Jump to content

Mike Henry (American football)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike Henry
Born
Michael Dennis Henry

(1936-08-15)August 15, 1936
Los Angeles, California,U.S.
DiedJanuary 8, 2021(2021-01-08)(aged 84)
Burbank, California,U.S.
Occupation(s)Football linebacker, actor
Years active1957–1988 (actor)
1958–1964 (football player)
Spouse
Cheryl Sweeney
​
(m.1984)​
Children1
American football career
No. 68, 37, 53
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College:USC
NFL draft:1958/ round: 9 / pick: 100
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:76
Interceptions:9
Fumblerecoveries:6

Michael Dennis Henry(August 15, 1936 – January 8, 2021) was an American footballlinebackerand actor. He was best known for his role asTarzanin the 1960s film trilogy and as Junior in theSmokey and the Bandittrilogy.

Football career

[edit]

Henry attendedBell High Schoolin Los Angeles, where his play caught the attention ofUSC TrojansalumJohn Ferraro,who arranged for him to get a tryout at USC. He attended USC and was co-captain of the1957 USC Trojans football team.[1]

Acting career

[edit]

Henry's most prominent role was asTarzanin three 1960s moviesTarzan and the Valley of Gold(1966),Tarzan and the Great River(1967), andTarzan and the Jungle Boy(1968) that were all filmed back-to-back in 1965.[2]At the time, critics said the dark-haired, square-jawed, muscular Henry resembled classic illustrations of the apeman more than any other actor who had taken on the role.[citation needed]Henry turned down the lead of the subsequentTarzantelevision series, which then went toRon Ely.[citation needed]

Henry is probably best known to movie audiences for playingJackie Gleason's character's son Junior in theSmokey and the Banditcomedies starringBurt ReynoldsandSally Field.[3]

Henry portrayed a corrupt prison guard inThe Longest Yard(1974).[2][4]Henry played Sergeant Kowalski inThe Green Berets(1968), Luke Santee inMore Dead Than Alive(1968), and corrupt Sheriff "Blue Tom" Hendricks inRio Lobo(1970).[2][4]He also acted withCharlton Hestonin three films: the football movieNumber One(1969),Skyjacked(1972), andSoylent Green(1973).[3]

Henry played Lt. Col. Donald Penobscot in an episode of the television seriesM*A*S*H.[2][4]In another football-oriented role, he portrayed Tatashore, one of the members of the gang who kidnap Larry Bronco (Larry Csonka) in the "One of Our Running Backs Is Missing" episode ofThe Six Million Dollar Man.[2]

Personal life

[edit]

Henry and his wife, Cheryl Henry, were married in 1984.[3][5][4]Together they had a daughter, Shannon Noble.[3][5][4]

Illness and death

[edit]

After being diagnosed withParkinson's disease,he retired from acting in 1988. Henry died on January 8, 2021, at the age of 84 atProvidence Saint Joseph Medical CenterinBurbank, California,after years of complications from bothParkinson's diseaseandchronic traumatic encephalopathy.[3][2][5][4]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Wolf, Scott (23 December 2021)"Remembering Mike Henry."Inside USC with Scott Wolf. (Retrieved December 28, 2021.)
  2. ^abcdefHaring, Bruce (February 6, 2021)."Mike Henry Dies: USC Footballer, LA Ram, Played 'Tarzan' And 'Junior' In 'Smokey And The Bandit', Was 84".Deadline.RetrievedAugust 4,2021.
  3. ^abcdeBosselman, Haley (February 4, 2021)."Mike Henry, NFL Player and Actor, Dies at 84".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 4,2021.
  4. ^abcdefMiller, Madison (February 4, 2021)."Former Tarzan Actor and NFL Player Mike Henry Died Aged 84".EuroWeekly.RetrievedAugust 4,2021.
  5. ^abcMiller, Madison."'Smokey The Bandit' and 'Tarzan' Actor, NFL Player Mike Henry Dead at 84-Years-Old ".Outsider.Archived fromthe originalon August 4, 2021.RetrievedAugust 4,2021.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Henry_(American_football)&oldid=1248484588"