| Michael Beck | |
|---|---|
 Beck in 2024 | |
| Born | (1949-02-04) February 4, 1949 (age 75) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1971–present |
Michael Beck (born February 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Swan in The Warriors (1979) as Sonny Malone in Xanadu (1980), and as Koda in Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983).
Early life
Beck was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the third of nine children. He attended Memphis University School and then Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi with a football scholarship. While in college, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. After graduating with a degree in economics, he was one of 30 (out of 2,500) applicants chosen for London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Beck's stage credits, beginning with college, include Camelot (as King Arthur), Of Mice and Men (as George Milton), Romeo and Juliet (as Tybalt), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Career
Beck is known predominantly for his roles as Swan for the action movie The Warriors (1979), Sonny Malone for Xanadu (1980), Lieutenant Commander Dallas in Megaforce (1982), and Koda for Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983). Both the Xanadu and Megaforce roles garnered him Razzie nominations, for Worst Actor and Worst Supporting Actor, respectively. Beck has appeared in other movies such as Warlords of the 21st Century (1982), Wes Craven's Chiller (1985), Gone to Texas (1986) as James Bowie, and Forest Warrior (1996).
Beck appeared as Hans Helms in the 1978 television miniseries Holocaust, and featured with Michael Paré in the CBS police drama Houston Knights (1987–1988). He appeared in television shows such as JAG, Walker, Texas Ranger, In the Heat of the Night, as the Mars-born terrorist-turned-cyborg assassin Abel Horn in Babylon 5 (episode "Spider in the Web"), and as Mr. Jones in the spin-off television series Crusade.
Beck has narrated numerous audiobooks of John Grisham's novels. He also narrated Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz, A Darkness More Than Light by Michael Connelly, State of the Union by David Callahan, the unabridged version of Bill Clinton's My Life., and numerous religious books including the Bible. He also reprised his role as Swan in 2005, lending his voice to the popular video game adaptation of The Warriors.
Personal life
Beck is a born-again Christian.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Hard Ride | Highway Thug | Uncredited |
| 1978 | Madman | Boris Abramovich | |
| 1979 | The Warriors | Swan | |
| 1980 | Xanadu | Sonny Malone | |
| 1982 | Battletruck | Hunter | aka Warlords of the 21st Century and Destroyers |
| 1982 | Megaforce | Dallas | |
| 1983 | Triumphs of a Man Called Horse | Koda | |
| 1983 | The Golden Seal | Crawford | |
| 1996 | Forest Warrior | Arlen Slaighter | |
| 1998 | The Jungle Book: Search for the Lost Treasure | Professor Gershwin Donovan | |
| 2015 | The Grace of Jake | Henry Haynes | |
| 2015 | The Warriors: Last Subway Ride Home | Swan | Video |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Ryan's Hope | Unknown | 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Holocaust | Hans Helm | 3 episodes |
| 1979 | Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure | John Alden | Television film |
| 1980 | Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story | Clarence Carnes | Television film |
| 1981 | Fly Away Home | Mark | Television film |
| 1983 | The Last Ninja | Kenjiro Sakura | Television film |
| 1984 | Celebrity | T.J. Luther | 3 episodes |
| 1984 | The Streets | Sergeant Danny Wreade | Television film |
| 1984 | Rearview Mirror | Jerry Sam Hopps | Television film |
| 1985 | Wes Craven's Chiller | Miles Creighton | Television film |
| 1985 | Blackout | Mike Patterson | Television film |
| 1986 | Gone to Texas | James Bowie | Television film |
| 1987–1988 | Houston Knights | Sergeant Levon Lundy | 30 episodes |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Danny Schubert | Episode: "The Search for Peter Kerry" |
| 1990 | Murder, She Wrote | Justin Fields | Episode: "Trials and Tribulations" |
