Swamp Thing Dies

DICK DUROCK was a stuntman who starred as the botanically-based hero created in a laboratory accident in Wes Craven’s 1982 film adaptation of the off-beat DC comic Swamp Thing, with Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jourdan, and Ray Wise. Durock reprised his roles in Jim Wynorski’s 1989 sequel “The Return of Swamp Thing, with Jourdan and Heather Locklear. Durock continued in the role in the subsequent television series, bearing the burden of an 80-pound latex costume in a hot and wet filming environment for three years. The “Swamp Thing” television series aired on cable’s USA Channel from 1990 to 1993.

Richard Durock was born in South Bend, Indiana, on January 18, 1937. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and began working as a stuntman in the 1960s. He was the stunt double for Max Baer, Jr., as Jethro, on The Beverly Hillbillies, from 1967 to 1971. He was also featured in a small role of a guard in 1968 episode “Elaan of Troyius” on the original Star Trek.

Durock performed stunts and was featured in small role in numerous films and tele-films including Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), The Thing with Two Heads (1972), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), 99 and 44/100% Dead (1974), Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978), Stunt Seven (1979), Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), The Nude Bomb (1980), More Wild Wild West (1980), Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I (1981), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), They Call Me Bruce? (1982), The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair (1983), Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985), Howard the Duck (1986), Stand By Me (1986), The Monster Squad (1987), Remote Control (1988), Delirious (1991), Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

He was featured as the main stunt Cylon, on of the robotic menaces in the 1978 television series Battlestar Galactic, before being promoted to the Cylon’s Imperious Leader. His numerous television credits also include episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, Quark, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Incredible Hulk as another gamma-radiated green creature in a two-part episode, The Powers of Matthew Star, The A-Team, The Master, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Hard Time on Planet Earth, and Adam-12.

Durock died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer at his home in Oak Park, California, on September 17, 2009, at the age of 72.