BIOGRAPHY

Though few familiar with buff skull cracker Michael Dudikoff would be shocked to hear that the handsome action star got his start in modeling, the fact that he previously studied child psychology might come as a surprise to those who think brawn overpowers brain. The Redondo Beach, California, native was born to a Russian father in early October of 1954, and although Dudikoff isn't fluent in his native tongue, his father did teach him to speak a little Russian. Studies in child psychology preceded work as a model for the handsome young hopeful, and in 1978, he got his big break when we was cast in a supporting role on the wildly popular television drama "Dallas".      In the years that followed, Dudikoff appeared in both "Happy Days" and "Gimme a Break!", and in 1980 the young rising star made his feature debut in The Black Marble. Small roles in Tron (1982) and Uncommon Valor (1983) found his action chops developing nicely, and after having a wild time in Bachelor Party (1984), Dudikoff had his breakthrough role in the 1985 martial arts action film American Ninja (1985). Though the part was originally intended for film star Chuck Norris, Dudikoff made the role his own, to the delight of action fans worldwide. Though the requisite sequels came fast and furious, it was roles in such small-scale actioners as Platoon Leader (1988, directed by Chuck Norris' brother Aaron) and Midnight Ride (1990) that kept his name alive in the lucrative low-budget action market.

Though Dudikoff's 1993 series "Cobra" would only hold out for one season, his average of two films per year would find him doling out the punches well into the new millennium. The late 1990s found Dudikoff teaming with B-movie maestro Fred Olen Ray for a series of small-scale punishers, and more recently, Dudikoff appeared opposite Treat Williams in Jim Wynorski's Gale Force (2002) and Dan Hedaya in the military-thriller Quicksand (2002), directed by his American Ninja-helmer Sam Firstenberg. (This biography was taken from Yahoo! Movies).

FILMOGRAPHY

QUICKSAND (2002), GALE FORCE (2002), BLACK HORIZON (2001), ABLAZE (2001), THE SILENCER (1999), FUGITIVE MIND (1999), COUNTER MEASURES (1998), IN HER DEFENSE (1998), MUSKETEERS FOREVER (1998), RINGMASTER (1998), FREEDOM STRIKE (1998), BLACK THUNDER (1997), BOUNTY HUNTERS 2: HARDBALL (1997), THE SHOOTER (1997), STRATEGIC COMMAND (1997), BOUNTY HUNTERS (1996), CRASH DIVE (1996), MOVING TARGET (1996), VIRTUAL ASSASSIN (1995), SOLDIER BOYZ (1995), CHAIN OF COMMAND (1994), RESCUE ME (1993), THE HUMAN SHIELD (1991), THE WOMAN WHO SINNED (1991), AMERICAN NINJA 4: THE ANNIHILATION (1991), MIDNIGHT RIDE (1990), RIVER OF DEATH (1989), PLATOON LEADER (1988), AMERICAN NINJA 2: THE CONFRONTATION (1987), AVENGING FORCE (1986), AMERICAN NINJA (1985), RADIOACTIVE DREAMS (1984), BACHELOR PARTY (1984), YOUNG HEARTS (1984), SAWYER AND FINN (1983), UNCOMMON VALOR (1983), TRON (1982), I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES (1982), MAKING LOVE (1982), ENTER THE NINJA (1981), THE BEST LITTLE GIRL IN THE WORLD (1981), BLOODY BIRTHDAY (1981), THE BLACK MARBLE (1980)

TRIVIA

BIRTH NAME: Michael Joseph Stephen Dudikoff. TRADEMARK: Usually plays the hero in low budget, direct-to-video action movies. SALARY: Recieved $500,000 for his role in Soldier Boyz (1995).