He Had A Twin
Dack Rambo somehow made the nearly impossible move from a small-town farm boy to TV superstar. It probably helped that he had his twin—and equally attractive—brother along with him for the ride. It seemed like these ruggedly handsome twins could do anything they put their mind to. But when a tragic accident split the two men up, Dack Rambo’s life took a horrible turn for the worse.
1. He Came From A Small Town
Norman Jay Rambo was born in the unincorporated community of Earlimart, California, on November 13, 1941. The Rambo family consisted of Mom and Dad, three boys and a girl. Norman and his twin brother Orman were the middle children.
Life was pretty much what you might expect in this little town.
2. He Worked The Land
Having twins was a boon for the Rambo family. With Norman and Orman, they had two young men to work the fields and milk the cows. The boys eventually grew up into handsome and rugged young men. But they had a problem with their names.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
3. They Hated Their Names
As the boys got older, they started to resent the fact that their parents had called them names that sounded so similar. There was only one letter separating the identical twins. Well, when they decided to choose their own names, they weren't much better than Norman and Orman. They called themselves Dack and Dirk.
With the showbiz-sounding names, the Rambo twins were not going to be happy working the farm for long.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
4. They Studied With The Best
Dack Rambo packed up his twin brother, and the two headed to Los Angeles. There, they began looking for work as actors and decided to do it the right way. They studied with acting coach Lee Strasberg, who had worked with big stars like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. The Rambo twins took their classes seriously, but they were staying with their aunt, and she insisted they go to church.
Little did they know that going to church was going to get them their first job.
Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons
5. They Made An Impression
While sitting together on a church pew, the Rambo twins made quite an impression. They were both ruggedly handsome young men and identical except for a mole on Dack’s chin. By coincidence, film and TV star Loretta Young attended the same church.
When she saw the Rambo twins, she had an idea.
Studio Publicity, Wikimedia Commons
6. She Wanted Both
Loretta Young was doing a reboot of her popular show, The Loretta Young Show. This was the show that she not-so-cleverly called The New Loretta Young Show. Young thought that the addition of both Rambo boys would liven things up. She brought them on board and hoped for the best.
She didn’t quite get that.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
7. It Didn’t Last Long
The New Loretta Young Show featured Young as a widowed mother of seven children. The Rambo twins played two of her sons, and in one scene argued over who had the most whiskers on their faces. Sadly, the series was not nearly as popular as her original show, and CBS canceled it after just one season.
It looked like the twins were heading back to the farm.
Screenshot from The New Loretta Young Show, NBC (1962–1963)
8. They Made Music
Dack and his brother Dirk were not ready to go back to the farm just yet. Because their acting careers were on a temporary hold, they decided to give music a try. They got together in a recording studio and did their own versions of some hits by country crooner Glenn Campbell. Sadly, this recording did little to help their careers.
They went back to acting to ignite their careers.
Screenshot from The New Loretta Young Show, NBC (1962–1963)
9. They Both Struggled
Dack and Dirk Rambo decided to give acting one more chance. Dirk was struggling, but he did manage to get one episode on the western The Virginian. Then another on the highly popular TV show Dragnet. Things were looking up for Dirk Rambo. But there was only tragedy in his future.
Screenshot from The Virginian, NBC (1962–1971)
10. He Was In An Accident
In Hollywood on February 5, 1967, Dirk Rambo was driving with his friend Horace H Hester. A car came out of nowhere and struck Dirk’s vehicle head-on. The accident caused a fire, and Dirk lost his life in the blaze. Coincidentally, the driver of the car was a TV actor just like Dirk and Dack: Kathleen Case.
Dack Rambo had tragically lost his twin brother, but he had to carry on somehow.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
11. He Did A Western
Dack Rambo soon scored a starring role on the Western TV show The Guns of Will Sonnet. One notable thing about this series is that in it, you can see Jack Nicholson in one of his first roles and also Dennis Hopper. If you’re a collector, you might want to look out for a lunch pail sold in honor of the show. Sadly, neither Nicholson nor the lunch pail could save this show. It only lasted two seasons.
But nothing was going to get in the way of Rambo’s success.
Screenshot from The Guns of Will Sonnett, ABC Television (1967–1969)
12. He Went South For A Movie
In 1971, Dack Rambo must have thought he’d hit the big time. He got the second lead in a film called River of Gold. He got the role of Riley Biggs, a handsome beach bum who finds adventure in Acapulco, Mexico. Unfortunately, this made-for-TV movie failed to ignite any interest in Rambo’s career. There was an expiry date on Rambo’s life in Hollywood, and it was coming up quickly.
