Michael Ansara
Michael Ansara (April 15, 1922[2] – July 31, 2013[3]) was a Syrian-American stage, movie and voice actor.
Michael Ansara | |
|---|---|
 Michael Ansara in Law of the Plainsman (1959) | |
| Born | April 15, 1922 |
| Died | July 31, 2013 (aged 91)[1] |
| Cause of death | Complications from Alzheimer's disease |
| Nationality | Syrian-American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | B.A. from Los Angeles City College |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles City College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1944–2001 |
| Known for | Cochise, Killer Kane, Commander Kang, Sam Buckhart, Mr. Freeze (voice) |
Notable work | Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Broken Arrow, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Law of the Plainsman, Star Trek, Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Batman Beyond |
| Height | 6' 3" (1.90 m) |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Byron (m. 1955–1956) ,Barbara Eden (m. 1958–1974) ,Beverly Kushida (m. 1977–2013) |
| Children | Matthew Ansara (1965-2001; w/Eden) |
| Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame, Western Heritage Award, Saturn Award |
He was best known for playing of Cochise in the American television series Broken Arrow, Kane in the 1979-81 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Commander Kang on three different Star Trek TV series, Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart on the NBC series, Law of the Plainsman, and the voice for villain character Mr. Freeze in the Emmy Award winning series Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, and Batman Beyond.
Early life
Ansara was born in a small village in Syria and moved to Lowell, Massachusetts. He was educated at the Los Angeles City College.
Career
Ansara starred in his own ABC-TV series, Law of the Plainsman (1959–60), 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. In 1961, he appeared as Carl in the episode "Night Visitors" of the NBC anthology series The Barbara Stanwyck Show.
Ansara also played in the Biblical epics The Robe (1953) as Judas Iscariot, The Ten Commandments (1956) as a taskmaster (uncredited), and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) as Herod's commander. He also appeared as Belshazzar in Columbia's 1953 movie Slaves of Babylon. Guest starred with Kurt Russell in an episode of the 1960's series "Lost in Space".
Later career
Ansara did voice-acting as Mr. Freeze in Batman: The Animated Series as well as the animated movie Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, an episode of both New Batman Adventures and Batman Beyond. He also voiced Mr. Freeze in the video game Batman Vengeance.
Ansara retired in 2001.
Awards
Ansara was nominated for an Academy of Science Fiction Award. He won a Western Heritage Award for Rawhide. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for both movies and television.
Marriages
Ansara was married to Jean Byron from 1955 until they divorced in 1956. He was married to Barbara Eden from 1958 until 1974. They had a son, Matthew Ansara, who died in 2001. He married Beverly Kushida in 1977.
Death
Ansara died on July 31, 2013 of Alzheimer's disease in his home in Calabasas, California, aged 91.[4][5]
Michael Ansara Media
Photo of Michael Ansara as Sam Buckman and guest star Suzanne Lloyd from the television program Law of the Plainsman.
Wife Barbara Eden and their son Matthew (1966)
References
- ↑ "Michael Ansara, Actor Who Played Cochise and Kang, Dies at 91". New York Times.com. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ↑ "Michael Ansara Bio Biography". TV Rage. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ↑ "Michael Ansara Dead: 'Star Trek' actor dies at 91". Huffington Post.com. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ↑ "'Star Trek' Villain Michael Ansara Dies at 91". Hollywood Reporter. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ↑ "Michael Ansara, Actor Who Played Cochise and Kang, Dies at 91". The New York Times. August 3, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
Other websites
Media related to Michael Ansara at Wikimedia Commons