Bruce Cabot (April 20, 1904 – May 3, 1972) was a rugged American actor who, after achieving screen immortality as the heroic first mate Jack Driscoll in the adventure classic King Kong (1933), reinvented himself as a prolific and effective villain.
Though he began his career as a leading man, Cabot found his true niche playing tough guys and heavies. His memorable villainous roles include the treacherous Huron warrior Magua in The Last of the Mohicans (1936), the leader of a lynch mob in Fritz Lang’s powerful drama Fury (1936), and a scheming saloon owner opposite Errol Flynn in the classic Western Dodge City (1939).
After serving in World War II, Cabot became a close friend of John Wayne and a key member of his “stock company,” appearing in ten of the Duke’s films. This enduring partnership included roles in classics like Angel and the Badman (1947), The Comancheros (1961), and The Green Berets (1968), cementing his legacy as a familiar and formidable presence in Hollywood films for four decades.
