Strother Martin Jr., a renowned American character actor, enjoyed a remarkable surge in fame during the latter decade of his life. Born in Kokomo, Indiana, Martin was the youngest of three children to Strother Douglas Martin, a machinist, and Ethel Dunlap Martin. His family relocated to San Antonio, Texas, shortly after his birth, only to return to Indiana soon after.
Growing up in Indianapolis and Cloverdale, Indiana, Martin demonstrated exceptional prowess in swimming and diving, claiming the National Junior Springboard Diving Championship at the tender age of 17. He went on to attend the University of Michigan, where he was a valued member of the diving team.
During World War II, Martin served in the U.S. Navy as a swimming instructor. Nicknamed "T-Bone" Martin due to his distinctive diving style, he narrowly missed qualifying for the 1948 Olympic team after finishing third in the adult National Springboard Diving Championships.
After the war, Martin relocated to California, where he pursued an acting career, albeit with limited success initially. He worked odd jobs and tutored swimming to notable figures such as Marion Davies and the children of Charles Chaplin. Martin's early acting credits included appearances as a swimming extra in several films and as a leprechaun on a local children's television show, "Mabel's Fables."
As Martin's acting career gained momentum, he secured bit parts, which ultimately led to television work with the acclaimed director Sam Peckinpah, marking the beginning of a lifelong professional relationship. He also found memorable roles in films directed by John Ford, establishing himself as a familiar face in American cinema by the 1960s.
Martin's breakthrough role in Cool Hand Luke (1967) brought him widespread acclaim, solidifying his position as one of Hollywood's busiest character actors. He continued to work steadily and in substantial roles throughout the 1970s, seemingly at the peak of his career before his sudden death from a heart attack in 1980.
