O.J. Simpson was famous as a football legend and natural talent in front of the camera before the homicide trial of the century became synonymous with his name.
Orenthal James Simpson died on Wednesday, April 10, after fighting with deadly disease cancer, his family announced online. He was 76 year old.
While he rise to fame and fortune as a legendary athlete with Hollywood knocking on his door to book a charming personality, Simpson’s legacy was forever swapped with the 1994 killings of his former-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.
Following his stint at University of Southern California, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968, Simpson was the 1st player selected in the 1969 NFL draft. Wildly regarded as one of the greatest running backs to ever play in the NFL, Simpson earned NFL Player of the Year multiple times, and was inducted into the hall of fame in 1985.
His acting career started while he was still playing for the Trojans at USC, with uncredited appearances in “Dragnet,” “The Name of the Game,” and “Ironside.”
While still playing ball, Simpson made his big-screen debut in the 1974 film, “Klansman,” and starred alongside Richard Burton and Lee Marvin.
The film wasn’t a success, but helped Simpson establish a name in the acting world. He would go on to appear in “The Towering Inferno,” “The Cassandra Crossing,” “Killer Force,” and the 1977 television mini-series, “Roots.”
Simpson turned the advertising world upside down when he became the face of Hertz rental car company. His slogan, “Go, O.J., Go!” raised brand awareness and helped him become a star in his own right.
OJ SIMPSON DEAD AT 76: LIFE IN IMAGES.
His love for movie and TV helped him establish his own production company in 1979, Orenthal Productions, where he produced tv films, in addition of his own “Goldie and the Boxer.” Simpson was so enthralled with the industry that he had his sights set on the most coveted awards in cinema.