Scott L. Schwartz
Encyclopedia
Scott L. Schwartz is an Israel
i born American
film and television actor
and stuntman
, and former professional wrestler. His size and agility at 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) and 303 pounds (137.4 kg) have allowed him many roles as thug or villain for film and television.
where he played football
, baseball
and ice hockey
at Washington High School before attending Temple University
. After college, he became a professional wrestler, wrestling under the ring-names of "Joshua Ben-Gurion - The Israeli Commando" and "Giant David". Schwartz toured as a wrestler and held many titles, before turning his career toward performance in film and television.
Apart from his acting, and after completing training, Schwartz became a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy
and a reserve deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Reserve Forces Bureau
. He currently resides in Long Beach, California
.
, South Africa
, Australia
, New Zealand
, American Samoa
, Western Samoa, Fiji
, Tonga
, Guam
, Canada
and 40 of the 50 United States
. He was promoted by such as Verne Gagne
, Vince McMahon
, Antone "Ripper" Leone, and Bruno Sammartino
.
, California
when he was approached by a Hollywood agent. After seeing Schwartz's wrestling on television, the agent had traveled to Bakerfield to meet him, feeling Schwartz should take his skills into performing arts
. At first, Schwartz was reluctant to change careers, wanting to retire as a wrestler.
In his early stunt work
, and because of his background in pro wrestling, Schwartz was able to handle the staged combat which required protecting opponents from harm. Due to his look, size, agility, and ability to handle dialogue, he has been able to obtain roles as the "bad guy" in many films and television projects. He is known for his work in such films and TV shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel
, Star Trek: Voyager
, Star Trek: Enterprise
, The Scorpion King
, Charmed
, The Tick, and Black Scorpion
among others, but he is probably most recognized for his role as 'The Bruiser' in the films Ocean’s Eleven
, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen
. He has appeared in such big budget films as Spider-man
, Fire Down Below, Starsky & Hutch
, and Fun with Dick and Jane
.
As stuntman
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and stuntman
Stuntman
A stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
, and former professional wrestler. His size and agility at 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) and 303 pounds (137.4 kg) have allowed him many roles as thug or villain for film and television.
Background
Schwartz was born in the United States but is of Israeli descent he was born and raised in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
where he played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
at Washington High School before attending Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
. After college, he became a professional wrestler, wrestling under the ring-names of "Joshua Ben-Gurion - The Israeli Commando" and "Giant David". Schwartz toured as a wrestler and held many titles, before turning his career toward performance in film and television.
Apart from his acting, and after completing training, Schwartz became a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
and a reserve deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Reserve Forces Bureau
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
. He currently resides in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
.
Professional wrestling career
After college, Schwartz became a professional wrestler, trained in the early '70s by wrestling's Walter "Killer" Kowalski. Schwartz's original ring-name was Giant David, but by the '80s he was known as Joshua Ben-Gurion-The Israeli Commando. As a pro wrestler, he performed in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
, Western Samoa, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and 40 of the 50 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was promoted by such as Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
, Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
, Antone "Ripper" Leone, and Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
.
Film career
Schwartz was wrestling on tour in BakersfieldBakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
when he was approached by a Hollywood agent. After seeing Schwartz's wrestling on television, the agent had traveled to Bakerfield to meet him, feeling Schwartz should take his skills into performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
. At first, Schwartz was reluctant to change careers, wanting to retire as a wrestler.
In his early stunt work
Stuntman
A stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
, and because of his background in pro wrestling, Schwartz was able to handle the staged combat which required protecting opponents from harm. Due to his look, size, agility, and ability to handle dialogue, he has been able to obtain roles as the "bad guy" in many films and television projects. He is known for his work in such films and TV shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
, The Scorpion King
The Scorpion King
The Scorpion King is a 2002 American action film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan...
, Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
, The Tick, and Black Scorpion
Black Scorpion (TV series)
Black Scorpion is an action-crime TV series that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2001. The series is based on two Roger Corman movies, Black Scorpion, and the sequel Black Scorpion II: Aftershock. The show focuses on a female police officer, who, by night, takes to the streets and fights crime as...
among others, but he is probably most recognized for his role as 'The Bruiser' in the films Ocean’s Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen
Ocean's Thirteen
Ocean's Thirteen is a 2007 crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11...
