What Happened to the Original ‘American Gladiators’?
American Gladiators was certainly tough for the contestants, those brave souls who faced off against bodybuilders and athletes in challenges of physical strength and endurance. But the ‘90s-era syndicated hit was hell on the gladiators themselves, as the recent documentary, Muscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators, well detailed. Now, a new generation of gladiators is lining up for Prime Video’s reboot of the classic physical competition series.
American Gladiators 2.0 arrives on the streamer on April 17, but with all of these fresh hardbodies on full display in this iteration, you might be left wondering what happened to the first crew of bodybuilders that contestants have to power through to get their prizes.
Here’s a look at what happened to the original gladiators from the game show, which ran from 1989 to 1996.
Jim Starr (“Laser”)
After Gladiators, Starr became a personal trainer and the VP of product development of 24 Hour Fitness, as he told MontanaSports.com. He also served as director of product development at Life Time Fitness, a Minnesota-based gym chain, and he’s the owner of Sports Nutrition Consulting Group, per GladiatorsTV.com. He continues to tour on the Gladiators convention circuit and is active on Instagram.
Raye Hollitt (“Zap”)
Hollitt’s Gladiators stint led to a guest-starring arc on the CBS procedural JAG and a role in the UPN reality competition Manhunt. These days, she works as a personal trainer, massage therapist, and snowboard instructor, according to her Instagram bio.
Galen Tomlinson (“Turbo”)
Tomlinson became a high school volleyball coach and then the head coach and director of a San Diego-area volleyball club, per GladiatorsTV.com. He also helped raise Olympic volleyball player Carli Lloyd, his niece, starting from when she was 4 years old, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Lori Fetrick (“Ice”)
Fetrick became a financial professional for Transamerica, per GladiatorsTV.com, and she started touring the country, offering health and financial wellness seminars, per Sports Illustrated. She also hosts a podcast titled Chillin’ With Ice, on which she interviews her former Gladiators costars.
Dan Clark (“Nitro”)
In 2009, Clark released Gladiator: A True Story of ’Roids, Rage, and Redemption, a book detailing his years of steroid abuse. The following year, he founded the 5K Gladiator Rock’n Run obstacle race. And in 2017, he released the book F Dying: How Cheating Death Kicked My Ass Into Loving, Learning, and Living My Best Life, which delves into his near-fatal 2013 heart attack.
Michael Horton (“Gemini”)
Horton moved on from his Gladiator fame to become a Los Angeles-based physical fitness consultant, Sports Illustrated reports. His son Wes became a defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, and his son Shane played football at the University of South California.
Sha-Ri Pendleton-Mitchell (“Blaze”)
Pendleton-Mitchell became a substitute teacher and a track coach in Bellflower, CA, according to Sports Illustrated. She and her husband, Rodney Mitchell of the syndicated Gladiators imitator Knights and Warriors, have a son, Re-al, who was a quarterback for the University of San Diego before going to the European league and performing country music.
Lynn “Red” Williams (“Sabre”)
After Gladiators, Williams played Jax in the martial arts movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and voiced characters in the Saints Row video game series. As of the Sports Illustrated update, he was a grandfather of three and a scripture teacher in the Los Angeles area.
Lee Reherman (“Hawk”)
Reherman, who died in 2016 at age 49, found steady work in Hollywood after the show, guest-starring on TV shows including The X-Files, The Shield, NCIS, and Jane the Virgin, and recurring on Look and The First Family. He also hosted the shows Off-Road Overhaul and Hot Rod TV.
William “Billy” Smith (“Thunder”)
Smith, who died in 2021 at age 56, went on to become the founder, president, and CEO of Intrafitt Enterprises, according to GladiatorsTV.com. He also owned and operated a teaching facility called Intrafitt Total Health & Fitness Center.
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