Ricou Browning, Gill-Man From ‘Creature From the Black Lagoon', Dead at 93

He also worked on other major films like 'Flipper' and 'Caddyshack.'

Ricou Browning, who brought to life the underwater scenes of Creature From the Black Lagoon as Gill-Man, has died at the age of 93.

His daughter, Kim Browning, confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter. Browning passed away at his home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, of natural causes on Feb. 27.

His daughter said, “He had a fabulous career in the film industry, providing wonderful entertainment for past and future generations."

Browning was a stuntman, often working in water, as well as a director and writer. His most well-known contribution to entertainment is probably his underwater performance as Gill-Man in the classic monster movie Creature From the Black Lagoon from 1954.

He returned to the role for Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us, which came out in 1955 and 1956, respectively. As an actor, he also worked on the TV series Sea Hunt and Flipper, along with a role in the film, Flipper's New Adventure.

In a Q&A segment at GalaxyCon in 2019, Browning shared a bit about his experience filming Creature From the Black Lagoon, for which he spent days in very cold water.

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

Along with his acting work, Browning was one of the main creative minds behind the 1963 film Flipper and the TV series that followed in 1964.

He worked with his brother-in-law, Jack Cowden, on the story, and directed 37 episodes of the show along with being in charge of the underwater operations. The Flipper TV series ran for three seasons, finishing up in 1967.

Browning had a very diverse creative career, working on many more exciting projects in a variety of roles, whether it was stunt work, writing, directing, or something else.

He is survived by four children, Ricou Browning Jr., Renee, Kelly, and Kim, as well as 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. His wife, Fran Browning, passed away in 2020.