On this episode of A Word on Westerns, host Rob Word and producer RJ Word connect with the one-and-only Don Stroud, who went from catching massive waves in Hawai‘i to wrestling with Hollywood’s biggest names—and some serious demons along the way.
Growing up in Waikīkī under the guidance of legendary beach boys, Don found himself doubling for Troy Donahue on the classic TV show Hawaiian Eye before bouncing his way—literally—into the Whiskey a Go Go as its most formidable doorman. Then, at the urging of industry titans like Sidney Poitier and agent Dick Clayton, he set his sights on Hollywood, landing unforgettable roles opposite Clint Eastwood in Coogan’s Bluff and Joe Kidd, and sparring with Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark in Don Siegel’s Madigan.
Don’s stories brim with candor, whether he’s recalling James Arness riding 15-foot breakers in Makaha (“the biggest surfer I’d ever seen!”) or reflecting on the party-fueled studio system of the 1960s and ’70s. Along the way, he grapples with his share of real-life adversity, eventually trading the perils of excess for the renewed joy of living clean. Yet even after racking up more than a hundred film and TV credits, he returned to the Western spotlight in a memorable turn as Sheriff Bill Sharp in Django Unchained—a testament to his lifelong cowboy spirit.
Join us for an intimate portrait of a true Hollywood maverick whose fast fists and fearless wave-riding left an indelible mark on the Western genre—proving that sometimes the best cowboys come from the beach.