Thomas Morgan Woodward, a stalwart actor, was renowned for his rugged, athletic build and craggy face, which often landed him roles as tough, menacing characters in westerns and crime dramas. Born in Arlington, Texas, as one of five brothers, Woodward's early life was marked by a keen interest in aviation. He began taking flying lessons in 1941, earning his pilot's license and later serving in both World War II and the Korean War.
Before his acting career took off, Woodward pursued higher education, majoring in music and drama at Arlington State College. He later appeared with the Margo Jones Repertory Theatre in Dallas and went on to study corporate finance at the University of Texas, graduating in 1948.
Woodward's diverse talents extended beyond acting. He sang with a jazz band, a barber shop quartet, and even hosted a weekly talk show on local radio. His powerful bass-baritone voice led him to dream of singing at the Metropolitan Opera, although this aspiration did not materialize.
Instead, Woodward's Hollywood career took off in 1955, when he successfully auditioned for Disney's The Great Locomotive Chase (1956) and the western pioneer saga Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956). His breakthrough role came as Shotgun Gibbs, the deputy of Hugh O'Brian's Wyatt Earp, in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955),a position he held for four seasons.
Woodward's versatility led to numerous guest appearances in westerns, including Gunsmoke (1955) and Wagon Train (1957). However, his most iconic role remains that of the sinister chain gang overseer, "the man with no eyes," in Cool Hand Luke (1967),distinguished by his perpetual wear of reflective sunglasses.
In addition to his acting credits, Woodward made notable appearances on Star Trek (1966) and played the cunning oil tycoon Punk Anderson in 55 episodes of Dallas (1978). For his contributions to the entertainment industry, he received the Golden Boot Award from the Hollywood Motion Picture and Television Fund in August 1988 and was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 2009.
In his private life, Woodward was a respected authority on Early American Aircraft and an avid enthusiast of restoring, rebuilding, and flying antique airplanes.
