Dan Vadis (born Constantine Daniel Vafiadis, 3 January 1938 – 11 June 1987) was an American actor famous for his lead roles in many Italian films made in the 1960s.

Biography

Vadis was of Greek descent, with lineage tracing back to the island of

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

in the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...

. This former

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

sailor and bodybuilder was a member of the

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

"Muscleman Revue" in the late 1950s. He was a brawny, handsome durable 6'4" man with curly brown hair, bluish green eyes and an affable demeanor. He was probably one of the most memorable actors in the Roman epic movies created in the 1960s and early '70s to portray Hercules - the most famous Greek warrior. He was also one of many bodybuilders to take a stab at fame and fortune with the Italian peplum films of the 1960s. Noted

film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets ...

Raymond Durgnat Raymond Durgnat (1 September 1932 – 19 May 2002) was a British film critic, who was born in London to Swiss parents. During his life he wrote for virtually every major English language film publication. In 1965 he published the first maj ...

famously asked if he was "the brother of Quo?".p.71 Frayling, Christopher ''Spaghetti Westerns: Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone" 1981 Routledge Dan's most notable role was ''

The Triumph of Hercules ''The Triumph of Hercules'', the 1964 film, was one of many Italian sword and sandal epics during the 1960s craze. Originally titled ''Il Trionfo di Ercole'', the film was directed by Alberto De Martino. Hercules was portrayed by Dan Vadis. The fi ...

'' (1964), in which he portrayed

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

battling golden giants and trying to save his princess love from her evil relative. The film was quickly followed by ''

Hercules the Invincible ''Hercules the Invincible'' (Italian: ''Ercole l'invincibile'') is a 1964 Italian Sword and Sandal film directed by Alvaro Mancori and Lewis Mann and starring Dan Vadis. It is the first of two directing credits for cinematographer Alvaro Mancori ...

'' retitled ''Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness'', in '' The Sons of Hercules'' television package by

Embassy Pictures Embassy Pictures Corporation (also and later known as Avco Embassy Pictures as well as Embassy Films Associates) was an American independent film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution studio responsible for such fil ...

. What made Vadis stand out from other athletes and bodybuilders in these films was the obvious speed, dexterity, agility and all around durability that he brought to his films, bringing much needed energy to what otherwise may have been average fight scenes. After the sword and sandal films faded he moved into

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

s, then became a recurring face in

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

movies such as ''

High Plains Drifter ''High Plains Drifter'' is a 1973 American Western film directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Ernest Tidyman, and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who ...

'', '' The Gauntlet'', ''

Every Which Way But Loose ''Every Which Way but Loose'' is a 1978 American action comedy film released by Warner Bros., produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. It stars Clint Eastwood in an uncharacteristic and offbeat comedy role as Philo Beddoe, a tr ...

'', ''

Any Which Way You Can ''Any Which Way You Can'' is a 1980 American Action comedy film, action comedy film directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis (actor), Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith (actor), William Smith, and Ruth G ...

'' and ''

Bronco Billy ''Bronco Billy'' is a 1980 American Western comedy-drama film starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. It was directed by Eastwood and written by Dennis Hackin. Plot Bronco Billy McCoy (Clint Eastwood) is a stuntman performing in front of a mea ...

''. He died 11 June 1987 in Lancaster,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States, in a car in the desert, his death was declared an accidental drug overdose with acute ethanol and heroin-morphine intoxication. He was survived by his wife Sharon Jessup and his son Nick Vadis, known as "Nick V".

Partial filmography

*''

Colossus of the Arena ''Colossus of the Arena'' ( it, Maciste il gladiatore più forte del mondo, also known as ''Death on the Arena'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film directed by Michele Lupo and starred by Mark Forest. Plot A powerful man posing as a gladiator in R ...

'' (1962) - Sidon *''

The Rebel Gladiators ''The Rebel Gladiators'' ( it, Ursus il gladiatore ribelle/ ''Ursus, the Rebel Gladiator'') is a 1962 Italian peplum film directed by Domenico Paolella starring Dan Vadis, Josè Greci and Alan Steel. Plot The newly crowned emperor Commodus ki ...

