Gus Trikonis

• Name — Gus Trikonis • Birth Name — Kostas Tritchonis • Born — 21 November 1937 • Birthplace — New York City, NY, U.S. • Occupation — Actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, television director • Years Active — 1961–2003

Trikonis began his career as an actor and dancer, notably appearing in the 1961 film West Side Story as Indio, one of the "Sharks", as well as dancing with Debbie Reynolds and Grover Dale to the frantic "He's My Friend" in 1964's The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Although originally unbilled, on December 3, 1968, Trikonis got his second biggest exposure in front of any audience (the first being in the aforementioned West Side Story) as one of two main (out of five) male dancers who do Elvis Presley's choreography as he sings a Gospel medley as part of a widely watched NBC-TV Special entitled "Elvis". As a director, Trikonis handled several projects from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, mostly low-budget "exploitation films". He made several films for Roger Corman at New World Pictures; Corman called Trikonis one of the best young directors he had ever worked with. His films included The Student Body. From the 1980s to the mid-1990s Trikonis mostly directed television series. He directed episodes of television series including Baywatch, The Flash, Quantum Leap, Hunter, Beauty and the Beast and Wiseguy.

Trikonis was married to actress Goldie Hawn from 1969 to 1976; he was her first husband and they have the same birthday (in different years). He was later married to costume designer Barbara Andrews from 1978 until her death in 2012 and they had one child together: a son Nicolas, born in 1981. His sister Gina also appeared in West Side Story as Graziella, Riff's girlfriend, later becoming a costumer and costume/wardrobe supervisor.

Actor • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1960 — Bajour — Steve • 1961 — West Side Story — Indio • 1963 — The Alfred Hitchcock Hour — Gordie Sykes — Episode "Diagnosis Danger" • 1964 — The Unsinkable Molly Brown — Joe • Pajama Party — Pajame Boy #13 • 1966 — The Sand Pebbles — Restorff • 1967 — The St. Valentine's Day Massacre — Rio • 1968 — The Hellcats — Scorpio Director (selection) • Five the Hard Way / The Sidehackers (1969) • Supercock (1975) • The Swinging Barmaids (1975) • The Student Body (1976) • Nashville Girl (1976) • Moonshine County Express (1977) • The Evil (1978) • She's Dressed to Kill (1979) (TV movie) • Touched by Love (1980) • Elvis and the Beauty Queen (1981) TV movie) • Take This Job and Shove It (1981) • Dance of the Dwarfs (1983) • Malice in Wonderland (1985)