John F. Bloom, a towering figure standing at an astonishing 7 feet 4 inches tall, was born on February 19, 1944, in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in and around the city, Bloom's early life was marked by a sense of normalcy, before he was persuaded to pursue a career in acting in 1971 by the renowned Grade Z schlock/exploitation/drive-in filmmaker Al Adamson.
Bloom made his film debut in the hilariously terrible horror film Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971),playing the iconic role of the Frankenstein Monster. He soon followed this up with supporting roles in Adamson's films Brain of Blood (1971) and Angels' Wild Women (1971),showcasing his versatility as a performer by playing a hulking warrior and a motorcycle gang member, respectively.
One of Bloom's most memorable roles was as a gentle and dim-witted handyman who had the head of a vicious killer grafted onto his body in the deliciously cheesy horror film The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971). He went on to appear in a wide range of films, including the not-half-bad horror/sci-fi film The Dark (1979),where he played a murderous alien terrorizing Los Angeles, and the raunchy and raucous film Bachelor Party (1984),where he portrayed the intimidating bodyguard of an Indian pimp.
Bloom's filmography is also notable for his appearances in the terrible horror film The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984),where he played a cannibal hillbilly named the Reaper, and the science fiction film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991),where he clashed with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) as an enormous antagonistic alien.
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Bloom continued to work in the film and television industry, often playing tall, hulking thugs or seedy criminals in minor to small roles. However, his health began to decline due to his condition of acromegaly, which he suffered from his entire life. This led to a range of physical problems, including an enlarged heart, and ultimately forced him into semi-retirement in the mid-1990s.
Tragically, John Bloom's life was cut short when he passed away on January 15, 1999, at the age of 54, due to heart failure. Despite his untimely passing, Bloom left behind a legacy as a beloved figure in the world of B-movies and cult cinema, and his towering presence on screen continues to entertain and delight audiences to this day.
