Biography

Although it is not clear in the film Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966), his character, Torgo, is supposed to be a satyr (half-man, half-goat), which is why his knees appear to be misshapen. He designed the prosthetics himself with help from Tom Neyman, who played the Master in the film.

According to an urban legend, John Reynolds was wearing the prosthetics incorrectly, which caused him great discomfort and led to him becoming addicted to painkillers. However, both Tom Neyman (The Master in Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)) and his daughter Jackey Neyman Jones dispute this claim, stating that the shoot was only eight days, not long enough for a painkiller-addiction to develop. The Neymans have pointed out that Reynolds suffered from depression, as was known to many of his friends and family, and blame that for his subsequent suicide. Later, actress Jackie Neyman (daughter of the director, Tom Neyman) stated in her online blog that John was never addicted to, or even took painkillers and that this was just a myth. The leg-braces were designed by Tom Neyman, and although they were uncomfortable, they were worn correctly and did not cause any pain. John Reynolds, however, was high most (if not all) of the time he was on set, and did suffer tremendously from depression, which did ultimately lead to him taking his own life.

In 1998, there was a grass-roots effort among Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) fans to try and get Reynolds a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his role of Torgo in Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966). Although the campaign failed, it has been said that Reynolds' "widow" expressed gratitude at the effort. However, John was never married. Extended family, or the Neymans may have been the ones who expressed their gratitude.

Took drama studies with Timothy Leary at University of California, Berkeley.

Is buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.