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 September 1, 1943) is an American actor, musician, and surfer. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Don Stroud has been in over 100 movies and 200 TV shows. He is known for playing tough guys and villains.

Early Life and Talents

Don Stroud grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother was a singer named Ann McCormack. His father, Clarence Stroud, was a vaudeville actor. Vaudeville was a type of live show with different acts.

Martial Arts and Surfing

When Don was 16, he earned a black belt. This was in Kajukenbo, a Hawaiian martial art. He also started surfing when he was only three years old. 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 a big surfing event called the Duke Kahanamoku International.

Starting His Acting Career

Don worked as a lifeguard at a beach. Producers noticed him there. They hired him to be a surfing double for actor Troy Donahue in a TV show. After that, Troy Donahue asked Don to move to Los Angeles. He suggested Don try acting. Don also worked as a security guard at a famous club called the Whisky a Go Go. There, he met actor Sidney Poitier. Sidney Poitier helped Don get an agent. This agent also worked with famous actors like James Dean and Burt Reynolds.

Acting Career Highlights

Don Stroud is 6 feet 2 inches tall. He often played strong characters, like villains.

First Roles and Big Movies

His first movie role was in Games (1967). He also appeared in The Ballad of Josie that same year. In 1968, he signed a deal with Universal Pictures. He then appeared in Madigan. Don Stroud worked with Clint Eastwood in two movies: Coogan's Bluff (1968) and Joe Kidd (1972).

Don Stroud with an aircraft during filming in 1970.

Working with Roger Corman

Don Stroud starred in two movies for director Roger Corman. These were Bloody Mama (1970) and Von Richthofen and Brown (1971). In Von Richthofen and Brown, he played Roy Brown. This was opposite John Phillip Law, who played Baron von Richthofen. Don even learned how to take off and land planes for the movie. This made the flying scenes look more real.

Action and Horror Films

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

He starred in the horror movie Death Weekend (1976). He also had a role in the scary movie The Amityville Horror (1979). Other movies in this genre include The Killer Inside Me (1976) and Sweet Sixteen (1983).

Music and James Bond

In The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Don played the drummer for the musician Buddy Holly. He actually played the drums live for the movie's soundtrack. Later, he played a villain in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989).

Television Roles

Don Stroud first appeared on TV in 1967. He was in the western series The Road West. He was under contract with Universal Studios. This meant he appeared in many of their TV shows. These included 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). He played Captain Pat Chambers in Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. Don also played The Great Kahuna in Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985) and The New Gidget (1986). He was in Nash Bridges (1996–2001) and Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1996–2000). In 2011, he made a short appearance in the new Hawaii Five-0 series. He played a bartender in one episode.

Personal Life

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

In 1970, Don Stroud was in a small plane crash. He was filming a movie scene in Ireland. A duck flew into the plane's propeller. This knocked the pilot, Lynn Garrison, unconscious. The plane crashed into a river. Don was not hurt. He helped rescue the pilot.

Later, around 1989 or 1990, Don tried to help someone in New York City. He was hurt during this event.

Filmography

Here are some of the movies Don Stroud has been in.

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Don Stroud para niños