Will Rogers Browne Jr.

Roger Browne passed away on the 11th of October, 2024, at the age of 94, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, the hospital he worked in for three decades. He passed peacefully with his children at his side.

Roger was born Will Rogers Browne, Jr., on the 13th of April, 1930, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His childhood was spent in Kentucky before his enlistment in the Air Force relocated him to Northern California and to Guam. Upon discharge, he moved to Los Angeles to complete his BA in History at UCLA. It was in LA that he was bitten by the acting bug, taking classes and modeling while working at a health clinic and studying physical therapy. A chance job offer to be a wealthy couple’s personal masseur took Roger to Europe for a life-changing summer. He decided to stay in Rome to experience the 1960 Summer Olympics, and ended up staying for 20 years. During this time, he made his mark in the European film industry, starring in many gladiator and spy films, including Mars, God of War (1962), Seven Slaves Against the World (1964), Superseven Calling Cairo (1965), and Password: Kill Agent Gordon (1966). He is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the film Argoman, the Fantastic Superman (1967). Roger also dubbed the English voice in more than 800 films and was the president of the English Language Dubbers Association (ELDA).

In Rome, Roger met the love of his life Jenni, a young woman from New Zealand who, like him, was living as an expat in a foreign city. They married in 1976 and their son Roman was born in 1979. The following year they moved to the States while Roger pursued a career in physical therapy and a doctorate in chiropractics. They settled in Burbank, where their daughter Kelsey was born in 1985. In this second act of Roger’s life, he played the role of hard-working provider, loving father, dedicated physical therapist, volunteer coach, avid radio listener, and Jeopardy nerd. After retiring from his work as a physical therapist at St. Joe’s in 2012, Roger enjoyed a renaissance of his acting career, notably appearing in the YouTube show Elders React, as well as many other films and projects.

Roger will be remembered for his devotion to his family, his enduring good looks and great hair, and his quick wit and dry sense of humor.

Roger is survived by his son Roman and daughter Kelsey, his daughter-in-law Marali and son-in-law Neel, and grandchildren Milo and Genevieve, as well as loving family members, steadfast friends, and ardent fans. He was preceded in death by his wife Jennifer Browne in 2011, and their beloved dog Bo in 2023.

The funeral services will be held at 12:00pm on Wednesday, the 30th of October, at the Old North Church at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. In lieu of flowers and in remembrance of Roger, please eat exactly 17 almonds and brush your hair 100 times.