Rafer Johnson (1934–2020)

STARmeter
SEE RANK
Up 3,894 this week
Rafer Johnson Picture
Trailer
2:21 | Trailer
A distinguished American athlete and occasional actor with many other strings to his bow, Rafer Johnson was a UCLA basketball star who went on to become Pan American decathlon champion in 1955, a two time decathlon silver medallist at the Melbourne Olympics (despite injuries) and winner of gold four years later in Rome. In 1968, he joined the ... See full bio »

Quick Links

Explore More
Show Less

Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples

Check out some of our favorite couples in Hollywood.

See the gallery

Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year

IMDb's guide to the most anticipated new and returning TV shows coming this fall.

See the full list

Related News

See all related articles »

Double Take: Celebrity Twins

Take a look at some of the famous twins of Hollywood, including Cole and Dylan Sprouse, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and more.

See the full list

On Prime Video

See more on Prime Video »

Watch on TV

Quincy M.E.
To Kill in Plain Sight (S6, Ep16)
Sat, Aug 20 6:00 PM PDT on KNBCDT2 (1249)
Mission: Impossible
Nerves (S6, Ep12)
Mon, Aug 29 3:00 AM PDT on KAZADT (1237)
Create a list »

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

Malachi Athletes List
a list of 35 people
created 27 Oct 2012
 
Francis of Assisi 1961 premiere
a list of 42 people
created 12 Mar 2020
 
100 Most Notable Showbiz Personalities Who Died in 2020
a list of 100 people
created 20 Nov 2020
 
2020 Deaths
a list of 8 people
created 18 Apr 2020
 
The Red, White, and Black 1970 premiere
a list of 17 people
created 02 Apr 2020
 
See all related lists »

Do you have a demo reel?

Add it to your IMDb page

How Much Have You Seen?

How much of Rafer Johnson's work have you seen?

User Polls

See more polls »

Photos

18 photos | 1 video »

Known For

Licence to Kill
Licence to Kill Mullens
(1989)
The Black 6
The Black 6 Producer
(1973)
Dragnet 1967
Dragnet 1967 Lt. Ed Henry
(1968)
Tarzan and the Great River
Tarzan and the Great River Barcuna
(1967)
Show Show all  | 
 |  Edit

Filmography

Hide Hide Show Show Actor (26 credits)
 1989 Think Big
Johnson
 1989 Licence to Kill
Mullens
 1981 Quincy M.E. (TV Series)
Ezra Glidden
- To Kill in Plain Sight (1981) ... Ezra Glidden
 1979 Roots: The Next Generations (TV Mini Series)
Nelson
- Part VI (1939-1950) (1979) ... Nelson
 1975 The Six Million Dollar Man (TV Series)
Thaddeus Jones
- Target in the Sky (1975) ... Thaddeus Jones
 1971 Mission: Impossible (TV Series)
Jack Tully
- Nerves (1971) ... Jack Tully
 1970 The Red, White, and Black
Pvt. Armstrong
 1970 The Games
Commentator
 1970 The Last Grenade
Joe Jackson
 1968 Dragnet 1967 (TV Series)
Lt. Ed Henry
- Community Relations: DR-10 (1968) ... Lt. Ed Henry
 1968 Tarzan and the Jungle Boy
Nagambi
 1968 Star Spangled Salesman (Documentary short)
Telephone Repairman
 1967 Police Story (TV Movie)
Lt. Roy Haggerty
 1966 Tarzan (TV Series)
Spandrell
- The Prodigal Puma (1966) ... Spandrell
 1965 Daniel Boone (TV Series)
Rawls
- My Name Is Rawls (1965) ... Rawls
 1965 None But the Brave
Pvt. Johnson
 1964 Channing (TV Series)
Don
- Où sont les neiges? (1964) ... Don
 1964 A Global Affair
Nigerian Representative
 1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series)
Ed Blair
- The Cadaver (1963) ... Ed Blair
 1962 Lassie (TV Series)
Pete
- Lassie's Ordeal (1962) ... Pete
 1961 Pirates of Tortuga
John Gammel
 1961 Wild in the Country
Davis
 1961 The Fiercest Heart
Nzobe
 1961 The Sins of Rachel Cade
Kosongo
 1960 Sergeant Rutledge
Cpl. Krump (uncredited)
Show Show Producer (2 credits)
Show Show Additional Crew (1 credit)
Show Show Thanks (1 credit)
Show Show Self (28 credits)
Show Show Archive footage (4 credits)

Related Videos

Edit

Personal Details

Publicity Listings:

3 Magazine Cover Photos | See more »

Official Sites:

Hall of Fame_bio

Height:

6' 3" (1.91 m)

Spouse:

Elizabeth Ann Thorsen  (his death)  (2 children)
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 1994 (inaugural induction). See more »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page



Clear your history

Recently Viewed