Dick Durock(1937-2009)
- Actor
- Stunts
Big, brawny, and imposing actor and stuntman Dick Durock was born on
January 18, 1937 in South Bend, Indiana. The fourth of five children;
he grew up in South Bend, Indiana and New Jersey. After serving a stint
in the Marine Corps and briefly working as a computer programmer,
Durock went to Hollywood to eke out a career in show business. He
eventually amassed hundreds of credits in both movies and TV series
alike (Durock sometimes worked on two different shows in the same day).
Durock began his career in 1967 as the stunt double for
Guy Williams on the final season of
Perdus dans l'espace (1965). He also
doubled for both Buddy Ebsen and
Max Baer Jr. on
The Beverly Hillbillies (1962).
With his rough face, large, strong, muscular build and towering 6' 5"
height Durock was usually cast as mean thugs who get beat up by the
hero. Durock achieved his greatest enduring cult popularity with his
excellent portrayal of the titular kind-hearted mutant superhero in
Wes Craven's delightful
La Créature du marais (1982). He reprised the
part in the amusingly campy sequel
La Créature du marais II (1989)
and the spin-off cable TV series,
La Créature du marais (1990). Durock's
other memorable roles include one of the terrorists in
L'inspecteur ne renonce jamais (1976), the bare
knuckle brawler who fights Clint Eastwood
at the start of
Ça va cogner... (1980),
pie-eating contest champion "Bill Travis" in the charming
Stand by Me (1986), and a hostile
redneck hunter in the notorious turkey
Howard... une nouvelle race de héros (1986). Among the
films Durock has performed stunts in are
Une journée en enfer (1995),
Plein pot (1988),
The Monster Squad (1987),
Banco (1986),
Runaway Train (1985),
L'Épée sauvage (1982),
Bronco Billy (1980),
1941 (1979),
Doc Savage arrive! (1975),
L'aventure du Poséidon (1972),
Hammer (1972) and
La Conquête de la planète des singes (1972).
Durock had guest spots on such TV shows as
Star Trek (1966),
Baretta (1975),
Quincy (1976),
Deux cent dollars plus les frais (1974),
La petite maison dans la prairie (1974),
L'incroyable Hulk (1977),
L'agence tous risques (1983),
Magnum (1980),
Falcon Crest (1981),
L'homme qui tombe à pic (1981),
K 2000 (1982),
Mariés, deux enfants (1987)
and Dynastie (1981). He played the
"Imperious Leader" on the science fiction series,
Galactica (1978).
He was a proud and active member of the Stuntman's Association of
Motion Pictures for over 20 years. Durock lived in Southern California
with his wife Jane and made frequent guest appearances at movie
conventions held all over the country. He died after a long battle with
Pancreatic Cancer at age 72 on September 17, 2009 in Oak Park,
California.
