Steven Marlo, born Morris Miller in San Francisco, was a prolific character actor with steely-eyes and distinctively stern features, renowned for his ability to effortlessly portray tough cookies and villains in various film and television roles. Throughout his career, he appeared in numerous supporting roles and bit parts, including occasional leads in second features, such as Irvin Kershner's thriller The Young Captives (1959),where he played a homicidal maniac holding an eloping couple hostage.
Marlo's small-screen appearances were equally impressive, with notable roles including Native Americans in Death Valley Days (1952),insidious Special Investigations Department officials in Land of the Giants (1968),and a dapper, straw boater-wearing henchman in the A Piece of the Action (1968). In a 2014 interview, Marlo reflected on his career, stating, "I wasn't a big star, but I worked. I made a living at it. It was up and down." His celluloid reputation as a heel did not extend into his personal life, as he was an outspoken champion of equal rights and social justice.
After serving in the Army Air Corps, Marlo attended acting school in L.A. on the G.I. Bill but dropped out and moved to New York, where he temporarily made ends meet as a cab driver and dish washer while auditioning for acting jobs. His big break came in 1951 when he landed a role on Broadway in the comedy play "The Royal Family". Two years later, he was part of the cast of "Picnic" alongside a young stage newcomer named Paul Newman.
As regular theatrical work became more scarce, Marlo relocated to Hollywood, where he successfully auditioned for the role of a bodybuilder in the low-budget crime drama Stakeout on Dope Street (1958) and subsequently adopted his new stage moniker. He also completed drama studies at the Actor's Studio under Lee Strasberg. Until his retirement in 1990, Marlo amassed an impressive 79 acting credits on screen, playing a wide range of characters, from gangsters to police officers, from medics to a deformed hunchback in Terror in the Wax Museum (1973).
