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Born in Fort Pierce, Florida, Ricou Browning grew up in nearby Jensen Beach and got a career start diving and springboard diving in local water shows. By the time he was in his early 20s he was producing underwater shows at Weeki Wachee Springs and topside water shows at Rainbow Springs and other locations. After playing the Gill Men in the underwater scenes of Universal's _Creature from the Black Lagoon , second unit director, writer, stunt man and stunt coordinator.
Father of Ricou Browning Jr.
Interviewed in Tom Weaver s book "They Fought in the Creature Features" (McFarland & Co., 1995).
He is the only actor to play the Gill-man in more than one film. He played him in the underwater scenes of Creature from the Black Lagoon , Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us . The Creature was played on land by Ben Chapman in the first film, Tom Hennesy in the second and Don Megowan in the third.
With the death of Tom Hennesy on May 23, 2011, he is the last surviving actor to have played a classic Universal Monster. He played the Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon , Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us . Hennesy played the same character in the second film.
He directed the underwater sequences of both Thunderball and its remake Never Say Never Again .
