Born in Glasgow, Montana, Reeves relocated to California at the age of 10 with his mother, Goldie Reeves, following the tragic death of his father, Lester Dell Reeves, in a farming accident. It was during his time at Castlemont High School that Reeves developed an interest in bodybuilding, training at Ed Yarick's gym in Oakland, California. After completing high school, he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Philippines during World War II.
Upon completing his military service and achieving victory in the 1947 AAU Mr. America competition, Reeves found himself drawn to the idea of pursuing an acting career. He studied under Stella Adler but eventually withdrew from her classes after disagreements, resulting in a refund of his tuition. Cecil B. DeMille personally selected Reeves for the lead role in his film "Samson and Delilah," providing him with extensive training. However, due to the requirement of losing weight for the role and the impact it would have on his bodybuilding career, Reeves declined the offer.
In 1949, Reeves filmed a television pilot called "Kimbar of the Jungle," reminiscent of the Tarzan series. The following year, he achieved the title of Mr. Universe. In 1954, Reeves had a minor role in the musical film "Athena," playing the character of Jane Powell's boyfriend. He also made a brief appearance as a cop in Ed Wood's film "Jail Bait." These two films were the only ones in which Reeves used his own voice; for the rest of his career, he acted in Italian-made films where all dialogue and sound effects were added in post-production.
In 1957, Reeves traveled to Italy and played the lead character in Pietro Francisci's film "Hercules," which was a relatively low-budget epic loosely based on the tales of Jason and the Argonauts, with Hercules taking the lead role. The film became a significant box-office success, grossing $5 million in the United States in 1959. This success led to a sequel in 1959 titled "Hercules Unchained," in which Reeves reprised his role.
From 1959 to 1964, Reeves appeared in a series of sword and sandal movies with modest budgets. Despite being best known for portraying Hercules, he played the character only twice: in the 1957 film (released in the USA in 1959) and its 1959 sequel "Hercules Unchained" (released in the US in 1960). By 1960, Reeves had become the top box-office draw in twenty-five countries around the world. He portrayed various other characters on-screen, such as Glaucus of Pompeii from Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel, the Avar hero Hadji Murad, Romulus (alongside Gordon Scott as Remus), Pheidippides the messenger, Captain Henry Morgan, Randus (the son of Spartacus), and Karim, the famed Thief of Baghdad. He also played Aeneas of Troy twice and Emilio Salgari's Malaysian hero, Sandokan, twice.
Reeves declined the role of James Bond in "Dr. No" (1962) due to the low salary offered by the producers. He also turned down the role that ultimately went to Clint Eastwood in "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964) as he didn't believe Italians could successfully make a Western.
During the filming of "The Last Days of Pompeii," Reeves dislocated his shoulder when his chariot collided with a tree. He reinjured his shoulder while filming an underwater escape scene. These injuries, combined with the strain of his subsequent stunt work in each film, ultimately led to Reeves' retirement from the film industry. Despite his retirement, he made one final appearance in a spaghetti Western titled "I Live For Your Death!" in 1968, which he co-wrote. His last screen appearance was in the 2000 made-for-television A&E Biography, where he portrayed himself in "Arnold Schwarzenegger – Flex Appeal."
At one point, George Pal approached Reeves for the role of Doc Savage in "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze," which was intended to be the first installment of a film series. However, before filming could commence, a Hollywood writers strike occurred, putting the film on hold and resulting in Reeves being replaced along with the original director.
Throughout his life, Reeves experienced a remarkable journey from bodybuilding champion to an actor renowned for his portrayal of Hercules and other iconic characters. His contributions to the entertainment industry and his dedication to both physical fitness and acting left a lasting impact.
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