Norman Dack, also known as Dack Rambo, was born in sunny California in 1941, along with his identical twin brother Dirk Rambo, who was also known as Orman Rambo. The brothers shared a noticeable difference, with Dack having a mole on his left cheek. Both brothers discovered their passion for acting at the age of 21, after being discovered by actress Loretta Young for her television show while sitting in a church pew.
Dack's early training began as a student of Vincent Chase and Lee Strasberg, and he went on to find employment in television, following a one-season stint on Loretta's show in 1963. While Dirk found success on episodic television, including appearances on The Virginian and Dragnet, Dack went on to appear in a couple of other TV series, including Never Too Young and The Guns of Will Sonnett.
Tragically, Dirk was killed in 1967 after being struck by a drunk driver. A stunned Dack continued on, finding a secure place for his dark good looks in 1970s and 1980s glossy drama and secondary action. He played many calculating lovers in both daytime and prime-time soaps, including All My Children, Another World, and Dallas.
Dack also showcased his athletic skills in outdoor adventure series such as Sword of Justice. Later in his career, he worked up a few action leads in low-budget films. In 1991, while appearing on Another World, Dack discovered he had contracted AIDS and made the courageous decision to retire in order to focus on raising awareness of the deadly disease.
Dack was extremely candid about his bisexuality and advocated for safe sex, helping to establish an international data bank for AIDS research. He died of complications related to AIDS in 1994 at the age of 52.