. He has appeared in such big budget films as Spider-man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
, Fire Down Below, Starsky & Hutch
Starsky & Hutch (film)
Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips. The film stars Ben Stiller as David Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and is a film adaptation of the original television series of the same name from the 1970s....
, and Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane (2005 film)
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 2005 remake of the 1977 American comedy film of the same name, directed by Dean Parisot and written by Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller. It stars Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni as Dick and Jane Harper, an upper-middle-class couple who resort to robbery after the company for...
.
Championships and accomplishments
- Universal Wrestling FederationUniversal Wrestling Federation (Herb Abrams)The Universal Wrestling Federation was an American wrestling promotion based out of Marina del Rey, California.-History:Herb Abrams founded the UWF in 1990 with hopes of returning professional wrestling back to its roots...
- UWF Israeli Championship (1 time)
Filmography
As actor- UWF Fury Hour (1990) (TV)
- Dangerous WatersDangerous WatersDangerous Waters is a naval simulator developed by Sonalysts Combat Simulations, and was released on February 22, 2005.-Overview:Dangerous Waters features many player-controllable units deployed in the armed forces of 18 different countries. Campaign mode allows a player to control forces as the...
(1994) - Savate (1995) (V)
- High Voltage (1997)
- Dilemma (1997)
- Meet Wally SparksMeet Wally SparksMeet Wally Sparks is a comedy film released in 1997 by Trimark Pictures. It stars Rodney Dangerfield and was directed by Peter Baldwin.-Plot:...
(1997) - Fire Down Below (1997)
- Martial LawMartial Law (TV series)Martial Law was a TV crime drama that ran on CBS from 1998 to 2000, and was created by Carlton Cuse. The title character, Sammo Law, portrayed by Sammo Hung, was a Chinese law officer and martial arts expert who came to Los Angeles in search of a colleague and remains in the US.The show was a...
(1 episode, 1999) (TV) - Bridge of DragonsBridge of DragonsBridge of Dragons is a 1999 American romantic action film directed by Isaac Florentine, and starring Dolph Lundgren as a cold and tough mercenary. It co-stars Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who Lundgren had previously worked with in the 1991 film Showdown in Little Tokyo. It was the first Nu Image film to...
(1999) - Tiger MaskTiger Maskis a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
(1999) - Final VoyageFinal VoyageFinal Voyage is an action/drama film released in 1999. The film stars Dylan Walsh, Ice-T, Erika Eleniak, and Claudia Christian.Tagline: "2,500 passengers, 1 sinking ship, no escape."-Film synopsis:...
(1999) - V.I.P.V.I.P. (TV series)V.I.P. is an American action/comedy-drama series starring Pamela Anderson. Created by J. F...
(1 episode, 1999) (TV) - The Black RoseThe Black RoseThe Black Rose is a 1950 20th Century-Fox film starring Tyrone Power and Orson Welles, loosely based on Thomas B. Costain's book. It was filmed partly on location in England and Morocco which substitutes for the Gobi Desert of China...
(2000) - Extreme LimitsExtreme LimitsExtreme Limits is an 2000 action film about the recovery of Nikola Tesla's death ray. The film is directed by Jay Andrews and produced by T.J. Terrier...
(2000) - Agent RedAgent RedAgent Red is a 2000 American action film directed by Damian Lee and starring Dolph Lundgren. Its plot concerns two soldiers stuck on a submarine with a group of terrorists who plan to use a chemical weapon on America....
(2000) - Nash BridgesNash BridgesNash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...
(1 episode, 2001) (TV) - Carman: The Champion (2001)
- Ocean’s ElevenOcean's Eleven (2001 film)Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
(2001)
- The Tick (2 episodes, 2002) (TV)
- The Scorpion KingThe Scorpion KingThe Scorpion King is a 2002 American action film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov, and Michael Clarke Duncan...