Screenshot from River of Gold, ABC Television (1971)
13. He Tried A Spin-off
The reboot with Loretta Young hadn't gone so well, but Dack Rambo was willing to give a spin-off a try. This was Dirty Sally, which sprang from a very popular episode on the hot series Gunsmoke. Rambo was starring opposite Jeanette Nolan, who received an Emmy nomination for her work. As a spin-off from a popular show, Dirty Sally had a lot going for it.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
14. He Failed To Attract
Sadly, Dirty Sally failed to attract viewers. Worse still, no one seems to have kept a copy of the series. All that’s left is an audio recording of one single episode. Rambo was having no luck at all in getting on a series that lasted.
15. He Was A Guest
What followed for Dack Rambo was a long list of guest appearances on shows like Wonder Woman, Charlie’s Angels, and The Love Boat. Sure, it was paying the bills, but it must have felt like a letdown compared to having the starring role. Rambo was going to have to try something new.
Screenshot from Wonder Woman vs. Aliens from Outer Space, NBC Television (1977)
16. He Tried Daytime
After a lead in another failed action series—Sword of Justice—Rambo took his talents to daytime TV. Soap opera All My Children had a spot for Rambo in the character Steve Jacobi. Here, he played an attorney having an affair with secretary Nina Cortlandt. All My Children was a soap opera juggernaut, and some actors were lucky enough to stay there a long time.
If Rambo played his cards right, he could be that lucky.
17. He Played The Feud
While appearing on All My Children, Dack Rambo had a unique opportunity. He got to play the Feud. That’s right, Rambo appeared with his co-stars of All My Children, Kim Delaney, and Laurence Lau, on the TV game show Family Feud. Too bad Rambo would be saying goodbye to these co-stars sooner than later.
18. He Lived A Fantasy
Rambo’s stint on All My Children lasted just 11 episodes, and he was soon back looking for work. He then landed a rare recurring role on Fantasy Island, which was more famous for having one-episode guests. Rambo would play Prince Peter d’Anatoli, and like all the guests on the show, he had a secret.
Screenshot from Fantasy Island, ABC Television (1977–1984)
19. He Had A Secret
Rambo's character on Fantasy Island was a Prince who pretended to be an average Joe. He secretly wanted to find out what it was like to be normal. Well, Rambo managed to keep this job for six episodes before he left the island. Someone must have seen something they liked in Rambo on Fantasy Island.
He was about to get a huge offer.
Screenshot from Fantasy Island, ABC Television (1977–1984)
20. He Joined The Primetime
Primetime soap operas were becoming big business, and ABC had an idea for a new splashy one. This was Paper Dolls, which is set in the world of fashion modeling. The show had success written all over it with big-name stars like Lloyd Bridges, Morgan Fairchild, and Lauren Hutton. Dack Rambo had the role of Bridges’ son, Wesley Harper.
He only had to wait for fame to follow him.
Screenshot from Paper Dolls, ABC Television (1984)
21. It Was Up Against Sports
Critics loved Paper Dolls and encouraged viewers to give it a chance. But the show had a big problem: Major League Baseball. Because of scheduling, Paper Dolls kept getting overshadowed by baseball playoffs. The show knew it was in trouble, so it created an almost impossible number of cliffhangers to keep its audience glued to their TV sets.
Audiences loved a cliffhanger, and maybe these ones could save the show.
Screenshot from Paper Dolls, ABC Television (1984)
22. He Lost Another One
Sadly, the world would never find out if Wesley’s plan to blackmail a fashion critic would succeed. In fact, none of the cliffhangers in Paper Dolls got their chance for resolution, as ABC canceled the show just three months after the first episode. Rambo’s big break was not going to be a break after all.
It was time for Rambo to take stock of his life and career. He had to answer the big questions.
Screenshot from Paper Dolls, ABC Television (1984)
23. He Knew What He Wanted
In the mid-1980s, Dack Rambo was facing the cancellation of a show that he thought was going to be a hit. His manager sat him down and asked him what he really wanted to do. After thinking for a while, Rambo remembered his roots on the farm back in California. Based on this, he made his request.
Rambo must have had huge confidence because he asked for the moon.
24. He Went For The Horses
What Dack Rambo had decided was that he wanted to be on the primetime soap opera powerhouse Dallas. It seemed like an obvious choice. Having grown up on a farm and also appearing in Westerns, moving on to a cowboy existence on Dallas was a great choice. But Dallas was a top-rated primetime show.
Rambo had to convince the producers that he would be a welcome addition to the show.
