Steve Sipek

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Stjepan Šipek, better known as Steve Hawkes, was born in 1942 in Sisak, then part of Yugoslavia (now Croatia). He moved to Canada in 1959 and became an American actor who appeared in B-movies under the name Steve Hawkes. He played Tarzan in the 1969 film Tarzan in the Golden Grotto (also known as Tarzán en la gruta del oro / King of the Jungle), a production shot in Suriname, Florida, Africa, Spain, and Italy. Due to money problems and licensing fees from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ estate, the filmmakers used the character name Zan.

A 1972 sequel, Tarzan and the Brown Prince, was filmed in Rainbow Springs, Florida. During a stunt, a fire broke out; Hawkes and Kitty Swan were burned. A trained lion freed Hawkes from his bonds, but he suffered severe burns covering about 90% of his body. He later vowed to look after big cats.

Šipek also wrote, directed and starred in other films, including Blood Freak, Stevie, and Samson and Delilah. An animal lover, he moved to Loxahatchee, Florida and started an animal sanctuary, which drew attention after a Bengal tiger escaped and was killed. He died on June 23, 2019, at age 77.