Nico Minardos
Encyclopedia
Nico Minardos was a Greek-American actor
.
, starring Cary Grant
, Ginger Rogers
, and Marilyn Monroe
. Also listed among his film credits are Twelve Hours to Kill
, in which he starred opposite Barbara Eden
; It Happened in Athens
, starring blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield
; and Cannon for Cordoba
, an action-packed western with George Peppard
and Pete Duel
.
The majority of Minardos' work, however, was in television, where he made guest appearances in a wide variety of shows. Because of his dark looks and accent, he was often cast as a Mexican, a trend which can be seen throughout his career. These roles included that of a thief in the Maverick
episode, "The Judas Mask"; a doctor in The Twilight Zone
episode "The Gift"
; and two roles in the TV show Alias Smith and Jones
, first as a bandit chief in "Journey from San Juan," and then as the Alcalde of a Mexican resort town in "Miracle at Santa Marta." These latter two appearances reunited him with Cannon for Cordoba
co-star, Pete Duel
, who played Hannibal Heyes, the alias Smith of title.
Minardos was married twice, first briefly in the mid-1950s to the former Deborah Jean Smith (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Deborah Ann Montgomery). There were no children from that marriage. Two years after the divorce, Deborah married the legendary actor Tyrone Power
. Minardos remarried in 1966. He and his wife Julie had two children together, a son named George and a daughter named Nina. Minardos reputedly lived with the actress Marilyn Monroe
in the 1950s and also for a short time the actress/dancer Juliet Prowse lived with him in his Beverly Hills canyon house before she moved to Las Vegas to be with Frank Sinatra.
On September 28, 1966, Minardos, who was co-starring with actor Eric Fleming
in an MGM-TV movie filming on location in Peru to be called "Selva Alta" ("High Jungle"), was involved in a canoeing mishap on the Huallaga River in which Fleming drowned. Minardos, a strong swimmer, was unable to rescue Fleming from the rapids and only barely survived himself. Fleming's body disappeared in the turbulent waters and was not recovered until three days later.
In 1975, Minardos starred in and produced Assault on Agathon based on the book by Alan Caillou
. It is the story of a revolutionary from World War II, the mysterious Agathon, who is committing terrorist acts in Greece and Albania. Minardos stars as Cabot Cain, a Western agent assigned to stop Agathon and locate a missing Interpol agent. The film also starred Marianne Faithfull
and John Woodvine
. Minardos's last appearance on the screen was in an episode of The A-Team
in 1983.
In 1986 Minardos was one of the celebrated defendants in a case related to the Iran-Contra Affair
, resulting from Minardos' business association with the Saudi arms merchant Adnan Khashoggi
. Minardos was caught in an FBI sting operation in New York and was indicted by then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani
on charges of conspiracy to illegally ship arms to Iran. He was represented by famed anti-government attorneys William Kunstler
and Ron Kuby
in this case. Minardos was interviewed by Mike Wallace
for a segment of the CBS
show 60 Minutes
regarding his role in the case. Although the indictment was eventually thrown out, the cost of his legal defense drove him to the point of bankruptcy which unfortunately ended his Hollywood career. Minardos soon traded his home in Beverly Hills for a sailing yacht in Florida, which he subsequently outfitted and sailed across the Atlantic to his Greek homeland with a crew that included his son George.
Minardos retired to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
during the 1990s and 2000s, but moved back to Southern California in 2009 after suffering a stroke. He was the subject of a documentary about his life titled Finding Nico which was completed in 2010.
Obituary - Variety
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Life and works
Nico Minardos made his first appearance in front of the Hollywood cameras as an extra in the 1952 film Monkey BusinessMonkey Business (1952 film)
Monkey Business is a screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Hugh Marlowe. To avoid confusion with the famous Marx Brothers movie of the same name, this film is sometimes referred to as Howard Hawks' Monkey...
, starring Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
, Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, and Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
. Also listed among his film credits are Twelve Hours to Kill
Twelve Hours to Kill
Twelve Hours to Kill aka 12 Hours to Kill is a 1960 crime/drama film starring Nico Minardos and Barbara Eden.Barbara Eden was a relatively unknown film actress at the time of casting, however she was familiar to television audiences for her role on the sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire based on the...
, in which he starred opposite Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
; It Happened in Athens
It Happened In Athens
It Happened in Athens was a 1962 comedy film released by 20th Century Fox. This was film star Jayne Mansfield's last film to be released by studio 20th Century Fox...
, starring blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
; and Cannon for Cordoba
Cannon for Cordoba
Cannon for Cordoba was a western film that was released in 1970. Filmed in Spain, the large part of the movie takes place in Mexico in 1912...
, an action-packed western with George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
and Pete Duel
Pete Duel
Pete Duel was an American actor, best known for his role in the television series Alias Smith and Jones.-Early life:Peter Ellstrom Deuel was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in nearby Penfield....
.
