Slim Pickens, a legendary figure in the world of entertainment, spent the initial phase of his life as a genuine cowboy and the latter part of his career playing cowboy roles on screen. He is, however, most famously associated with a single iconic image: that of Maj. "King" Kong, a bomber pilot, riding a nuclear bomb with his cowboy hat held aloft in a rodeo-style gesture, in the classic black comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, released in 1964.
Born in Kingsburg, California, near Fresno, Slim spent a significant portion of his childhood in nearby Hanford, where he began his rodeo career at the tender age of 12. Over the next two decades, he traveled extensively across the country, competing in rodeos and eventually becoming a highly-paid and respected rodeo clown, a profession that demanded immense bravery.
In 1950, at the age of 31, Slim married Margaret Elizabeth Harmon and, the same year, he made his debut in a western film, Rocky Mountain. He quickly discovered a niche for himself in both comedic and villainous roles within the western genre, leveraging his distinctive hoarse voice and pronounced western twang.
Although he faced challenges in finding roles outside of the western genre, Slim's performances in films like Dr. Strangelove remain unforgettable. He passed away in 1983 after a valiant battle against a brain tumor, leaving behind his wife Margaret and children.
