Woody Strode

Woody Strode was an American actor and athlete who played football at the University of California, Los Angeles and was a Los Angeles Rams football player before becoming an actor, starring in films such as Spartacus and The Professionals. He was also a United States Army veteran, serving during World War II and receiving the Bronze Star Medal. Strode's athletic career was marked by his time at UCLA, where he was a teammate of Jackie Robinson and Kenny Washington, and his brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League. He was also a pioneer for African American actors in Hollywood, working with directors such as John Ford and Sergio Leone.

● Early Life and Education

Woody Strode was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Creek mother and a Blackfoot father, and grew up in a family of athletes, with his father being a jockey and his mother a track and field athlete. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, where he excelled in sports, particularly football and track and field, and was a teammate of Jackie Robinson. Strode then went on to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, where he played football under coach Bert LaBrucherie and was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, alongside other notable members such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. During his time at UCLA, Strode was also a teammate of Kenny Washington, and the two became one of the first African American players in the National Football League when they joined the Los Angeles Rams.

● Career

Strode's athletic career was marked by his time in the National Football League, where he played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Cleveland Rams, and his brief stint in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders. He then went on to serve in the United States Army during World War II, where he received the Bronze Star Medal for his service. After the war, Strode began his acting career, starring in films such as Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas, and The Professionals, directed by Richard Brooks and starring Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin. Strode also worked with directors such as John Ford and Sergio Leone, and appeared in films such as The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Once Upon a Time in the West, alongside actors such as John Wayne and Henry Fonda.

● Filmography

Strode's filmography includes a wide range of films, from Spartacus to The Professionals, and from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance to Once Upon a Time in the West. He also appeared in films such as The Ten Commandments, directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Charlton Heston, and The Last Hard Men, directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring Charlton Heston and Barbara Hershey. Strode's work in film was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he was also honored with a Golden Globe nomination for his role in The Professionals. He worked with actors such as Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, and Lee Marvin, and directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Richard Brooks, and Sergio Leone.

● Personal Life

Strode was married to Luana Patten, an actress who appeared in films such as Song of the South and Fun and Fancy Free, and had two children with her. He was also a close friend of John Ford, who directed him in films such as The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Sergeant Rutledge. Strode was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and was a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, working with organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was also a fan of jazz music and was friends with musicians such as Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

● Legacy

Woody Strode's legacy is marked by his pioneering work as an African American actor in Hollywood, and his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. He was a trailblazer for actors such as Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington, and his work in films such as Spartacus and The Professionals helped to break down racial barriers in the film industry. Strode's athletic career and his service in the United States Army during World War II also made him a hero and a role model for many young athletes and actors. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Golden Globe nomination, and his work continues to be celebrated by film scholars and historians, including those at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Library of Congress.