Mike Davis (actor)

Mike Davis
Born
Winson Owen Strickland

(1945-04-12)April 12, 1945
DiedJanuary 21, 1986(1986-01-21) (aged 40)
Other namesWinn Strickland
Wynn Strickland
EducationSacramento High School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • model
  • director
  • set designer
Years active1972–1986
AgentColt Studios

Winson Owen Strickland (April 12, 1945 – January 21, 1986), known professionally as Winn Strickland and Mike Davis, was an American actor, model, art director, and set designer active in mainstream television, theater, and adult cinema during the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life and education

Strickland was born in Sacramento County, California, and graduated from Sacramento High School in 1963.

Career

Mainstream career

Initially working as a carpenter, he transitioned into mainstream entertainment set design, earning credits on the 1972 film Sixteen, the 1979 television programs The Osmond Family Show and Carol Burnett & Company, and Las Vegas stage revues like Folies Bergère at the Tropicana.

Adult film career

In the late 1970s, Strickland was "discovered" by Colt Studios and began performing under the pseudonym Mike Davis.

In the late 1970s, he began working in the adult film industry under the pseudonym Mike Davis. He modeled for Colt Studios and avoided most speaking roles due to a speech impediment, though he appeared in the 1982 feature Games and 1983's Coach. Behind the camera, he served as the chief art director and master carpenter for Surge Studios, designing elaborate sets for films such as Therapy, Head Trips, and his final 1985 project, Century Mining.

Death

He was diagnosed with an AIDS-related illness in 1983, Strickland died on January 21, 1986, in West Hollywood, California, at the age of 40. Industry peers such as Al Parker credited Strickland's high-production design standards with defining the visual identity of early adult home video.

Filmography

Film

Actor

Year Title Role Notes
1977Timberwolves Part 1MikeDebut
1977Timberwolves Part 2Mike
1978The BonusHandsome CowboyColt Films
1979Service EntryMikeColt Studios
1979Moving ViolationsMike
1981The Best Laid PlansBricklayer Worker
1982Nighthawk In LeatherLeather Man
1982Turned On!Bartender
1983GamesCoachSurge Studios
1984The Best of Colt Films, Part 3Mike
1985The Best of Colt: Part 4Mike
1986DriveshafMike
1986The Best of Colt FilmsMike
1991The Best of Colt Films, Part 9MikePosthumous release
1992The Best of Colt Films, Part 11MikePosthumous release
1993The Best of Colt Films, Part 13MikePosthumous release
1996The Best of Colt Films, Part 14MikePosthumous release
2000Colt Couples I: Colt Men on the MakeMikePosthumous release
2000Buckshot Collection: Lovers in Summer, Workload, and the COLT Classic TimberwolvesMikePosthumous release

Director

Year Title Role Notes
1984Head TripsDesignerSurge Studios
1985Hard Disk DriveDesigner of setsSurge Studios
1985Century MiningDirectorSurge Studios

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mike Davis Obituary". Bay Area Reporter. December 29, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Mike Davis". GLBT Historical Society. February 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Winson Owen Strickland". Sacramento High School. January 2, 2026.
  4. ↑ Mandate Vol. 3 No. 35. Modernismo Publications. 1978. p. 57.
  5. ↑ "Man is a Many Splendored Thing" Mandate Vol. 3 No. 28. Modernismo Publications. 1977. p. 23.
  6. ↑ "Al Parker Talks!" Skin Vol. 1 No. 3. Unique Imports Ltd. 1980. p. 26.
  7. ↑ Playguy Vol. 2 No. 15. Playguy Magazine. 1978. p. 43.
  8. ↑ "Men of the West" Honcho Vol. 1 No. 5. Modernismo Publications. 1978. p. 10.
  9. ↑ "Man & Man" Honcho Vol. 1 No. 4. Modernismo Publications. 1978. p. 35.
  10. ↑ "A Look at the All-American Jock Image in Gay Erotica" Manshots Vol. 3 No. 1. FirstHand, Ltd. 1990. p. 26.
  11. ↑ "Buddy Run" Stallion Vol. 2 No. 8. Stallion Magazine. 1983. p. 33.
  12. ↑ "Behind the Camera" Manshots Vol. 2 No. 8. FirstHand, Ltd. 1990. p. 6.
  13. ↑ "Scatter Shots" Manshots Vol. 3 No. 1. FirstHand, Ltd. 1990. p. 16.
  14. ↑ "Timber Wolves" Mandate Vol. 3 No. 33. Modernismo Publications. 1978. p. 40.
  15. ↑ "Turned On" Studflix Vol. 1 No. 2. Fan Magazines, Inc. 1982. p. 6.