Red West

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Portrays:	Marco
Date of Birth:	March 8, 1936
Date of Death:	July 18, 2017
Age at Death:	81
Nationality:	USA
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Robert Gene "Red" West (March 8, 1936 – July 18, 2017) was an American actor, stunt performer and songwriter who portrayed Marco in the Original Series episode "The Lost Warrior."

Elvis Presley Friendship

West was a long-time friend and confidant of singer Elvis Presley, having met him in high school in Tennessee. He wrote several songs for Presley, as well as songs recorded by other popular singers of the 1960s and 70s. He was notably fired from Elvis's entourage in 1976 by Presley's father, Vernon when he went public about his concern over Elvis's drug use. Along with his cousin "Sonny" West and Presley bodyguard David Hebler, he wrote the 1976 book Elvis: What Happened?. When Presley died in 1977, not long after the book's publication, it was seen as vindication of West's concerns.

Acting Career

West's friendship with Elvis originally led to small acting roles in Presley's films in the 1950s and 1960s. During that, a friendship with actor Nick Adams led to a job doing stunt work on Adams' western series The Rebel. He also stunt doubled on Robert Conrad's popular spy western series The Wild, Wild West (1965). Prior to his Galactica appearance he'd been a regular on Conrad's World War II series Baa Baa Black Sheep (aka Black Sheep Squadron) (1976).

Death

West died on July 18, 2017, aged 81, from an aortic aneurysm, at the Baptist Hospital in his native Memphis.

Notes

Was one of several cast members of Baa Baa Black Sheep to appear on Galactica. The others were Katherine Cannon, Larry Manetti, Jeff MacKay, James Whitmore Jr. and W.K. Stratton.
West was portrayed by Robert Gray in the 1979 film Elvis. His son, John Boyd West played him in the 2005 miniseries Elvis.