Lee Reherman, a former star of “American Gladiators,” was found dead on Tuesday, TheWrap has learned. He was 49.
Reherman was found dead at his home in Malibu. According to a representative for the actor, he had been suffering from a flu-like illness for the past several days.
Reherman originally planned on a career in football and played as an offensive lineman at Cornell University. He went on to attend the Miami Dolphins training camp, but failed to make the team. Instead, Reherman moved to California to begin a career in acting.
He landed small roles on the TV series “Columbo” as an unnamed football player, as well as a part in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Last Action Hero.”
However, the muscle bound 6-foot-4-inch Reherman found his greatest success when he was cast as Hawk on “American Gladiators,” which saw members of the public compete against seasoned athletes. Reherman joined the show in its fifth season and remained with it until its cancellation in 1996.
Reherman had appeared in numerous film and television projects throughout his career. He appeared in episodes of “The Gilmore Girls,” “The X-Files,” “The Shield,” and “That’s So Raven.” He also did voiceover work for several video games, including “Dead Rising 3.”
In 2007, he became the host of “Hot Rod TV” and “Forza Motorsport Showdown” on the Speed network. He has hosted the series “Battle of the Supercars.”
Most recently, Reherman appeared in an episode of the CW series “Jane the Virgin” and in the Fox comedy “Cooper Barret’s Guide to Life.”