Richard Durock (January 18, 1937 – September 17, 2009)
was an American
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
and
stuntman
A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...
who appeared in over eighty films and over seven hundred television episodes. He played
Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...
in both the feature films ''
Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental List of swamp monsters, creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or mo ...
'' and ''
The Return of Swamp Thing
''The Return of Swamp Thing'' is a 1989 American superhero film based on the DC Comics' Swamp Thing, character of the same name. Directed by Jim Wynorski, it is a sequel to the 1982 film Swamp Thing (1982 film), ''Swamp Thing'', having a lighter t ...
'' and the
subsequent television show. He stood an imposing 6'6".
Biography
Durock played a Hulk-like creature on the television series ''
The Incredible Hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...
'', two-part episode titled "The First", in which it was revealed that David Banner was not the first man to become such a creature; another scientist accidentally created one some thirty years before, also while seeking a way to use radiation to increase strength. Durock also appeared in the Clint Eastwood films ''
The Enforcer'' (1976) and ''
Any Which Way You Can
''Any Which Way You Can'' is a 1980 American Action comedy film, action comedy film directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis (actor), Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith (actor), William Smith, and Ruth G ...
'' (1980) as well as ''
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze'' (1975), and ''
Falcon Crest
''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...
'' in 1983 in the second-season finale as a henchman for The Cartel. Durock also made a brief yet memorable appearance in
Rob Reiner
Robert Norman Reiner (born March 6, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence with the role of Michael "Meathead" Stivic on the CBS sitcom ''All in the Family'' (1971–1979), a performanc ...
's film ''
Stand by Me'' as a county fair pie-eating champion.
Personal life
Durock was born in
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...
, to Serbian mother Sadie (Medich) and David Durock.
He resided in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
and appeared at
fan convention
Fan convention (also known as con or fan meeting), a term that predates 1942, is an event in which fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some ...
s.
Death
Durock died of
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
at his home in
Oak Park, California
Oak Park is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, United States. When developed in the Simi Hills in the late 1960s, a single road provided the only access to the community from Agoura Hills, California, in neighboring Los Ang ...
on September 17, 2009. He was a veteran of the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
.
Filmography
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Durock, Dick
1937 births
2009 deaths
Deaths from pancreatic cancer
Deaths from cancer in California
American male film actors
American stunt performers
American male television actors
United States Marines
People from South Bend, Indiana
People from Oak Park, California
American people of Serbian descent
20th-century American male actors
Male actors from Indiana