Sam Ayers

Character actor and stuntman Sam Ayers got his start in show business as the result of a gag at a college fraternity party at his alma mater, Memphis State University. Wearing an outlandish hat and contorting his body to spell the letters of the school's name, Ayers became the official campus sports mascot, Sam the Medicine Man; after leaving school, he took the act on the road, performing for various minor-league ball clubs before finally being hired by the major-league baseball team the Texas Rangers. While living and working near Dallas, Ayers began moonlighting as an extra in film and TV location shoots, eventually moving into small character parts. His first credited role was as a police commander in the 1990 Bill Murray criminal farce "Quick Change." Small roles in films like the buddy-cop blockbuster "Bad Boys" and on episodes of various TV series led to a recurring role as the antagonistic henchman, Sam the Sweeper, on the fantasy series "The Pretender." Following that show's four-season run, Ayers returned to guest roles, supplemented with occasional work as a stunt double.