Rod Lauren
Encyclopedia
Rod Lauren Strunk was an American actor and singer.
As an actor, he worked mostly in television, appearing in single episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
amongst others during the 1960s. Lauren's most notable film is The Crawling Hand
(1963) which achieved latter-day notoriety when it was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000
.
As a singer, Lauren is a one-hit wonder
who hit #31 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart with the song "If I Had a Girl" in 1960 and performed twice on The Ed Sullivan Show
that year.
From 1979 to 2001, Lauren, who had since reverted to the use of his given name, Roger Lawrence Strunk, was married to Nida Blanca
, a leading Filipino
film actress whom Lauren met during the filming of Once Before I Die
. After Blanca's body was discovered on November 6, 2001 in the parking lot inside a San Juan City parking garage (she had been stabbed to death), Lauren soon emerged as a suspect behind the killing.
He moved back to the United States
and was able to successfully fight extradition to the Philippines
to face trial for the murder. Other suspects were later charged.
Strunk committed suicide on July 11, 2007 by falling from a second-floor balcony of the Tracy Inn in Tracy, California
where he had been staying for the previous three days.
As an actor, he worked mostly in television, appearing in single episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.The show renders the title as Gomer Pyle - USMC. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spinoff of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot was aired as the finale of the fourth season of The Andy...
amongst others during the 1960s. Lauren's most notable film is The Crawling Hand
The Crawling Hand
The Crawling Hand is a 1963 science fiction film directed by Herbert L. Strock, and starring Rod Lauren, Peter Breck, Allison Hayes, and Alan Hale, Jr...
(1963) which achieved latter-day notoriety when it was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
.
As a singer, Lauren is a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
who hit #31 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart with the song "If I Had a Girl" in 1960 and performed twice on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
that year.
From 1979 to 2001, Lauren, who had since reverted to the use of his given name, Roger Lawrence Strunk, was married to Nida Blanca
Nida Blanca
Dorothy Acueza Jones, popularly known by her stage name Nida Blanca, was a Filipina actress. She starred in over 163 movies and 14 television shows and received over 16 awards for movies and six awards for television during her 50-year film career...
, a leading Filipino
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
film actress whom Lauren met during the filming of Once Before I Die
Once Before I Die
Once Before I Die is a 1966 war drama starring Ursula Andress and her husband John Derek who also directed. The film was based on a 1945 novel Quit for the Next by Lieutenant Anthony March....
. After Blanca's body was discovered on November 6, 2001 in the parking lot inside a San Juan City parking garage (she had been stabbed to death), Lauren soon emerged as a suspect behind the killing.
He moved back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was able to successfully fight extradition to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to face trial for the murder. Other suspects were later charged.
Strunk committed suicide on July 11, 2007 by falling from a second-floor balcony of the Tracy Inn in Tracy, California
Tracy, California
Tracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County, California, United States and an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 82,922 at the 2010 census.-History:...
where he had been staying for the previous three days.
External links
- [ Rod Lauren's allmusic.com entry]