Alex Cord

Alexander Viespi Jr. (May 3, 1933 – August 9, 2021), known professionally as Alex Cord, was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, better known as Archangel, in 55 episodes of the American television series Airwolf (1984–1986). Early in his career, he was credited as Alex Viespi.

Early life Cord was born to an Italian family in Floral Park, New York, the son of Marie (Paladino) and Alexander Viespi, who was in the construction business. Cord was stricken with polio at the age of 12. His family then moved to Wyoming, where doctors advised him to take up horseback riding as a therapeutic exercise. This helped him recover from the disease by the time he was 16. Cord attended New York University in New York City and the American Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford, Connecticut. He had a role in the 1961 episode "The Mountain Men" of the TV series Laramie.

In 1963 and 1964, Cord was cast as different characters in five episodes of the series Route 66, including the role of Michael in the two-part "Where There's a Will, There's a Way." In 1964, he played the part of Sam in the episode "If Your Grandmother Had Wheels" of East Side/West Side. During this same period, he appeared twice on Naked City.

In 1965, Cord was cast as Jed Colbee in the episode "Survival" of Branded. In 1966, he played the Ringo Kid in a remake of Stagecoach, which arguably remains Cord's most heavily publicized endeavor, during which he was ballyhooed in the press as a former football player since the role was originally portrayed by minor college football player John Wayne (who had since starred in eighty Western movies, usually with his name above the title, throughout the 1930s) in John Ford's 1939 version. Cord co-starred in The Brotherhood with Kirk Douglas, about a Mafia figure being sent to murder his own brother. In 1977, he starred as the title character in the epic western Grayeagle. Cord died at his home in Valley View, Texas on August 9, 2021, at the age of 88.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1962 The Chapman Report Bardelli Uncredited 1965 Synanon Zankie Albo 1966 Stagecoach "The Ringo Kid" 1968 A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die Clay McCord The Brotherhood Vince Ginetta 1969 Stiletto Count Cesare Cardinali 1970 The Last Grenade Kip Thompson 1971 The Tell-Tale Heart The Murderer Short film 1972 The Dead Are Alive Professor Jason Porter1973 Genesis II Dylan Hunt 1974 Chosen Survivors Steven Mayes 1975 Inn of the Damned Cal Kincaid 1977 Sidewinder 1 Packard Gentry Grayeagle Grayeagle 1984 Jungle Warriors Nick Spilotro 1987 Uninvited Walter Graham Direct-to-video 1990 Street Asylum Captain Bill Quinton A Girl to Kill For Mike / Wino 1991 Joey Takes a Cab 1992 Roots of Evil Jake The Naked Truth Herskovitz 1993 CIA Code Name: Alexa Victor Mahler To Be the Best Jack Rodgers Direct-to-video 1995 Hologram Man Governor Hampton 2001 Air Rage General Harlan Prescott 2009 Fire from Below General Mark 'Stonewall' Jackson

Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 Laramie John Sanford Episode: "The Mountain Men" Ben Casey Frank Paulson Episode: "Pavane for a Gentle Lady" Frontier Circus Nino Sanchez Episode: "Winter Quarters" 1962 Cain's Hundred Larry Rome Episode: "Take a Number: Jack Garsell" 1962–1963 Naked City Dick Wilkes / Nicholas Kovar 2 episodes 1963 Armstrong Circle Theatre Juri Mishukov Episode: "Invitation to Treason" Alcoa Premiere Tomas Caliban Episode: "The Hat of Sergeant Martin" The Nurses Dr. Brian Episode: "Circle of Choice" BBC Sunday-Night Play Jerry Rogers Episode: "The Joker" 1963–1964 Route 66 Michael Tiffin / Rick Decatur / Jack / Raymond 5 episodes 1964 ITV Play of the Week Alvaro Mangiacavallo Episode: "The Rose Tattoo" East Side/West Side Sam Episode: "If Your Grandmother Had Wheels" 1965 Branded Jed Colbee Episode: "Survival" 1967 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Lucky Paxton Episode: "The Lady Is My Wife" The Scorpio Letters Joe Christopher Television film 1971 Night Gallery Erik Sutton Segment: "Keep in Touch - We'll Think of Something" 1972 Gunsmoke Pete Brown Episode: "The Sodbusters" Mission: Impossible Peter Cordel Episode: "Crack-Up" Insight Tom Slade Episode: "The Killer" 1973 Genesis II Dylan Hunt Television film The F.B.I. Haynes Episode: "Night of the Long Knives" 1973–1976 Police Story Officer Jackson Holt / William Allen / Bill Stryker - The Cowboy / Scully 4 episodes 1974 Born Free Paul Morgan - The Vet Episode: "The Trespassers" 1975 Matt Helm Gallagher Episode: "Murder on Ice" 1976 Joe Forrester Episode: "Squeeze Play" The Quest McWhorley Episode: "The Buffalo Hunters" Police Woman Bass Episode: "Tennis Bum" The Six Million Dollar Man Dave Harraway Episode: "Task Force" 1977 Fire! Dr. Alex Wilson Television film Have I Got a Christmas for You Dan Levine 1978 W.E.B. Jack Kiley 5 episodes 1979 Beggarman, Thief Evans Kinsella Television film 1979–1981 The Love Boat Hank Welker / Mr. Barrett 2 episodes 1980–1984 Fantasy Island Paul Horner / Ra-Mas / Captain Juan Arguello / Kyle Mason / Robert West 5 episodes 1981 Best of Friends Bill Television film Goliath Awaits Dr. Sam Marlowe 1982 Cassie & Co. Mike Holland 13 episodes 1984 Airwolf Michael Coldsmith Briggs III Television film Hotel Preston Dwyer Episode: "Flesh and Blood" 1984–1986 Airwolf Michael Coldsmith Briggs III / Archangel 55 episodes 1986 Murder, She Wrote Preston Bartholomew 2 episodes 1987 The Law & Harry McGraw Alec Harris Episode: "The Fallen Arrow" 1988 The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission Dravko Demchuk Television film Simon & Simon Roland Vicente / Harry Lubash Episode: "The Richer They Are the Harder They Fall" War of the Worlds Marcus Madison Mason Episode: "The Good Samaritan" Monsters John Thunston Episode: "Rouse Him Not" 1989 Freddy's Nightmares The General Episode: "Memory Overload" Mission: Impossible Daniel Travers Episode: "For Art's Sake" 1989–1992 Jake and the Fatman Wade Kelleher / Wallace Cogan 2 episodes 1995 High Sierra Search and Rescue Marshal D.J. Stone Episode: "Mozart & Stone" Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Gary Bennett Episode: "The Sacred Chalice of I-Ching" Biography Additional voices Episode: "Andrew Jackson: A Man for the People" Walker, Texas Ranger Larry Curtis Episode: "The Guardians" 1996 High Tide 2 episodes University Blues Television film

Awards

Award of the London Critics Circle, nominee for Best Actor 1966 Golden Laurel, nominee for New Faces 2001 Golden Boot Award, winner