King of the Swamp: Who is Troy Landry?
Troy Landry has cemented his reputation as ‘King of the Swamp’. Here’s how the Louisiana native became the lead star of Sky HISTORY’s Swamp People.
Image: Swamp People
In the Southern United States, preserving the ecosystem can depend on the careful pruning of alligator and python populations. However, ensnaring either type of animal requires a lot of bravery and skill. These are potentially lethal creatures, after all!
So, it’s all the more impressive to see how experienced hunters do it. Hunters like Troy Landry, the biggest headline star of the Sky HISTORY reality shows Swamp People and its spin-off Swamp People: Serpent Invasion.
Troy has been hailed as the ‘King of the Swamp’ due to his well-honed expertise in navigating southern swampland. As Sky HISTORY discovered, hunting is far from a mere hobby to him — it’s integral to his family’s culture and lifestyle.
The early life of Troy Landry
Troy Landry was born to parents Duffy and Myrtle Landry on 9th June 1960 in the Louisiana settlement of Pierre Part. Alligator hunting was already his family’s heritage.
Indeed, Pierre Part lies close to the Atchafalaya River Basin, where alligators roam in disconcertingly large numbers to this day. That’s one big reason why it’s the backdrop to the hunting activities viewers get to watch on Swamp People.
It’s not too hard to see, then, how Troy originally got into gator hunting — if ‘got into’ is the right way to put it. Troy explained to the New York Post in 2012: 'I didn’t get into it, I was raised in it.' Before joining Swamp People, Troy made much of his living by selling alligators’ skins and meat.
Troy Landry has also been married for more than four decades to his wife Bernita. They are parents to Brandon (Bernita’s son from a previous relationship), Jacob and Chase. All three sons have joined their father on his Swamp People adventures.
Image: Troy Landry and his deckhand Pickle Wheat | Swamp People
How did Troy become the star of Swamp People?
Swamp People first aired in 2010 and has since run for 16 seasons. Troy Landry has been a mainstay throughout, but how did he originally get roped in to spearhead the show? Troy shared that backstory with the Buckmasters Outdoor Podcast in 2022.
Troy recalled that he was first approached in 2008 to be filmed for a three-hour documentary on gator hunting. However, TV executives were so impressed with the resulting footage that they decided to turn it into a reality series instead.
He added that 'when the show aired, people loved it so much that they signed us up with a five-year contract.' This was much to Troy’s relief, as the show’s financial success offset his loss of income from selling alligators, which had fallen in value.
Troy Landry’s best on-screen moments
Given how long it has been a TV fixture, Swamp People has unsurprisingly thrown up more than a few extra-special moments.
In both the main show and Serpent Invasion, Troy has had collaborators who have left their own lasting impressions. Here are just two instances of the on-screen magic Troy has conjured up when fellow determined hunters have joined him for the ride.
The not-exactly-calm before the storm
In September 2024, Hurricane Francine made landfall, bringing flooding to Louisiana. Troy knew in advance that this tropical cyclone was not only coming but also set to throw his gator hunting plans into disarray.
So, he drove to Lake Fausse Pointe State Park — with his deckhand Cheyenne ‘Pickle’ Wheat in tow — to catch some gators before the storm hit. It would be an especially opportune time to do so.
In the third episode of Swamp People’s 16th season, he explained: 'Right in front of a big storm, alligators bite. They bite hard.' In the event, panicked scenes saw Pickle — under Troy’s instruction — shoot two especially wary gators lurking in the lake.
When catching a python is eggs-tra-special
For the spin-off series Swamp People: Serpent Invasion, the hunters’ focus pivots from Louisiana gators to Burmese pythons. Those snakes are festering in the Florida Everglades, where they are a pesky invasive species.
In the second episode of Serpent Invasion’s fourth season, Troy teams up with Tes Lee to bag some pythons. It’s a tough ask, as a fast-approaching storm is threatening to send water levels rising by up to three feet.
Ultimately, Troy and Tes catch a female python possibly carrying as many as 40 or 50 unhatched eggs. Removing breeders like this is especially satisfying, as it helps to slow down the local python population’s growth rate.
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