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Michael Ansara

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Michael Ansara
Ansara in Law of the Plainsman (1959)
Born(1922-04-15)April 15, 1922
Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon
DiedJuly 31, 2013(2013-07-31) (aged 91)
Calabasas, California, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, U.S.
Alma materLos Angeles City College
OccupationActor
Years active1944–2001
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1955; div. 1956)​
​
​
(m. 1958; div. 1974)​
Beverly Kushida
​
(m. 1977)​
Children1
AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame, Western Heritage Award, Saturn Award

Michael George Ansara (April 15, 1922 – July 31, 2013) was an American actor. A Syrian-American, he was often cast in Arabic and American Indian roles. His work in both film and television spanned several genres including historical epics, Westerns, and science fiction.

He portrayed Cochise in the television series Broken Arrow 1956-1958, Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart in the NBC series Law of the Plainsman, Commander Kang in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager, Kane in the 1979–1981 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and provided the voice for Mr. Freeze in the DC Animated Universe.[1]

Ansara received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry, located at 6666 Hollywood Boulevard.[2]

Early life

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Michael George Ansara was born in a small village in the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, and his family emigrated to the United States when he was two years old.[3][4] Ansara's family lived in Lowell, Massachusetts, before moving to California when he was ten. He originally wanted to be a physician, but developed a passion for becoming a performer after he began taking acting classes at Pasadena Playhouse to overcome his shyness. He was educated at Los Angeles City College, from which Ansara earned Associate of Arts degree.[3] Ansara served as a medic in the army during World War II.[4]

Career

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Ansara's early roles were primarily bit parts.[4] Being Syrian-American, he was often cast as an Arabic character, including his screen debut in the role of Hamid in the 1944 RKO Radio Pictures film Action in Arabia, The Desert Hawk (1950), and Soldiers Three (1951).[5][6] This all changed when he performed in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Monserrat. A talent scout from Warner Brothers saw the performance and Ansara was signed for the role of "Tuscos" in Only the Valiant (1951).[4] After that he was often typecast as an American Indian.[6][7]

Epic films

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Ansara appeared in several Biblical epics includingThe Robe (1953) as Judas Iscariot,[8][9] The Ten Commandments (1956) as a taskmaster,[3][10] and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) as Herod's commander.[11] Ansara credits The Robe (1953) as the role that established him as a serious actor.[4]

In 1953, he was cast in Serpent of the Nile along with his first wife, actress Jean Byron.[12] That same year he appeared as Pindarus in Joseph Mankiewicz's big screen adaptation of Julius Caesar, with Marlon Brando, James Mason and John Gielgud.

Westerns

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Gregory Peck and Michael Ansara in Only the Valiant (1951)

Following his role in Only the Valiant, Ansara appeared in several Western films, including Brave Warrior (1952),[13] The Lawless Breed (1953),[14] Three Young Texans (1954),[15] The Lone Ranger (1956),[16] and Pillars of the Sky (1956).[17]

Michael Ansara and Suzanne Lloyd in Law of the Plainsman (1962)

The popularity of the Western film Broken Arrow starring James Stewart led to the creation of a television series of the same name in 1956.[18] Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán was cast in the lead role of Cochise for the pilot. However, Montalbán did not want to commit to a series, and after a screen test with 20th Century-Fox, Ansara was cast in the role.[4] During a period of Hollywood filmmaking that displayed the American Indian as an adversary and savage,[19] Ansara was one of the first actors to give dignity to the Native American role with his portrayal of Cochise, something that Ansara publicly stated as a reason he enjoyed the role.[20][21] The role also gave Ansara wide public exposure.[21] Although Ansara received top billing, it was his portrayal of Cochise that he blamed for his later typecasting in Native American roles.[22]

Ansara starred in the ABC-TV series, Law of the Plainsman (1959–1960), with Gina Gillespie and Robert Harland. He performed as an Apache Indian named Sam Buckhart, who had been appointed as a U.S. Marshal. The series began as an episode of The Rifleman.[23][24] This was the first U.S. network series to feature an American Indian as a full-fledged lawman.[25]

Ansara guest starred on several other television Westerns, including The Rebel,[26] Wagon Train,[27] Rawhide,[28] The Virginian,[29]Branded,[30] Daniel Boone,[31] and Gunsmoke.[32] He also starred in several more Western films, including The Comancheros,[33] Texas Across the River,[34] and Guns of the Magnificent Seven.[35]

In 1978, Ansara starred as Lame Beaver in the acclaimed miniseries Centennial, based on the novel by James A. Michener.[36]

His final Western was Border Shootout (1990) starring Glenn Ford. This was also Ford's final Western.[37]

Science fiction and fantasy

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Not limited to a single genre, Ansara appeared in several science fiction and fantasy genre films and television series.

