Nico Minardos

Nico Minardos (born February 15, 1930), is an American actor. He made his first appearance in front of the Hollywood cameras as an extra in the 1952 film Monkey Business, 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, 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, "The Gift"; and two in 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, who is of Greek descent, has been married twice. He wed his first wife, Deborah Montgomery, in 1951. The couple, who divorced in 1956, had one child together. Two years after the divorce, Deborah married the legendary actor Tyrone Power. Minardos remarried in 1966. He and his wife Susan have two children together. Minardos is also famous for living with the actress Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s.

In 1975, Minardos starred in and produced Assault on Agathon. This was a spy adventure in which a CIA team attempts to catch a drug smuggling ring in Greece. It is the story of a revolutionary from WW2, the mysterious Agathon who is committing terrorsit acts in Greece and Albania. Minardos stars as Cabot Cain, Western agent assigned to stop Agathon and locate a missing Interpol agent. The file also starred Marianne Faithfull. Minardos' last appearance on the screen was in an episode of The A-Team in 1983.

Minardos' was one of the celebrated defendants in the Iran-Contra Affair. He was represented by attorney William Kunstler in this case. Although he was exhonorated of all charges, the cost of his legal defense drove him to the point of bankruptcy.

Today, Minardos lives in South Florida at the Southpoint Condominium. He has become a political activist and has been interviewed and quoted by several local newpapers, including the Miami Herald and the Sun Sentinel. He is a member of the Cyber Citizens For Justice, and has become involved in Florida Condominium Law Reform.

External links

• Nico Minardos at IMDb