In this special episode, we present Ricou Browning: a Celebration of Life, recorded and streamed live on March 4, 2023 as part of the WE ARE THE MONSTERS series: moderated by Ian Bates of @Universalstudiosmonsters. Guest hosts include Jim Towns of the Borgo Pass, as well as Austin T. Hill of @Universalmonstersuniverse.
Ricou Browning was born in 1930. While working as an underwater actor and marine entertainer in 1953, he was hired to escort the makers of the upcoming Creature from the Black Lagoon to a possible filming location in Wakulla Springs, Florida. After witnessing his impressive abilities as a swimmer and cave diver, the 23-year old was hired to portray the Gill-Man in underwater photography for all three films of the Creature trilogy: Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, and The Creature Walks Among us. For these roles, the actor would sometimes stay submerged for hours at a time, breathing through an air hose between takes.
Browning parlayed this chance opportunity into a lifelong career that saw him become an underwater stunt coordinator, director and writer. His credits included the James Bond film Thunderball, Hello Down There, Caddyshack and more. He was also the co-creator and underwater director for the beloved television series "Flipper".
Uncredited in his role as the Creature, Browning would eventually become a beloved figure in the horror community, and his physical portrayal of the character became a touchstone for any underwater creature performer--most notably influencing Doug Jones' amphibian man in Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water.
At the time of his death on February 27, 2023 at age 93, Ricou Browning was the last living actor to have portrayed a Classic Universal Monster.