He appeared with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955).[38]

He appeared in all of the Irwin Allen television series. This included two episodes of the television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea after having starred in the film of the same name, The Outer Limits, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants.[39]

He played the recurring role of Killer Kane in the 1979–1980 season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.[39]

In the genre, he probably most noted for appearing as the Klingon commander Kang. His first appearance as Kang was in the original Star Trek series ("Day of the Dove"), followed by appearances of the same character in two other Star Trek television series, Deep Space Nine ("Blood Oath") and Voyager ("Flashback").[39] He is one of seven actors to play the same character on three Star Trek television series.[40] In 1994, Ansara portrayed the Technomage "Elric" in the Babylon 5 episode "The Geometry of Shadows".[39]

Appearances with Barbara Eden

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Michael Ansara with wife Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeannie

While making the Broken Arrow series, the 20th Century-Fox publicity department arranged a date between Ansara and actress Barbara Eden, whom he later married.[41] In 1961, Ansara co-starred with Eden in the film Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.[42] In 1966, Ansara guest-starred on Eden's sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie, as the Blue Djinn. He would appear with Eden two more times in the series, as King Kamehameha in the 1968 episode "The Battle of Waikīkī", and as Major Biff Jellico in the episode "My Sister, the Home Wrecker".[43] He also directed the series penultimate episode, "One Jeannie Beats Four of a Kind".[44]

Other notable work

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Ansara starred in Infidel Caesar with the silent film actor Ramon Novarro at the Music Box Theater on Broadway. The show, which closed after two preview performances on April 27-28, 1962, was a modern retelling of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" set in modern Cuba.[45][46]

In the 1970s, Ansara appeared in a number of low budget exploitation films, including Dear Dead Delilah (1972),[47] Day of the Animals (1977),[48] and The Manitou (1978).[49] He received top billing in the Z movie called The Doll Squad (1973).[50]

In 1976, Ansara starred in the historical epic Mohammad, Messenger of God (also titled The Message), about the origin of Islam and the message of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[51]

Ansara was also known for his voice work. He voiced the Ancient One in the 1978 television film Dr. Strange.[52] He was a narrator on the PBS series Reading Rainbow.[53] He was the voice of Mr. Freeze in two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, the animated film Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, and the video game Batman: Vengeance.[54]

Awards and honors

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Ansara was nominated for a Saturn Award, and has won a Western Heritage Award for Rawhide.[55]

On February 8, 1960, Ansara received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry, located at 6666 Hollywood Boulevard.[2]

Personal life and death

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Wife Barbara Eden and their son Matthew (1966)

Ansara's first marriage was to actress Jean Byron in 1949.[21] They appeared in the film Serpent of the Nile together.[12] Ansara and Byron divorced in 1956.[21]

In 1957, when Ansara was starring in the Broken Arrow television series, Booker McClay at Twentieth Century Fox arranged for him to be seen dating How to Marry a Millionaire star, Barbara Eden. At the time, Eden was already dating someone but he was not an actor. The studio thought it was good for publicity for each of them to be seen with another star.[56] Ansara was not initially interested. He was already a Hollywood heartthrob with female fans around the world.[57] Ansara married Eden in 1958. They co-starred in Irwin Allen's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea in 1961. The couple had a son, Matthew Ansara. In every episode of I Dream of Jeannie, Eden wore a diamond pendant necklace that had been given to her by Ansara. According to Eden in her 2011 autobiography, it was to keep Michael close to her heart.[58] During I Dream of Jeannie, Ansara was working less and Eden was working more, so there was a divergence in their earning power.[59] The loss of their second child, their diverging careers, and the shift in their earning power strained their marriage.[60] Ansara and Eden eventually divorced in 1974.[61]

