Born Alexander Viespi Jr in Floral Park, New York, Alex Cord rebuilt his life just like he retooled his name. Contracting polio at 12, he was confined to an iron lung; a session of horse-riding therapy at a Wyoming ranch inspired him to become a rodeo rider and then, smitten by a screening of Lawrence Olivier’s Richard III, an actor.
Cord was a natural Western star, with the cojones to match his horseback skills. In 1966 he dared to fill John Wayne’s dust-beaten boots in a remake of Stagecoach. 1973 saw him star in the TV movie Genesis II, Gene Roddenberry’s first attempt to rekindle the success of Star Trek. Cord played NASA scientist Dylan Hunt, waking from suspended animation in 2133, where civilisation was in ruins after an apocalyptic third world war. Despite promising ratings, CBS commissioned a spin-off of Planet Of The Apes instead.