'' (1962) - Ursus *''

The Pirates of the Mississippi ''The Pirates of the Mississippi'' (German: ''Die Flußpiraten vom Mississippi'') is a Western film directed by Jürgen Roland and starring Hansjörg Felmy, Brad Harris and Sabine Sinjen. A Eurowestern, it was a co-production between West Germa ...

'' (1963) - Blackfoot *''

The Ten Gladiators ''The Ten Gladiators'' ( it, I dieci gladiatori) is a 1963 Italian film directed by Gianfranco Parolini. Plot summary Roccia and a band of fellow gladiators join forces with a patrician named Glaucus Valerius to replace Nero, (and his evil henc ...

'' (1963) - Roccia / The Rock *''

'' (1964) - Hercules *''Zorikan lo sterminatore'' (1964) - Zorikan *''

'' (1964) - Ercole *''

Triumph of the Ten Gladiators ''Triumph of the Ten Gladiators'' ( it, Il trionfo dei dieci gladiatori is a 1964 ''peplum'' film written and directed by Nick Nostro and starring Dan Vadis. It is the sequel of Gianfranco Parolini's '' The Ten Gladiators'', and it was followed ...

'' (1964) - Roccia *''

Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators ''Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators'' ( it, Gli invincibili dieci gladiatori, link=no) is a 1964 international co-production sword-and-sandal film directed by Nick Nostro and co-written by Nostro, Alfonso Balcázar and Sergio Sollima. Plot Rocca a ...

'' (1964) - Gladiator Roccia *''

The Sucker ''The Sucker'' (french: link=no, Le Corniaud, ) is a French, Italian and Spanish comedy film by Gérard Oury starring Louis de Funès and Bourvil. Plot Leaving Paris for his summer vacation, the naïve Antoine Maréchal has his 2CV totally w ...

'' (1965) - (uncredited) *''Deguejo'' (1966) - Ramon *''

Kommissar X – Drei gelbe Katzen ''Kommissar X – Drei gelbe Katzen'' is a 1966 Eurospy film written and co-directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber and Gianfranco Parolini. Filmed in Ceylon, it stars Tony Kendall, Brad Harris and Dan Vadis with Harris and Vadis doing their own stuntw ...

'' (1966) - King *''

For a Few Extra Dollars ''Fort Yuma Gold'' ( it, Per pochi dollari ancora, lit=For a Few Extra Dollars) is a 1966 Italian/Spanish/French international co-production Spaghetti Western film directed by Giorgio Ferroni. Plot Confederate Major Sanders (Jacques Sernas), co ...

'' (1966) - Nelson Riggs *''

The Stranger Returns ''The Stranger Returns'' (Italian: ''Un uomo, un cavallo, una pistola'', lit. ''A Man, a Horse, a Gun'') also known as ''Shoot First... Laugh Last!'', is a 1967 Italian-German-American Spaghetti Western film directed by Luigi Vanzi. It is a seque ...

'' (1967) - En Plein *''

The Scalphunters ''The Scalphunters'' is a 1968 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Ossie Davis and Telly Savalas. The film was directed by Sydney Pollack, with the score written by Elmer Bernstein. Davis was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Su ...

'' (1968) - Yuma *''Dio perdoni la mia pistola'' (1969) - Martin *''

'' (1973) - Dan Carlin, outlaw *''

Cahill U.S. Marshal ''Cahill U.S. Marshal'' is a 1973 American Western film in Technicolor starring John Wayne as a driven lawman in a black hat. The film was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and filmed on location in Durango, Mexico. The supporting cast features G ...

'' (1973) - Brownie *''

The White Buffalo ''The White Buffalo'' is a 1977 fantasy Western film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Charles Bronson, Kim Novak, Jack Warden, Slim Pickens and Will Sampson. Plot Wild Bill Hickok is haunted by his dreams of a giant white buffal ...

'' (1977) - Tall Man (uncredited) *'' The Gauntlet'' (1977) - Biker *''

'' (1978) - Frank (Black Widow) *''

'' (1980) - Chief Big Eagle *''

'' (1980) - Frank (Black Widow) *''I sette magnifici gladiatori'' (1982) - Nicerote (final film role)

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vadis, Dan 1938 births 1987 deaths American male film actors American bodybuilders American expatriates in Italy Male Spaghetti Western actors 20th-century American male actors Accidental deaths in California American expatriates in China American people of Greek descent Drug-related deaths in California People associated with physical culture