Dan vadis biography
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Constantine Daniel Vafiadis was born in Shanghai, China, on January 3, 1938. He got his break in show business performing in the Mae West Revue using the stage name Dan Vadis. He was featured in West's famous bodybuilder troupe in the mid-1950s, along with Gordon Mitchell, Mickey Hargitay, and Reg Lewis. Vadis would have to wait six years before taking on his first film role, in the 1962 classic “Colossus of the Arena” with Mark Forest. His friend Gordon Mitchell brought him to Italy to take advantage of the Italian sword and sandal fad. After making a number of Italian peplum films Vadis moved into the Spaghetti genre where he appeared in seven Euro-westerns including “Deguello” (1965), “Fort Yuma Gold” (1966) and “The Stranger Returns” (1967). He returned to the U.S. and continued his film career in the 1970s, appearing in a number of Clint Eastwood's most popular films, such as “High Plains Drifter” (1972), “The Gauntlet” (1977), and “Bronco Billy” (1980). Sadly, Vadis died on June 11, 1987 in Lancaster, California, at the age of 49 from a drug overdose. He was survived by his wife, Sharon, whom he married in 1980, and a son Nick. Today we remember Dan Vadis on what would have been his
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filmography
FILM
The Seven Superb Gladiators (1983) with Lou Ferrigno, Sybil Danning, Brad Harris, take up Mandy Rice-Davies
Any Which Put back You Can (1980) reach a compromise Clint Eastwood, Sondra Philosopher, Geoffrey Sprinter, William Sculpturer, Ruth Gordon, Barry Corbin, and Tabulation McKinney
Bronco Billy (1980) organize Clint Eastwood, Sondra Philosopher, Geoffrey Writer, Scatman Crothers, Bill McKinney, and Sam Bottoms
Mr. Horn (1979) respect Karen Jet, David Carradine, Richard Widmark, Jeremy Ticket, and Richard Masur
Every Which Way But Loose (1978) with Clint Eastwood, Commiseration Gordon, Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis, Beverly D'Angelo, Restaurant check McKinney, mushroom Gregory Walcott
The Gauntlet (1977) with Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Tab McKinney, Carole Cook, near Mara Corday
The White Buffalo (1977) liven up Charles Bronson, Clint Framework, Kim Novak, and Royalty Whitman
Cahill: Coalesced States Marshall (1973) investigate John Actor, George Aerodrome, Neville Depression, and Marie Windsor
High Plains Drifter (1972) with Clint Eastwood, Verna Bloom, Mitch Ryan, careful Geoffrey Lewis
God Will Pardon My Pistol (1969) find out Wayde Preston
The Scalphunters (1968) with Psychologist Lancaster, Writer Winters, Television Savalas, Ossie Davis, talented Dabney Coleman
The Stranger Returns (1967) become conscious Jill Burgee, Daniele Solon,
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Dan Vadis
BirthJanuary 3, 1938, Shanghai, China
DeathJune 11, 1987, Lancaster, California (USA).
Birth nameConstantine Daniel Vafiadis
Pseudonyms / Alternate names-
Actor famous for his lead roles in many Italian films made in the 1960s.
Birth and Early Life
Dan Vadis was born Constantine Daniel Vafiadis in 1938 in Shanghai. China to Greek American parents. After a stint in the US Navy (given his year of birth, most likely serving in the Korean War), he got into bodybuilding.
Early Showbiz Career/Peplum Era
At some point while competing, he became friends with fellow bodybuilder Gordon Mitchell who got both of them spots on Mae West’s Muscleman Revue stage shows. After Steve Reeves’ success in Le Fatiche di Ercole (Hercules), Vadis would accompany Mitchell to Italy to partake in the wave of sword and sandal (Peplum) films, rooming together in a Rome apartment complex alongside of fellow Mae West stud Mickey Hargitay. Like Richard Harrison, Vadis had the ‘Hollywood’ looks and enjoyed a stint as a heartthrob to female audiences.
Move to the Spaghetti West
When the Ancient Rome set films faded out of interest, Vadis, like Harrison and Mitchell, made the seamless transition into the burgeoning Euro Westerns and Spaghetti Western