00:00Jan Michael Vincent, who starred in such action fairs as The Mechanic, White Line Fever,
00:04and TV's Airwolf before a series of personal problems and illness sent him on a downward spiral,
00:09has died. He was 73. According to his death certificate obtained by The Hollywood Reporter,
00:14Vincent died February 10th of cardiac arrest in Asheville, North Carolina.
00:18Back in the mid-1970s, Vincent was poised on the cusp of superstardom. The agent who discovered him
00:24also discovered James Dean. Vincent portrayed up-and-coming characters in The Mechanic,
00:28Vigilante Force, and Hooper throughout the 70s. The actor also starred in Buster & Billy,
00:33White Line Fever, and Baby Blue Marine. After a bit of a career lull, Vincent appeared in the acclaimed
00:38ABC 1983 miniseries The Winds of War. He was then cast in the series Airwolf, which aired from 1984 to 1986.
00:45At the time, Vincent was among the highest-paid actors on TV. But Vincent had a very public battle
00:51with drug and alcohol abuse, and his career was already on the wane when he was drunk and involved
00:55in a 1996 car accident that broke his neck and damaged his vocal cords. With all his troubles,
01:00Vincent's career would never be the same after Airwolf. And in 2008, Vincent was in another car crash.
01:06He then contracted an infection that led to two sections of his right leg being amputated.
01:10He spent his final years broke and living in the South. Survivors include his wife, Patricia.
01:15For more on Jan Michael Vincent's life and career, head to THR.com.
01:18Until next time, for The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Tiffany Taylor.
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