Received his first taste of theater life at college when the drama club was performing "Arsenic and Old Lace", and needed someone to pack up the bodies from the cellar for the play's curtain call.
Attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and played football. After that he entered Sul-Ross State College on a football scholarship, and was an amateur boxer. While at Sul-Ross he not only won the 1949 Best College Acting award for his portrayal of De Lawd in a production of "Green Pastures," but met his future wife, Dolphia Lee Parker, originally from Alpine, Texas.
O'Donnell is located in the panhandle of West Texas, about 40 miles south of Lubbock, Texas. There is a museum located in O'Donnell dedicated to Mr. Blocker.
Taught high school in West Texas before becoming an actor.
_The Long Goodbye (1973)_ (qv) is dedicated to him. 'Robert Altman (I)' (qv), who had directed many early episodes of _"Bonanza" (1959)_ (qv), and had become friends with him, had originally cast him in the role of Roger Wade. However, Blocker died before filming commenced, so the role was subsequently filled by 'Sterling Hayden' (qv).
Hardly the romancer, one touching, acclaimed "Bonanza" episode had his Hoss character fall in love with a beautiful girl, played by 'Inger Stevens' (qv).
Interred at DeKalb Cemetery, DeKalb, Texas, USA.
Blocker was approached to play Major "King" Kong in 'Stanley Kubrick' (qv)'s _Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)_ (qv) after 'Peter Sellers' (qv) was injured. However, according to 'Terry Southern' (qv) (co-writer), Blocker's agent rejected the script as being "too pinko".

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