Mel Novak
Encyclopedia
Mel Novak is an American character actor
who is best known for villainous roles in action, martial arts
and occasionally horror
and science fiction
films. He is also known for doing all of his own stunts and fighting scenes.
with the Pittsburgh Pirates
before he began acting. His athletic career was cut short by a massive rotator cuff
injury. Novak made his film debut in 1974, appearing in two blaxploitation
films, Truck Turner
and Black Belt Jones
, the former starring Isaac Hayes
, the latter Jim Kelly
. Subsequent parts in The Ulimate Warrior
(1975) starring Yul Brynner
, Cat in the Cage (1978), starring Sybil Danning
, and others followed. One of his more high-profile parts from the 70's was as the hitman Stick in Game of Death
(1978), directed by Robert Clouse
. Novak also had small roles in two Chuck Norris
films, A Force of One
(1979) and An Eye for an Eye (1981).
Since the turn of the 80's, Novak been acting mostly in low-budget, independent features, such as in Lovely But Deadly
(1981) for director/producer David Sheldon, starring B-movie heroine Lucinda Dooling. In the 90's, he appeared in two films for director Garry Marshall
, Exit to Eden
(1994), based on the novel by Anne Rice
, and Dear God (1996). In 2005, he appeared in the action/horror film Vampire Assassin
, also featuring Gerald Okamura
, with whom Novak has acted with in several films, and Rudy Ray Moore
.
and prison ministry for over twenty years. He also has two daughters, Nikol and Lea, and 2 grandchildren from daughter Lea. Elijah and Ali Mae are their names.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
who is best known for villainous roles in action, martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and occasionally horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
films. He is also known for doing all of his own stunts and fighting scenes.
Career
Born in Pittsburgh, Novak played professional baseballProfessional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
before he began acting. His athletic career was cut short by a massive rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
injury. Novak made his film debut in 1974, appearing in two blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
films, Truck Turner
Truck Turner
Truck Turner is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Jerry Wilkes and Oscar Williams...
and Black Belt Jones
Black Belt Jones
Black Belt Jones is a 1974 American Blaxploitation action film. The main musical theme was performed by the funk guitarist Dennis Coffey. The film was featured as number 38 on the documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.-Plot:...
, the former starring Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
, the latter Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
. Subsequent parts in The Ulimate Warrior
The Ultimate Warrior (1975 film)
The Ultimate Warrior is a 1975 science fiction and action-adventure film directed by Robert Clouse. One of the first in a series of post-apocalyptic films from the 1960s and 1970s, it is set in post-civilization 2012 New York City and depicts the struggles of a small enclave of inhabitants...
(1975) starring Yul Brynner
Yul Brynner
Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor of stage and film. He was best known for his portrayal of Mongkut, king of Siam, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film version; he also played the role more than 4,500 times on...
, Cat in the Cage (1978), starring Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
, and others followed. One of his more high-profile parts from the 70's was as the hitman Stick in Game of Death
Game of Death
The Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...
(1978), directed by Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse
Robert Clouse was an American film director and producer, known primarily for his work in the action/adventure and martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1997 in Oregon of kidney failure....
. Novak also had small roles in two Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
films, A Force of One
A Force of One
A Force of One is a 1979 martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager, and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E...
(1979) and An Eye for an Eye (1981).
Since the turn of the 80's, Novak been acting mostly in low-budget, independent features, such as in Lovely But Deadly
Lovely But Deadly
Lovely But Deadly is a 1981 action film about a cheerleader who goes undercover to fight drug dealers. The film was directed by David Sheldon, and stars Lucinda Dooling, John Randolph, and Richard Herd....
(1981) for director/producer David Sheldon, starring B-movie heroine Lucinda Dooling. In the 90's, he appeared in two films for director Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
, Exit to Eden
Exit To Eden (film)
Exit to Eden is a 1994 American comedy-thriller loosely based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name, directed by Garry Marshall and adapted to the screen by Deborah Amelon and Bob Brunner. The original music score was composed by Patrick Doyle....
(1994), based on the novel by Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
, and Dear God (1996). In 2005, he appeared in the action/horror film Vampire Assassin
Vampire Assassin
Vampire Assassin is a 2005 direct-to-DVD film directed, written by, and starring martial artist Ron Hall.-Plot:When protagonist Derek Washington was just a child, he witnessed his father's murder. Because of this, he became very afraid of blood...
, also featuring Gerald Okamura
Gerald Okamura
Gerald Okamura is an American theatrical martial artist.Gerald started martial arts with judo in 1953. He has practiced kendo, aikido, taekwondo, and he is currently a 5th degree black belt in Kung Fu San Soo...
, with whom Novak has acted with in several films, and Rudy Ray Moore
Rudy Ray Moore
Rudy Ray Moore was an American comedian, musician, singer, film actor, and film producer. He was perhaps best known as Dolemite , the uniquely articulate pimp from the 1975 film Dolemite, and its sequel, The Human Tornado...
.
