Template:Realworld Michael Ansara (born 15 April 1922; age 102) is the actor best-known to Star Trek fans for playing Kang in three Star Trek episodes, each from a different series. He later appeared on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine again, as Lwaxana Troi's Tavnian husband, Jeyal.
He is one of ten actors to play the same character (Kang) on three different Star Trek TV series. The other actors who hold this distinction are Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Mark Lenard, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Armin Shimerman, John de Lancie, and Richard Poe.
Personal
Ansara was born in a small village in Syria in 1922 and emigrated with his family to the United States when he was two years old. They resided in Lowell, Massachusetts, until they moved to California ten years later. Ansara enrolled in the Los Angeles City College intending to become a doctor but ultimately decided to become an actor.
He was married to I Dream of Jeannie actress Barbara Eden from 1958 through 1974. He also worked with her on several projects, including directing and appearing on several episodes of Jeannie. He and Eden had one child, a son named Matthew, now deceased.
Ansara is currently married to actress Beverly Kushida. He is now semi-retired from acting.
Career
Due to his complexion, Ansara was often cast in the role of a Native American. This was the case for his starring role as "Chief Cochise" on the ABC TV western series Broken Arrow from 1956 through 1958, for which he is probably best remembered. He then starred as Native American US Marshal Sam Buckhart on NBC's short-lived Western television seroes Law of the Plainsman.
He also played a Native American character in the 1978 mini-series Centennial. This series also featured such Trek alumni as Henry Darrow, Cliff deYoung, Robert Doqui, Robert Easton, Sally Kellerman, Brian Keith, Nick Ramus, Clive Revill, James Sloyan, Morgan Woodward, and Anthony Zerbe.
Ansara also had a role in the pilot for the TV series Barbary Coast, starring William Shatner. Ansara's many feature film credits include Julius Caesar (1953, co-starring fellow TOS veterans John Hoyt, Richard Hale, Ian Wolfe, and Lawrence Dobkin), The Comancheros (1961, starring John Wayne), and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961). As the Hittite commander in The Egyptian (1954), he had only two lines, but presented a Klingon-like appearance, declaring "No Hittite warrior cries out in pain!"
Ansara also made uncredited appearances in the biblical epics The Robe (1953, with Jean Simmons and Jay Robinson) and The Ten Commandments (1956). The latter film also featured the likes of Judith Anderson, Lawrence Dobkin, and Robert Herron.
In 1976, Ansara and fellow TOS guest star Michael Forest starred in the highly-controversial film Mohammad, Messenger of God (known in the US as The Messenger). This film chronicled the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
Ansara played the villain "Kane" in four episodes of the 1979-1981 sci-fi TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. In the 1980s, he guest-starred on such television series as Fantasy Island (starring Ricardo Montalban and Wendy Schaal), CHiPs (starring Robert Pine), Simon & Simon (in an episode directed by Mike Vejar), Hardcastle and McCormick (starring Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly), and Murder, She Wrote (directed by Vincent McEveety).
In 1994, Ansara appeared as a technomage on the science fiction television series Babylon 5 at the start of the second season, alongside various Star Trek guest actors such as Andreas Katsulas, Bill Mumy, and Mary Kay Adams.
Ansara has become recognizable as the voice of "Mr. Freeze" on the various animated Batman series and specials. He voiced the character between 1992 and 2001. Adrienne Barbeau, John Glover, David Warner, and Paul Williams also voiced major villains on the various animated Batman shows; Loren Lester voiced the role of Robin.
Appearances
- As Kang:
- TOS: "Day of the Dove"
- DS9: "Blood Oath"
- VOY: "Flashback"
- Other:
External links
- Michael Ansara at Wikipedia
- Template:IMDb-link