Nov 6, 2017 7 min read

It is simply not true that there is nothing Adoni Maropis cannot do or achieve. Good luck finding what that might be.

Adoni Maropis, known as Anthony Maropis while a standout three-sport athlete at Burgettstown High School from 1978-1981, is a notable actor in Hollywood. He is a world and national table tennis (ping pong, as he likes to call it) champion, and an inspirational man, who seems as simple as he is complicated.

“I wanted to be a professional basketball player,” said Maropis, 54. “But when I straightened my legs out, I realized I was 5-feet, 10-inches.”

To those who know him, though, Adoni Maropis seems larger than life.

“It was an amazing gift for me to grow up with him,” said his brother, Dr. Chris Maropis. “Adoni is of a different mindset. He is so mentally tough. He won’t cave in.”

That toughness, Dr. Maropis said, comes from a lifetime of dealing with and controlling the Type 1 diabetes Adoni Maropis was diagnosed with at 18 months old.

His parents, Despina and Petro, were told he would be weak and ill and in and out of hospitals with little chance of living past the age of 25.

“They were just thankful he was healthy enough to play sports,” Dr. Maropis said, “let alone to excel at them.

“The diabetes made him mentally tough. He had to deal with insulin and blood levels that were too high or too low his entire life. He’d be in class and have leave twice during the class to urinate.

“Having to deal with all of that made him so mentally tough. Adoni is just of a different mindset. He won’t be defeated.”

Adoni Maropis was a three-time section tennis champion for Burgettstown and a section finalist as a freshman. He never won a WPIAL title, suffering from a lack of high-quality competition in his area.

Besides his talents on the tennis court, he was an outstanding basketball and baseball player for the Blue Devils. His older brother, Sam, who lives in Crete, Greece, and Chris also were athletes at Burgettstown.

Charles Mahoney coached the Maropis boys in basketball. He relied on “Anthony” to deliver in the clutch and lead the team.

“He was a gifted athlete, a solid point guard,” Mahoney said. “(Adoni) never got rattled. In tight situations, you could always count on him. He was very intelligent, a quiet leader. He was just a very solid player.

“When we needed something to get done, you put the ball in his hands. We trusted him. We had a lot of good players. But (Ado-ni) took over the leadership role. That’s a good family. All of them were good players.”

Adoni Maropis turned down a variety of athletic scholarships and enrolled at Robert Morris College before transferring to West Virginia University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

“I put everything into it, but it didn’t mean anything to me,” he said. “I had no interest in business.”

His father told him, he could see Sam and Chris going to work in a suit and tie and shining.

“But he said that tie would choke me,” Adoni Mariposa said. “He was right.”

Petro urged Adoni to pursue acting because of the “impromptu shows” he would put on for his family, imitating the likes of Johnny Carson, Paul Lynde and others.

“I decided to give it a try,” he said.

Petro, a dentist, is an inspiration for his son as the elder Maropis survived a terrorist attack 44 years ago while at the Athens, Greece, Airport when it was struck by terrorists.

“My father is the reason I pursued what I did,” Adoni Maropis said. “My dad is special.”

Adoni Maropis enrolled at Point Park to study acting, dialects, singing and some dance. He performed at Pittsburgh Playhouse and finally took his life and his shots to Hollywood.

While there have been ups and downs, he landed significant roles throughout his career – including the memorable lead villain, Fayed, in season 6 of the hit series “24” with Kiefer Sutherland.

“It’s the biggest role I’ve had,” he said. “The most incredible.”

Maropis also is known for his portrayal of evil sorcerer, Quan Chi, in the television show “Mortal Combat Conquest,” the regal falconman, Sakr, in the feature film “Hidalgo” and a sarcastic undercover cop, in “The Gristle,” a feature film.

He also had supporting roles in “The Scorpion King,” “Bad Company,” “Alfie and Troy,” along with other movies and guest starring and recurring television roles.

“My dad knew I could perform and I loved it,” Maropis said. “I made a contact and was asked to attend Point Park’s orientation. Everyone was dressed to the nines and I show up in a tank top, shorts and sandals. Then they say, ‘you look like Freddy Mercury.’ And I’m like ‘uh-huh.’ Then they say: ‘it was nice meeting you.’ And I go: ‘uh-huh.’

“Honestly, it’s been an amazing ride. I have had some amazing opportunities open up. And it’s opened my spirit, heart and soul.

“I actually have been blessed to be a Type 1 diabetic. It’s who I am. It’s part of my life. It lifted my human spirit and allows me to overcome.”

Maropis said Hollywood is at an interesting juncture with the Harvey Weinstein scandal and allegations of other men treating women actresses inappropriately.

He added that it doesn’t stop there.

“I’ve had some interesting situations with men,” Maropis said “They can get up in your face and walking all around you. Hollywood is an amazing place and people don’t realize what men actors go through, as well. Sometimes you feel like the freshman girl among the senior men.

“I think and I am hoping it’s going change now for women and men. And I think it will.”

In addition to establishing himself as an actor in Hollywood, Maropis also has cemented his reputation as a world-class table tennis player.

He prefers the orthodox styles of hardball and sandpaper table tennis. He has won the national championship and U.S. Open championship and represented the United States at the World Championship of Ping Pong twice at Alexandria Palace in England.

He started playing competitive ping pong when he was 45 years old but Maropis has been a top-notch athlete and fitness enthusiast his entire life.

He won arm-wrestling championships while a student at WVU at the middle- and heavyweight divisions, when he was just a light-middleweight and 170 pounds.

Dr. Chris Maropis said all of his brothers were fortunate to be good athletes but Adoni stood out because of his inner strength and toughness in everything he does.

“We all had similar talents,” Dr. Maropis said. “But Sam nor I are as mentally tough as Adoni.”

He pointed to a tennis match Adoni was in against a senior from Brooke (W.Va.) High School when Adoni was a freshman.

“The kid’s girlfriend went to Burgettstown and she asked Adoni if he was our No. 1 player. Adoni said yes. And she says, well (my boyfriend) is going to kick your (butt).

“Adoni lost the first set, 6-2,” Dr. Maropis said. “He was losing the second set, 5-0 and was down 40-love. He was done, he was toast.

“And he starts chipping away, wins the game to make it 5-1 and ends up winning the set 7-5. He won the last set 6-0. That was Adoni. Any other freshman playing a senior was down that far would have just given up, he works his way back to win the set and then just wipe his opponent out. It’s just in his DNA to be that way.”