Johnny Weissmuller, Jr.
Johnny Weissmuller Jr, (born John Scott Weissmuller), was born on September 23, 1940 in San Francisco, California, US, to Johnny Weissmuller Sr. (5 time Olympic champion swimmer and Tarzan actor) and actress Beryl Scott (1939 - 1948) and had two sisters, Heidi (d. 1962) and Wendy.
From Reedwriting.com:
Although separated (by Court Order) from his father between the ages of 3 to 10 as a result of Weissmuller's unpleasant divorce from his third wife, Beryl Scott, Johnny Jr. came to know his father well in later years, and the two Weissmullers became not just father and son, but very close friends as well.
During the years of his father's absence, Weissmuller Jr. was adopted by the Hollywood community. His next-door neighbors were Joan Crawford and Red Skelton, and he considered the William Randolph Hearst mansion a second home. His best friend (and Best Man at his first wedding) was Ryan O'Neal; Julie London and Bobby Troupe gave him bongo lessons, and he once played bongo drums with James Dean.
John, Jr. attended University High School in West Los Angeles, and graduated from Hamilton High. He later attended both UCLA and USC on swimming scholarships, and had a brief stint at the Harvard Military Academy. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1958 and was trained by the Underwater Demolition Team (UDT-11) in San Diego. He left the Navy after his first hitch and, with a partner (Jerry Thompson), started a company called Sausalito Underwater Search. Business was slow, and Weissmuller answered an advertisement in 1967 for work on the waterfront as a longshoreman in San Francisco. He retired in 2005.
Weissmuller Jr. joined the Screen Actor's Guild in 1957, and since that time had been employed as a part-time contract actor, both screen and stage. He served on the Executive Council, Minorities Committee, Screen Actor's Guild, for fourteen years.
Mr. Weissmuller, Jr. passed away on July 27, 2006, he had been suffering from cancer of the liver. (Thanks to Geoff from Mr. Weissmuller's official site for passing along this information to the SWAD). He is survived by his wife of over 20 years, Diane, a daughter, Heidi Medsker, two stepsons, Chad Johnson and David Gari, his sister Wendy and four grandchildren.
Film
G.I. Jesus~2006 - Passenger in Plane
Tarzan: Silver Screen King of the Jungle~2004 (V doc) - Himself
Investigating Tarzan~997 (doc) - Himself
Wildfire~1988 - Bounty Hunter
Massive Retaliation~1984 - Virgil Griffin
Shame of the Jungle (Tarzoon, la honte de la jungle)~1975 - voice of Shame (English version)
Magnum Force~1973 - uncredited Palancio's Hitter
American Graffiti~1973 - Badass #1 (left)
THX 1138~1971 - Chrome Robot
Andy Hardy Comes Home~1958 - Jimmy 'Jim'
TV
The One, the Only, the Real Tarzan~2004 (doc) - Himself
In Search of Tarzan with Jonathan Ross~1998 (doc) - Hmself
Six Against the Rock~1987 - Charlie Buckner
Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI~1986 - Agent Ed King
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor~1985 - Card Player #2
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story~1980 - Felish
Streets of San Francisco, The~1974-1977 -
Duke Barrett in The Cannibals
Mickey in The Most Deadly Species
Gino Carlino in Commitment
Lawman~1961 - Willy in The Four
Books
Tarzan, My Father~2008
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