Creature from the Black Lagoon Star Ricou Browning Dead at 93

Bobby Bank/WireImage Ricou Browning in 2013

Ricou Browning, best known for portraying Gill-Man in the 1954 film Creature from the Black Lagoon, died earlier this week of natural causes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 93.

"He had a fabulous career in the film industry, providing wonderful entertainment for past and future generations," the actor's daughter Kim Browning told THR, confirming his death.

In addition to donning the Gill-Man suit for the underwater scenes in Black Lagoon and its 1955 and 1956 sequels, Browning also worked on several other Hollywood productions in various roles.

The actor worked as a stuntman in more than two dozen movies including the 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and 1959's Don't Give Up the Ship, where he doubled for Jerry Lewis.

Browning also did some directing, taking the helm for some of cinema's most memorable scenes in film. He directed the Jaws-inspired candy-bar-in-the-pool scene in the 1980 film Caddyshack and the harpoon fighting scene in the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball.

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Snap/Shutterstock Ricou Browning in Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

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Browning also co-created Flipper, and recalled in a 2013 interview with the Ocala StarBanner how the idea of the movie — and, later, TV show — came to be. He remembered going with a friend to South America, capturing freshwater dolphins in the Amazon River and bringing them back to Florida.

"We brought them back to Silver Springs," Browning said. "I became their parent, apparently, and took care of them. One day, when I came home, the kids were watching Lassie on TV, and it just dawned on me: 'Why not do a film about a boy and a dolphin?' "

Soon after the movie was made by MGM 1963, it became a television show, with Browning directing more than 30 episodes.

Browning was born on Feb. 16, 1930, in Fort Pierce, Florida, according to a biography on IMDb, and spent his early years in the water.

After attending Florida State University, he worked as a performer at Weeki Wachee Springs, a Florida tourist spot known for its aquatic shows, and was often featured in underwater newsreels, THR reports. Browning was also a member of the U.S. Air Force swim team, per the outlet.

LMPC via Getty Images Poster for Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

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In his 2013 interview with the Ocala StarBanner, Browning recalled that his costume "was cumbersome at first, adding, "When I first put it on, it seemed awkward and clumsy. But once I got into the movie, I forgot I had it on. I became the creature."

In a later interview with the Halloween Daily News in 2019, Browning went into more detail about the shoot, revealing they filmed the water scenes in the winter.

"The crew felt sorry for me, so somebody said, 'How would you like a shot of brandy?' I said, 'Sure,' " he remembered. "Another part of the crew [also] gave me a shot of brandy. Pretty soon they were dealing with a drunk creature."

Browning, whose wife Fran died in 2020, is survived by four children — Ricou Browning Jr., Renee, Kelly and Kim — as well as 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, per THR.