Nick Dimitri

Nick Dimitri (born Nicholas Dimitrios Sigelakis; December 27, 1932 – October 20, 2021) was an American stuntman and actor best known for his rugged portrayals of heavies, thugs, and villains in Hollywood films and television series from the late 1950s through the 1990s.^[1][2] Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing around 200 pounds during his peak, Dimitri was a U.S. Navy veteran who began his entertainment career as a muscleman in a Mae West revue in Las Vegas before transitioning to acting and stunts.^[3][4] He joined the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures in the late 1960s and specialized in intense fight scenes, car crashes, and explosive stunts, often doubling for stars like Sean Connery and working on projects directed by filmmakers such as Walter Hill and William Friedkin.^[3][4] Among his most notable roles was the bare-knuckle boxer facing off against Charles Bronson in the climax of the 1975 film Hard Times, as well as appearances in Sorcerer (1977), where he was twice blown up in rigged explosions, and TV shows including The Rockford Files, Knight Rider, and The A-Team.^[4][3] Dimitri also advocated for greater recognition of stunt performers in the industry, lamenting the absence of an Academy Awards category for their work, and he posed nude for Viva magazine in 1975 to raise awareness about the profession.^[4] In his later years, he relocated to Sarasota, Florida, in 2003 with his wife, actress Christina Cummings, whom he married in 1982, and continued to emphasize the physical toll and skill required in stunt work.^[4]

Early life

Birth and family

Nicholas Dimitrios Sigelakis, professionally known as Nick Dimitri, was born on December 27, 1932, in the United States.^[5] His birth name suggests Greek heritage, consistent with the cultural background implied by his linguistic abilities later in life.^[5]

Military service and bodybuilding

Dimitri served in the United States Navy, where the demands of military training fostered a strong sense of discipline and honed his natural athleticism.^[5] Following his discharge, he immersed himself in the bodybuilding scene at Muscle Beach in the late 1950s, cultivating a formidable physique that stood at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds.^[6] This period of intense physical development not only built his muscular frame but also prepared him for the rigors of performance-based pursuits.^[5] As part of his bodybuilding endeavors, Dimitri performed as a muscleman in Mae West's Las Vegas Muscleman Revue, where he displayed his sculpted build to captivated audiences in a revue that highlighted athletic prowess and showmanship.^[5] These experiences in competitive fitness and stage presentation directly contributed to his transition into entertainment opportunities.^[6]

Career

Entry into entertainment

Nick Dimitri's entry into the entertainment industry began in the late 1950s, leveraging his athletic build from bodybuilding to secure initial opportunities in Hollywood. As a Muscle Beach bodybuilder, he first appeared in uncredited roles as an extra in television series, including episodes of 77 Sunset Strip where he portrayed a photographer and a generic man.^[5][7] These early background parts capitalized on his 6-foot-2, 200-pound physique, positioning him as a suitable stand-in for physically demanding scenes.^[8] Dimitri's involvement in Mae West's Las Vegas Muscleman Revue during this period helped forge key connections within Hollywood's athletic and entertainment circles, facilitating his transition from stage performances to on-screen work.^[8] His multilingual abilities in Greek and Spanish further enhanced his versatility, opening doors to diverse casting in projects that required ethnic or international authenticity.^[8] This foundational phase marked Dimitri's pivot from personal fitness pursuits to professional contributions in film and television, eventually expanding into more consistent stunt assignments on series like The Rat Patrol.^[5]

