used her lofty position in the financial world to keep the land-developing wolves away from the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Until the most recent season, she'd done so in the employ of the mega-bank Schwartz & Meyer, where she worked directly with the steely-eyed big boss Bob Schwartz.    

Chances are many viewers recognized Bob's face the moment it turned up in the "Yellowstone" pilot episode. And for those who've been struggling to place it ever since, here's where you might've seen Bob Schwartz from "Yellowstone" before. 

The actor who plays Bob Schwartz is Michael Nouri. While his days on "Yellowstone" may be at an end after Beth unceremoniously dismissed Schwartz during the show's fourth season, Nouri has been an actor of note in both the film and television realms for the better part of the past five decades. Per IMDb, over that span, Nouri has logged more than 130 screen credits, but the one he logged in 1983 remains the biggest of his lengthy career.

That credit came in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced romantic drama "Flashdance," which was one of the surprise box office hits of 1983 (per Box Office Mojo), slotting into the number three spot right behind "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi," and the Dustin Hoffman comedy "Tootsie."

"Flashdance," of course, follows the tale of a dancer named Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals), who works in a Pittsburgh steel mill by day, and as an exotic dancer by night, as she tries to make her way into a prestigious ballet academy. Alex's life is thrown into flux when her boss at the mill, Nick Hurley, takes an interest in her — and that was indeed Michael Nouri playing the film's iconic romantic lead.

As it was, "Flashdance" made an overnight sensation of both Beals and Nouri. And even if neither quite went the way of superstardom, they've both carved out impressive careers for themselves in the years since. 

For Michael Nouri, that "Flashdance" breakout helped open the door for numerous film projects, with the likes of "The Terminal," "Lovely & Amazing," "Finding Forrester," "The Proposal," and "61*" serving as clear career highlights (via IMDb). But we're secretly hoping many of you recognize Nouri from one of his more decidedly left-of-center films, the 1987 cult horror flick, "The Hidden."

If you haven't discovered "The Hidden" in the decades since its release, well, seek it out immediately. Its brilliant B-movie tinged sci-fi actioner saw Nouri trading lines with Kyle MacLachlan a few years before the actor's "Twin Peaks" breakout. Directed by "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2" helmer Jack Sholder, "The Hidden" pit Nouri and MacLachlan as an LAPD detective and an FBI Agent respectively, with the duo teaming up to solve several cases of ordinary, unassuming citizens who suddenly embark on violent rampages.

Without spoiling much, we'll say those rampages may or may not be the result of extraterrestrial influence. We'll also say that both Nouri and MacLachlan deliver surprisingly nuanced performances that help elevate "The Hidden" from being just another action-forward absurdist '80s romp to a better-than-solid crime drama with a clever sci-fi twist. And yes, it remains one of the better movies that Nouri has claimed a lead role in.

If you know Michael Nouri's face, you know "Yellowstone" is far from his first television gig, as he's more than prolific on the small screen. In fact, one of Nouri's biggest early gigs came via the lead role in "The Curse of Dracula," which aired as part of NBC's experimental serial series "Cliffhangers" (via IMDb). He's been booking television gigs ever since, eventually landing roles on primetime hits like "The West Wing, " "Damages," "NCIS," "Chicago PD," "Blue Bloods," and several of the "Law & Order" programs.  

It's safe to assume, however, that for an entire generation of television fans, Nouri will forever be known as Dr. Neil Roberts, a role he played on Fox's beloved teen drama "The O.C." Nouri debuted the character (who was the father of Rachel Bilson's Summer Roberts) during the first season of "The O.C.," doing so in a more than memorable scene with series star Adam Brody. Nouri would go on to make a total of 19 appearances as Dr. Roberts on the show.

Though he was never a central player in the often-melodramatic action, Dr. Roberts was a bit of a fan favorite among "The O.C." parental characters, and even earned a few subplots of his own over the show's four-season run.