The action film Flash Gordon was released in 1980 and although it was not a mega mainstream success, over the last 35 years it has become somewhat of a cult classic. It featured a mixture of already established stars and fairly unknown names including starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, and the future James Bond Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, and Ornella Muti.
A good action movie needs a good sound composition to go with it to make it better. The movie’s soundtrack was quite notable as expected after all it was composed, performed and produced by the legendary rock band Queen, not to mention that the orchestral sections were done by Howard Blake.
Since over 3 decades of its release, the film has received a cult following and the actors have gone on to do a number of other roles. So here today in this piece, let’s take a look at the cast now and then. Let us see what they have been up to since the film’s release.
1. Sam J. Jones – Flash Gordon
Samuel Gerald “Sam J.” Jones was a native of Chicago, Illinois. He was born on August 12, 1954. Before he began his big screen career, he had experience as something of a model. Assuming the name Andrew Cooper III,he appeared as a nude centerfold for Playgirl magazine.
In 1979, Jones made his debut appearance in movies in the romantic comedy film 10. His appearance in the film created quite a stir and he achieved a bit of notoriety because of the fact that he was eventually chosen to play the role of Flash Gordon in the movie, above Kurt Russell and Arnold Schwarzenegger, both, favorite with action junkies.Luckily post-release, Jones was well liked by fans of the film and he became a well-known face.But unfortunately for them, the disagreement that had arisen between him and the producers resulted in the planned trilogy being scrapped.
Following the success of the movie, Jones made appearances in many films and TV series. These include, in chronological order, The A-Team (1983–1987), Baywatch (1989–2001), Diagnosis Murder (1993–2002) and Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007). However, many newer fans may recognize him more for his cameos in the 2012 hit comedy Ted and its sequel in 2015.
2. Melody Anderson – Dale Arden
The Canadian Melody Anderson was born on December 3, 1955 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In the movie, she played the titular character’s girlfriend Dale Arden. That was her breakthrough role and before that she had starred only in a handful of TV series which include Logan’s Run (1977–1978) and BattlestarGalactica (1978–1979).
After Flash Gordon released, she got offered many roles and she went on to star in over 30 other movies and TV series. Her last appearance was in 1995 when she featured in an episode of the TV series Burke’s Law (1994-1995).That episode was titled “Who killed the world’s Greatest Chef?” Since her retirement from acting, she works as a social worker and public speaker, specializing in the impact of addiction on families.
3. Max von Sydow – Emperor Ming the Merciless
The Swedish Carl Adolf “Max” von Sydow was born on April 10, 1929 in Lund, Sweden. His first work which kick-started his acting career was Only a Mother, a 1949 drama. Fast forward nearly 25 years later, he starred as Father Merrin in the hit The Exorcist in 1973. Four years later in 1977,He reprised his role in the sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic.
However, major and critical acclaim came much later in life. His notable successes include the 1987 drama Pelle the Conqueror and 2011 adventure Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. In an acting career so long such as this, these two roles were the ones that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, respectively. Now, that’s something.
Among his very recent work, the ones that stand out include his fine works in Shutter Island (2010), Robin Hood (2010) and the latest Star Wars: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015).
4. Mariangela Melato – General Kala
An Italian by origin, Mariangela Melato was born on September 19, 1941 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. She was already something of a veteran when she was confirmed to portray General Kala. Before this, she had starred in over thirty movies and TV series before this role.
Not only was she a veteran but she was also a very successful and established star in her prime. Back in the 1970s, she was a major critically acclaimed star having been a recipient of high praises as well as being an awardee of the Italian Golden Globe for Mimìmetallurgicoferitonell’onore (1972),Attenti al buffone (1975) and Todomodo (1976).
The longing for home strengthened later in her career and she returned back to her native country. There she went on to continue working in films and starred in numerous comedies and dramas including Summer Night (1986). As she grew older, she gradually appeared in fewer films as she opted to perform in more roles in the theatre, such as the lead in The Miracle Worker.
She died on January 11, 2013, at the age of 71 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She passed away after the battle with pancreatic cancer in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
5. Peter Wyngarde – General Klytus
The Frenchman Peter Paul Wyngarde was born in Marseille, Southern France. In contrast to his film career, he has been very prolific on TV. He is famous for his roles in many TV series which is gigantic when compared to his only six other films than Flash Gordon. These six films are namely: Alexander the Great(1956), The Siege of Sidney Street (1960), The Innocents (1961), Night of the Eagle (1962), Himmel, Scheich und Wolkenbruch (1979) and Tank Malling (1989).
