Eric Fleming

 Eric Fleming, born Edward Heddy, Jr (July 4, 1925 – September 28, 1966),

He was known primarily for his role as Gil Favor in the long running CBS television series Rawhide. During the Great Depression he dropped out of school and worked at various jobs until he joined the Merchant Marine, before joining the United States Navy in 1942 for World War II. He served as a Seabee in a naval construction battalion. He received severe facial injuries during a bet in which he was attempting to lift a 200 pounds (91 kg) weight and had to undergo extensive plastic surgery to reconstruct his forehead, nose and jaw. Following his discharge, Fleming became interested in acting and took acting lessons. He appeared on stage in Chicago and in a number of successful Broadway plays including the musical Plain and Fancy. He began acting in television shows about the same time. Fleming then moved to Hollywood and starred in several low-budget films, including Fright, Curse of the Undead, and the cult classic Queen of Outer Space, with co-star Zsa Zsa Gabor. Fleming was cast with Clint Eastwood in the series Rawhide, beginning in 1958, landing the starring role as trail boss Gil Favor. Set in the 1860s, Rawhide portrayed the challenges faced by the men of the cattle drive from San Antonio, Texas, to Sedalia, Missouri. After Fleming left Rawhide at the end of the 1964–65 season, he took part in a Doris Day vehicle The Glass Bottom Boat where he played a suave spy, and then was signed to star in High Jungle, an MGM adventure film shot in Peru. During the final stages of shooting, Fleming's dugout canoe overturned in the Huallaga River. Fleming was swept away by the current and drowned on September 28, 1966, and was 41 when he died.