(2002) - Lost TreasureLost Treasure (film)Lost Treasure is a 2003 action film starring Stephen Baldwin, Nicollette Sheridan and Coby Ryan McLaughlin. It was written by Harris Done and Diane Fine and directed by Jim Wynorski. This movie is about a treasure hunt in a tropical island. The plot involves a treasure supposedly hidden by Columbus...
(2003) - Starsky and HutchStarsky & Hutch (film)Starsky & Hutch is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips. The film stars Ben Stiller as David Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson and is a film adaptation of the original television series of the same name from the 1970s....
(2004) - Terminal IslandTerminal IslandTerminal Island is an island located in Los Angeles County, California between Los Angeles Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Originally a mudflat known to the Spanish as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, and later called Rattlesnake Island, it has officially been Terminal Island since 1918...
(2004) - Ocean's TwelveOcean's TwelveOcean's Twelve is a 2004 American crime comedy film, the sequel to 2001's Ocean's Eleven. Like its predecessor, which was a remake of the 1960 film Ocean's 11, the film used a celebrity ensemble cast. It was released in the United States on December 10, 2004. A third film, Ocean's Thirteen, was...
(2004) - Daydream Believer (2005)
- Mind of MenciaMind of MenciaMind of Mencia is an American television comedy series on the cable channel Comedy Central. Hosted by Carlos Mencia, it aired from 2005 to 2008.- History :...
(1 episode, 2006) (TV) - Smoked (2006)
- ELIELI (film)ELI is an award-winning short science-fiction thriller starring David Anders. It debuted at the Newport Beach Film Festival in April 2007 and premiered in Los Angeles on the Universal Studios backlot...
(2007) - Ocean's ThirteenOcean's ThirteenOcean's Thirteen is a 2007 crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring an ensemble cast. It is the third and final film in the Soderbergh series following the 2004 sequel Ocean's Twelve and the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, which itself was a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film Ocean's 11...
(2007) - Cain and AbelCain and Abel (film)Cain and Abel is a 2007 American independent urban comedy film written and directed by Shane Woodson.-Production:Woodson spent a year revising his script. The concept took three years to bring to film and was shot in 42 days...
(2007) - Placebo (2008)
- The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
(3 episodes, 2009) (TV) - CtrlCtrl (web series)Ctrl is an American comedy web series of NBC. It is the first stand-alone web series launched by a major television network. The series stars Tony Hale as a typical office-working, self-confidence lacking nerd who discovers he can undo things in real life.It is an adaptation and expansion of the...
(10 episodes, 2009) (TV) - The Sinners (2010)
- Wrong Side of TownWrong Side of TownWrong Side of Town is a 2010 American action crime comedy film written, produced and directed by David DeFalco, starring former ECW, WWE and current TNA superstar Rob Van Dam, former WWE superstar and current mixed martial arts Dave Batista, martial artist Marrese Crump, rapper Ja Rule, and former...
(2010)
As stuntman
- Dilemma (1997)
- My GiantMy GiantMy Giant is a 1998 comedy drama film starring Billy Crystal, and NBA player Gheorghe Muresan in his only film appearance. Crystal also co-wrote the story.-Synopsis:A huckster named Sammy travels to Romania on business...
(1998) - The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)
- Agent RedAgent RedAgent Red is a 2000 American action film directed by Damian Lee and starring Dolph Lundgren. Its plot concerns two soldiers stuck on a submarine with a group of terrorists who plan to use a chemical weapon on America....
(2000) (stunts) - Gedo (2001)
- Crazy as HellCrazy as HellCrazy as Hell, released in 2002 , is a horror suspense film that follows Dr. Ty Adams , an aggressive and overconfident psychiatrist who is producing a documentary film about a nearby state-run mental hospital. While treating a new patient who claims to be Satan, Dr...
(2002) - Epic MovieEpic MovieEpic Movie is a 2007 American parody film directed and written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer and produced by Paul Schiff. It was made in a similar style to Date Movie, Friedberg and Seltzer's previous film. The film mostly references The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the...
(2007) - WeedsWeeds (TV series)Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
(2007) (TV)