Michael Dudikoff | |
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Born | Michael Joseph Dudikoff II October 8, 1954 Redondo Beach, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1978-present |
Michael Joseph Dudikoff II (born October 8, 1954) is an American actor who has been in numerous films, including the American Ninja series (1985–1990), Tron (1982), Bachelor Party (1984), Platoon Leader (1988), River of Death (1989), Soldier Boyz (1996), Ringmaster (1998), and The Silencer (1999), to name a few.[1][2] He is in pre-production for Havana Heat, an action thriller.
Contents |
Biography
Early life
Michael Joseph Dudikoff comes from a large family. His father was Russian and served in the Army before marrying Dudikoff’s mother, a French-Canadian native from Quebec who was extremely talented on the piano. The couple moved to California in the mid-1970s and had five children. Dudikoff is the fourth of the group.
Dudikoff graduated from West Torrance High School and was studying child psychology at Harbor College, when he was discovered as a model. During this time, he also worked at a rehabilitation center for abused youth called Cedar House. He waited tables at Beachbum Burt’s in Redondo Beach, California to pay for his education.
During lunch one day, Dudikoff served Max Evans, a fashion editor with Esquire magazine, who came in with some models. Evans asked Dudikoff to walk in a Newport Beach fashion show, and his mother encouraged him to try it out.
After a couple of successful runways, Dudikoff retained an agent at the Mary Webb Davis Agency in Los Angeles. Dudikoff soon entered the high fashion world and counted Calvin Klein and GQ among his clients. He moved quickly to international print modeling and traveled between New York, Los Angeles, and Milan by his late 20s.
Film career
Dudikoff soon began acting, and he starred in several commercials for companies, including Coppertone, Coca-Cola for Japan, Army Reserve and Stridex.
His first television role took place after a meeting with theatrical agent Sid Craig. It was at this time that he landed the part as Joni’s first boyfriend in the American sitcom Happy Days. Other TV work included roles in Dallas, Gimme a Break!, and a Columbia Pictures movie-of-the-week called Sawyer & Finn.
By 1978, Dudikoff moved into the lead acting roles for several films. Dudikoff has filmed dozens of films on five continents.
He is widely recognized for playing the character Pvt. Joe Armstrong in the American Ninja (1985). The American Ninja series went on to become a five-movie sensation.
Other Dudikoff films include Tron (1982), Uncommon Valor (1983), Bachelor Party (1984), Avenging Force (1986), River of Death (1989), The Human Shield (1991), Chain of Command (1994), Soldier Boyz (1996), Bounty Hunters (1996), Ringmaster (1998), The Silencer (1999), In Her Defense (1999), Gale Force (2002), and Quicksand (2002).
Dudikoff currently is in pre-production for Havana Heat. He also is in talks for other pending film projects.
Private life
Dudikoff mentors other actors and participates in martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He began his training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Rorion Gracie and stays connected with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighting circuit, including Rigan Machado, an eighth degree red and black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and former world champion.
Dudikoff is married and has two kids. He also owns two chihuahuas.[3]
Filmography
Film and television credits
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | Dallas | Joe Newcomb | TV Episode: "Triangle" |
1979 | Out of the Blue | Lenny | TV Episode: "The Random Bust" |
1979–1980 | Happy Days | Jim/Jason | TV Episodes: "Smokin' Ain't Cool" (1979) "Joanie's Dilemma" (1980) |
1980 | The Black Marble | Millie's houseboy | Film |
1981 | Bloody Birthday (aka: Creepers) |
Willard | Film |
1981 | The Best Little Girl in the World | Chuck | TV Movie |
1981 | Enter the Ninja | Venarius' Man | Film (uncredited) |
1981 | The Grady Nutt Show | Randy | Film |
1982 | Making Love | Young Man in Bar 2 | Film |
1982 | I Ought to Be in Pictures | Boy on bus | Film |
1982 | Tron | Conscript #2 | Film (as Michael Dudikoff II) |
1982 | Star of the Family | Douggie Krebs | TV Series (10 episodes) |
1983 | Sawyer and Finn | Huckleberry Finn | TV Movie |
1983 | Gimme a Break! | Greg Hartman | TV Episode: "Nell Gets Sick" |
1983 | Uncommon Valor | Blaster's Assistant | Film |
1984 | Young Hearts | Keith | TV Movie |
1984 | Bachelor Party | Ryko | Film |
1985 | Radioactive Dreams | Marlowe Hammer | Film |
1985 | American Ninja | Pvt. Joe Armstrong | Film |
1986 | North and South, Book II | Lt. Rudy Bodford | TV mini-series |
1986 | Avenging Force | Capt. Matt Hunter | Film |
1987 | American Ninja 2: The Confrontation | Sgt. Joe Armstrong | Film |
1988 | Platoon Leader | Lt. Jeff Knight | Film |
1989 | River of Death | John Hamilton | Film |
1990 | Midnight Ride | Lawson | Film |
1990 | Air America | General Lee | Film (uncredited) |
1990 | American Ninja 4: The Annihilation | Joe Armstrong | Film |
1991 | The Woman Who Sinned | Evan Ganns | TV Movie |
1992 | The Human Shield | Doug Matthews | Film |
1993 | Rescue Me | Daniel 'Mac' MacDonald | Film |
1993–1994 | Cobra[4] | Robert "Scandal" Jackson, Jr. | TV Series |
1994 | Chain of Command | Merrill Ross | Film |
1995 | Cyberjack | Nick James | Film |
1996 | Soldier Boyz | Toliver | Film |
1996 | Bounty Hunters | Jersey Bellini | Video |
1997 | Moving Target | Sonny | Film |
1997 | Strategic Command | Dr. Rick Harding | Film |
1997 | Crash Dive | James Carter | Video |
1997 | Soldier Boyz | Toliver | Video Game |
1997 | Hardball (aka: Bounty Hunters 2) | Jersey Bellini | Video |
1997 | The Shooter | Michael Atherton | Film |
1998 | Freedom Strike | Tom Dickson | Film |
1998 | Black Thunder | Vince | Film |
1998 | Counter Measures | Capt. Jake Fuller | Video |
1998 | Ringmaster | Rusty | Film |
1998 | Musketeers Forever | D'Artagnan | Film |
1998 | In Her Defense | Andrew Garfield | Film |
1999 | Fugitive Mind | Robert Dean | Video |
2000 | The Silencer | Quinn Simmons | Film |
2001 | Ablaze | Daniels | Film |
2001 | Dengue Fever | Himself | Film |
2002 | Gale Force | Jared | Video |
2002 | Quicksand | Bill Turner | Film |
References
- ^ Wren, Celia (1992-02-23). "FILM; Martial-Arts Movies Find a Home In South Africa". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/23/movies/film-martial-arts-movies-find-a-home-in-south-africa.html?scp=2&sq=american%20ninja&st=cse&pagewanted=2. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
- ^ "Now That He's Had His Kicks . . .". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1991-11-16/entertainment/ca-1345_1_american-ninja. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ Michael Dudikoff - The Greatest Action Hero/Action Movie Star you never heard of
- ^ Mendoza, N.F. (1994-01-30). "WITH AN EYE ON . . . Michael Dudikoff rides the fast lane with `Cobra' series". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1994-01-30/news/tv-16814_1_michael-dudikoff. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
External links
- Michael Dudikoff at the Internet Movie Database
- Michael Dudikoff at AllRovi
- Michael Dudikoff on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/MichaelDudikoff.official
- Michael Dudikoff Official Site http://www.michael-dudikoff.com/