Tributes Pour in for Robert Snow, Acclaimed Secret Service Agent and Hollywood Adviser
Robert Snow, a distinguished former Secret Service agent and technical consultant for numerous blockbuster films, passed away on March 22 at the age of 93, as confirmed by his family in a recent announcement.
A Career with the Secret Service
Snow dedicated 33 years of his life to the Secret Service, retiring in 1993. His expertise was sought after for the film In the Line of Fire (1993), directed by Wolfgang Petersen and featuring Clint Eastwood as a CIA agent troubled by the JFK assassination.
Changing Perceptions of the Secret Service
During a 1997 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Snow expressed his frustration with Hollywood’s portrayal of Secret Service agents. He remarked, “In films like Taxi Driver, we were often depicted as monosyllabic figures, only standing on corners with shades. Until In the Line of Fire, there was no authentic representation of our work.”
Collaboration with Prominent Filmmakers
Snow’s contributions extended beyond In the Line of Fire. He collaborated with Petersen and Eastwood again on Air Force One (1997) and Absolute Power (1997), as well as lending his expertise to the X-Men franchise, which began with Bryan Singer’s 2000 installment and continued with Brett Ratner’s The Last Stand (2006).
Memorable Insights from the Set
While advising on The American President (1995), Snow praised director Rob Reiner for his deep understanding of the presidency, humorously noting he was often referred to as “the token Republican on set.” Over his career, Snow worked on 17 feature films, including titles like First Kid (1996), Murder at 1600 (1997), Contact (1997), and Thirteen Days (2000).
Realities of Film Consultancy
Despite his vast experience, Snow acknowledged that directors sometimes strayed from his advice. He shared, “A technical adviser may explain the reality of a situation, yet a director might choose to follow their vision instead. It’s important to accept that they’re not creating a documentary.”
An Accomplished Life
Born on March 3, 1932, in Rochester, New York, Snow began his military service with the U.S. Counterintelligence Corps during the Korean War. After graduating from Michigan State University in 1957, he joined the Secret Service in 1959, eventually serving in the White House under Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. He concluded his service upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 in 1993.
During a July interview with Ryan Gajewski from The Hollywood Reporter, Jeff Apple, producer of In the Line of Fire, recounted how the sight of Secret Service agents during a 1965 visit to Miami inspired him to pursue a film about them. Apple reached out to Snow, who remained involved with the project after retirement, even appearing as a Secret Service agent in X-Men.
A Lifelong Commitment to Service
In addition to his cinematic work, Snow volunteered for 24 years with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as the director of law enforcement liaison, further demonstrating his commitment to public service.
Legacy and Family
He is survived by his five children—Tom, Dan, Karen, Barbie, and Kathy—along with 14 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. His wife of 67 years, Marilyn, passed away in 2021 at the age of 87 due to ALS.
Rhett Bartlett contributed to this report.