Weissmuller was born in
San Francisco, where his father was performing at the
Golden Gate International Exposition in a
water ballet show called ''Billy Rose's Aquacade''. His mother was Beryl Scott, the third of his father's five wives. The younger Weissmuller graduated from the
University of Southern California in
Los Angeles, where he was on the swim team. He joined the
United States Navy, using his swimming acumen to specialize in underwater demolition. In 1958, Weissmuller Jr. got his first screen role in the
Mickey Rooney film
Andy Hardy Comes Home. In 1961, he appeared in the episode "The Four" with
Jack Elam in the
western series,
Lawman, starring
John Russell. He also worked as a stuntman before moving to San Francisco where he worked as a longshoreman. His subsequent credits include parts in
THX 1138 (1971) and the 1973 hit
American Graffiti (as one of two car thieves who fight
Charles Martin Smith and
Paul Le Mat). He also provided the voice of Shame in the English language version of the X-rated cartoon
Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle (1975). Weissmuller Jr. also appeared as a guest star in two episodes of
The Streets of San Francisco. His last movie role was as a
bounty hunter in the 1988 release
Wildfire. He also appeared in Bay Area stage productions. His longest-running stage role was as Chief Bromden in ''
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' at the Little Fox Theater in San Francisco. Weissmuller Jr. also belonged to
yacht clubs in San Francisco,
Hawaii and
Acapulco, taking part in several Transpac yacht races from
California to Hawaii. Weissmuller Jr.'s memoir,
Tarzan, My Father, was published in 2002 by
ECW Press in
Toronto, Ontario. In 2005, he retired from the docks to begin writing a book about work as a longshoreman. He died from
liver cancer on July 27, 2006, aged 65. He was married to Diane Weissmuller and had a daughter, Heidi Medsker, and a stepson. ==Filmography==