He married actress Beverly Kushida in 1977.[3] They appeared together in The Manitou.[62] They remained married until Ansara's death.[21]

On June 25, 2001, his son Matthew died from a heroin overdose in Monrovia, California.[1]

Ansara died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at his home in Calabasas on July 31, 2013, at the age of 91.[3][63] His interment is at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, next to his son Matthew.[64]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1944 Action in Arabia Hamid Uncredited[5]
Can't Help Singing California Caballero Uncredited
1947 Intrigue Ramon's Radio Man
1948 Queen Esther Zubal[65]
1949 Outpost in Morocco Rifle Dispenser Uncredited
1950 The Desert Hawk Guard Uncredited[6]
South Sea Sinner Native Policeman Uncredited
Kim Harem Guard Uncredited
1951 Soldiers Three Manik Rao [6]
Only the Valiant Tucsos [6]
Smuggler's Island Sikh Policeman Uncredited
Bannerline Floyd
My Favorite Spy House Servant Uncredited
1952 Brave Warrior The Prophet [13]
Diplomatic Courier Ivan Uncredited
Yankee Buccaneer Lieutenant Romero
The Golden Hawk Bernardo Díaz
Road to Bali Guard Uncredited
1953 The Lawless Breed Gus Hanley Uncredited[14]
The Bandits of Corsica Blacksmith
Julius Caesar Pindarus
Serpent of the Nile Captain Florus [12]
White Witch Doctor De Gama Uncredited
The Robe Judas Uncredited[8][4][9]
Slaves of Babylon Prince Belshazzar [66]
The Diamond Queen Mir Jumla, the Mogul's general
1954 Three Young Texans Apache Joe
Drums of Tahiti Opening Narrator Uncredited
The Saracen Blade Count Alesandro Siniscola
Princess of the Nile Captain Kral
The Egyptian Hittite Commander Uncredited
Bengal Brigade Sergeant Major Puran Singh
Sign of the Pagan Edecon Dragnet
1955 Jupiter's Darling Maharbal
New Orleans Uncensored Floyd 'Zero' Saxon
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy Charlie [67][38]
1956 Diane Count Ridolfi
The Lone Ranger Angry Horse [16]
Gun Brothers Shawnee Jack
The Ten Commandments Taskmaster Uncredited[10]
Pillars of the Sky Kamiakin [17]
1957 Last of the Badmen Kramer
Quantez Delgadito
The Tall Stranger Zarata
The Sad Sack Moki Uncredited
1961 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Miguel Alvarez [42]
The Comancheros Amelung [33]
1964 Quick, Let's Get Married Mayor Pablo
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Herod's Commander[11]
Harum Scarum Prince Dragna
1966 ...And Now Miguel Blas Chavez
Texas Across the River Iron Jacket [34]
1968 The Destructors Count Mario Romano
Sol Madrid Captain Ortega
Daring Game President Eduardo Delgado
The Pink Jungle Raul Ortega
1969 Guns of the Magnificent Seven Colonel Diego [35]
1970 The Phynx Colonel Rostinov
1972 Dear Dead Delilah Morgan Charles [47]
Stand Up and Be Counted Playboy Speaker
1973 The Doll Squad Eamon O'Reilly [50]
1974 It's Alive The Captain
The Bears and I Oliver Red Fern
1976 The Message Abu Sufyan [51]
1977 Day of the Animals Daniel Santee [48]
Mission to Glory: A True Story Chief Coxi
The Manitou John Singing Rock [49]
1981 The Guns and the Fury Prince Sohrab
1984 Access Code Senator Dales
1985 KGB: The Secret War Lyman Taylor
1986 Knights of the City Mr. Delamo
1987 Assassination Senator Bunsen
1990 Border Shootout Chuluha [37]
1998 Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero Dr. Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze Voice, direct-to-video[54]
1999 The Long Road Home Murdock Haynes Final film role

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1951 Family Theater Decius Episode: "That I May See"
Episode: "Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration"
1951 Dangerous Assignment Bulga Episode: "The Mine Story"
1951 The Lone Ranger Episode: "Trouble at Black Rock"[68]
1954 Dragnet Carl Chapman Episode: "The Big Rod"
1956 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Butcher

Desar

Mr. DeMario

Season 1 Episode 18: "Shopping For Death"

Season 1 Episode 29: "The Orderly World of Mr. Appelby"

