‘Flash Gordon’ 35 years later: Where are they now?
Those colorful visuals, that ever-present Queen soundtrack ... 1980's "Flash Gordon" was supposed to be a blockbuster on par with "Star Wars." It wasn't quite that, but the campy film was quite successful in the UK and has gained a cult following. It's being celebrated on Saturday, November 28, at a special BAFTA event in London, with members of the cast (this new poster for the event is from superfan and comic book artist Alex Ross, who has compared it to "Guardians of the Galaxy"). But where have they been over the past 35 years?
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Sam J. Jones was well-cast as football player-turned-interplanetary hero Flash Gordon.
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Jones starred in the TV movie "The Spirit" and the short-lived series "The Highwayman," along with guest roles on TV. He played himself in Seth MacFarlane's movies "Ted" and "Ted 2," thanks to nostalgia for "Flash Gordon."
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Melody Anderson portrayed Flash's love interest, Dale Arden.
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Anderson has been retired from acting for 20 years but still appears at fan conventions. Like Jones, she made numerous TV appearances, most notably as Marilyn Monroe in the TV movie "Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair."
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Legendary actor Max von Sydow was almost unrecognizable as the evil Ming the Merciless.
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Best known for "The Seventh Seal" and "The Exorcist," von Sydow has made regular appearances on the big screen, typically in villainous roles ("Minority Report," "Never Say Never Again"). He has an unknown part in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
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The noble Prince Barin was portrayed by Timothy Dalton.
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Dalton has had a number of major roles, most famously as James Bond ("The Living Daylights," "License to Kill") and Rhett Butler ("Scarlett"). Recently, he was seen on the TV shows "Doctor Who," "Chuck" and "Penny Dreadful."
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Ornella Muti played the seductive Princess Aura, Ming's daughter.
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The Italian actress has mostly stuck with movies in her home country, with exceptions like "Oscar" and "Once Upon a Crime."
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The jolly giant Prince Vultan was played by Brian Blessed.
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The stage and screen actor has acted in the classic British comedy series "Blackadder," "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace," several Kenneth Branagh Shakespeare movie adaptations and Disney's "Tarzan," as well as a multitude of West End productions.
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Richard O'Brien has a knack for cult movies and appeared here as Fico.
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O'Brien will always be known as the creator of "The Rocky Horror Show" (and the originator of the character Riff Raff on stage and screen). He's also known for his roles in "Dark City" and "Ever After."
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Robbie Coltrane had a small role in the movie.
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He went on to bigger fame as Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" movies.