Jan-Michael Vincent

Biography

Early life Vincent was born in Denver, Colorado, to Doris and Lloyd Vincent. His family moved to Hanford, California, when Jan-Michael was in his teens. Vincent attended Ventura College in Southern California. [edit] Career [edit] 1960s He was born in Denver, Colorado, in July 1944, and was finishing a stint in the National Guard when a talent scout was struck by his all-American looks. Jan-Michael Vincent's first acting job was in the movie The Bandits (aka "Los Banditos"), co-directed by and starring Robert Conrad, in 1967. His career took off in the late 1960s when casting agent Dick Clayton signed him to Universal Studios. Vincent made an appearance on the Dragnet 1968 episode, "The Grenade," as a muscular high school student who suffered an acid attack by a mentally unstable fellow classmate. He also appeared in the "Danger Island" segments of Hanna-Barbera's Banana Splits series as Link (1968–1969). Finally, in the fall of 1969 Vincent had a starring role in the prime time soap opera The Survivors, alongside Lana Turner and George Hamilton; however, the series was canceled at midseason. He also performed in several movies in that period, such as the 1969 Twentieth Century Fox movie The Undefeated (as Bubba Wilkes) starring John Wayne, Rock Hudson and Mexican actor Antonio Aguilar. His name appeared as Michael Vincent in the credits of the movie. Vincent guest starred in one episode of Bonanza (April 1969 "The Unwanted"). [edit] 1970s Vincent appeared in 1 episode of Marcus Welby, M.D. as Richie, a teen with an alcohol addiction. Vincent co-starred with Charles Bronson in the crime film The Mechanic. In 1970, he garnered critical praise for his role in the made for TV film Tribes, co-starring Darren McGavin, about a tough Marine boot-camp drill instructor dealing with a "hippie" draftee (portrayed by Jan-Michael), who will not play by "the rules". Other notable films included the Western The Undefeated with John Wayne and the cult surfing film Big Wednesday with William Katt and Gary Busey; he also attracted attention giving a highly complex performance opposite Robert Mitchum in Going Home. In 1971 he appeared in the Gunsmoke episode "The Legend". In 1972 he starred in a made for TV love story, Sandcastles, and Vincent starred in the 1973 Disney movie The World's Greatest Athlete, with Tim Conway and John Amos. Vincent also starred in the 1974 romance Buster and Billie as the romantic anti-hero Buster Lane, where he startled audiences with his full-frontal nudity. In Hooper with Burt Reynolds, Vincent played a young stunt man. In 1975 "Bite The Bullet" found him sharing screen time opposite Gene Hackman, James Coburn and Candice Bergen. He also starred in the cult classic trucker movie White Line Fever, and in 1976 in Baby Blue Marine, a war film directed by John D. Hancock, which also starred Glynnis O'Connor. He also starred in the cult classic Shadow of the Hawk. Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ out of 4 stars. Vincent also appeared in Damnation Alley, based on Roger Zelazny's science fiction novel, in 1977. [edit] 1980s In 1980, he starred in the gang-themed drama, Defiance, which received a limited release. He also appeared in The Return, a science-fiction film which was released directly to television and video. In 1981, he co-starred with Kim Basinger in Hard Country. Vincent starred in the 1983 action film Last Plane Out. After an acclaimed performance in the 1983 television miniseries The Winds of War, Vincent was cast as Stringfellow Hawke for the action-espionage series Airwolf, in which Vincent co-starred with Ernest Borgnine and is the role for which he is best known and remembered, as well as for his rate of pay. It was noted, at the time, that Vincent's salary for his work on Airwolf was the highest paid (rumoured to be $200,000 per episode) of any actor in American television.[1][2] While filming Airwolf, Vincent admitted to drug and alcohol problems for which he has sought help. After the end of Airwolf Vincent found roles in smaller budget and lower exposure film projects. [edit] 1990s and 2000s Jan-Michael Vincent worked with Traci Lords in the 1991 suspense film Raw Nerve. In the latter half of the decade, Vincent was involved in two severe automobile collisions which he barely survived. As a result of one accident in 1996, in which Vincent broke three vertebrae in his neck, he sustained a permanent injury to his vocal cords from an emergency medical procedure. This has left him with a permanently raspy voice. While he was in the hospital he was committed to a role in Red Line with Chad McQueen. He appeared in the film with a swollen face, scars, and still wearing the hospital ID bracelet. Vincent was involved in another automobile accident in 2008.[3] In 1997 he had a small guest role on Nash Bridges playing the title character's long-lost brother. A notable exception to the downward trend in Vincent's post-Airwolf career was his small role in the critically acclaimed, independent film Buffalo '66, in 1998.[4] His last movie role was in the independent film White Boy, also titled Menace (for the US video version), released in March 2002. In an interview on the TV program The Insider on September 18, 2007, when asked about the 1996 car accident, he answered, "Y'know, I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't remember being in an accident." He later discussed being an alcoholic.[1][5] As of 2008, Vincent resides in Vicksburg, Mississippi.[6] Vincent has a daughter, Amber Vincent,[7][8] from his marriage to first wife Bonnie Poorman.iv)