Actor Jan-Michael Vincent passed away on February 10 in Asheville, NC at the age of 74. His death wasn’t widely reported until early March for unknown reasons.
Vincent’s career was at its peak in the 70s and 80s before addiction issues derailed his career. I enjoyed many of his movies, but I had a very personal connection with his role as Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series Airwolf.
Hawke was an unassuming persona that didn’t want or need to be in the spotlight. It’s a common theme for many heroes—a seemingly normal person has extraordinary skills that surprise those who know him or her—and it’s how I would want it to be. I think we all aspire for greatness and desire a respect for who we are and what we can do, but some demand the microphone while others would prefer to operate behind the curtain. I’m the latter, and Hawke only strengthened my desire to quietly be the best that I could be. (It’s a bit of a dichotomy, really. How can one’s achievements or deeds be recognized as significant while at the same time allowing the individual to maintain a level of personal anonymity?)
Hawke personified the values and lifestyle I desired for myself. His home was a mountain cabin on a lake where he could insulate himself from the chaos of the world. He was a recluse, and yet he still cared deeply about his close friends. He had an uncompromising moral compass, and believed in doing the right thing even if it put him at odds with others. And of course, he was an elite pilot who used Airwolf to right the wrongs of the world. Every one of those points—sans combat helicopter pilot, of course—resonate for me as much today as they did when Airwolf first aired in the mid-80s.
I didn’t know Vincent the man, but the Stringfellow Hawke character he portrayed certainly shaped who I am and what I value. Isn’t that the point of heroes?