He started his career in movies, however, Michael’s acting career took off strong in the very early days of television. His rugged Syrian good looks made him a heartthrob for the ladies and a hero to his male audience.
These qualities and his acting chops got him prime roles in such early pioneering television shows like Broken Arrow, Star Trek-TOS, Law of the Plainsman, The Untouchables, Kojak, The Outer Limits-original series and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Sci-fi genre fans remember him most as the irascible Klingon commander named Kang in the original series of Star Trek, a role he reprised 30 years later for Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager.
Ansara’s movie career was also quite successful with roles in landmark films like The Comancheros and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, however, his greatest fame and body of work was on the small screen.
Married three times, his most famous was with I Dream of Jeannie actress Barbara Eden. His most heartbreaking life event was the death of his son Matthew.
Michael Ansara has been rewarded with the Hollywood Walk of Fame for both television and films, was nominated for an Academy of Science Fiction Award, received the Western Heritage Award, and a Saturn Award.
Joe Klemmer says
August 2, 2013 at 9:10 pmSad, but he will live on in the many roles he played.
Jessup says
August 3, 2013 at 1:36 pmR.I.P. Michael. Enjoyed your works, thanks for entertaining us for many years.