in this oh so rough year for passings, monster actor Dick Durok has passed away.

He is best known for his portrayal as the Swamp Thing.

I realized a month or so ago that Return of the Swamp Thing was probably the MOSt watched movie in my collection. A fantastic monster romp that I always seem to put on when I am not in the mood to use any brain cells.

Thanks for the entertainment.

Sorry to bump up my own thread guys...but I realised I spelled his name wrong!

It's Durock.

Also, Daniel Taylor, the actor who played the rather annoying kid in Return of the Swamp Thing (at the age of 8!!!) posted this very heartfelt blog.

And like all good things like this, it expands past an actor and his career, to what a true actor can bring to a role:

(From Daniel Taylor's Blog)

As many of you know, Hollywood lost a legend this past week with the passing of Dick Durock. Dick had been sick with cancer for some time and succumbed to the disease.

What really saddens me is that few outside of hardcore fandom will know about this. Dick's name was not as recognizeable as a Patrick Swayze or Michael Jackson. He kept things low-key, working mainly in stunts and under make-up. Still, you've all seen him. You would have had to -- he's got around fifty movies and over 600 television episode credits to his name. Evenso, most fans will always just know him as Swamp Thing.

What Dick lacked in widespread name recognition he made up for in the respect and admiration of his peers. Working the fan convention circuit, I've made friends and acquaintences with many in the sci-fi/horror community. Many of these actors, these Jasons and Michael Myerses, are themselves stuntmen of sorts -- and Dick was always a hero and example to them. I've had several people over the years share their stories of working with or being around him. The story is always the same: he was a man of humility. Down-to-earth, friendly, and open, the name "Dick Durock" was always mentioned with a great reverence. It is little wonder the Stuntman's Association Of Motion Pictures awarded him a lifetime membership, citing "contributions to the group and to our profession."

I had an absolute blast on the set of "The Return Of Swamp Thing." My Mom, naturally, was more infatuated with the "stars" on set. "Look! It's Heather Locklear! Look! It's Louis Jordan!" Me? I wanted to hang with the monsters. I wanted to hang with the special effects guys. I wanted to hang with the director. I was taken by the magic, how normal people can become fantastic creatures and how the crew takes normal people and normal situations and turns them into a MOVIE. So, with that said, I naturally spent a lot of time hanging out with Dick on the set.

I'm sure I was eight years old and irritating, but you never would have known it. Dick was patient and accomodating. I know I had a thousand questions. "Is it hot? Does it feel funny? How do you use the bathroom?" He answered them all gracefully. He even seemed to enjoy hanging with me and RonReaco. That's all amazing considering he was wearing full face make-up and seventy pounds of latex in the Savannah summer heat.

The thing that strikes me most about Dick is the love and respect he had for the character of Swamp Thing. Yes, the movies were campy and cheesy. Yes, he's a big plant man. Dick understood the more complex aspects of the character. It's essentially a "Frankenstein's Monster" story. Swamp Thing was tortured, a brilliant man stuck in the body of a hulking plant monster. He once wanted to save the world and solve the food supply problem. Now, he has to live in the swamp away from everyone. It's this view of Swamp Thing that leads to one of my favorite memories:

The scene is familiar to fans of the movie. Omar and Darryl have climbed out the back window to escape the horrifying Leech mutant. They attempt to escape around the back of the house, but the Leech blocks the way. Like a muck-encrusted Superman, Swamp Thing steps out of the shadows to protect the kids and put this creature down once and for all. The Leech grabs a weapon and goads Swampy. Swamp Thing pulls the leg off of a swing set and ...

Director Jim Wynorski, in his trademark "enthusiastic" style, yells "Just take the bar and wail on him!" Dick didn't like that idea. He stopped. I remember Dick explaining to Jim, in detail, exactly why Swamp Thing wouldn't do that. "He's a scientist -- a thinker. I just don't feel he would rush in with a weapon like that." In Dick's mind, Swampy still had the mind and heart of Alec Holland. He's not a mindless war machine. Swamp Thing would consider the safety of the children. Swamp Thing would be hesitant to kill this ... thing ... because, after all, it is a living creature and was likely once a human being just like him.

There was a compromise. As you watch the film, notice that as Swamp Thing yanks the leg off of the swing set there is this moment of ... apprehension. Swampy gives a pained expression as he considers what he must do. There's a single shot of Swamp Thing giving a troubled sigh before rushing into battle. THAT is the humanity Dick Durock brought to the character ... and it's that same humanity that will be lost when they eventually turn Swamp Thing into some CGI mess.

Anyway, though it has been several years since I had spoken with Dick, I was incredibly sad to learn of his death. He was a true gentleman and a much better actor than he will ever get credit for. He is someone I always had a great respect for. I will always cherish the memories of that summer in the swamps of Savannah. Rest peacefully, my friend.

That was a heartfelt and thoughtful post. Kudos.

RIP Mr Durock.