Virile, handsome & square jawed youthful star of the 1970s & 80s whose early promise of potential super stardom never eventuated. Jan-Michael Vincent originally made a name for himself, portraying either rebellious young men bucking the system as in _Tribes (1970)_ , White Line Fever (1975) and Baby Blue Marine (1976) or alternately as men of action on either sides of the law as seen in The Mechanic (1972), Vigilante Force (1976) and _"Winds of War, The" (1983)_ .
He was born in Denver, Colorado in July 1944, and was finishing a stint in the National Guard when his looks were first noticed by a talent scout. Vincent made his first appearance onscreen in _Mystery of The Chinese Junk, The (1967)_ , before appearing in _Journey To Shiloh (1968)_ and in "Danger Island" on the Hanna-Barbera kids TV show "The Banana Splits Adventure Hour" (1968). He remained very busy during the 1970s appearing in high profile productions alongside major Hollywood stars including John Wayne Rock Hudson Charles Bronson Slim Pickens and Robert Mitchum.
In 1984, Vincent landed the role of "Stringfellow Hawke" in the helicopter action series _Airwolf (1984)_ co-starring Ernest Borgnine. The show wrapped after two seasons and from then on he was primarily appearing in low budget, B-grade actioners and sci-fi films including Alienator (1989), The Divine Enforcer (1991), Deadly Heroes (1994) and Lethal Orbit (1996). His last film to date was the woeful gang movie White Boy (2002), and ongoing health issues would appear to possibly preclude him from returning to the screen.
Best known by film fans as a smirking, apprentice hitman to Charles Bronson in The Mechanic (1972), as feisty "Matt" in the superb surf movie Big Wednesday (1978) with Gary Busey and William Katt, or as rebel trucker "Carol Jo Hummer" battling corruption in White Line Fever (1975).
http://www.series-80.net/us/actor/biograph...el-vincent.html
Jan Michael Vincent
6 Sep 2007, 01:07
