Don Stroud facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Don Stroud
Stroud in the trailer for Coogan's Bluff (1968).
Born	Donald Lee Stroud (1943-09-01) September 1, 1943 (age 81) Honolulu, Hawaii
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor musician surfer
Years active	1967–present
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Spouse(s)	Teri Sullivan ​ (m. 1994)​ Linda Hayes ​ (m. 1982⁠–⁠1992)​ Sally Ann Stroud ​ (m. 1973⁠–⁠1979)​
Parents	Clarence Stroud (father) Ann McCormack (mother)

Donald Lee Stroud, born on September 1, 1943, is an American actor, musician, and surfer. He has been in over 100 movies and 200 TV shows!

Don Stroud's Early Life

Don Stroud grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. His dad, Clarence Stroud, was a vaudeville actor, and his mom, Ann McCormack, was a singer. Don was raised by his mom and stepfather, Paul Livermore.

Becoming a Martial Arts Expert

When Don was just 16, he earned a black belt in Kajukenbo. This is a special Hawaiian martial art.

Don Stroud: A Surfing Champion

Don started surfing when he was only three years old! He loved the ocean so much that he even taught surfing while he was still in high school. In 1960, at age 17, Don won the Mākaha Junior Championship. He also placed fourth in the big Duke Kahanamoku International event.

How Don Stroud Started Acting

Don used to work as a lifeguard at the Kahala Hilton beach. One day, movie producers hired him to be a stunt double for actor Troy Donahue. Don would surf for Troy's scenes in a TV show called Hawaiian Eye at Waikiki Beach.

After this, Troy Donahue asked Don to move to Los Angeles to become an actor. Don also worked as Troy's fight double and bodyguard. Don took on different jobs like parking cars and working at the famous Whisky A Go-Go club in Hollywood. There, he met actor Sidney Poitier, who gave him advice on how to start acting. Poitier helped Don connect with a talent agent named Dick Clayton. This agent also worked with famous actors like James Dean and Al Pacino.

Don Stroud's Acting Career

Don Stroud with an airplane during filming in 1970.

Don Stroud is 6 feet 2 inches tall and often played tough guys or villains in his movies.

First Movie Roles

Don's first movie was Games in 1967, where he played a character named Norman. In the same year, he was also in The Ballad of Josie.

In 1968, Don signed a five-movie deal with Universal Pictures. He appeared in the movie Madigan. Don also worked with famous actor Clint Eastwood in two movies: Coogan's Bluff (1968) and Joe Kidd (1972).

Working with Roger Corman

Don starred in two movies made by director Roger Corman. These were Bloody Mama (1970) and Von Richthofen and Brown (1971). In Von Richthofen and Brown, Don played Roy Brown, a pilot, opposite John Phillip Law who played Baron von Richthofen. For this movie, Don even learned how to take off and land airplanes to make the scenes look more real!

Action and Horror Movies

Don Stroud was in a speedboat chase scene in the movie Murph the Surf (1975). He played a real-life jewel thief named Jack Murphy. Don also had martial arts fight scenes in movies like Sudden Death (1977) and Search and Destroy (1979).

He also appeared in horror movies. These include Death Weekend (1976) and The Amityville Horror (1979), where he played Father Bolen. Other horror films he was in are The Killer Inside Me (1976) and Sweet Sixteen (1983).

Playing a Musician

In The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Don played the drummer for the famous musician Buddy Holly. He actually played the drums live in front of a large audience for the movie's soundtrack!

James Bond and TV Roles

Don played a villain in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989).

On television, Don first appeared in 1967 in the western series The Road West. Because he was under contract with Universal, he appeared in many popular TV shows. These include Barnaby Jones, Cannon, Charlie's Angels, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O, and Starsky & Hutch.

He also had a regular role as Mike Varrick in the miniseries Mrs. Columbo (1979-1980). Don played Captain Pat Chambers in the TV series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. He also played "The Great Kahuna" in the TV movie Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985) and the series The New Gidget (1986). Later, he had roles in Nash Bridges (1996–2001) and Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1996–2000).

In 2011, Don made a short appearance in the new Hawaii Five-0 series. He played a bartender in an episode called "Mea Makamae," which means "Treasure" in Hawaiian.

Don Stroud's Personal Life

Lynn Garrison and Don Stroud after a plane crash in 1970.

On September 16, 1970, Don Stroud was in a small biplane with pilot Lynn Garrison. A duck flew into the plane's propeller, hitting the pilot and knocking him out! The plane crashed into power lines and then into Ireland's Liffey River. Don was not hurt and bravely rescued the unconscious pilot. They waited in the water for almost an hour until help arrived.

Around 1989 or 1990, Don tried to help someone who was being robbed in Greenwich Village, New York City. During the struggle, Don was stabbed several times. He was hurt badly, losing some movement in his face and the use of one eye. The person who was being robbed ran away.

Don Stroud's Movies and TV Shows

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Don Stroud para niños