Ex-Tarzan tells of survival in the Hollywood jungle
Deseret Morning News ~ February 24, 2008
PROVO — Veteran actor Denny Miller, who was MGM Studios' last Tarzan, Thursday gave Brigham Young University acting students tips on how not to get lost in the Hollywood jungle. Miller has appeared in more than 21 feature films, 234 television shows and 138 commercials over 50 years worth of acting experience, after being discovered while working for a moving company during his schooling at UCLA. Miller played basketball for legendary head coach John Wooden while in college but was approached by a talent agent who liked his hairline and 6-foot-4-inch stature. "It's a strange way to make a living for a devout coward," Miller told a large number of BYU acting and fine arts students, after watching a montage of action clips from years past. "I was frightened for the first 10 years of my career. I considered myself a misplaced basketball player, and I was."

Soon after signing with the agent, Miller signed a contract with MGM and it opened the door for his first movie and television appearances. While a lucky break led him to a successful career, Miller told students their preparation at BYU is vital to their future success. "Accidents do happen, but my advice to you is to get all the knowledge from your teachers and deans that you can," Miller said. "I have seen their resumes; they are very experienced." Miller is best known for his work on the TV show "Wagon Train," and for playing Tarzan in 1959's "Tarzan, the Ape Man. There have been 22 (Tarzans), counting the cartoon made by Disney," said Miller. "And there are four fictional characters known around the world — Batman, Superman, Mickey Mouse and Tarzan. I have always been proud to be a monkey man."

He gave insight about how and where to select agents, warning signs of bad opportunities and about the struggles that face many actors who are getting into the business. "It has been interesting to see how little has changed over the years," said Kevin Goertzen, a 25-year-old acting major at BYU. "So much of this industry depends on luck and being in the right place at the right time."

But Miller's emphasis on education was encouraging to many students attending the meeting. "It's great knowing that having an education can make a difference between any guy off the street and someone that has background in the field," said 21-year-old acting major Andrew Veenstra.

Miller was typecast as a bad guy for a long time during his career, and joked about being beat up, on screen, by nearly every actor in Hollywood.But Miller finished by telling the aspiring actors they have an important role in society."We are storytellers, and every culture has storytellers," he said. "(Acting) is the way we pass on our culture's history, values and practical knowledge to the next generation. So the writers, directors and actors around you have a very big part in storytelling."

DENNY MILLER FILMOGRAPHY

REF:  IMDB - Internet Movie Data Base
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0588225/

---

FILM

---

Hell To Pay (2005) with Lee Majors, Peter Brown, William Smith, Stella Stevens, and Buck Taylor
More Than Murder (1983) with Stacy Keach, Don Stroud, Lynn-Holly Johnson, and Sam Groom
Caboblanco (1980) with Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Fernando Rey, Simon MacCorkindale, and Gilbert Roland
The Norseman (1978) with Lee Majors, Cornel Wilde, Mel Ferrer, Jack Elam, and Susie Coelho
Dr. Scorpion (1978) with Nick Mancuso and Christine Lahti
Danger in Paradise (1977) with Ina Balin and John Dehner
The Gravy Train (1974) with Stacy Keach and Margot Kidder
The Island at the Top of the World (1974) with David Hartman
Buck and the Preacher (1972) with Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Cameron Mitchell, and Nita Talbot
Making It (1971) with Bob Balaban, Carol DeLuise, David Doyle, Lawrence Pressman, and Dick Van Patten
Vanished (1971) with Richard Widmark, Tom Bosley, James Farentino, Larry Hagman, Robert Hooks, E.G. Marshall, Eleanor Parker, William Shatner, Robert Young, Stephen McNally, and Sheree North
The Party (1968) with Peter Sellers, Claudine Longet, and Marge Champion; directed by Blake Edwards
The Doomsday Machine (1967) with Grant Williams, Henry Wilcoxon, Mala Powers, James Craig, Mike Farrell, Ruta Lee, and Bobby Van
Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961) with Fabian, Tommy Sands, and Jan Sterling
Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959) with Cesare Danova and Joanna Barnes

---

TELEVISION SERIES

---

Mona McCluskey, 1964-65 TV series with Juliet Prowse
Wagon Train, 1957-65 TV series with Ward Bond. Miller appeared on the show for three seasons (1961-64)

