Acting
Dec 31, 1962
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Adoni Maropis
Acting
Biography
Born and raised in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, a small town near Pittsburgh. He is the middle son of Petro and Despina Maropis and is very close to his brothers, Sam and Chris. Being an exceptional all-around athlete in high school (Burgettstown High-school in southwest Pennsylvania), it appeared Adoni would pursue a professional career in some sport. Turning down various athletic scholarships, he enrolled at West Virginia University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. But, from years of being entertained by Adoni's impromptu comedic performances and impersonations which began when he was a small child, his father, Petro, told him that the suit and tie of the business world would probably choke him to death and encouraged Adoni to give acting a shot. Surprised, yet intrigued at this suggestion, Adoni enrolled at a performing arts school, Point Park College (now a University) in Pittsburgh, and studied acting, dialects, singing, and a bit of dance. His first stage role was as a freshman, even though freshman weren't allowed to perform at the time, where they needed him as an "Arabian Carrier" in The Nutcracker Sweet. Not only did Adoni get to flex his muscles in that role, but he also played the "Jack-in-the-Box" in the same production. Some of his other memorable plays and musicals were: Working, Evita, Getting Out, You Can't Take it With You, and Little Shop of Horrors where he played the man-eating plant, "Audrey II." After three years of theatre at Point Park, with the help of his younger brother Chris, he headed for Hollywood. Although Adoni is truly blessed with a more than usual dose of athletic ability and creative talent, what truly makes Adoni stand out is that he is a Type 1 Diabetic, and has been since he was 18 months old. His parents were told he would be weak and sickly, and in and out of hospitals his whole life. Ultimately, a renowned diabetic specialist told his father that most likely Adoni would be dead by the age of 25. As Adoni puts it, "I get a kick out of someone saying I can't do it." This has been proven by his numerous athletic awards and championships throughout high-school and college which involved everything - strength, speed, quickness and finesse. The list includes: tennis, basketball, baseball, football, weightlifting, arm-wrestling, fitness, and his favorite pastime, which is table tennis (ping-pong). Adoni loves being creative with his workouts which involve only 30-45 minutes per day of either running, biking, aerobics, some martial arts, or what he calls his "unique, unnatural, yet truly natural Cirque du Soleil/Tarzan workout". Some of Adoni's diverse and memorable roles include: the flamboyant evil sorcerer, Quan Chi, in the TV show "Mortal Kombat: Conquest" (1998), the sarcastic undercover agent in The Gristle (2001), "Abu-Fayed," in Season 6 of the Fox hit series "24" (2001) and the regal falcon-man in Hidalgo (2004), starring Viggo Mortensen. An inspiration to the world, Adoni will tell you that the most important ingredients to success and happiness are - love, laughter, and fitness! He credits his family and a few good friends with supplying all three.
Feature Films (21)
When a Harvard-educated CIA agent is killed during an operation, the secret agency recruits his twin brother.
Bad Company
Set in 1890, this is the story of a Pony Express courier who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize, in an adventure that sends the pair around the world...
Hidalgo
Multiculturalism reaches the depths of the criminal underworld as eight diverse con men must learn to work together to pull off a heist that's anything but ordinary. The target of this melting pot of thieves is a kidney inside a patient who's inside a hospital. This darkly comic caper stars Orson Bean and Michael Dorn.
The Gristle
Spiros is one of the many new migrants from Greece who seek a better life in Australia. But as he soon realizes, new dreams come at a great cost.
Dream of a Shadow
Clayton Pierce is an agent working under deep cover. Although he is a top agent, he is questioning his loyalty after twenty years of service. His devotion has already cost him his wife, family and personal life. During a de-briefing from his last assignment, he is unknowingly administered the drug Oblivion, which destroys brain cells causing permanent memory loss. Within a few days of injection, the drug's effects become irreversible. Clayton will not only lose his memory, he will lose his identity as well. He realizes he can no longer rely on anyone at the agency to help him, not even his boss, Agent LaNova. With nowhere left to go, he appeals to his ex-wife, Kate, for help. Clayton and Kate must locate the antidote before it's too late.
Time Lapse
Television & Series (17)
Kung Lao has triumphed in the Mortal Kombat tournament, defeating Shang Tsung and saving Earth Realm. Now, he must train a new generation of warriors for the next tournament. Meanwhile, an exiled Shang Tsung attempts to thwart Lao's efforts with the aid of supernatural warriors such as Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
Mortal Kombat: Conquest
When Buy More computer geek Chuck Bartowski unwittingly downloads a database of government information and deadly fighting skills into his head, he becomes the CIA's most vital secret. This sets Chuck on a path to become a full-fledged spy.
Chuck
E-Ring is an American television military drama, created by Ken Robinson and David McKenna and executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, that premiered on NBC on September 21, 2005. The title of the show refers to the structure of The Pentagon, which is configured in five concentric rings, from "A" to "E", with E being the outermost ring. Before any military action can be taken anywhere in the world the mission must be planned and approved by the most important ring of the Pentagon, the E-ring. This is where the more high-profile work is done, all operations must be legally approved and the green light given by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The show starred Benjamin Bratt as Major James Tisnewski, a former Delta Force operator and Dennis Hopper as Colonel Eli McNulty, as officers working in the E-ring of the Pentagon in the Special Operations Division – planning and co-ordinating covert US special operations actions around the globe. The show struggled from the onset because it was up against ABC's Top 20 hit Lost, CBS's Top 30 hit Criminal Minds, FOX's Top 10 hit American Idol and the network's Top 30 hit Unan1mous. Although NBC gave it an earlier time slot which led to better ratings, the show was pulled from the lineup during the February sweeps and officially canceled at the NBC Upfront on May 15.
