Reg Park

The future Italian epic star was registered as Roy Park in 1928, but little Reg was soon re-named after his father Reginald Park Snr., a well-known gymnasium proprietor in Leeds and owner of the 'Reg Park' (qv) Barbell Company. Reg Jnr. played reserve team football for Leeds United before turning to body-building in 1946. He finished Mr Universe runner-up to future film rival 'Steve Reeves' (qv) in 1950, then won the title outright in 1951, 1958 and 1965. After marrying South African-born Mareon Isaacs in Johannesburg in 1952, the Parks moved permanently to South Africa where Reg ran a chain of fitness studios. In December 1960 he was invited to Rome to star in two back-to-back Hercules movies, _Hercules Conquers Atlantis (1961)_ (qv) followed immediately by _Hercules in the Haunted World (1961)_ (qv). Since these were directed by intellectually acclaimed veterans 'Vittorio Cottafavi' (qv) and 'Mario Bava' (qv), 'Reg Park' (qv) himself became something of a cult personality in the Italian epic genre. His friend and protege 'Arnold Schwarzenegger' (qv) considered Park to be the best of the "peplum" heroes.Three more sword-and-sandals followed, including _Maciste in King Solomon's Mines (1964)_ (qv) which, handily for Park, was filmed on location in South Africa.::Jim Marshall