Doug McClure, who rode his way from teenage broncobusting to starring roles in such small-screen Westerns as "The Virginian," "The Overland Trail" and "The Men From Shiloh" has died of lung cancer. He was 59.
McClure died of cancer Sunday night at his suburban Sherman Oaks home, said McClure's friend and colleague, Dennis Morga.McClure began riding horses at age 8. As a teenager, he spent summers on a Nevada cattle ranch, where he was a broncobuster in occasional rodeos. So his role as Trampas in "The Virginian" came as a natural.
A muscular 6-foot-1 who quarterbacked his high school football team, McClure studied drama at Santa Monica City College and the University of California, Los Angeles, modeling and doing TV commercials on the side.
His first acting job came in a syndicated series, "Men of Annapolis." Movies followed: "The Enemy Below," "Gidget," "The Unforgiven."
Survivors include his wife, Diane, children Tane and Valerie McClure; his mother, Clara Clapp, and a brother, Reed. Funeral services were pending.