Max Grodénchik
Max Grodénchik | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, New York, U.S. | November 12, 1952
Other names | Michael Grodénchik |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1975–present |
Max Grodénchik (born November 12, 1952), also known as Michael Grodénchik, is an American stage, film, and television actor, best known for his role as Rom, a recurring character on the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Biography
Born to a Jewish family[1] in New York City, Grodénchik worked in theater during the 1980s as Michael Grodénchik, where his performances received notice. Of his 1980 performance in John O'Keefe's All Night Long, Sarasota Herald-Tribune art reviewer Marcia Corbino wrote that Grodénchik was an intriguing actor who had "an enchanting, mobile comic face on which aberrant emotions flicker, spread, retreat, retrench and explode with a single instant."[2]
Television
Grodénchik is better known for his portrayal of the fictional character Rom on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[3][4] He had previously auditioned for the role of Rom's brother Quark, but the role was given to Armin Shimerman. The two both guest-appeared on opposite teams in the short lived British Sci-Fi Quiz show Space Cadets, in 1997.
Grodénchik is also a baseball player and considered going pro before deciding to become an actor. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Take Me Out to the Holosuite, Grodénchik's character Rom is the clumsiest baseballer on his team, so Grodénchik had to play left-handed to look clumsy.
He played Sovak and Par Lenor in Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Captain's Holiday" and "The Perfect Mate". He is famous for being an expert on the Rules of Acquisition and can quote them by memory. He played Gint, the writer of those rules and the first Grand Nagus, in a dream sequence involving Quark.
In Spring 2007, Grodénchik attended the annual Vulcan Spockdays ceremony.
Voice work
In summer 2018, Grodénchik reprised the roles of Rom and Sovak in Star Trek Online's Deep Space Nine-themed expansion pack Victory Is Life.[5]
Personal life and family
Max Grodénchik lives with his wife and daughter in Austria, in the small hamlet of Nußbach in the county Kirchdorf an der Krems.[6][7]
Grodénchik's brother Barry Grodenchik is a former New York State Assemblyman[8] and Deputy Borough President of Queens.[9] In December 2015, Barry was inaugurated to the New York City Council, representing District 23.[10]
Episodes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Filmography
- Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981) .... Frankie
- Out (1982) .... Arnold / Boy
- Barton Fink (1991) .... Clapper boy
- The Rocketeer (1991) .... Wilmer, Wounded Robber
- The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991, TV Movie) .... Bailiff
- Sister Act (1992) .... Ernie
- Rising Sun (1993) .... Club Manager
- Doorways (1993, TV Movie) .... Roth
- Apollo 13 (1995) .... FIDO Gold
- Here Come the Munsters (1995, TV Movie) .... Norman Hyde
- Rumpelstiltskin (1996) .... Rumpelstiltskin
- Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) .... Trill Ensign (scenes deleted)
- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) .... Horse Spy
- ER (TV Series) Episode 9:18 Finders Keepers (2003) ..... Street Vendor
- Bruce Almighty (2003) .... Control Room Operator
- King of California (2007) .... Leonid
- Glossary of Broken Dreams (2018) .... Biological Male
References
- ^ Gershom, Yonassan (March 13, 2013). Jewish Themes in Star Trek.
- ^ Corbino, Marcia (July 9, 1980). "West Coast Drama". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Google Archive. p. 7C. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ Fleming, Andrew (June 29, 2010). "City receives kudos from deep space". Royal City Record. royalcityrecord.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
- ^ Terry J. Erdmann, Paula M. Block (2008). Star Trek 101 (illustrated ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 117. ISBN 0-7434-9723-6.
- ^ Pascale, Anthony (24 May 2018). "Interview: Max Grodénchik On Growing As A Ferengi And Bringing Rom To 'Star Trek Online: Victory Is Life'". TrekMovie.com. SciFanatic Network. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ "Der Außerirdische aus der Bronx", an interview with M. Grodénchik by Peter Menasse, published in NU (#69), page 12
- ^ Personal details on Startrek.com
- ^ Joseph, George (May 9, 2003). "Assemblyman tells community 'doors are always open'". India Abroad. highbeam.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ Rafter, Domenick (January 7, 2010). "Barry Back At Boro Hall". Queens Tribune. queenstribune.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ [1]"Barry Grodenchik officially sworn in as District 23 councilman". QNS.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
External links
- Max Grodénchik at IMDb
- Biography on StarTrek.com
- Chat transcript at the Wayback Machine (archived August 5, 2003)
- "Der Außerirdische aus der Bronx": interview with Max Grodénchik in the Austrian Jewish Culture magazine NU with information about his personal backstory (in German)