| 1990 | Only One Survived | Paul Haskel | Television film |
| 1991 | Deadly Game | Peterson | Television film |
| 1991 | Stranger at My Door | Jimmy Lee Dancey | Television film |
| 1991 | Final Judgement | Delaney | Television film |
| 1993 | Fade to Black | Braith | Television film |
| 1993 | In the Heat of the Night | Sonny Roper | Episode: "A Deadly Affection" |
| 1993 | Murder, She Wrote | Brian Bentall | Episode: "The Big Kill" |
| 1994 | Robin's Hoods | Detective Stephen DeCosta | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | Babylon 5 | Abel Horn | Episode: "Spider in the Web" |
| 1995 | McKenna | Jon Doe / Alex | Episode: "Racing in the Streets" |
| 1996−1998 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Adam McGuire | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Diagnosis: Murder | Frank Waldeck | Episode: "Deadly Games" |
| 1998 | Born Free | Luke | Episode: "The Reunion" |
| 1999 | Crusade | Mr. Jones | Episode: "The Well of Forever" |
| 2001 | Nash Bridges | Adult Bobby Bridges | Episode: "Quack Fever" |
| 2004 | JAG | Senator Carter Innes | Episode: "Whole New Ball Game" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Warriors | Swan |
Audiobooks
| Year | Title | Author | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken | Henry Cloud | Non-fiction |
| 2022 | The Boys From Biloxi | John Grisham | |
| 2020 | A Time for Mercy | John Grisham | Third book featuring Jake Brigance |
| 2020 | Camino Winds | John Grisham | Sequel to Camino Island |
| 2019 | The Guardians | John Grisham | |
| 2018 | The Reckoning | John Grisham | |
| 2013 | Sycamore Row | John Grisham | |
| 2008 | The Appeal | John Grisham | |
| 2006 | The Summons | John Grisham | |
| 2006 | The Brethren | John Grisham | |
| 2006 | The King of Torts | John Grisham | |
| 2006 | A Time to Kill | John Grisham | |
| 2005 | The Broker | John Grisham | |
| 2004 | My Life | Bill Clinton |
References
- Rose, Mike (February 4, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for February 4, 2023 includes celebrities Alice Cooper, Natalie Imbruglia". Cleveland.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Weiss, Arlene R. (May 11, 2015). "Michael Beck Reflects on "The Warriors," "Xanadu" and the Premiere of His New Film The Grace of Jake". PopEntertainment.com. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ Connor, Jackson (September 8, 2015). "Remember the Warriors: Behind the Chaotic, Drug-Fueled, and Often Terrifying Making of a Cult Classic". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Maslin, Janet (February 10, 1979). "Movie: 'Warriors' Creates Visual Style That Is Stark:The Cast". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- Maslin, Janet (August 9, 1980). "MISS NEWTON-JOHN IN 'XANADU'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
- Maslin, Janet (June 27, 1982). "'MEGAFORCE' IS A MIX OF JOVIALITY AND STUNTS". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Tenreyro, Tatiana (February 8, 2019). "13 Razzie-Nominated Movies That Are Way Better Than You Remember". Bustle. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Bobbin, Jay; Lawler, Sylvia (August 16, 1987). "HOUSTON KNIGHTS' TRIES AGAIN AT 8 P.M. TUESDAYS". The Morning Call. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Rubins, Jennifer (October 18, 2018). "Narrator Q&A: Longtime Grisham narrator Michael Beck returns in THE RECKONING". Books on Tape. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Bauers, Sandy (June 3, 1999). "AUTHOR EXPLORES MANY DIFFERENT SHADES OF GRAY". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Kingston, Peter (March 2, 2001). "A Darkness More than Night by Michael Connelly, read by Michael Beck". The Guardian. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- "ATOP THE STAIRMASTERSTATE OF THE UNIONBy David..." Chicago Tribune. August 24, 1997. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Newman, Andrew Adam (June 6, 2005). "The Winner Is Bill Clinton, in His Own Voice (Abridged)". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- Schiesel, Seth (October 16, 2005). "Gangs of New York". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
External links
- Michael Beck at IMDb
- Michael Beck at AllMovie