Screenshot from Dallas, CBS Television (1978–1991)
25. He Was A Manipulator
Rambo later said that he did all kinds of devious things to get the people at Dallas to want him. The way he described it, it sounds like one of the sinister plots that viewers came to expect from shows like Dallas. He said he schemed and he manipulated to get the role.
Well, it all paid off, and he did get a part. But things were exactly how he expected them to be.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
26. He Was An Outsider
Dack Rambo did not have a good time working on Dallas. He partially blames the fact that he came into the show as an outsider. The show had already been on for years, and so it was difficult to fit in. He also hinted that some of the actors were just like the manipulative characters they played on the show.
Rambo was unhappy, and he dealt with it in the worst way possible.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
27. He Was Stuck There
Dack Rambo wasn’t enjoying himself working on Dallas but felt unable to leave. So, he turned to prescription drug use. He said it was because he needed to go to the set of Dallas every day, a place where he didn’t feel wanted. Rambo was looking for something else to do, something to take his mind away from the show.
So, he tried something completely different.
Screenshot from Dallas, CBS Television (1978–1991)
28. He Sold It Himself
Before Marky Mark heated up advertising in his Calvin Klein briefs, there was Rambo with his own line of underwear. He called them “Under Ware by dack rambo”. In advertisements, Rambo listed a number to call to get your hands on a pair. Just call: 1 800 422 DACK—which kind of sounded like he was looking for something else.
It sounds like Rambo was having fun, but there was only tragedy in his future.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
29. He Got A Diagnosis
Rambo did eventually get out of his contract on Dallas and, in 1991, he was playing Congressman Grant Harrison on the daytime soap Another World. While rehearsing for a scene, he got a shocking message from his doctor: he had somehow contracted HIV. A very startled Rambo finished his day on the set and turned to the producers and delivered his devastating news.
Screenshot from Another World, NBC Television (1964–1999)
30. He Knew His Fate
Rambo didn’t really hold back when it came to telling the producers on Another World what was going on. He said he had HIV and that he was leaving the show. Rambo knew what his fate was. Just weeks before, AIDS had taken the life of movie star Brad Davis and basketball player Magic Johnson had abruptly retired after contracting HIV.
But Rambo wasn't going to go out quietly.
Screenshot from Another World, NBC Television (1964–1999)
31. He Told The Truth
One of the first things that Rambo did with his new diagnosis was to announce it. On October 1, 1991—about a month after he got the diagnosis—Rambo put out a press release. He told the world that he had a seroconversion status. At this time in history, everyone knew what that meant. He was HIV-positive.
But Rambo wasn't through yet.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
32. He Shared A Secret
Of course, everyone wanted to know how Rambo had gotten sick. After all, this was a disease that was targeting mostly gay men at this time, and as far as the public knew, Rambo was straight. In a November 25 interview with The Washington Post, Rambo said that he liked both women and men as intimate partners. In 1991, this was a very brave thing for an actor to do.
And it seemed that Rambo was ready to tell all of his secrets.
Fotos International, Getty Images
33. He Told More Truths
Rambo later said that telling his story about HIV felt like freedom, because he didn't have to lie anymore. He said that while he’d been on Dallas, rumors of his orientation threatened to become public knowledge. That same year, he admitted to his addiction issues and that he was only sober because of a stint at the Betty Ford Center.
He also came out about his love life.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
34. He Lived A Spicy Life
Rambo had told the world that he liked both men and women as intimate partners, but he went on to call his love life “spicy”, which left a lot to the public’s imagination. Sadly, he also had to admit something else. He said that when it came to playing around with various men and women, he never thought about playing safe.
If Rambo felt guilt about this, he knew where to take it.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
35. He Had A Spiritual Side
Evangelist Ronnie Pierce said he was a good friend of Rambo’s. He also said that at this time in Rambo's life, he and Rambo often prayed together. But Rambo wasn't only praying for his health, but also for his friends, family, and even his fans. Eventually, Rambo wanted to share his religious beliefs. He and Pierce began speaking in churches and on Christian TV shows.
Rambo was facing some end-of-life truths, and he was also facing some difficult questions.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
36. He Became Religious
When asked how he wanted fans to remember him, the man who’d been an object of desire for many viewers—both male and female—had this to say: he wanted fans to remember him as “a great man of god”. With his friend Pierce, Rambo co-founded the Dack Rambo Healing Foundation, which helped people dealing with illnesses that threatened their lives.
Sadly, Rambo’s final days would not be peaceful.
