biography
Born in Hawaii on September 1, 1943, Don Stroud became an avid surfer in his youth. As the son of vaudeville veteran Clarence Stroud, who is best known for his
stint on Rudy Vallee's radio show in the 1930s, it is no surprise that Don Stroud found fame as an actor. However, following his parents' divorce in the mid 1940s,
he had little relationship with his father. His mother, singer and actress Ann McCormack, married actor Jackie Coogan in 1946.While still a teenager, Stroud made a name for himself as a surfer and was hired as a stunt double for Troy Donahue on ABC TV's Hawaiian Eye (1959-1963) during the show's final season. Afterward, Stroud moved to Hollywood to try his hand at acting. Instead of finding work as an actor, however, he wound up as the doorman and bouncer at the famed Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood. A chance meeting with a producer jump-started his acting career, and he signed a contract with Universal at the age of 23. Soon he found good roles in major films such as Games (1967; with Simone Signoret, James Caan, and Katharine Ross), Coogan's Bluff (1968; with Clint Eastwood) and Bloody Mama (1970; with Shelley Winters). 
His first starring roles came in the American International Pictures (AIP) crime drama Explosion (1969; with Gordon Thomson and Richard Conte)
and the AIP biker film Angel Unchained (1970; with Tyne Daly and Aldo Ray). In the early 1970s, Stroud often guest-starred on popular
TV programs, including Adam-12, McMillan & Wife, and Cannon while maintaining a career in such films as The Killer Inside Me (1976;
with Stacy Keach and Tisha Sterling) and Death Weekend (1976; with Brenda Vaccaro). And he made headlines in 1973 when he became Mr. November in Playgirl
magazine, as he was one of the first mainstream actors to appear in the publication. |
the films of don stroudExplosion (1969)    
Images from the AIP crime drama Explosion, Stroud's first starring roleAngel Unchained (1970)    
From AIP's 1970 biker flick Angel Unchained. The right three photos include Tyne DalyBloody Mama (1970)     
From Bloody Mama, released by AIP in 1970. LEFT: As Herman Barker, Ma Barker's favorite son. CENTER A: Ma Barker (Shelley Winters) has an unusually close relationship with her son Herman. CENTER B: Ma Barker is jealous of the woman Herman has picked up. CENTER C: The Barker boys attack another victim. CENTER D: Ma Barker with her sons, including Clint Kimbrough, Robert Walden, Don Stroud, and Robert DeNiro. RIGHT: Herman kidnaps Pat HingleLive a Little, Steal a Lot (1975)  
Stroud as the title character Live a Little, Steal a Lot. LEFT and CENTER: With Robert Conrad. RIGHT: With Robert Conrad and Donna MillsDeath Weekend (1976)   
Stroud as the psycho murderer and rapist Lep in the Canadian-made thriller Death Weekend, released by AIP. The right photos include co-star Brenda VaccaroThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981)
From The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia with Sunny Johnson and Dennis Quaiddon stroud todayIn 1992 in New York City, Stroud came to the aid of a man who was being mugged and he, in turn, was assaulted by muggers who stabbed him several times. Losing an eye and some movement in his face, following a lengthy recovery he went back to work acting in films and television. In 2005, Stroud retired from acting and moved back to Hawaii. However, he came out of retirement in 2012 to act in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012; with Jamie Foxx) and in the science fiction film Hawk Warrior of the Wheelzone (2012; with Joe Estevez, Karen Black, and Frank Stallone). Once again retired, Stroud has been married to third wife Teri for nearly 30 years. |
filmography
FILM
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This page premiered September 24, 2001.
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