Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, Known for 'Airwolf,' 'Big Wednesday' Dies at 73
LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) -- Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, the "Airwolf" television star whose sleek good looks belied a troubled personal life, has died. He was 73.
A death certificate shows that Vincent died of cardiac arrest on Feb. 10, 2019, in an Asheville, North Carolina, hospital. The certificate signed by a doctor says he died of natural causes and no autopsy was performed.
It wasn't clear why it took several weeks for news of the death to surface before it was first reported Friday by TMZ. Messages left at phone listings for Vincent and his wife weren't immediately returned Friday.
Born in 1945 in Denver, Colorado, Vincent starred in such films as 1972's "The Mechanic" and 1978's "Hooper," in which he played a stuntman opposite Burt Reynolds. Off-screen, his handsomeness earned him a spot on a cosmetic surgeon's "Ten Best Noses" list in the late 1970s.
He also starred in the 1983 television mini-series "Winds of War" as the love interest of a character played by Ali MacGraw, "piling up enormous ratings," according to a contemporary Associated Press account. He earned a Golden Globe nomination.
In a 1984 AP interview, Vincent described his passion for being on the water. He said he spent three months after wrapping up "Winds of War" sailing the Caribbean. He also said he was a longtime surfer.
"I was a traveling surfer for years. ... I've been all over the world surfing," he said. "I'll be 40 in July and I still like to surf."
He played pilot Stringfellow Hawke when "Airwolf" aired for three seasons on CBS from 1984 to 1986.
The show, about the missions of a crew of a technologically advanced military helicopter, starred a different cast when it aired on the USA Network for its fourth and final season in 1987. In 1972 and 1984, Vincent was nominated for best supporting actor Golden Globes.
Vincent and his wife, Patricia Ann Vincent, lived in Asheville, North Carolina, according to his death certificate. His remains were cremated.
His surfer-like demeanor was overshadowed at times by his troubled personal life. He pleaded guilty in 1997 to a drunken driving accident that left him with a broken neck and was sentenced to a rehab program. He was also charged in 1980s barroom brawls, receiving probation in one and an acquittal in another. In a separate case, he was acquitted in 1986 of hitting a woman.
He was sentenced to 60 days in jail in 2000 in Orange County, California, after he admitted to violating his probation by appearing drunk in public and assaulting his then-girlfriend.
© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report
