Earl C. Craver was born in 1931 in Elkhart, Kansas, to Mabel Mae and Fred Francis Craver, as the middle child of six siblings. He graduated from Elkhart High School and later attended Wichita State University on a football scholarship. In 1954, he married his wife Billie and went on to enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the Korean War, serving in Korea and earning the Purple Heart. Following his service with the 1st Marine Division, Craver was posted to the newly reformed 9th Marines at Camp Pendleton.
After leaving the Marines, Craver joined the Los Angeles Police Department, but in 1959, he issued a traffic citation to Robert Raison, a Hollywood agent and friend of Henry Willson. Impressed by Craver's physical stature, Willson helped him launch an acting career. Craver went on to retire from the LAPD at the end of the 1960s and moved to Washington State, where he passed away from cancer in 2005 at the age of 73.
In addition to his acting career, Craver also pursued his passion for writing. Under his real name, E. C. Craver, he published a novel titled "Last Reunion".
