Actor. Born Adolph Carrillo Diaz to Native-American parents of the Mescalero Apache tribe, he was a character actor whose heritage made him a natural choice to play Native-American and Hispanic characters on film and television. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II as a paratrooper, he made the progression from the military to working in law enforcement, joining the Los Angeles Police Department, ultimately retaining the rank as Sergeant, where he remained for a 21-year career until his retirement in 1967. In 1962, he was one of the first law enforcement officers to arrive at the Brentwood home of actress Marilyn Monroe when her lifeless body was discovered. His time on the police force working around Los Angeles and the entertainment industry, his interest in acting launched the next phase of his career. He began acting in local theater before landing his first role as a professional actor in 1957's 'Pal Joey.' A favored actor of directors Don Siegel and Andrew V. McLaglen, Diaz appeared in several of their productions. Among films he appeared in were 'Coogan's Bluff' (1968), 'Che!' (1969), 'Pieces of Dreams' (1970), 'One Little Indian' (1973), 'A Piece of the Action' (1977), 'Wind Walker' (1980) and 'Painted Desert' (1993). On TV series and made-for-TV movies he had roles in were, 'Bonanza', 'The Outcasts.' 'Yuma,' 'Alias Smith and Jones,' ' 'Cannon,' 'Hawaii Five-O,' 'Kung Fu,' 'How the West Was Won,' 'Steel Cowboy,' and 'Matt Houston'. In 1968, he suffered personal tragedy when his estranged first wife, Dorothy Abbott, a veteran bit-part actress herself, committed suicide. Diaz, who retired from acting in 1993, died of natural causes.
Actor. Born Adolph Carrillo Diaz to Native-American parents of the Mescalero Apache tribe, he was a character actor whose heritage made him a natural choice to play Native-American and Hispanic characters on film and television. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II as a paratrooper, he made the progression from the military to working in law enforcement, joining the Los Angeles Police Department, ultimately retaining the rank as Sergeant, where he remained for a 21-year career until his retirement in 1967. In 1962, he was one of the first law enforcement officers to arrive at the Brentwood home of actress Marilyn Monroe when her lifeless body was discovered. His time on the police force working around Los Angeles and the entertainment industry, his interest in acting launched the next phase of his career. He began acting in local theater before landing his first role as a professional actor in 1957's 'Pal Joey.' A favored actor of directors Don Siegel and Andrew V. McLaglen, Diaz appeared in several of their productions. Among films he appeared in were 'Coogan's Bluff' (1968), 'Che!' (1969), 'Pieces of Dreams' (1970), 'One Little Indian' (1973), 'A Piece of the Action' (1977), 'Wind Walker' (1980) and 'Painted Desert' (1993). On TV series and made-for-TV movies he had roles in were, 'Bonanza', 'The Outcasts.' 'Yuma,' 'Alias Smith and Jones,' ' 'Cannon,' 'Hawaii Five-O,' 'Kung Fu,' 'How the West Was Won,' 'Steel Cowboy,' and 'Matt Houston'. In 1968, he suffered personal tragedy when his estranged first wife, Dorothy Abbott, a veteran bit-part actress herself, committed suicide. Diaz, who retired from acting in 1993, died of natural causes.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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