The majority of Minardos' work, however, was in television, where he made guest appearances in a wide variety of shows. Because of his dark looks and accent, he was often cast as a Mexican, a trend which can be seen throughout his career. These roles included that of a thief in the Maverick
Maverick (TV series)
Maverick is a western television series with comedic overtones created by Roy Huggins. The show ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and stars James Garner as Bret Maverick, a cagey, articulate cardsharp. Eight episodes into the first season, he was joined by Jack Kelly as his brother...
episode, "The Judas Mask"; a doctor in The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
episode "The Gift"
The Gift (The Twilight Zone)
"The Gift" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:A humanoid alien crash-lands outside a mountain village just across the Texas-Mexico border. He accidentally kills a police officer and is wounded by another. When he reaches a village bar, he collapses...
; and two roles in the TV show Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...
, first as a bandit chief in "Journey from San Juan," and then as the Alcalde of a Mexican resort town in "Miracle at Santa Marta." These latter two appearances reunited him with Cannon for Cordoba
Cannon for Cordoba
Cannon for Cordoba was a western film that was released in 1970. Filmed in Spain, the large part of the movie takes place in Mexico in 1912...
co-star, Pete Duel
Pete Duel
Pete Duel was an American actor, best known for his role in the television series Alias Smith and Jones.-Early life:Peter Ellstrom Deuel was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in nearby Penfield....
, who played Hannibal Heyes, the alias Smith of title.
Minardos was married twice, first briefly in the mid-1950s to the former Deborah Jean Smith (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Deborah Ann Montgomery). There were no children from that marriage. Two years after the divorce, Deborah married the legendary actor Tyrone Power
Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power, Jr. , usually credited as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as Ty Power, was an American film and stage actor who appeared in dozens of films from the 1930s to the 1950s, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads such as in The Mark of Zorro, Blood and Sand, The Black Swan,...
. Minardos remarried in 1966. He and his wife Julie had two children together, a son named George and a daughter named Nina. Minardos reputedly lived with the actress Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
in the 1950s and also for a short time the actress/dancer Juliet Prowse lived with him in his Beverly Hills canyon house before she moved to Las Vegas to be with Frank Sinatra.
On September 28, 1966, Minardos, who was co-starring with actor Eric Fleming
Eric Fleming
Eric Fleming was an American actor, known primarily for his role as Gil Favor in the long running CBS television series Rawhide.-Early life:...
in an MGM-TV movie filming on location in Peru to be called "Selva Alta" ("High Jungle"), was involved in a canoeing mishap on the Huallaga River in which Fleming drowned. Minardos, a strong swimmer, was unable to rescue Fleming from the rapids and only barely survived himself. Fleming's body disappeared in the turbulent waters and was not recovered until three days later.
In 1975, Minardos starred in and produced Assault on Agathon based on the book by Alan Caillou
Alan Caillou
Alan Caillou was the nom de plume of Alan Samuel Lyle-Smythe M.B.E., M.C. , an author, actor, screenwriter, soldier, policeman and professional hunter.-Biography:...
. It is the story of a revolutionary from World War II, the mysterious Agathon, who is committing terrorist acts in Greece and Albania. Minardos stars as Cabot Cain, a Western agent assigned to stop Agathon and locate a missing Interpol agent. The film also starred Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
and John Woodvine
John Woodvine
John Woodvine is an English stage and screen actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.-Early life:...
. Minardos's last appearance on the screen was in an episode of The A-Team
The A-Team
The A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
in 1983.
In 1986 Minardos was one of the celebrated defendants in a case related to the Iran-Contra Affair
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair , also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or Iran-Contra-Gate, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior Reagan administration officials and President Reagan secretly facilitated the sale of...
, resulting from Minardos' business association with the Saudi arms merchant Adnan Khashoggi
Adnan Khashoggi
Adnan Khashoggi is a Saudi Arabian arms-dealer and businessman. He is also noted for his engagements with high society in both the Occident and Arabic-speaking worlds, and for his involvement in the Iran–Contra and Lockheed bribery scandals, and numerous other affairs...
. Minardos was caught in an FBI sting operation in New York and was indicted by then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
on charges of conspiracy to illegally ship arms to Iran. He was represented by famed anti-government attorneys William Kunstler
William Kunstler
William Moses Kunstler was an American self-described "radical lawyer" and civil rights activist, known for his controversial clients...
and Ron Kuby
Ron Kuby
Ronald L. Kuby is a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer, radio talk show host and TV commentator. He has hosted radio programs on WABC Radio in New York and Air America Radio.-Beginnings:...
in this case. Minardos was interviewed by Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
for a segment of the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
show 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
regarding his role in the case. Although the indictment was eventually thrown out, the cost of his legal defense drove him to the point of bankruptcy which unfortunately ended his Hollywood career. Minardos soon traded his home in Beverly Hills for a sailing yacht in Florida, which he subsequently outfitted and sailed across the Atlantic to his Greek homeland with a crew that included his son George.
Minardos retired to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
during the 1990s and 2000s, but moved back to Southern California in 2009 after suffering a stroke. He was the subject of a documentary about his life titled Finding Nico which was completed in 2010.
Obituary - Variety
External links
- Visit the Memorial Website for Nico Minardos: http://www.nicominardos.name/