Phil Hoover was a physically imposing actor, renowned for his portrayals of menacing and intimidating characters in a string of 1970s exploitation films. Prior to his acting career, Hoover was a talented football player, having played for the University of Southern California.
Hoover's early foray into the world of cinema began in the early 1970s, where he went on to appear in a number of low-budget, sleazy films directed by the infamous Lee Frost. His most memorable roles include that of vicious convict Gentry in "Chain Gang Women", the formidable Doc in "Policewomen", and the despicable Vito, a slimy rapist mobster, in "The Black Gestapo".
In addition to his work in exploitation films, Hoover also appeared in a range of other notable roles, including that of Tommy Hooks, a no-count hoodlum, in the entertainingly campy "Superchick", a henchman for the crazed gangster Timothy Carey in "Chesty Anderson, USN", an unhelpful mechanic in Jack Starrett's gripping Satan worship car chase horror/action film "Race with the Devil", and George, the brutish flunky of drug kingpin John Harkins, in the fun dope deal opus "Acapulco Gold".
Throughout his career, Hoover made numerous guest appearances on popular television shows, including "Hunter", "T.J. Hooker", "Dallas", "Simon & Simon", "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", "Eight Is Enough", "The Incredible Hulk", "The Bionic Woman", "The Rockford Files", and "Cannon". Hoover's final film appearance was in the excellent thriller "Best Seller", where he once again played a nasty heavy part.
