Mike Henry

Mike Henry was an American actor and professional football player.

Henry grew up in East Los Angeles, and played football for the University of Southern California. 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.

During one of his final games with the Rams, 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 character: Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, Tarzan and the Great River, and Tarzan and the Jungle Boy.

Henry was best known for his role in the three Smokey and the Bandit films from 1977, 1980 and 1983. He played Junior, the son of Jackie Gleason's character, Sheriff Buford T. Justice, Henry's other movie roles include The Green Berets and Rio Lobo (both starring John Wayne), Soylent Green (with Charlton Heston), and The Longest Yard (with Burt Reynolds). His last film was 1987's Outrageous Fortune (with Bette Midler and Shelley Long).

His TV roles included General Hospital, Lou Grant, Rhoda, Fantasy Island, The Six Million Dollar Man, M*A*S*H, and The Bob Newhart Show. Henry retired from acting in 1988.

Henry died January 8, 2021, in Burbank, California. He was 84.