Steve Oliver(1941-2008)

Muscular and ruggedly handsome tough guy actor Steve Oliver was born as Stephen Oliver Welzig on November 29, 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father was a garage mechanic. Steve had three brothers and one sister. He grew up in Riverside, California. Steve not only worked various jobs as a cab driver, roughneck, bounty hunter, and fitness instructor to the stars, but also served a brief stint in the U.S. Navy, working on an old World War II mine-sweeper during the early part of the Vietnam war prior to embarking on an acting career. Moreover, Oliver was an honorary member of the Hell's Angels in his youth and even participated in both boxing matches and martial arts events. Steve made his film debut as brooding romantic biker gang leader "Brahmin" in Russ Meyer's Le gang sauvage (1965). He got the job by staging a fight scene in Russ's office in which he broke the producer's desk with a display of such force he was hired on the spot. He went on to portray similarly rough'n'tumble biker gang leaders in the enjoyable drive-in exploitation features Angels from Hell (1968), Werewolves on Wheels (1971) and Cycle Psycho (1973). Oliver was, likewise, excellent as sleazy gigolo "Terry Shaw" in The Naked Zoo (1970) and, once again, personally cast by Steve McQueen, he was memorable as legendary boxer "Gentleman Jim" Corbett in Tom Horn (1980). Stephen was quite funny as sneering beefcake bully "Dugan Hicks" in the amusing Crown International comedy romps, La trappe à nanas (1977) and Touche pas à mes tennis (1978). Perhap best known as the dangerous "Lee Weber" on the popular soap opera TV series, Peyton Place (1964), he was brought on the series to stand up to Ryan O'Neill, the elitist bully no one else dared confront. Oliver did guest spots, usually as strong villains on such TV shows as Les rues de San Francisco (1972), Chips (1977) and Starsky et Hutch (1975). Steve was a good friend of Pat Boone and gave his life to the Lord. He concentrated on writing screenplays after he stopped acting in the early 90s. A fighter to the end, he walked out of chemotherapy and returned to his home in Big Bear, California to face his pending end. Steve Oliver died at age 66 of gastric cancer on March 5, 2008 in Big Bear City, California.