Introduction
Ricou Ren Browning (February 16, 1930 – February 27, 2023) was an American stunt performer, filmmaker and actor. A skilled swimmer, he was known for his innovative underwater stunt work, notably in the 1954 film Creature from the Black Lagoon, in which he portrayed the titular Gill-man during the film's underwater scenes, and in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, for which he was the underwater sequences director. He was also the co-creator of the Flipper media franchise.
Early life
Ricou Ren Browning was born in Fort Pierce, Florida, on February 16, 1930. He majored in physical education at Florida State University.
Career
Browning started a career in water shows, moving on to produce shows. Browning worked at Wakulla Springs in the 1940s and learned to perform in underwater newsreels conceived by Newt Perry, who later took Browning along when he opened Weeki Wachee Springs.
While working at Wakulla Springs in 1953, Browning was asked to show around a film crew scouting for shooting locations. According to Browning, "Their cameraman asked if I could swim in front of the cameras so they could get the perspective of the size of a human being against the fish and the grass. So I did." Days later, the crew offered Browning the role of the titular Gill-man in the film Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Browning accepted, and played the Gill-man in the film's underwater scenes, while actor Ben Chapman played the monster on land. During filming, Browning reportedly held his breath underwater for up to four minutes at a time. Browning reprised his role as the underwater Gill-man in two sequels, Revenge of the Creature (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956).
Browning continued in movie production and joined Ivan Tors' studios in Florida, where he co-wrote and co-produced the 1963 film Flipper (about an intelligent bottlenose dolphin) together with Jack Cowden; Browning also directed the second unit underwater scenes for the film. Browning continued writing and directing for the subsequent Flipper television series that debuted in 1964.
He made his feature film directorial debut with Salty (1973), which he also co-wrote with Cowden, and directed the cult film Mr. No Legs (1978).
He worked as second unit director, stunt coordinator and underwater sequence director on a number of features, including the James Bond films Thunderball (1965) and Never Say Never Again (1983), Around the World Under the Sea (1966), Island of the Lost (1967), Hello Down There (1969), and Caddyshack (1980).
A Florida native, Browning was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2019, he was inducted into the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.
Prior to his death, Browning was considered the last surviving original actor to portray any of the Universal Classic Monsters.
Personal life and death
Browning had two sons and two daughters. His wife, Fran, died in March 2020.
Browning died at home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, on February 27, 2023, at age 93.
Selected filmography
Film
As actor/stuntman
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Creature from the Black Lagoon | Gill-man | Underwater scenes | |
| 1954 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | — | Stunt diver | |
| 1955 | Revenge of the Creature | Gill-man | Underwater scenes | |
| 1956 | The Creature Walks Among Us | Gill-man | Underwater scenes | |
| 1964 | Flipper's New Adventure | Dr. Burton |
As director/writer/stunt coordinator
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Stunt coordinator | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Flipper | Second unit | Co-writer | Yes | Underwater scenes; co-wrote story with Jack Cowden; also associate producer | |
| 1965 | Thunderball | Second unit | Yes | Underwater scenes | ||
| 1966 | Around the World Under the Sea | Second unit | Diving sequences | |||
| 1967 | Island of the Lost | Second unit | Underwater scenes | |||
| 1969 | Hello Down There | Second unit | Underwater scenes | |||
| 1973 | Salty | Yes | Co-writer | Co-wrote with Jack Cowden | ||
| 1978 | Mr. No Legs | Yes | ||||
| 1979 | Hot Stuff | Second unit | ||||
| 1980 | Caddyshack | Second unit | ||||
| 1980 | Raise the Titanic | Second unit | ||||
| 1980 | Island Claws | Co-writer | Co-wrote with Jack Cowden | |||
| 1981 | Nobody's Perfekt | Second unit | ||||
| 1983 | Never Say Never Again | Second unit | Underwater scenes | |||
| 1985 | The Heavenly Kid | Yes | ||||
| 1986 | Opposing Force | Miami unit | ||||
| 1988 | Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach | Second unit |
Television
As actor/stuntman
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958–1961 | Sea Hunt | — | Second unit stunt double; 30 episodes | |
| 1960–1961 | The Aquanauts | — | Stunt double | |
| 1964–1967 | Flipper | Water Skier/The Monster | 2 episodes: "Lifeguard" and "Flipper's Monster" |
As director
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958–1961 | Sea Hunt | Underwater scenes; multiple episodes | |
| 1964–1967 | Flipper | 37 episodes |