biography
Born Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode in Los Angeles on July 25, 1914, actor Woody Strode was born in to a Native American/African American family. Playing football
at Jefferson High School in the early 1930s, his 6'4" frame and natural athleticism led him to attend UCLA in the mid 1930s, where he excelled at football and track
while majoring in history. In the late 1930s, he played football for UCLA but turned to professional wrestling when he graduated, as football was not integrated at
the time. In the late 1930s, he began acting in films in small, uncredited roles; the first of these was John Ford's Stagecoach (1939; with John Wayne and
John Carradine) and marked the beginning of Strode's friendship with the famed director.In 1940, Strode married his first wife, Luana, who was Hawaiian. Soon, his marriage and athletic career were interrupted by his enlistment in the Army. Upon returning from the war, in 1946 Strode was signed to play football for the Los Angeles Rams and later moved to Calgary to play football in Canada. However, a shoulder injury forced him into retirement in 1949. With a family to support, Strode turned to professional wrestling and embarked upon an acting career. Frequently appearing on television alongside wrestler Gorgeous George, he eventually quit wrestling to focus solely on acting in 1962 (around the same time that wrestler Gorgeous George retired), when he was nearing fifty years old.  
LEFT: Wrestling with frequent opponent Gorgeous George in the early 1950s. RIGHT: Wrestling still from the early 1950sWith his acting career in high gear in the 1960s, Strode was cast in the western The Professionals (1966; with Burt Lancaster and Jack Palance), the biggest film of his career. In order to capitalize on the growing trend of spaghetti westerns, he moved to Italy in early 1968 to act in a string of films, such as Black Jesus (1968), Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968; with Henry Fonda), and The Last Rebel (1971; with Joe Namath), returning to the U.S. in late 1972. Strode was highly paid for his work in Italy, often making more than $150,000 per film, and he also performed his own stunts. |
the films of woody strodeThe Lion Hunters (1951)
As Walu in Monogram's Bomba film The Lion Hunters. This was Strode's first credited appearance in a filmCity Beneath the Sea (1953) 
LEFT: With Anthony Quinn in the Universal-International adventure City Beneath the Sea. RIGHT: As DjionTarzan's Fight for Life (1958) 
From MGM's thrilling adventure Tarzan's Fight for Life. LEFT: With Gordon Scott. RIGHT: With Roy Glenn and James EdwardsSergeant Rutledge (1960)
With Jeffrey Hunter and Constance Towers in the John Ford western Sergeant Rutledge. Strode portrays the title character in the best picture of his careerSpartacus (1960)
Strode, as gladiator Draba, is murdered for sparing the life of Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) in Stanley Kubrick's adventure SpartacusTarzan's Three Challenges (1963)The Professionals (1966)
From Columbia's western The Professionals, shot near Las VegasBlack Jesus (1968)
Strode stars as Maurice Lalubi in the Italian-made biopic Black JesusChe! (1969)
With Omar Shariff as the title character in the 20th Century Fox biopic Che!Tarzan's Deadly Silence (1970)
With Jock Mahoney in Tarzan's Deadly Silence. This film is actually an edited version of a 1966 two-part episode from Ron Ely's NBC Tarzan seriesThe Last Rebel (1971) 
From the Italian western The Last Rebel with Joe NamathThe Deserter (1971)
From the Dino De Laurentiis western The Deserter, released by ParamountThe Italian Connection (1972) 
LEFT: With Luciana Paluzzi and Henry Silva in the violent Italian crime flick The Italian Connection. RIGHT: With Henry SilvaThe Revengers (1972)
With William Holden in the western The Revengers, shot in MexicoWinterhawk (1975)
Strode stars as Big Rude in the western adventure WinterhawkThe Black Stallion Returns (1983)
Strode as Meslar in the family film The Black Stallion Returns, released by MGMlater yearsWoody Strode's career remained strong in the 1970s, and although he was still getting roles in films and television shows, by the time Lust in the Dust (1985; with Divine and Tab Hunter) premiered, he was in his 70s and went into semi-retirement, spending more time on his ranch. He stayed in fantastic shape by doing 1,000 daily repetitions of situps, squats, and pushups, maintaining this workout regimen into old age. His wife, Luana, passed away in 1980, and Strode remarried in 1982. His final film appearances came in Posse (1993; with Mario Van Peebles) and The Quick and the Dead (1995; with Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman). A trailblazer whose career opened many doors for African American actors, Woody Strode passed away at age 80 on December 31, 1994, after a bout with lung cancer. He was survived by his wife, Tina, and his son and daughter from his first marriage. |
filmographyFILM
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This page premiered June 11, 2012.
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