How did Ricou Browning die? Horror legend who played Gill-Man in 'Creature from Black Lagoon' dies at 93
FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA: Horror film legend Ricou Browning, popularly known for his role as a Gill-Man in 'Creature From the Black Lagoon,' died at the age of 93 on Monday, February 27. His daughter Kim Browning recalled the legend's presence in Hollywood and said, "He had a fabulous career in the film industry, providing wonderful entertainment for past and future generations."
Born in Fort Pierce, Florida on February 16, 1930, he attended Florida State University and stepped into working for films as a teenager after he worked for Newt Perry. He performed as a stand-in on 'Tarzan' films for Johnny Weissmuller. He has also worked at the Weeki Wachee Springs, a Florida tourist attraction as a water show performer and was also on the swim team of the US Air Force.
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How did Ricou Browning die?
On Monday, Browning died of natural causes at his home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, confirmed his daughter Kim. The actor and stuntman whose wife Fran died in March 2020 is survived by his four children Kim, Kelly, and Renee, who is also a stuntman, actor, and marine coordinator; 10 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Ricou Browning's career as an actor and stuntman
Browning grabbed his challenging role as the Gill-Man when he showed around the area of Wakulla Spring to the Universal location scouts and performed some swim moves. He was part of the Universal Classic Monsters which is a series of horror films from the 1930s to 1950s by Universal Pictures and Browning was the last surviving actor of the home video line.
The Gill-Man role in the 1954 film 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' and its scenes with scientists on an Amazon expedition in the 3D classic that followed were known to be among the most terrifying movie monsters in Hollywood. For the sequels of the film which was also in 3D included the 1955 film 'Revenge of the Creature' and the 1956 film 'The Creature Walks Among Us' which had Browning doing his character as the creature.
Browning's work as a stuntman included the 1954 film '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' by Richard Fleischer and also acted as a double in the 1959 film 'Don't Give Up the Ship' for Jerry Lewis. In an interview with Ocala StarBanner, Browning revealed that in the 1958 TV show 'Sea Hunt,' he "played all the bad guys." He participated in 30 episodes of the show.
Along with his brother-in-law Jack Cowden, Browing wrote the story for 'Flipper', a 1963 film that later became a television series after it was adapted by NBC and ran from 1964-1967 for three seasons. Set in the Florida Keys, Browing directed the show's 37 episodes and also took charge of the underwater operations, according to New York Post.
Some of the legendary movie scenes directed by Browning included the 1983 film 'Never Say Never Again' underwater scene, the 1980 film 'Caddyshack's candy bar-in-the-pool sequence inspired by 'Jaws', and the 1956 movie 'Thunderball's harpoon-filled fight. He was elected to lead the new Florida Motion Picture and Television Producers Association in 1968. He was awarded the first Florida Legends Award by Film Florida in 2006.