---

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES

---

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, episode Dead or Alive: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired February 3 and 10, 1996
Lonesome Dove: The Series, episode Blood Money, originally aired March 5, 1995
Lonesome Dove: The Series, episode Snowbound, originally aired January 1, 1995
Lonesome Dove: The Series, episode Law and Order, originally aired January 1, 1994
Bordertown, episode In Cold Blood, originally aired December 2, 1990
Bordertown, episode The Reaper, originally aired March 4, 1989
Werewolf, episode Nightwatch, originally aired July 18, 1987
Outlaws, episode Orleans, originally aired January 17, 1987
Magnum, P.I., episode Photo Play, originally aired April 10, 1986
Hardcastle and McCormick, episode McCormick's Bar and Grill, originally aired February 24, 1986
Blacke's Magic, episode Vanishing Act, originally aired February 12, 1986
Murder, She Wrote, episode Sticks and Stones, originally aired December 15, 1985
Matt Houston, episode Blood Money, originally aired November 30, 1984
The Fall Guy, episode Dead Bounty, originally aired November 14, 1984
Knight Rider, episode The Rotten Apples, originally aired November 11, 1984
Hart to Hart, episode Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch, originally aired May 22, 1984
Dallas, episode Love Stories, originally aired May 4, 1984
Dallas, episode Turning Point, originally aired April 13, 1984
Dallas, episode Blow Up, originally aired April 6, 1984
Dallas, episode Strange Alliance, originally aired March 23, 1984
Magnum, P.I., episode A Sense of Debt, originally aired December 1, 1983
Matt Houston, episode A Novel Way to Die, originally aired April 17, 1983
Simon & Simon, episode Design for Killing, originally aired February 10, 1983
Voyagers!, episode An Arrow Pointing East, originally aired December 12, 1982
The Fall Guy, episode Mighty Myron, originally aired November 17, 1982
Magnum, P.I., episode Three Minus Two, originally aired April 1, 1982
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, episode Keep on Buckin', originally aired May 5, 1981
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, episode The Dorian Secret, originally aired April 16, 1981
The Incredible Hulk, episode The Harder They Fall, originally aired March 27, 1981
Vega$, episode Time Bomb, originally aired March 11, 1981
Charlie's Angels, episode Stuntwomen Angels, originally aired February 28, 1981
M*A*S*H, episode Tell It to the Marines, originally aired January 12, 1981
Beyond Westworld, episode Brother's Keeper, My, originally aired March 12, 1980
Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, episode Savage Says: There's No Free Lunch, originally aired February 10, 1980
Fantasy Island, episode PlayGirl/Smith's Valhalla, originally aired January 26, 1980
Stone, episode But Can She Type?, originally aired January 21, 1980
Young Maverick, episode Clancy, originally aired November 28, 1979
Vega$, episode Red Handed, originally aired September 19, 1979
The Runaways, episode Land of Honey, originally aired June 12, 1979
Charlie's Angels, episode Angels on Vacation, originally aired January 10, 1979
The Rockford Files, episode Black Mirror: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired November 24, 1978
The Incredible Hulk, episode Killer Instinct, originally aired November 10, 1978
Battlestar Galactica, episode Gun on Ice Planet Zero: Parts 1 and 2, originally aired October 22 and 29, 1978
Flying High, episode A Hairy Yak Plays Musical Chairs Eagerly, originally aired October 6, 1978
Quark, episode Goodbye, Polumbus, originally aired March 17, 1978
Barnaby Jones, episode The Coronado Triangle, originally aired March 2, 1978
The Rockford Files, episode Forced Retirement, originally aired December 9, 1977
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?, episode Everybody's Girl, originally aired December 8, 1977
The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, episode The Pied Piper, originally aired October 21, 1977
Charlie's Angels, episode Circus of Terror, originally aired October 19, 1977
Quincy M.E., episode Go Fight City Hall... to the Death, originally aired October 3, 1976
Alice, episode Alice Gets a Pass, originally aired September 29, 1976
Bronk, episode Next of Kin, originally aired January 4, 1976
Barnaby Jones, episode Fatal Witness, originally aired November 14, 1975
Cannon, episode Fall Guy, originally aired November 5, 1975
The Six Million Dollar Man, episode Target in the Sky, originally aired October 26, 1975
Mobile One, episode The Reporter, originally aired October 10, 1975
The Wide World of Mystery, episode Nick and Nora, originally aired March 4, 1975
Emergency!, episode Communication Gaffe, originally aired October 12, 1974
The Six Million Dollar Man, episode The Pal-Mir Escort, originally aired October 4, 1974
The Streets of San Francisco, episode Mask of Death, originally aired October 3, 1974
Dusty's Trail, episode John J. Callahan, originally aired February 26, 1974
The Streets of San Francisco, episode Commitment, originally aired January 3, 1974
McCloud, episode The Solid Gold Swingers, originally aired December 2, 1973
The Brady Bunch, episode Quarterback Sneak, originally aired November 9, 1973
Gunsmoke, episode Lijah, originally aired November 8, 1971
Sarge, episode Psst! Wanna Buy a Dirty Picture?, originally aired October 5, 1971
Mission: Impossible, episode The Field, originally aired January 23, 1971
The Virginian, episode The Politician, originally aired January 13, 1971
Ironside, episode The Lonely Way to Go, originally aired October 22, 1970
I Dream of Jeannie, episode Eternally Yours, Jeannie, originally aired March 17, 1970
Love, American Style, episode Love and the Legal Agreement/Love and the Militant/Love and Who?, originally aired October 20, 1969
The Name of the Game, episode Blind Man's Bluff, originally aired October 3, 1969
Hawaii Five-O, episode Pray Love Remember, Pray Love Remember, originally aired January 1, 1969
The High Chaparral, episode A Way of Justice, originally aired December 13, 1968
Death Valley Days, episode The Leprechaun of Last Chance, originally aired September 28, 1968
I Spy, episode Anyplace I Hang Myself Is Home, originally aired January 15, 1968
Gilligan's Island, episode Our Vines Have Tender Apes, originally aired January 30, 1967
The Fugitive, episode Approach with Care, originally aired November 15, 1966
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., episode The Atlantis Affair, originally aired November 15, 1966
Ben Casey, episode A Dipperful of Water from a Poisoned Well, originally aired March 1, 1965
Gilligan's Island, episode Big Man on a Little Stick, originally aired February 20, 1965
The Deputy, episode Brother in Arms, originally aired April 15, 1961
Michael Shayne, episode The Body Beautiful, originally aired March 24, 1961
Stagecoach West, episode Finn McColl, originally aired January 24, 1961
The Rifleman, episode The Promoter, originally aired December 6, 1960
Laramie, episode License to Kill, originally aired November 22, 1960
G.E. True Theater, episode The Playoff, originally aired November 20, 1960
Have Gun - Will Travel, episode Saturday Night, originally aired October 8, 1960
Overland Trail, episode The Reckoning, originally aired May 29, 1960
Laramie, episode Men of Defiance, originally aired April 19, 1960
Northwest Passage, episode Fight at the River, originally aired September 14, 1958