Ah,
Michael Dudikoff. The centerpiece of
so many of those Eighties us-versus-the-dirty-commies, us-versus-the-dirty-druglords, or even our-hero-versus-the-increasingly-anachronistic-
NINJA! movies. This man's
filmography runs a wide
gamut, from
Tron (in which he played the heart-wrenchingly sympathetic
Conscript #2) to the vehicular and
unavoidable American Ninja series (I, II and IV, although interestingly not III. Hmm).
Born Michael Joseph Stephen Dudikoff in Redondo Beach, California, he managed to parlay a stony expression and a more-than-passing expertise in kung-film into a long-spanning (and, one can only hope for him, lucrative) career as the Ass Kicker Du Flic.
From the incredible badness of Soldier Boyz to the simply divine stench of Crash Dive, this man has seen the very limits of the film world's offerings. Still, he manages to swoop from back lot to back lot, kicking ass and glaring with the best of them. Despite the fact that many, many many of his films suffer that kiss of death the multiple a.k.a. subtitle, and that he manages to perform such feats of disbelief suspension as playing entirely different characters between a movie and its sequel...
...you can't help but admire the man's staying power. Plus his willingness to take those required hero-gets-his-ass-beat-downs on screen on a regular basis.
Besides, he does play small but important parts in several mainstream films, as well as some which almost made it and many which should have, damn it. Then again...
Update: Well, this node was a bit optimistic. Apparently, MD quit acting in 2001/2002. At least, his IMDB filmography stops there.
His filmography, courtesy of IMDB:
- Quicksand (2001/II) .... Bill
- Stranded (2001/II)
- Ablaze (2000)
- Stranded (2000)
... aka Space Station (2000) (USA)
- Silencer, The (1999) .... Quinn Simmon
- Fugitive Mind (1999) (V) .... Robert
- In Her Defense (1998)
... aka In Self Defense (1998) (Canada: English title)
- Musketeers Forever (1998) .... D'Artagnan
- Ringmaster (1998) .... Rusty
- Freedom Strike (1998) .... Tom Dickson
- Black Thunder (1997) .... Vince
- Counter Measures (1997) .... Capt. Jake Fuller
... aka Crash Dive 2 (1997) (USA)
- Hardball (1997) .... Jersey Bellini
... aka Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball (1997) (USA: video title)
... aka Bounty Hunters II (1997)
- Shooter, The (1997) .... Michael Atherton
... aka Desert Shooter (1997) (USA)
- Strategic Command (1997) .... Rick
- Bounty Hunters (1996) .... Jersey Bellini
- Crash Dive (1996) (V) .... James Carter
... aka Crash Dive: The Chase Is On (1996) (V)
- Moving Target (1996) .... Sonny
- Chain of Command (1995) .... Merrill Ross
- Cyberjack (1995) .... Nick James
... aka Virtual Assassin (1995)
- Soldier Boyz (1995) .... Toliver
- "Cobra" (1993) TV Series .... Scandal Jackson
- Rescue Me (1993) .... Daniel 'Mac' MacDonald
... aka Street Hunter (1993) (USA)
- American Ninja 4: The Annihilation (1991) .... Joe Armstrong
- Human Shield, The (1991) .... Doug Matthews
- Woman Who Sinned, The (1991) (TV) .... Evan Ganns
- Midnight Ride (1990) .... Lawson
- River of Death (1989) .... John Hamilton
... aka Alistair MacLean's River of Death (1989)
- Platoon Leader (1988) .... Lt. Jeff Knight
- American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) .... Joe Armstrong
- Avenging Force (1986) .... Matt Hunter
- "North and South II" (1986) (mini) TV Series .... Lieutenant Rudy Bodford
- Radioactive Dreams (1985) .... Marlowe Hammer
- American Ninja (1985) .... Joe Armstrong
- Bachelor Party (1984) .... Ryko
- Sawyer and Finn (1983) (TV) .... Huckleberry Finn
- Uncommon Valor (1983/I) .... Blaster's Assistant
- "Star of the Family" (1982) TV Series .... Douggie Krebs
- Tron (1982) (as Michael Dudikoff II) .... Conscript #2
- I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982) .... Boy on bus
- Making Love (1982) .... Young Man in Bar 2
- Enter the Ninja (1981) (uncredited)
... aka Ninja I (1981)
- Best Little Girl in the World, The (1981) (TV) .... Chuck
- Bloody Birthday (1981) .... Willard
... aka Creepers (1981)
- Black Marble, The (1980) .... Millie's Houseboy