Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, star of 'Airwolf' and Golden Globe nominee, dies at 74
Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, best known for his role in the 1980’s TV series 'Airwolf,' died at age 74 after suffering cardiac arrest, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ. The actor, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for the 1971 film 'Going Home' and in 1984 for miniseries 'The Winds of War,' reportedly died February 10 in a North Carolina hospital. No autopsy was performed and the actor was later cremated.
Born on July 15, 1944, in Denver, Colorado, Vincent made his first appearance on screen in the 1967 television film 'The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk,' under the name Mike Vincent. He was notable for working with Kris Kristofferson and Victoria Principal on the 1976 film 'Vigilante Force.' His big break came with 'Airwolf,' where he was reportedly paid $200,000 for every episode, he starred in. He officially retired from acting in 2009.
The actor had been dealing with health issues in recent years. In 2012, he said his right leg had been amputated following an infection due to complications from peripheral artery disease, according to a 2014 interview with the National Inquirer. "I’m an alcoholic. I’m me. I got my personality. I don’t behave like an alcoholic," he told the publication according to Huffington Post, UK.
The star also struggled with addiction throughout his life, starting from the 1970s, when he was arrested a number of times for cocaine possession, according to the Daily Mail. He also received a felony assault charge in 1986 but was acquitted.
After his time on 'Airwolf', in which he starred as Stringfellow Hawke, he was involved in several severe automobile accidents, resulting in three broken vertebrae in his neck, as well as permanent damage to his vocal cords. In 2000, he was sentenced to 60 days in Orange County Jail for violating his probation by appearing drunk in public three times.
Vincent was married three times. In 1968 he was married to Bonnie Poorman and had a daughter, Amber, who was born in 1972. The couple divorced in 1977, and he married Joanne Robinson in 1986, until she filed a restraining order in 1998 after she alleged, he had been abusing her since the year of their marriage. In 2000, he married Patricia Christ and remained married to her till the time of his death.
Besides 'Airwolf,' the U.S. actor also appeared with Charles Bronson in 'The Mechanic,' and with Burt Reynolds in 'Hooper.' He also appeared in the 1983 miniseries 'The Winds of War' and his final film role was in 2003, where he acted in an independent film 'White Boy.'
