The imposing physique of Clint Walker was critical to him landing the lead role of one of the most iconic TV series in black and white, Cheyenne. While his filmography is very impressive, his relationship life also has certain intrigues that are a tad not normal. We guess they are what made him the enigma that he was. Standing at 6ft 6in, with a 48-inch chest and a 32-inch waist, he was the ideal poster boy of his generation. Did we mention he had solid good looks? Oh yes, he did. While we just mentioned a side of Clint Walker’s personality, we need to let you know that he was a damn fine singer too. In this article, you will get to know all the facts about Clint Walker.
Clint Walker was born Norman Eugene “Clint” Walker on May 30, 1927, in Hartford, Illinois to Paul Arnold Walker and Gladys Huldah. His mother was from the Czech. He had a twin sister, Neoma Lucy Westbrook who died aged 73, eighteen years before his own death. Clint Walker’s story begs to be read. His amazing recovery from a fatal accident also is a testament that he was bound for great things in Hollywood. His awards proved this fact.
Quick Facts About Clint Walker
Early Life of Clint Walk
Born just before the second world war in 1927, Walker enrolled in a school to get an education but dropped out to work as a factory worker. He also worked on a riverboat. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Merchant Marine towards the last months of Works War II. After the war, he left the Merchant Marine to Texas at first, then to California, Nevada, Las Vegas where he did jobs to help him survive. His height also was instrumental in the kind of jobs he got. For instance, he got a job as a nightclub bouncer in Nevada.
The Early Career of Clint Walker
Henry Wilson, a talent manager popular for grooming precocious talents, snapped up Walker. Wilson then cast him in a Bowery Boys film where he played a Tarzan-type character. After his appearance in the movie, he was snapped up by one Cecil DeMille who featured him in The Ten Commandments.
His big break came as a cast as Cheyenne Bodie in the TV series Cheyenne. A series produced by Warner Bros revolved around the post-American Civil War era. It became a major hit because of the sensitivity of the time the series came out. Walker’s singing voice became a key feature of his character. To further promote the beautiful vocals of Walker, Warner Bros produced an album of Walker doing traditional songs and ballads. The series would go on to eight seasons.
For his role in Cheyenne, Walker got $175 per week for the first two weeks.
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Walker featured in several movies including Fort Dobbs (1958). In this movie, Clint Walker received praise for his sterling role. Other movies include Yellowstone Kelly, 77 Sunset Strip, Gold of The Seven Saints (a movie he co-starred with Roger Moore of the James Bond Franchise). One of the highlights of Walker’s career was his feature in Frank Sinatra’s movie, where he played the lead role in the war drama Nine but the Brave (1965). He also played a role in a family movie shot in India, The Dirty Dozen (1967). He also starred in Scream of the Wolf, The Night of the Grizzly, None But The Brave, Baker’s Hawk, Small Soldiers.
Clint’s Voice Acting
After announcing his retirement, Clint came back from retirement to be a voice actor with his colleagues including; Jim Brown, George Kennedy in the animated film Small Soldiers. The movie would go on to become a hit.
Clint Walker Was a Writer
Clint Walker has a book he co-authored with Kirby Jonas. The book centres on gold and the Yaqui. The book, Yaqui Gold published in 2003, became a best seller.
Clint Walker Has a Star in Hollywood Hall of Fame
For his meritorious work as an actor, Walker was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. He was also a recipient of other awards like the Golden Boot Award and others.
Clint Married Three Times
His career may have been successful, but his love life was full of twirls and twists. He first married his first wife Verna Garver in 1948. The marriage lasted 20 years. The couple had a daughter from the union, Valerie. But, due to differences that they couldn’t resolve, the marriage ended in 1968. Their daughter, however, achieved a feat by becoming one of the first female airline pilots. After six years, he married Giselle Hennessy. But she died in 1994, again, after 20 years. Three years later, the tall actor married Susan Cavallari in 1997 till his death in 2018.
Clint Walker Was Once Pronounced Dead
In a freak skiing accident in May 1971, a ski pole pierced through Walker’s heart. He was then rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead. But, fortunately for him, a doctor detected life signs in him and rushed him to a theatre where he was operated upon. His damaged heart was repaired and in two months, Walker was back on his feet and acting again.
Clint Walker’s Death
Walker died on May 21, 2018, in his residence in California due to congestive heart failure. Till his death, Clint enjoyed meeting with people and signing autographs.
Conclusion
Clint Walker’s legacy is hewn in stone and his contributions to the movie industry cannot be overemphasized. While he has passed on, fans will continue to enjoy his timeless acting for several years to come.
