David Draper is an American bodybuilder, actor, and author.
Early life
Draper was born in Secaucus, New Jersey. His weight training began at the age of ten and was a well-formed habit by the time he was about 12, in the mid-1950s. In high school he participated in wrestling, gymnastics and swimming, but was most inspired by training with weights.
Career
Bodybuilding
At 21, he won the Mr. New Jersey title. Six months later he moved to Santa Monica, California, working for the WeiderBarbell Company until 1969. During this period he also worked in motion pictures. In the early days of bodybuilding, Draper says, "There wasn't a whole bunch of encouragement or inspiration from a society which considered you either stupid or egotistical and probably a sissy." In California, Draper initially trained at a gym many called "The Dungeon", which he described as "a large, awful space dug out of the ground on the corner of 4th and Broadway", and later trained at the original Gold's Gym. He trained in the company of the world's top bodybuilders which included Frank Zane, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Mike Katz and Robby Robinson. Draper has been open about his past use of anabolic steroids: "I was ten years into my training, 235 pounds and already Mr. America before steroids came on the scene. I used them sparingly under a doctor's supervision and noticed marked improvement in my muscularity and separation." Draper is 6'0" tall, and his bodybuilding competition weight was approximately 235 lb..
Appearing as David The Gladiator, Draper was a movie host on KHJ Channel 9 in Los Angeles, from 1964 to 1965. From 8–10 pm Saturday nights, he hosted a 'sword and sandal' movie from the 1950s and '60s. Draper played himself in the 1967 episode of The Beverly Hillbillies titled, "," in which Granny thinks that he is ill with "the barbell bloat." The storyline included Draper suggesting that Ellie May is pretty enough to be "Miss Universe" which had the Clampetts thinking since he was Mr. Universe, that he wanted to marry Elly May, not understanding that "Universe" was not his last name. He appeared in The Monkees playing Bulk, in the October 16, 1967 episode "I Was a 99-lb. Weakling". He later appeared in Here Come the Brides in the December 19, 1969 episode, "Lorenzo Bush".
Personal life
After a reported battle with alcoholism in the late 1970s, and with rehabilitation which he gained sobriety in 1983, Draper resumed his bodybuilding career to guest-pose at bodybuilding competitions and appear at exhibitions. Dave Draper continues to train with weights into his 70s, and to write, including a free weekly newsletter, emailed and published on his website nonstop since 1999. He lives in Aptos, California.
