Johnny Weismuller as Tarzan in 1932
Who of us hasn’t heard of Tarzan, the fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The films and television series based on his 1914 book Tarzan of the Apes number quite a few. The most memorable actor portraying Tarzan is for many of us Johnny Weismuller, whereas the latest one is the Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård in The Legend of Tarzan from 2016.
Here below we have a list of all the actors that have portrayed this character throughout the years, both in films and in television series. Animated films and series with voice actors are excluded from the list. If you want to see details about any of the films concerned, check here. An interesting detail here might be the height of the actor as Tarzan is considered by many the prototype of the masculine man.
1876-1123 P. Dempsey Tabler* opera singer/athlete/actor. The third actor to portray Tarzan in films - TN USA (1956/79)
1889-0206 Elmo Lincoln* actor from Rochester, IN USA. Played the very first Tarzan in the 1918’s silent movie Tarzan of the Apes, and later in The Romance of Tarzan and the serial The Adventures of Tarzan. (1952/63)
1904-0602 Johnny Weismuller* Austrian-American swimmer/OG/ actor – Temesvár, Austria-Hungary (1984/79). The 6th actor to portray Tarzan. Height 6'3" (191cm).
1906-0519 Bruce Bennett* (b Herman Brix) shot putter/OS/ actor - Tacoma, WA USA (2007/100). Outside his acting career, Bennett became a successful businessman, and also continued to pursue sports, there among skydiving. He last skydived at the age of 96. Height 6'3" (191 cm).
1908-0207 Buster Crabbe* swimmer/OG/ actor - Oakland, CA USA (1983/75) The third Olympic medalist to portray Tarzan. He actually portrayed the top three syndicated comic-strip heroes of the 1930s: Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers. Later on he became a household name in swimming pools. He set 16 world records as a senior swimmer. Height 6'1" (185 cm).
1919-0207 Jock Mahoney* actor/stuntman from Chicago, IL USA (1989/70). The 13th actor to portray Tarzan. Height 6.4 (194 cm).
1919-0508 Lex Barker* actor from Rye, NY USA (1973/54) became the tenth official Tarzan of the movies. Tarzan’s Magic Fountain (1949), Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950), Tarzan’s Peril (1951), Tarzan’s Savage Fury (1952), and Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953). Height 6'4" (193 cm).
1926-0803 Gordon Scott* (b Werschkul) actor - Portland, OR USA (2007/80) He was the 11th Tarzan. The producer Sol Lesser had Gordon change his name because “Werschkul” sounded too much like “Weismueller”. Height 6'3" (191 cm)
1938-0621 Ron Ely* actor/novelist. From Hereford, TX USA. Portrayed Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series Tarzan. During the filming, he did virtually all of his stunts for the series, and suffered two dozen major injuries in the process, including various lion bites. Height 6'4" (194 cm).
1962-1002 Joe Lara* martial artist/actor/musician – San Diego, CA USA (2021/58). Portrayed Tarzan in the 1989 TV movie Tarzan in Manhattan and in the 1996-1997 follow-up TV series Tarzan: The Epic Adventures. Height 6'3" (191 cm)
1968-1218 Casper Van Dien* actor from Milton, FL USA. Played Tarzan in the 1998 film Tarzan and the Lost City. Height 5'8" (177 cm).
1976-0825 Alexander Skarsgård* actor from Stockholm, Sweden. In the 2016 movie The Legend of Tarzan. Height 6'4" (194 cm).
1979-0715 Travis Fimmel* actor from Echuca, VIC Australia. Portrayed Tarzan in the American television series Tarzan that premiered in 2003. Height 6'0" (182 cm).
Finally, let’s hear that Tarzan yell:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwHWbsvgQUE
Updated 31.5.2021