By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
May 1, 1987
Cannon Films is touting actor Michael Dudikoff as the next big action hero. Luckily for him, there’s not a lot he can’t do physically.A longtime fitness enthusiast, he’s adept at most sports – except karate. That may surprise fans who saw him play a martial arts expert in “American Ninja.”
Dudikoff’s latest film, “American Ninja 2: The Confrontation,” is now playing at local theaters. The sequel to the successful 1985 thriller marks Dudikoff’s return as stoic superhero Joe Armstrong.
“Joe’s really loosened up a lot since `American Ninja,’ ” Dudikoff said. “He’s matured and knows more about himself now. And he’s also a lot more verbal than he was in the first picture.”
Celluloid action heroes aren’t remembered for their eloquent soliloquies, but Dudikoff’s Armstrong had so little to say that he could have been mistaken for a mute in “American Ninja.” He has more lines in the sequel, but Ninja fans who want action won’t be disappointed.
“There are some really good action sequences that we all worked hard to get just so,” he said. “Again, I trained with Mike Stone and Tadashi Yamashita. Both of them are experts in martial arts, unlike myself. I always knew how to defend myself because I used to get in and out of trouble as a kid, but I boxed. I never did any martial arts before I made this film, so it was a real challenge for me, especially in keeping limber enough to throw those kicks.”
Dudikoff said he knows that many kids who go to see his films also take karate lessons, so he wanted to make sure his moves looked authentic.
Dudikoff’s physical resemblance to James Dean hasn’t gone unnoticed. He is considering several offers to portray the late actor in a film biography.
“I would love to play him,” Dudikoff said. “There was a time when I really thought he was great. But the more I learned about him as a person, I saw him as a troubled and kind of unhappy person. He seemed confused and frightened of his own notoriety.”
Dudikoff, 32, said he’s ready to branch into film work that’s “a little more subtle.” Ideally, he’d like the type of leading-man roles that are being offered to Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts.
Acting hasn’t been all glamor for Dudikoff, such as the time he was filming in a swamp populated by crocodiles, poisonous snakes and water rats. He also got malaria on location in the Philippines, and his lip was split open during a fight scene.
“It’s not too glamorous sounding,” he said. “It can get scary, but I enjoy it a lot, too. I just like to be in movies. I’m not into the Hollywood soirees and cocktail parties and all that sort of stuff. The worst thing in this business is for an actor to start believing his own publicity. My dad makes sure my feet stay on the ground.
“But like any parent, he wants me to be the best in my field so he keeps telling me, `Take it to the top, Mike. Just take it to the top.’ And that’s what I want to do. I want to be here today and successful tomorrow.”
