Don Stroud

Don Stroud
Born	September 1, 1943 (1943-09-01) (age 66) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Official website

Don Lee Stroud (born 1 September 1943) is an American actor and surfer who appeared in many films in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, and has starred in over 100 movies and 175 television shows to date.

Biography

Early life

Stroud was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he grew up, the son of comedian and vaudevillien Clarence Stroud (of the Stroud Twins), and singer Ann Livermore (née McCormack), who toured the world with Frank Sinatra. Stroud's mother and stepfather owned and operated the popular "Embers Steak House" and nightclub where Ann performed nightly. Don thrived on the beach in Waikiki under the watchful eyes of such mentors as Blackout, Mud, Buckshot, Rabbit and Steamboat.He learned much from these famous beach boys and in 1960, at the age of 17, he placed fourth in the "Duke Kahanamoku World Surfing Championship" at Makaha, Hawaii.

Career

Stroud was surfing at Waikiki when he was discovered by actor Troy Donahue who was filming ABC's Hawaiian Eye and needed a stunt double for his surfing scenes. Don, at 18, 6' 2" and 175 pounds, stepped up and was hired on the spot. He loved the gig so much, he decided to go to Hollywood to give acting a try. Upon arriving in L. A., he landed a variety of jobs, including parking cars, bouncer and then manager of the world famous "Whiskey A Go-Go" nightclub on the Sunset Strip, where such greats as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison of the "Doors" appeared. It was at the "Whiskey" that actor Sidney Poitier turned Don on to his acting career. Stroud went on to become one of Hollywood's great heavies and character actors.

Stroud co-starred with Clint Eastwood in two films, Coogan's Bluff in 1968 and Joe Kidd in 1972. He also appeared in several episodes of CBS's Hawaii Five-0 and in the Barry Sullivan NBC western series The Road West.

Stroud co-starred in Roger Corman’s 1970 Von Richthofen and Brown. He played Roy Brown opposite John Phillip Law’s Richthofen. Corman used Lynn Garrison’s Irish aviation facility, complete with replica World War One aircraft. Garrison taught Stroud the rudiments of flying so that he could manage to take off and land the aircraft, making some of the footage more realistic. On September 16, 1970 Don Stroud came closer to realism than he expected. During a low-level sequence flying a 2 seat SV4C Stampe biplane across Lake Weston a large bird flew through the propeller’s arc, striking Garrison in the face, knocking him unconscious. The aircraft flew into 5 powerlines, snap rolled and plunged into the lake inverted. Garrison and Stroud were rescued some time later. Don Stroud was wet but undamaged. Garrison required 60 stitches to close a head wound. He was flying the next day.

Don Stroud starred in the 1976 horror/thriller Death Weekend and he had a supporting role in the cult horror film The Amityville Horror (1979). Stroud co-starred in The Buddy Holly Story as the late musician's drummer (1978) (in which he actually played the drums), and played a James Bond villain in the 1989 film Licence to Kill. He played Captain Pat Chambers in the television series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (Keach whom he co-starred with in the 1975 film The Killer Inside Me) and starred in four television series, notably Mickey Spillane's "Mike Hammer" (1984) with Stacy Keach and "The New Gidget" (1986) where he was a natural to play the "Kahuna.

In 1973, he was paid $10,000 to appear as a nude centerfold in Playgirl Magazine's November issue.

Don's brother Duke Stroud is also an actor, memorable as the furious air-traffic controller in 1986's Top Gun. Duke also stages plays and teaches acting at Pasadena City College (Nick Nolte's alma mater).

External links

• Don Stroud at the Internet Movie Database
• The Don Stroud Website Not working as of: October 2009