Dick "Swamp Thing" Durock Passes Away
The actor who brought the muck-encrusted anti-hero to life loses his battle with pancreatic cancer at 72.
By Brent Sprecher - 9/25/2009
Dick Durock's face may not be very familiar to CBM fans, but he spent a good part of his career as an actor and stuntman bringing to life the DC Comics character Swamp Thing. Durock starred as Dr. Alec Holland's mossy alter-ego in the original 1982 Swamp Thing film by Wes Craven and went on to reprise the role in The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) and in 71 episodes of the Swamp Thing TV series that ran on the USA Network.
Durock also appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, including such popular shows as Magnum P.I., The A-Team, The Fall Guy, Airwolf, and The Incredible Hulk.
In one of Durocks' final interviews, he admitted that he was never really a fan of Swamp Thing before getting the part:
"You know, honestly, I wasn't. I grew up in the era with Superman, Batman, all the classic older comic books, and by the time this came about, I guess I was past the comic book stage. In my era, comic books were strictly for kids, though, later on, they obviously had a great adult appeal."
When it came to actually getting suited up to play Swamp Thing, Durock found the experience unpleasant, but said that it grew on him after a while:
"Well, you know, in this business, they talk about [sequels] right away, but things don't happen immediately. You know, you have pre-production, getting the money together, and so on and so forth. I guess it was about seven years. But, yeah, I would say it was a pleasant surprise, in a way. I hated the thought of having to go through the whole thing of wearing 50, 60, 70 pounds of weight in the summertime in Savannah, Georgia, but the money was there, and it's a job."
Durock struggled with pancreatic cancer for years before finally losing the battle at the age of 72. He is survived by three sisters and a significant other.
For Dick Durock's filmography, click HERE!
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