Kalai Strode


Kalai Strode was a native Hawaiian assistant director in film and television from the early 1970s to around 2010. In film he worked on North Dallas Forty. In television he worked regularly in the series Diagnosis Murder. He also was an actor, writer and composer.

Background

He was born on December 16, 1946 in Hollywood, California.
He was of African and Native American ancestry from his father's side. On his mother's side he was of native Hawaiian descent. His father was professional football player and actor, Woody Strode. His mother was princess Luukialuana Kalaeloa who had done some work in films and was a hula dancer. She was also a descendant of Hawaii's last queen. He had a sister Junelehua who was born in 1948. He also had two half-brothers. One was Hawaiian actor and entertainer, Lani Kai. The other was Hawaiian actor Lee Woodd.

Film career

1970s

He graduated from the Los Angeles Assistant Directors Training Program.
In 1971 he had a role in The Gatling Gun as the Indian Who Shoots Sneed. He was also in the credits as a stuntman in the film In the mid 1970s he was a co-writer for the western film Winterhawk. Later in the 1970s, he worked under director Richard Lang as second assistant director for the pilot episode of Fantasy Island that aired in January 1977.

1980s

In the early 1980s, he was assistant director in the John Schlesinger directed comedy film Honky Tonk Freeway which starred Beverly D'Angelo, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy and Beau Bridges. In 1985, he was assistant director in the made for television drama, Challenge of a Lifetime which was directed by Russ Mayberry, and starred Penny Marshall and Richard Gilliland. In 1988, he worked on the set of the film For Keeps.

1990s

In 1991, he was assistant director in three episodes of Tales from the Crypt, Loved to Death, Abra Cadaver and Mournin' Mess. He was assistant director in the Randall M. Miller directed 1992 comedy Class Act which starred Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin. From 1994 to 1998 he worked in five seasons of episodes for television series Diagnosis Murder which starred Dick Van Dyke.

2000s

In 2001, having completed his work on Diagnosis Murder, he and his wife Pam moved to Honolulu. He still did some work as assistant director but also worked in transportation for movies. His wife worked in the TV series Lost for six seasons as a stand in actress. In 2010 he worked on the film Deady Honeymoon that starred Summer Glau. In 2011, he had a role as Wali in the Ua Lawe Wale episode of the Hawaii Five-0 series remake. Both of his half brothers, Lani Kai and Lee Woodd had appeared in the original series of Hawaii Five-O. Post 2011, he underwent a physical examination as part of pre-employment for The River, which was shot in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. The examination resulted in a diagnosis of Mantle cell lymphoma.

Filmography

TitleEpisode #RoleDirectorYearNotes #
Emergency!unknownDga traineevarious1972Unknown
Police StoryunknownSecond assistant directorvarious1973Unknown
Fantasy IslandPilot episodeSecond assistant directorRichard Lang1977Season 1, Episode 1
Lou GrantUnknownSecond assistant directorVarious1977Unknown
The White ShadowHere's Mud in Your EyeSecond assistant directorBruce Paltrow1978Season 1, Episode 2
The White ShadowBonus Baby Second assistant directorJackie Cooper1978Season 1, Episode 4
The White ShadowPregnant PauseSecond assistant directorJackie Cooper1978Season 1, Episode 5
ABC Afterschool SpecialsA Special GiftSecond assistant directorArthur Allan Seidelman1979Season 8, Episode 3
CBS Afternoon Playhouse Think I'm Having a BabySecond assistant directorArthur Allan Seidelman1981Season 3, Episode 2
Matt HoustonX-22Second assistant directorRichard Lang1982Season 1, Episode 1
LotteryunknownSecond assistant directorvarious1983
Crazy Like a FoxunknownSecond assistant directorvarious1984
Stir CrazyunknownSecond assistant directorChristian I. Nyby II or Peter H. Hunt1985
AmerikaunknownSecond assistant directorDonald Wrye1987
Buck JamesunknownSecond assistant director1987
Sonny Spoonunknownfirst assistant directorvarious1988
Down HomeunknownSecond assistant directorvarious1990
Sunset BeatunknownSecond assistant director1990
Broken BadgesunknownFirst assistant directorvarious1990
Human TargetunknownSecond assistant directorvarious1992
Diagnosis MurderMany Happy Returns Second assistant directorLou Antonio1994Season 2, Episode 1
Diagnosis MurderA Very Fatal Funeralsecond assistant directorAlan Myerson1994Season 2, episode 2
Diagnosis MurderWoman TroubleSecond assistant directorRoy Campanella II1994Season 2, Episode 3
Diagnosis MurderThe Busy BodySecond assistant directorVincent McEveety1994Season 2, Episode 4
Diagnosis MurderMy Four Husbands second assistant directorChristian I. Nyby II1998Season 2, Episode 5
Diagnosis MurderWitness to Murdersecond assistant directorParis Barclay1995Season 3, Episode 2
Diagnosis MurderThe Pressure to Murder,second assistant directorChristopher Hibler1996Season 3, Episode 9
Diagnosis MurderThe ABC's of Murdersecond assistant directorChristian I. Nyby II1996Season 4, Episode 11
Diagnosis MurderMurder in the Familysecond assistant directorVincent McEveety1998Season 4, Episode 12
Diagnosis MurderDeadly Gamessecond assistant directorChristopher Hibler1997Season 5, Episode 4
Diagnosis MurderSlam Dunk Deadsecond assistant directorVincent McEveety1997Season 5, Episode 5
Diagnosis MurderA Mime Is a Terrible Thing to Wastesecond assistant directorChristopher Hibler1997Season 5, Episode 11
Diagnosis MurderDown and Dirty Deadsecond assistant directorRon Satlof1997Season 5, Episode 12
Diagnosis MurderAn Education in Murdersecond assistant directorFrank Thackery1998Season 5, Episode 19
Diagnosis MurderMurder at the Finish Linesecond assistant directorChristopher Hibler1998Season 5, Episode 20
Hawaii Five-0Ua Lawe Waleactor: WaliDuane Clark2011Season 2, Episode 2

Writing

He had been a writer. Around or prior to the early 1970s, Strode had composed some songs. They included "Blood Red Moon", "Childling Sun" "Oh Mellow Day", "America Is My Home", "Love Has It's Stormy Seasons", "Me And My Magic Guitar", "Nani's Way", "A Thousand Ways", and "The Truth Is You", Another composition of his, possibly written a few years later was "Coco".

Later years

By 2010 at the age of 63, he ran as an independent candidate. While he was interviewed about his candidacy by Lee Cataluña of the Honolulu Advertiser, he was working for Teamsters Local 996, driving and electrical rigging truck on a movie set of The Descendants. In the 2010 Special, he came 5th in a list of 14 candidates.
In 2014, he was interviewed for the documentary , which he and his wife attended the premiere for on September 9, 2014 in Westwood, California.

Illness and death

During a medical examination as part of a pre-employment physical for a movie, Strode was diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. He took five months of chemotherapy and appeared to be in remission. In 2013, as a result of a routine PET scan, it was determined that his cancer had returned. He then relocated Grand Forks for easier access to the Mayo Clinic.
After a three-year battle with the disease, Strode died on November 27, 2014. At the time of his passing, he was helping to care for his mother-in-law.