Season 1 Episode 32: "The Baby Sitter"

1956–1958 Broken Arrow Cochise Contract role[69]
1957 Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans Ogana Episode: "Hawkeye's Homecoming"[70]
1959 The Rifleman Deputy Marshal Sam Buckhart 2 episodes[23][24]
1959–60 Law of the Plainsman Contract role[23][24]
1960–1961 The Untouchables Charlie Steuben / Rafael Torrez 2 episodes
1960 The Rebel Docker Mason Episode: "The Champ"[26]
1961 Wagon Train Northstar Episode: "The Patience Miller Story"[27]
1963 Rawhide Joseph Episode: "Incident of Iron Bull"[28]
1964 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Malinoff Episode: "Hot Line"[39]
Perry Mason Vince Kabat Episode: "The Case of the Antic Angel"
The Outer Limits Quarlo Clobregnny Episode: "Soldier"
1965–66 The Virginian Marshall Merle Frome

Paul Dallman

Episode: "Showdown"[71]

Episode: "High Stakes"[72]

1965 Branded Thomas Frye Episode: "The Bounty"[30]
1966 Lost in Space The Ruler Episode: "The Challenge"[39]
Daniel Boone Sebastian Drake Episode: "The Enchanted Gun"[31]
Daniel Boone Episode: "The Search"[31]
Bewitched Rufus the Red Episode: "A Most Unusual Wood Nymph"
1966–70 I Dream of Jeannie Blue Djinn, King Kamehameha, Major Biff Jellico, Director 4 episodes[44]
1966–67 Gunsmoke Grey Horse

Luke Todd

Episode: "Honor Before Justice"[73]

Episode: "The Returning"[74]

The Fugitive Officer Miguel 'Mike' Anza Episode: "The Savage Street"
The Time Tunnel Curator Episode: "The Kidnappers"[39]
1968 Star Trek Commander Kang Episode: "Day of the Dove"
1969 Target: Harry Major Milos Segora Television film intended as a television pilot
Land of the Giants Murtrah Episode: "On a Clear Night You Can See Earth"[39]
1971 The Mod Squad Ray Abruzzi Episode: "A Double for Danger"
Bearcats! Paco Morales Episode: "Powderkeg"
1972 The Streets of San Francisco Albert 'Al' Ferguson Episode: "The Year of the Locusts"
Hawaii Five-O Piro Manoa Episode: "Death is a Company Policy"
1973 Call to Danger Frank Mulvey Television film
Mission: Impossible Ed Stoner Episode: "The Western"
Ordeal Sheriff Peter Geeson Television film
1974 Nakia Howard Gray Hawk Episode: "The Dream"
1975 The Barbary Coast Diamond Jack Bassiter Episode: "Pilot"[75]
1976 The Rockford Files Joseph DiMinna Episode: "Joey Blue Eyes"
Kojak Keith McCallum Episode: "Justice Deferred"
1978 Dr. Strange Yao/Ancient One Voice, television film; uncredited[52]
1978–79 Centennial Lame Beaver Miniseries[36]
1979 The Story of Esther Haman Television film
1979–80 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Kane Recurring
1980 CHiPs Nathan McCallister Episode: "The Poachers"
1981 Thundarr the Barbarian Vashtar Voice, episode: "Prophecy of Peril"
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Hiawatha Smith Voice, episode: "Quest of the Red Skull"
1982 Bayou Romance Zanko Television film
1983, 1993 Reading Rainbow Self - Narrator 2 episodes
1984 The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins Turk Television film
1986 Rambo: The Force of Freedom General Warhawk Voice, 63 episodes
1985 Hunter General Mariano Episode: "Rape and Revenge, Part 2"
1988 Murder, She Wrote Nicholas Rossi Episode: "The Last Flight of the Dixie Damsel"
1992–1994 Batman: The Animated Series Mr. Freeze / Dr. Victor Fries Voice, 2 episodes[54]
1994 Babylon 5 Elric Episode: "The Geometry of Shadows"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Kang Episodes "Blood Oath"[39]
1996 Jeyal Episode: "The Muse"[39]
Star Trek: Voyager Kang Episode: "Flashback"[39]
1997 The New Batman Adventures Mr. Freeze / Dr. Victor Fries Voice, episode: "Cold Comfort"[54]
1999 Batman Beyond Voice, episode: "Meltdown"[54]

