William Joseph Lara (October 2, 1962 – May 29, 2021) was an American actor, martial artist, and musician, known for the role of Tarzan in the American TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures.
Joe Lara | |
---|---|
Born | William Joseph Lara October 2, 1962 San Diego, California, U.S. |
Died | May 29, 2021 | (aged 58)
Occupation | Actor |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
Career
Lara played Tarzan in the 1989 TV movie Tarzan in Manhattan and in the 1996-1997 follow-up TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures. He also appeared in numerous action films, including Steel Frontier and American Cyborg: Steel Warrior. He stopped acting after 20 years in 2002 to pursue a career in country music. At the peak of his career, Lara appeared in two action films, Armstrong and Warhead.
Personal life
In 2009, Lara became active in music.[1] He married Christian author and pastor Gwen Shamblin on August 18, 2018. He was also the father of one child with Natasha Pavlovich from their previous relationship.[2] He lived in Brentwood, Tennessee.[3]
Lara was a certified pilot holding multi-engine commercial and instrument ratings along with a type rating for the Cessna Citation I.[4]
Death
On May 29, 2021, Lara died when a Cessna Citation I business jet registered to JL & GL Productions LP crashed into Percy Priest Lake near Smyrna. His wife, her son-in-law, and four members of Lara's church also died in the crash.[4][5][6] The cause of the accident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.[7] Reports in the immediate aftermath of the accident indicated that Lara's aviation medical certificate had expired in 2019,[7] but Aviation International News and WSMV-TV subsequently found that Lara held a valid medical certificate when the crash occurred.[8][9] However, it is unclear who was flying the aircraft when it crashed, as another victim was a pilot although he lacked the required type rating to fly the Citation.[4][10]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Night Wars | American Soldier | |
1992 | Sunset Heat | Todd | |
1993 | American Cyborg: Steel Warrior | Austin | |
1995 | Steel Frontier | Johnny Yuma | Direct-to-video |
1995 | Hologram Man | Captain Kurt Decoda | |
1995 | Live Wire 2: Human Timebomb | Price | |
1995 | Final Equinox | Lugar | |
1996 | Warhead | General Kraft | |
1998 | Armstrong | 'Ponytail' | |
1999 | Lima: Breaking the Silence | Victor | |
1999 | Operation Delta Force 4: Deep Fault | McKinney | |
2000 | Strike Zone | Dunk Stevens | Direct-to-video |
2000 | Very Mean Men | Detective Miller | |
2000 | Doomsdayer | Jack Logan | |
2001 | Dead Man's Run | Derek | |
2001 | Death Game | Micky Haiden | |
2002 | Starfire Mutiny | Sam Talbot | Direct-to-video |
2018 | Summer of '67 | Soap Opera Actor |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Tarzan in Manhattan | Tarzan | Television film |
1990 | Gunsmoke: The Last Apache | Wolf | |
1992 | Danger Island | Matt | |
1993 | Tropical Heat | Devon Madsen | Episode: "Tess" |
1993 | Baywatch | Frank Randall | Episode: "Tentacles: Part 2" |
1996–1997 | Tarzan: The Epic Adventures | Tarzan | 22 episodes |
1997 | Operation Delta Force | Johan Nash | Television film |
1998 | Conan the Adventurer | Kamikon | Episode: "The Cavern" |
1998 | In Search of Tarzan with Jonathan Ross | Himself | Television film |
2000 | The Magnificent Seven | Pace McCormick | Episode: "Penance" |
References
- ^ "frostsnow.com". frostsnow.com.
- ^ Sauber, Elaina (April 3, 2018). "Williamson parents allege judicial misconduct, say access to juvenile court recordings needed". Tennessean. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ "joelara.com". joelara.com.
- ^ a b c Gilbert, Gordon (June 1, 2021). "NTSB Begins Probe into Fatal Citation Accident". AINonline.com. Aviation International News. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Romero, Dennis (May 29, 2021). "Diet guru Gwen Lara, husband actor Joe Lara among seven killed in plane crash". NBC News 2. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (May 30, 2021). "Joe Lara, Star of 'Tarzan: The Epic Adventures,' Dies in Plane Crash at 58". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ a b "Plane carrying diet guru Gwen Lara, 6 others crashes into Tennessee lake; all on board presumed dead". USA Today. May 30, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
- ^ Gilbert, Gordon. "NTSB Begins Probe into Fatal Citation Accident". Aviation International News. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ^ Finley, Jeremy (June 3, 2021). "FAA records on pilot's medical certificate clash with documentation from church". wsmv.com. Nashville, Tennessee: WSMV-TV. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ Hineman, Brinley; Humbles, Andy; Wegner, Rachel (June 1, 2021). "What to know about the plane crash that killed Christian dietitian Gwen Shamblin Lara". USA Today. Retrieved June 3, 2021.