Personal life
Novak is also an ordained minister, having worked in skid rowSkid row
A skid row or skid road is a run-down or dilapidated urban area with a large, impoverished population. The term originally referred literally to a path along which working men skidded logs. Its current sense appears to have originated in the Pacific Northwest...
and prison ministry for over twenty years. He also has two daughters, Nikol and Lea, and 2 grandchildren from daughter Lea. Elijah and Ali Mae are their names.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | Black Belt Jones Black Belt Jones Black Belt Jones is a 1974 American Blaxploitation action film. The main musical theme was performed by the funk guitarist Dennis Coffey. The film was featured as number 38 on the documentary The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.-Plot:... |
Blue Eyes | |
| Truck Turner Truck Turner Truck Turner is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Jerry Wilkes and Oscar Williams... |
Doctor | Alternative title: Black Bullet | |
| 1975 | The Ulimate Warrior The Ultimate Warrior (1975 film) The Ultimate Warrior is a 1975 science fiction and action-adventure film directed by Robert Clouse. One of the first in a series of post-apocalyptic films from the 1960s and 1970s, it is set in post-civilization 2012 New York City and depicts the struggles of a small enclave of inhabitants... |
Lippert | Alternative titles: The Barony The Last Warrior |
| 1978 | Cat in the Cage | Ralph Desmond | |
| Game of Death Game of Death The Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives... |
Stick | ||
| 1979 | A Force of One A Force of One A Force of One is a 1979 martial arts film starring Chuck Norris, Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager, and Bill Wallace. The film was directed by Paul Aaron and written by Pat E... |
The Announcer | |
| 1980 | Tom Horn Tom Horn (film) Tom Horn is a 1980 western film about the legendary lawman, outlaw, and gunfighter. It starred Steve McQueen as the title character and was based on Horn's own writings.-Plot:... |
Corbett's Bodyguard | |
| 1981 | Lovely But Deadly Lovely But Deadly Lovely But Deadly is a 1981 action film about a cheerleader who goes undercover to fight drug dealers. The film was directed by David Sheldon, and stars Lucinda Dooling, John Randolph, and Richard Herd.... |
Warren Lang | |
| Force: Five | The Assassin | ||
| An Eye for an Eye | Montoya | ||
| 1985 | Force of Darkness | Conrad | |
| Sword of Heaven | Dirk | ||
| 1989 | Family Reunion | Tom Andrews | |
| 1991 | Capital Punishment | Mason Dover | Alternative title: Kickbox Terminator |
| 1993 | Expert Weapon | Miller | Alternative title: American Dragon |
| 1994 | Pocket Ninjas | Mr. Kaufman | Working title: Skate Dragons Alternative title: Super Sonic Pocket Ninjas on Wheels Foreign release title: Triple Dragon |
| Direct Hit | Kovar | ||
| Exit to Eden Exit To Eden (film) Exit to Eden is a 1994 American comedy-thriller loosely based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name, directed by Garry Marshall and adapted to the screen by Deborah Amelon and Bob Brunner. The original music score was composed by Patrick Doyle.... |
Walker's henchman | ||
| 1996 | Dear God | Sidewalk Minister | |
| 1997 | Future War Future War Future War is a 1997 direct-to-video American science fiction film about an escaped human slave fleeing his cyborg masters and seeking refuge on Earth. It was lampooned in a 1999 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.- Plot :... |
Otis | |
| Moonbase | Guard | ||
| 1999 | The F-Zone | Priest | |
| 2002 | Power Elite | President Jonathan Caine | |
| 2003 | GiAnts | Jonathan Caine | Direct-to-DVD release |
| 2005 | SWAT: Warhead One | Dick Danvers | Direct-to-DVD release |
| Vampire Assassin Vampire Assassin Vampire Assassin is a 2005 direct-to-DVD film directed, written by, and starring martial artist Ron Hall.-Plot:When protagonist Derek Washington was just a child, he witnessed his father's murder. Because of this, he became very afraid of blood... |
Gustoff Slovak | Alternate title: Vampire Assassins | |
| 2006 | Big Guns Big Guns (film) Big Guns is a 2006 film about a 60- to 75-year-old Senior Softball team "Kids At Heart." The film was directed and written by John Rester Zodrow and stars Barry Primus, Mel Novak, Susan Thomas, and Gino Giordan.... |
Larry Armstrong | Direct-to-DVD release |
| 2008 | Drifter TKD | Thomas Tyler | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | The F.B.I. | Policeman | 1 episode |
| 1973 | Mannix Mannix Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors... |
Elmo Bagley | 1 episode |
| 1976 | The Blue Knight | Steve | 1 episode |
| Ark II Ark II Ark II is an American live-action science fiction series aimed at children that aired on CBS beginning in 1976 as part of its Saturday morning line-up... |
First guard | 1 episode | |
| 2006 | Pastor Greg Pastor Greg Pastor Greg is a Christian sitcom, the first Christian television show of this genre. It debuted in 2005, and it is now in its third and final season... |
Man with dog | 1 episode |