Brad Harris


Bradford Harris was an American actor and stuntman. He appeared in a variety of roles in over 50 films, mostly in European productions. He was an inductee in the Stuntman's Hall of Fame.

Early life

Born in St. Anthony, Idaho, Harris' family moved to California, where he attended Burbank High School, then received an athletic scholarship to UCLA where he studied economics. When he injured his knee playing football he was advised to take up weightlifting to strengthen the injury that developed his interest in bodybuilding.

Career

Harris entered films as a stand-in, stuntman, and later an actor. His first roles were in André de Toth's Monkey on My Back and Li'l Abner. With his athletic physique, Harris travelled to Rome to watch the 1960 Summer Olympics and perform stunts in Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus. He stayed in Europe for the boom in European sword and sandal, Eurospy, and Spaghetti Western genres.
Harris discovered, when working in Germany, that stunt coordinators were nonexistent in that country and he often did extra duties as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and second unit director as well as an actor.
Harris made his debut as a leading man in 1961 in the title role of Gianfranco Parolini's Goliath Against the Giants and Samson. He would have a long, continuing relationship in several films written and directed by Parolini. Harris also began to be teamed with Tony Kendall, starting with the Western Pirates of the Mississippi. He later married his co-star in Black Eagle of Santa Fe, the sequel to that film.
Harris teamed again with Kendall and Parolini in the Kommissar X series, and The Three Fantastic Supermen/''I Fantastici Tre Supermen series.
He served as executive producer on several of his films including King of Kong Island and Jack Cardiff's The Mutations. He later made seven appearances on the soap opera Falcon Crest as "Deputy Duffy". His most recent film was the Andrea Zaccariello's comedy Boom'', released in 1999.
Harris invented and marketed exercise products called "AB-OrigOnals." He owned a company called Modern Body Design. In 2015, he was awarded the University of Arizona College of Humanities' Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award in the Humanities.

Personal life

He married Czech actress Olga Schoberová on November 16, 1967, and divorced in 1969. They had a daughter named Babrinka.
He died on November 7, 2017, at the age of 84.

Selected filmography

The McConnell Story – Pilot Monkey on My Back – Spike McAvoySpeed Crazy – Bit Part Li'l Abner – Muscleman Luke Tall Story – Student by Fire 13 Fighting Men – Pvt. FowlerOcean's 11 – Minor Role Spartacus – Gladiator / Soldier Goliath Against the Giants – GoliathSamson – SamsonThe Fury of Hercules – HerculesThe Hot Port of Hong Kong – Polizeiinspektor McLeanIt Happened in Athens – Garrett 79 A.D. – Marcus TiberiusThe Old Testament – SimoneThe Black Panther of Ratana – Larry FinchThe Pirates of the Mississippi – Tom CookMission to Hell – Joe WarrenMystery of the Red Jungle – Larry McLeanThe Secret of the Chinese Carnation – Donald RamseyMassacre at Marble City – Phil StoneBlack Eagle of Santa Fe – Cliff McPhersonOur Man in Jamaica – Captain Mike JeffersonKiss Kiss, Kill Kill – Capt. Tom RowlandKommissar X – Drei gelbe Katzen – Capt. Tom RowlandKommissar X – In den Klauen des goldenen Drachen – Capt. Tom RowlandThe Three Fantastic Supermen – Brad McCallumThe Ten Million Dollar Grab – Robert ColmanKommissar X – Drei grüne Hunde – Capt. Tom RowlandSpy Today, Die Tomorrow – CliffRattler Kid – Sheriff Bill MannersKommissar X – Drei blaue Panther – Capt. Tom RowlandCheers to Cyanide – GeorgeKing of Kong Island – Burt DawsonKommissar X – Drei goldene Schlangen – Capt. Tom RowlandPoppea's Hot Nights – Claudio ValerioPatton – Sergeant in Bar Che fanno i nostri supermen tra le vergini della jungla? – Captain Brad ScottWhen the Bell Tolls – Don VincenzoManiacs on Wheels – Ken Stark – SabataThe Mad Butcher – Mike LawrenceHere's Django... Pay or Die! – DurangoIl ritorno del gladiatore più forte del mondo – MarzioKommissar X jagt die roten Tiger – Capt. Tom RowlandDeath Is Sweet from the Soldier of God! – Django / DurangoZambo, King of the Jungle – George Ryon aka ZamboThis Time I'll Make You Rich – Brad McCoyThe Girl in Room 2A – CharlieThe Mutations – Brian RedfordWho Breaks... Pays – PlacidoLady Dracula – KommissarThe Beast in Heat – Don Lorenzo Brass Target – Lt. RowanZwei tolle Käfer räumen auf – Don Fernando HidalgoChallenge of the Tiger – LeopardGood-bye, Cruel World – PolicemanHercules – King AugeiasThe Seven Magnificent Gladiators – ScipioDeath Stone – BrainBoom – Gordon Steele Shiver – The Captain