37. There Was An Anonymous Call
Around this same time, a National Enquirer reporter named William Keck got an anonymous phone call from an employee at a medical center in California. The caller said that at her facility, there was a famous primetime soap star, and he was close to the end of his life. She said that he was in the final stages of AIDS.
Keck had a feeling who it might be, and he had to make a decision.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
38. They Wanted Headlines
Keck knew that his newspaper, the National Enquirer, had made headlines with a similar story but about Rock Hudson. Keck admired Rambo, but he also wanted to make a name for himself as a reporter. He offered to pay the caller $860 and an extra $400 if the story made the cover. Once he’d paid, he found out the details about Rambo’s condition.
His situation was dire.
39. He Was Very Weak
Keck learned that a male friend had taken Rambo to the clinic and that Rambo was very weak. In fact, he couldn’t even sign his name. He simply wrote an “X”. Also, Rambo was covering his face, as he didn’t want people to see the obvious signs of AIDS. But writing the story about Rambo's final days was not going to be enough.
Keck had something else in mind.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
40. They Wanted To See
Keck and another writer for the National Enquirer knew they needed something more. They heartlessly wanted to interview Rambo as his life was literally leaving him. The anonymous caller supplied Rambo’s room number, and Keck and his associate headed to the clinic. What they found there would be a shocker.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
41. They Were Too Late
When Keck and his partner arrived at the clinic, Rambo’s bed was empty. They were too late. To Keck’s horror, the National Enquirer still published a “last interview” article. In his book, When You Step Upon a Star: Cringeworthy Confessions of a Tabloid Bad Boy, Keck said that the newspaper completely invented the entire interview, but he played no part in it.
While the interview was completely false, there was one truth. Rambo had passed.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
42. He Was With His Brother
Rambo passed on March 21, 1994. He was in Delano, California, at the Delano Regional Medical Center. He had previously said that he didn't fear dying; he actually saw it as another adventure. He was brave until the end. They buried him beside his twin brother Dirk. Rambo’s life was over, but the stories of his life would continue.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
43. He Made A Connection
In 2021, Shawn Mayotte—real name Doug Probst—wrote Mayotte: The Musings of a Narcissist, A Survivor’s Story. This is a tell-all memoir about Probst’s life as a man for hire for closeted celebrities. In the book, he claims to have had encounters with TV’s Brady Bunch dad Robert Reed and music mogul David Geffen.
He also had something to say about Rambo.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
44. He Responded To An Advertisement
According to Probst, Rambo responded to his ad. Probst had described himself as a “Long Beach Fox” who had a slim, muscular build. They spoke on the phone, and Probst figured Rambo was intelligent and maybe a little naive. They made a plan to meet in person.
45. He Picked Him Up In A Fancy Car
The thing was, Probst, who didn't watch much TV, had no idea who Rambo was. So, when Rambo showed up in a beautiful—and expensive—Porsche, Probst was duly impressed. They went to a hotel together to have some fun. But what Probst ended up with was far from just some meaningless fun.
46. He Found A Kindred Spirit
We only have Probst’s side of this story, but what he said was a shocker. Even though Rambo was allegedly paying for playing, Probst said he fell in love with Rambo. The two bonded over more than just a physical relationship. According to Probst, he was there for Rambo when he got his diagnosis.
47. He Had A Friend To The End
Prosbst says that he and Rambo had dinner a few times in the time between when Rambo got his diagnosis and when he told the world about it. Probst says they met at a Santa Monica restaurant called the French Quarter. Probst remembers Rambo’s laughter and also his tears. According to Probst, the two men remained friends until Rambo passed.
48. He Was Compassionate
Most of the stories about Rambo show him as a kind man. Sheree J Wilson joined the Dallas cast even later than Rambo had. She, too, was in fear of being an outsider. She remembers that her first scene was with Rambo, and she was beyond nervous.
What Rambo said to her clearly indicates the kind of man he was.
49. He Told A White Lie
Wilson said that she was doing her first scene on Dallas, and she was playing Rambo’s ex-wife. When Rambo saw her nerves flare, he said to her: “Just relax. We’re all friends here and you’ll find that to be true”. Of course, we know that Rambo didn't believe this—he hated being on the show—but he found the right words to comfort his anxious co-star.
Rambo made a big impression on Wilson, and she had nothing but kind words for him.
50. He Took The Time To Help
Maybe his co-star on Dallas, Sheree J Wilson, summed Rambo up best. She noted Rambo’s bravery and said that he used his celebrity as a way to educate the public about AIDS, even when there was still so much stigma attached to it. He was facing the darkest hours of his life, and he still just wanted to help others.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
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