General Klytus, his character in Flash Garden wears a mask throughout the film. This may actually have been a good part for the actor at the time.He managed to land the role of General Klytus, but although his face was hidden behind a mask for the part, his distinctive voice is clearly recognizable.
Off screen, the actor had a colourful and controversial life due to society’s homophobia. In 1975, aside from being arrested was arrested but he was also convicted and fined £75 for an act of “gross indecency” in the toilets of Gloucester Bus Station. If you are scandalized by this then, know that prior to this, he was also arrested and cautioned for similar activities in the toilets at Kennedy Gardens in Birmingham the previous year.
These incidences affected his image greatly. However, in the acting circles,Wyngarde’s homosexuality was already well known fact. There, he was known by the nickname of “Petunia Winegum.” These controversies and convictions from these ‘crimes’ resulted in Wyngarde losing his celebrity status. This led to him shifting base to more liberal locations such as Austria where he acted and directed at the English Theatre in Vienna, and also in South Africa and Germany.
6. Chaim Topol – Dr. Hans Zarkov
Chaim Topol (he is often billed as Topol), was born on September 9, 1935 in Tel Aviv, Palestine, Israel. You know him best from for his Oscar-nominated performance of that of the Best Actor in a Leading Role in Fiddler on the Roof (1971). He is a multi-award winning actor and he had also starred inSallahShabati (1964), and Follow Me! (1972). Then came his appearing in Flash Gordon.
Post Flash Gordon, he starred alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only in 1981. The year 1998 saw his last film credits as starring in both the short film Time Elevator and Left Luggage.
Having retired from films, Topol currently serves as chairman of the board of the Jordan River Village. The project set up this camp was set up to serve children with serious and life-threatening diseases at no cost to their families. These services are available to children from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the Middle East.
7. Brian Blessed – Prince Vultan
The British actor Brian Blessed was born on October 9, 1936 in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, UK. Blessed has had a prolific career spanning decades. His acting resume includes over fifty films and TV series before appearing inFlash Gordon. His TV credits is mighty impressive with the mini-series The Three Musketeers (1966-1967), The Further Adventures of the Musketeers(1967), The Avengers (1961–1969) and I, Claudius (1976).
Post Flash Gordon, he starred in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991. 1999 saw him he provided the Boss Nass in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Just last year on 19 January 2015, Blessed gave his audience a collective near heart attack when he suddenly collapsed while performing in a production of King Lear with the Guildford Shakespeare Company. Fortunately, he was given prompt medical attention from a doctor, who also happened from the audience at the time.If that was amazing then what was even more ridiculous was that he just only 20 minutes later, Blessed returned to the stage and completed the play.
8. Ornella Muti – Princess Aura
Another Italian in the cast, Francesca RomanaRivelli was born on March 9, 1955 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. Before Flash Gordon, she primarily acted in Italian Films. She starred starring in around 25 films before Hollywood came calling with this acting assignment. In fact, this role was her debut acting role in an English-spoken film.
Muti is a veteran with over 100 acting credits to her name. She is still going strong as of 2015, with her next role being the 2015 short fantasy film Checkmate.
In 2015, she found herself in a spot of trouble when she was sentenced to eight months in prison or pay a fine of 30,000 euros. As grave as the conviction sentence may sound, the crime on the contrary is quite silly. The charge levied against her states that she violated the terms of her contract as she submitted a fake medical certificate and skipped the play in which she was performing in 2010.
So, where did she vanish off to after fainting sickness? It appears that instead on performing in the play, she decided to have dinner with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and several celebrities at a charity event held in St Petersburg, Russia.
9. Timothy Dalton – Prince Barin
The name is Bond, James Bond. Well, actually it is Timothy Dalton. Bond was just a character he played in some other movies. Timothy Peter Dalton was born on March 21, 1946. He was married to actress Vanessa Redgrave (of the Mission: Impossible 1996 andJulia 1977 fame. For Julia she won a best-supporting actress Oscar) from 1971-1986.
He was already a well-known actor before the Flash Gordon though. He had appeared inWuthering Heights (1970), The Executioner (1975) and Agatha (1979).
As aforementioned, Dalton’s most famous role is that of James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989). Dalton had a contract with the producers for three Bond films, but he could be casted only in two due to legal issues and his contract expiring. In 1994, he made the announcement that he would not be returning to play James Bond.
Post Flash Gordon/Bond, his most famous roles arguably were in the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost comedy Hot Fuzz (2007) and Toy Story 3 (2010), where he voiced the character of Mr. Pricklepants.
