Flashdance Star Unrecognizable on Rare Outing

An actor who starred in the classic 80s film Flashdance was spotted looking unrecognizable during a rare outing in Los Angeles.

This man starred opposite Jennifer Beals in the iconic 1983 film followed by roles in The O.C., Yellowstone, and more. 

But he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of hunky Nick Hurley in Flashdance, a role he initially believed would lead to greater things.   

However he’s been unable to land a role of similar status after failing to successfully capture the ‘momentum’ that followed Flashdance.  

That being said, he still enjoys a steady and active acting career – one that recently brought him onto the set of Kim Kardashian’s Hulu series, All’s Fair.

Can you guess who this actor is?

It’s Michael Nouri!

Nouri was spotted out in Los Angeles on Saturday, enjoying the fresh fall air with his furry friend by his side.

Nouri kept it casual for the relaxed outing, sporting an outfit that reflected the laid-back occasion and the pleasant weather.

He donned a blue zip down jacket, black shorts, and a pair of worn leather loafers.

Nouri may best be known for his portrayal in Flashdance, the wildly successful 1983 film in which he played the boyfriend to aspiring dancer Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals).

The film was a big box office success, and Nouri believed the movie would lead to his next big role.

However, he soon discovered the massive success may have been a flash in the pan.

‘After Flashdance, that was the time to strike while the iron was hot,’ he revealed last year on the Still Here podcast. ‘Billy Friedkin got in touch with me and told me he wanted me to be in his new movie with Barbara Hershey. It was called Sea Trial, and it was going to be done at 20th Century Fox, and Fox wanted to turn around and that movie was shelved, so the momentum from Flashdance was dissipated.’

But he did get cast in the short-lived series Bay City Blues that also featured superstar Sharon Stone. 

‘But while I was in Tokyo promoting Flashdance I got a call from my agent who said that Steven Bochco was interested in having me be in a series of his called Bay City Blues, and Bay City Blues lasted for 13 episodes,’ he explained. 

‘It had an unknown, wonderful actors, including an unknown actor named Sharon Stone,’ he said.  

‘So my point is that the momentum, the huge momentum, that Flashdance created, just you want to keep the momentum going. Hopefully, when you have one big hit, you want to follow it up with something else, something equally good or better, just to keep you out there. And that did not happen.

‘So I went from Bay City Blues to a succession of TV shows, independent movies, and so on, but nothing of the magnitude of Flashdance,’ he said.

Nouri has also learned that as a more mature actor in Hollywood, he is pitched fewer roles – a concept that has forced him to undergo a ‘psychological and emotional adjustment’. 

‘It is a definitely a psychological and emotional adjustment because the offers don’t come in as frequently,’ he said. ‘Fortunately, as a man, the opportunities are more frequent than they are for women of a certain age, and I’m very grateful for that,’ he continued. 

‘I went through a period of playing dads, now granddads, senators, statesmen, and so on, which I am very grateful for. The phone is still ringing. I have wonderful agents who are keeping me out there.’

Indeed, one of the memorable dads Nouri portrayed was the father to Rachel Bilson’s character in The O.C., Dr. Neil Roberts.

And his phone is still ringing as well – he has two roles in the pipeline and portrays Arch Strickland in the new Ryan Murphy show All’s Fair.

Off camera, Nouri has been married and divorced twice and is also a father of two daughters, according to Soaps.com.