Jan Michael Vincent Downfall - A recovering alcoholic, right leg amputee and broke, these describe the Jan Michael Vincent of today, who was one of the highest paid TV actors in the 1980s.
Vincent's rise to stardom kicked off when he landed the role of gutsy Matt in the superb surf movie "Big Wednesday" in 1978. He was known as the helicopter pilot, Stringfellow Hawke in the 1984 top rated action TV series, "Airwolf". Vincent was once the highest earning TV actors receiving $200,000 for each episode. He was a rising heartthrob during this time but issues with drugs and alcoholism led to his short Hollywood career as reported in Daily Mail.
"Airwolf" lasted only for three seasons and from then on Jan Michael Vincent's downfall started. He was primarily appearing in "low-budget, B-grade action and sci-fi films". Vincent has admitted that he was already battling alcoholism while filming "Airwolf".
The '80s heartthrob's unfortunate circumstances continued when he encountered two serious car accidents. The first accident was in 1996 resulting to three broken bones in his neck. The accident caused a permanent injury in his vocal cords giving him a permanent rasping voice. In 2008, he encountered another car crash. Jan Michael Vincent's downfall seemed to be an endless challenge.
Vincent got a peripheral artery disease and contracted a severe complication of leg infection in 2012.
"An infection in my leg got steadily worse. I felt like I was beaten with a whip," Vincent told The Enquirer.
The doctors told Vincent and his third wife that he might not survive which in the end got them with no choice but to decide for Vincent's lower half right leg to be amputated.
Battling to stay alive and conquer Jan Michael Vincent's downfall, he took powerful pain medications including propofol. But the retired actor developed another infection after a month of stay in the recovery ward forcing his doctors to remove more of his right leg to stop the infection.
Now, the ex-heartthrob wears a prosthetic limb and sometimes uses the wheelchair. The actor still struggles with alcoholism and won't like to disclose when he got sober. Aside from his physical mishaps, Vincent also owes $70,000 in back taxes.
Jan Michael Vincent's downfall took so much from his promising career in Hollywood. His wife Anna told The Enquirer, "I'm praying for a solution." The man wishes to be reunited with his only child from his first wife and get out in the waves again as an avid surfer.