Troy Melton (March 2, 1921 – November 15, 1995) was a powerhouse of the Hollywood stunt community and a versatile character actor whose career spanned the most action-packed decades of the 20th century. Born in Tennessee and raised in Los Angeles during the Great Depression, Melton found his true calling in the high-stakes world of physical performance after serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
By the late 1940s, Melton had established himself as one of the industry’s most reliable stunt performers. His physical prowess and bravery led him to become a founding member of the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures, an organization that helped professionalize and protect the craft. Throughout his forty-year career, he was the invisible hero behind some of the screen’s biggest stars, doubling for the likes of Roy Rogers, Duncan Renaldo, and Kent Taylor—with whom he shared a frequent professional connection in numerous action and genre features.
When he wasn’t jumping off buildings or engaging in cinematic fisticuffs, Melton was a well-known figure in the Hollywood social scene. He was an avid golfer and the longtime owner of the Playboy Restaurant on Melrose Avenue, a popular industry haunt he managed until the late 1980s. Whether he was appearing in front of the camera in series like The Wild Wild West and Mission: Impossible or working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a shot looked perfect, Melton remained a quintessential professional until his passing in 1995.
