Trained at Northwestern University, versatile leading man Peter Strauss made his first film appearance in 1969's Hail Hero. Strauss attained stardom in the role of Rudy Jordache (which required him to age nearly thirty years) in the pioneering TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (1976). Together with Richard Chamberlain, Cheryl Ladd and Victoria Principal, Strauss went on to become one of the stalwarts of the made-for-TV movie form. His roles in this genre have included the title characters in Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy (1977), Peter Gunn (1989), and Thicker Than Blood: The Larry McLinden Story (1995). In 1979, Peter Strauss won an Emmy for his portrayal of prison lifer-turned-Olympic runner Larry "Rain" Murphy in The Jericho Mile.