Stunt work

Dimitri began his stunt career in the 1960s, quickly establishing himself as a versatile performer known for handling high-risk action sequences in television and film. He served as a regular stuntman on the World War II adventure series The Rat Patrol (1966–1968), where he performed in multiple episodes, including stunts involving explosions, vehicle chases, and combat simulations across desert locations. His physical build—standing 6 feet 2 inches and weighing around 200 pounds at his peak—made him ideal for doubling prominent actors in demanding scenes, such as Sean Connery in The Molly Maguires (1970), where he executed fight and physical maneuvers. Dimitri also frequently doubled for William Smith, notably as his stunt double in Darker than Amber (1970), contributing to the film's intense brawls and boat chases.^[9][4][10] Specializing in fight choreography and vividly staged on-screen deaths, Dimitri portrayed tough antagonists and heavies in over 100 projects, often taking elaborate beatings to enhance dramatic impact. His expertise in these areas was evident in setups for key fight sequences, such as those in Darker than Amber (1970) and Any Which Way You Can (1980), where he coordinated choreography despite actors like Smith performing many stunts themselves. A member of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures since 1969, Dimitri helped advance professional standards for stunt performers, advocating for greater industry recognition during the association's early growth. He once claimed to have been "killed" on-screen 86 times in a single year, underscoring his role in crafting realistic, violent demises through controlled falls, pyrotechnics, and hand-to-hand combat.^[5][4] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Dimitri's work emphasized practical effects and athletic precision, including boxing against Charles Bronson in Hard Times (1975), surviving a high-speed car ejection and dual explosions in Sorcerer (1977)—where he managed detonator timing for safety—and utility stunts on TV series like The Rockford Files, Knight Rider, and The A-Team. In the 1990s, he contributed to major action blockbusters, performing stunts in Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicles such as Total Recall (1990) and Last Action Hero (1993), as well as intense confrontations in Out for Justice (1991) opposite Steven Seagal and pursuits in The Fugitive (1993), where he doubled antagonists like the one-armed man. These roles showcased his specialization in antagonist doublings and choreographed violence, blending physical endurance with technical coordination to support narrative tension without digital aids.^[4][11][1]

Acting roles

Dimitri's breakthrough acting role arrived in 1975, when he portrayed Street, the formidable bare-knuckle opponent to Charles Bronson's character Chaney in Walter Hill's Hard Times, a gritty Depression-era drama that highlighted his physical prowess in the film's climactic fight scene. This performance marked a pivotal moment, establishing Dimitri as a go-to actor for intense, physically demanding antagonist parts. Earlier, in the 1973 made-for-television horror film The Norliss Tapes, Dimitri embodied the eerie role of James Cort, a sculptor resurrected from the dead through a supernatural pact, bringing a menacing presence to the supernatural thriller directed by Dan Curtis. His portrayal of the undead artist, marked by grotesque makeup and aggressive demeanor, showcased his ability to blend physicality with horror elements. Throughout the 1960s to 1990s, Dimitri frequently appeared in guest spots on television, often as tough, adversarial figures; notable examples include his role as Eddie, a belligerent bar patron and fighter, in the Cheers episode "Save the Last Dance for Me" (1986). In the Star Trek franchise, Dimitri took on uncredited enemy roles across multiple episodes, such as a Romulan guard in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Unification II" (1991) and a Markalian thief in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "Emissary" (1993), leveraging his imposing build for alien adversaries and security personnel.^[1] Dimitri was often typecast as heavies, thugs, and hoodlums, roles that capitalized on his rugged, muscular frame developed through bodybuilding during the late 1950s at Muscle Beach.^[12] Directors like Richard Benjamin cast him as a garage soldier in the action-comedy City Heat (1984), while Fred Williamson featured him as a goon in blaxploitation films such as No Way Back (1976) and Mr. Mean (1977).^[13] Similarly, Henry Levin employed him as a parking lot thug in the spy spoof The Ambushers (1967), where his athleticism enhanced the film's chaotic action sequences. This consistent casting reflected his specialization in portraying menacing, streetwise criminals across genres from crime thrillers to comedies. Dimitri's on-screen physicality drew from his background in bodybuilding, infusing his characters with authentic, grappling-infused intensity.^[4] In several of these productions, he doubled as a stunt performer, seamlessly blending acting with high-risk action.^[1]

