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 (), lit ...

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 creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...

in both the feature films ''

'' and ''

The Return of Swamp Thing ''The Return of Swamp Thing'' is a 1989 American superhero film based on the DC Comics' character of the same name. Directed by Jim Wynorski, it is a sequel to the 1982 film ''Swamp Thing'', having a lighter tone than its predecessor. The film h ...

'' 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 directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith, and Ruth Gordon in supporting roles. The film is the sequel to the 1978 hi ...

'' (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 performa ...

'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, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

, to Serbian mother Sadie (Medich) and David Durock. He resided in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and 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 populous urban ...

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 ...

Death

Durock died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...

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 An ...

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 c ...

Filmography

References

External links

* * * {{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