Kirk Morris, born Adriano Bellini on August 26, 1942, in Venice, was a former gondolier and bodybuilding champion who gained fame in Italian sword-and-sandal epics of the early 1960s.
He was discovered by an Italian movie producer, who cast him as the title role in Il trionfo di Maciste (1961),and he made a fine impression on camera with his pearly teeth and boyish looks.
As a leading man in these films, Kirk Morris proved to be a fitting hero, showcasing his muscular physique and stoic posturings as Hercules, Samson, and Maciste, often fighting against evil queens, kings, and demons.
He portrayed various mythological characters, including Maciste, Samson, Hercules, and Sandar Khan, and appeared in films such as Hercules in the Valley of Woe (1961),The Witch's Curse (1962),Colossus and the Headhunters (1963),Atlas Against the Czar (1964),and Hercules of the Desert (1964).
By the mid-1960s, however, the Italian sword-and-sandal genre began to decline in popularity, and Kirk Morris's film career slowed down.
He continued to act in featured roles, including the sci-fi adventure Star Pilot (1966),the spaghetti western Crazy Westerners (1967),and the "spaghetti western" Sapevano solo uccidere (1968).
Kirk Morris eventually ended his movie career with the Italian/German action drama The Seven Red Berets (1969) and the Italian combat story I 7 di Marsa Matruh (1970).
He later moved to the United States, where he worked in advertising, before returning to Italy and pursuing a career as a producer.
