Michael Ansara

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Michael Ansara (born April 15, 1922 in Syria , † July 31, 2013 in Calabasas , California ) was an American actor .

Life

Ansara came to the United States with his family at the age of two, where they initially lived in Massachusetts . When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Los Angeles . Ansara then studied at Los Angeles City College and originally wanted to be a medical doctor. He changed his mind after taking acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse to try to overcome his shyness. He first played in the theater and appeared for the first time in a feature film in 1944, the thriller Action in Arabia .

He had his first important role in the television series Broken Arrow (1956), in which he played the Indian chief Cochise . His appearance benefited him, his facial features looked Indian. Although the role helped his breakthrough, Ansara later saw her critically due to the acting limitations:

"Cochise could do one of two things: stand with his arms crossed and look classy, ​​or stand with his arms on his sides and look classy."

- Michael Ansara

He was even more popular later in the role of Native American Marshall Sam Buckhart in the series Law of the Plainsman (1959) with Gina Gillespie . Ansara took on film roles in the religious films The Ten Commandments (1956), The Greatest Story of All Time (1965) and Mohammed - The Messenger of God (1976) as well as in numerous other television series and Hollywood productions.

Ansara starred as Klingone Kang in one episode of the television series Raumschiff Enterprise (1968), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1994) and Star Trek: Raumschiff Voyager (1996) . In Deep Space 9 he also played the Tavnian Jeyal in an episode . In Babylon 5 he appeared as the technomage Elric . Extensive activities as a voice actor rounded off his filmography. In 2001 he ended his career, during which he had participated in almost 190 film and television productions.

In 1960 Ansara was honored with a star on the Walk of Fame . In 1979 he was nominated for the Saturn Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for his supporting role in Lasersturm .

He was married three times, first from 1949 to 1956 with Jean Byron ., Then from 1958 to 1974 with Barbara Eden ( Charming Jeannie ) . Their son Matthew , who appeared sporadically as an actor, died in 2001 of a heroin overdose. Ansara was married to actress Beverly Kushida from 1977 until his death .

Ansara died of Alzheimer's disease on July 31, 2013 after a long illness in his home in Calabasas, California .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Commons : Michael Ansara  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ^ RIP Michael Ansara at deadline.com, accessed on August 2, 2013
  2. ↑ a b c Michael Ansara, Actor Who Played Cochise and Kang, Dies at 91 at nytimes.com, accessed August 3, 2013
  3. ↑ Alison J. Peterson: Michael Ansara, Actor Who Played Cochise and Kang, Dies at 91 . In: The New York Times . August 2, 2013, ISSN  0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed February 21, 2020]).
  4. ↑ 'Star Trek' Villain Michael Ansara Dies at 91 at hollywoodreporter.com, accessed August 3, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Ansara, Michael
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH April 15, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Syria
DATE OF DEATH July 31, 2013
Place of death Calabasas , California , United States