Former NFL Player and Actor. He was a linebacker in the NFL who traded football for acting and went on to star in the Tarzan films of the 1960s and worked alongside Burt Reynolds in the 'Smokey and the Bandit' movies. Born Michael Dennis Henry, he grew up in East Los Angeles. In high school, a city council member saw him play football and facilitated his tryout for USC's football team. After college, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, for which he played from 1958 to 1961. Wanting to try his luck with acting, Henry requested a transfer to play for the Los Angeles Rams, which he did from 1962 to 1964. In one of his final games as a Ram linebacker, a producer spotted Henry and asked him to test for the role of Tarzan. Between 1966 and 1968, he starred in three films based on the franchise: 'Tarzan and the Valley of Gold,' 'Tarzan and the Great River' and 'Tarzan and the Jungle Boy.' But he was best known for his role in three 'Smokey and the Bandit' action comedies from 1977, 1980 and 1983, playing Junior, the son of Jackie Gleason's character. His other movie roles included 'The Green Berets' (1968), 'Rio Lobo' (1970), 'Soylent Green' (1973), 'The Longest Yard' (1974). TV roles included 'General Hospital,' 'Lou Grant,' 'Rhoda,' 'Fantasy Island,' 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and '77 Sunset Strip.' Henry worked behind the scenes in film and TV for the rest of his professional career until he retired in 1988 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Mike died after dealing with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Parkinson's Disease brought on by the head injuries sustained during his football career. He married Cheryl Ivy Sweeney on November 17, 1984.
Former NFL Player and Actor. He was a linebacker in the NFL who traded football for acting and went on to star in the Tarzan films of the 1960s and worked alongside Burt Reynolds in the 'Smokey and the Bandit' movies. Born Michael Dennis Henry, he grew up in East Los Angeles. In high school, a city council member saw him play football and facilitated his tryout for USC's football team. After college, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, for which he played from 1958 to 1961. Wanting to try his luck with acting, Henry requested a transfer to play for the Los Angeles Rams, which he did from 1962 to 1964. In one of his final games as a Ram linebacker, a producer spotted Henry and asked him to test for the role of Tarzan. Between 1966 and 1968, he starred in three films based on the franchise: 'Tarzan and the Valley of Gold,' 'Tarzan and the Great River' and 'Tarzan and the Jungle Boy.' But he was best known for his role in three 'Smokey and the Bandit' action comedies from 1977, 1980 and 1983, playing Junior, the son of Jackie Gleason's character. His other movie roles included 'The Green Berets' (1968), 'Rio Lobo' (1970), 'Soylent Green' (1973), 'The Longest Yard' (1974). TV roles included 'General Hospital,' 'Lou Grant,' 'Rhoda,' 'Fantasy Island,' 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and '77 Sunset Strip.' Henry worked behind the scenes in film and TV for the rest of his professional career until he retired in 1988 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Mike died after dealing with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Parkinson's Disease brought on by the head injuries sustained during his football career. He married Cheryl Ivy Sweeney on November 17, 1984.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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