Personal life

Marriage and later residence

Dimitri married actress Christina Cummings, professionally known as Christy Hartburg, in 1982; the couple shared a life together marked by mutual support following his Hollywood years. Cummings survived him and died on February 24, 2025, in Sarasota, Florida.^[4][14] In 2003, Dimitri and Cummings relocated to Sarasota, Florida, to be closer to family members. As of 2011, they resided there, with Dimitri occasionally reflecting on his extensive career in interviews.^[4] Dimitri retired from active stunt work in the late 1990s, concluding nearly four decades in the industry. In retirement, he maintained his fitness routine by regularly visiting the local gym, staying in strong physical condition into his late seventies.^[1][4]

Death

Nick Dimitri died on October 20, 2021, at the age of 88. The cause of his death was not publicly disclosed, consistent with natural causes at his advanced age.^[5] His passing was honored in the In Memoriam section of SAG-AFTRA Magazine's Fall/Winter 2021 issue, recognizing his decades of service as a performer.^[15]

Filmography

Film credits

Nick Dimitri appeared in numerous feature films as both an actor portraying tough, menacing characters and as a stunt performer, often doubling for action stars in high-risk sequences. His credits reflect a career emphasizing physicality, with roles as bare-knuckle fighters, thugs, and stunt work in action thrillers.^[16] The following is a selective chronological overview of his major film contributions:

• 1970: Darker than Amber - Stunts (stunt performer in action sequences). Dimitri contributed to the film's chase and fight scenes as part of the stunt team.
• 1975: Hard Times - Actor (Street, bare-knuckle fighter). He played a key antagonist in the film's gritty boxing matches opposite Charles Bronson.
• 1977: Sorcerer - Stunts (stunt driver and performer). Dimitri performed dangerous truck driving stunts in the film's intense jungle sequences.
• 1980: Any Which Way You Can - Stunts (stunt performer). He performed in brawls in this Clint Eastwood comedy-action film, including bar fights.
• 1989: Turner & Hooch - Actor (Casey, on-screen thug). Dimitri appeared as a criminal enforcer in a confrontation scene with Tom Hanks.
• 1990: Total Recall - Stunts (stunt performer). He handled action stunts on the Mars colony set, doubling in combat sequences.
• 1991: Out for Justice - Actor (pool room thug). Portrayed a henchman in a brutal brawl orchestrated by Steven Seagal.
• 1993: The Fugitive - Stunts (stunt performer). Dimitri participated in the film's high-speed chases and fight choreography.
• 1993: Last Action Hero - Actor (minor thug role). Appeared briefly as a knocked-out henchman in an action parody sequence.

Television credits

Nick Dimitri began his television career in the late 1950s, contributing stunt work to popular series such as 77 Sunset Strip (1958), where he performed uncredited stunts.^[1] He gained prominence as a regular stuntman on the World War II adventure series The Rat Patrol (1966–1968), appearing in multiple episodes in roles including German Soldier in "The Tug of War Raid" (1968), Guard in "The Street Urchin Raid" (1967), U.S. Soldier, and Fake Moffit, often handling fight sequences and action stunts as enemy forces.^[17][18][19] Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Dimitri provided stunts for shows like Route 66 (1960).^[1] In the 1980s, he continued his stunt and acting work in action-oriented television, including uncredited stunts and appearances in Knight Rider (1982), The A-Team (1983), Hunter (1984), and MacGyver (1985). Dimitri made a guest appearance on Dynasty (1985) as a bodyguard in the episode "Royal Wedding." On Cheers (1986), he portrayed Eddie Csznyk in the episode "Save the Last Dance for Me," executing a memorable stunt fall down a flight of stairs.^[20] Later in his career, Dimitri contributed uncredited stunt and acting roles to the Star Trek franchise, including Henchman in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "A Fistful of Datas" (1992), Nausicaan #2 in "Tapestry" (1993), and Markalian Thief in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's pilot "Emissary" (1993).^[6][21]