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Batman: Vengeance Mr. Freeze / Dr. Victor Fries Final acting role[54]

Videos

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard Malfeasor

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Eden & Leigh 2011.
  2. ^ a b Los Angeles Times 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e New York Times 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Aaker 2017, p. 18.
  5. ^ a b Dunkleberger & King Hanson 1999, p. 17.
  6. ^ a b c d e Brode 2010, p. 23.
  7. ^ Marill 2011, p. 65.
  8. ^ a b Clanton & Clark 2020, p. 136.
  9. ^ a b Campbell & Pitts 1981, p. 124.
  10. ^ a b Campbell & Pitts 1981, p. 37.
  11. ^ a b Campbell & Pitts 1981, p. 155.
  12. ^ a b c Starr 2009, p. 224.
  13. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 43.
  14. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 186.
  15. ^ Green 2014, p. 36.
  16. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 193.
  17. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 250.
  18. ^ Aleiss 2005, p. 92.
  19. ^ Agnew 2014, p. 100.
  20. ^ Herzberg 2014, p. 182.
  21. ^ a b c d e Aaker 2017, p. 19.
  22. ^ Marill 2011, p. 43.
  23. ^ a b c McNeil 1996, pp. 471–472.
  24. ^ a b c Yoggy 1995, p. 290.
  25. ^ FitzGerald 2013, p. 77.
  26. ^ a b Lentz 1997, pp. 345.
  27. ^ a b Lentz 1997, pp. 446.
  28. ^ a b Lentz 1997, pp. 340.
  29. ^ Lentz 1997, pp. 431–432.
  30. ^ a b Lentz 1997, pp. 62.
  31. ^ a b c Lentz 1997, pp. 111–112.
  32. ^ Lentz 1997, pp. 182–183.
  33. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 66.
  34. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 347.
  35. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 140.
  36. ^ a b Lentz 1997, p. 80.
  37. ^ a b Pitts 2013, p. 40.
  38. ^ a b Jones 2000, p. 26-27.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Abbott 2015, p. 153.
  40. ^ Laurie Ulster (March 11, 2021). "13 Original Series Actors Who Couldn't Get Enough Trek". StarTrek.com.
  41. ^ Eden & Leigh 2011, pp. 74–75.
  42. ^ a b Tate & Houser 2022, p. 100.
  43. ^ Tate & Houser 2022, p. 96.
  44. ^ a b Tate & Houser 2022, p. 104, 307.
  45. ^ Ellenberger 2015, p. 168.
  46. ^ Soares 2010, p. 381.
  47. ^ a b Meyers 1983, p. 83.
  48. ^ a b Meyers 1983, p. 210.
  49. ^ a b Meyers 1983, p. 211.
  50. ^ a b Meyers 1983, p. 21.
  51. ^ a b Bakker 2009, p. 191.
  52. ^ a b Jones 2000, p. 127.
  53. ^ Campbell Times 1983, p. 5.
  54. ^ a b c d e f Jones 2014, p. 641.
  55. ^ "Incident Of Iron Bull - Western Heritage Award Winner". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  56. ^ Eden & Leigh 2011, pp. 73–74.
  57. ^ Eden & Leigh 2011, p. 73.
  58. ^ Eden & Leigh 2011, p. 121.
  59. ^ Eden & Leigh 2011, p. 189.
  60. ^ Eden & Leigh 2011, pp. 191–199.
  61. ^ Eden & Leigh 2011, p. 199.
  62. ^ Young 2000, p. 383.
  63. ^ Huffington Post 2013.
  64. ^ Wilson 2016, p. 23.
  65. ^ Campbell & Pitts 1981, p. 26.
  66. ^ Campbell & Pitts 1981, p. 35.
  67. ^ Miller 2004, p. 115.
  68. ^ Lentz 1997, p. 286.
  69. ^ West 1987, p. 28.
  70. ^ Lentz 1997, pp. 207.
  71. ^ Lentz 1997, pp. 431.
  72. ^ Lentz 1997, pp. 433.
  73. ^ Abbott 2015, p. 182.
  74. ^ Abbott 2015, p. 183.
  75. ^ Lentz 1997, pp. 24.

Sources

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