- Michael Dudikoff
-
Michael Dudikoff 
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/
Categories:- 1954 births
- Living people
- People from the Greater Los Angeles Area
- American people of Russian descent
- American people of French-Canadian descent
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
