​ An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. He became part of Hollywood lore after meeting director John Ford and becoming a part of the Ford "family," appearing in four Ford motion pictures. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960).

• C'era una volta il West (1968)

  
• The Professionals (1966)

  
• Keoma (1976)

  
• Pork Chop Hill (1959)

  
• 7 Women (1966)