Steve Reeves | |
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![]() Reeves in 1990 | |
Born | Stephen Lester Reeves January 21, 1926 Glasgow, Montana, U.S. |
Died | May 1, 2000 Escondido, California, U.S. | (aged 74)
Occupations |
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Years active | 1949–1968 |
Spouses | Aline Czartjarwicz
(m. 1963; died 1989)Deborah Ann Engelhorn
(m. 1994) |
Stephen Lester Reeves (January 21, 1926 – May 1, 2000) was an American professional bodybuilder and actor. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagonist as muscular characters such as Hercules, Goliath, and Sandokan. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.[1] Though best known for his portrayal of Hercules, he played the character only twice: in Hercules (1958), and in its 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained. By 1960, Reeves was ranked as the number-one box-office draw in 25 countries.[2]
Prior to his acting career, Reeves was a bodybuilder. Known for his symmetry,[3] he reigned as Mr. America of 1947, Mr. World of 1948, and Mr. Universe of 1950 in the pre Mr. Olympia era.