Michael Ansara
| Michael Ansara | |
|---|---|
Michael Ansara
in Law of the Plainsman (1959) |
|
| Born |
Michael George Ansara April 15, 1922 French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon |
| Died | July 31, 2013 (aged 91) Calabasas, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Complications from Alzheimer's disease |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | A.A. from Los Angeles City College |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles City College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1944–2001 |
| Known for |
Cochise, Kane, Commander Kang, Sam Buckhart, Mr. Freeze (voice) |
| Home town | Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m) |
| Spouse(s) |
Jean Byron (m. 1955; div. 1956) Barbara Eden (m. 1958; div. 1974), Beverly Kushida (m. 1977; his death 2013) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame, Western Heritage Award, Saturn Award |
Michael George Ansara (April 15, 1922 – July 31, 2013) was a Syrian-born American stage, screen, and voice actor who portrayed Cochise in the American television series Broken Arrow, Kane in the 1979–1981 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Commander Kang on three different Star Trek television series, Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart on the NBC series Law of the Plainsman, and provided the voice for Mr. Freeze in Batman: The Animated Series and several of its spin-offs.
Michael George Ansara was born in a small village in the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, and his family immigrated to the United States when he was two years old. They lived in Lowell, Massachusetts, for a decade before moving to California. He originally wanted to be a physician, but developed a passion for becoming a performer after he began taking acting classes to overcome his shyness. He was educated at the Los Angeles City College, from which Ansara earned an Associate of Arts degree.
During the 1950s, Ansara appeared in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He appeared in a 1951 episode of The Lone Ranger titled "Trouble at Black Rock". However, the popular television series Broken Arrow (1956), wherein he played the lead role of Cochise, raised Ansara's profile and made him a household name. While making the series, the 20th Century-Fox publicity department arranged a date between Ansara and actress Barbara Eden. The two later married and Ansara guest-starred on Eden's I Dream of Jeannie series as the Blue Djinn, who had imprisoned Jeannie in a bottle. He also played King Kamehameha in the Jeannie episode "The Battle of Waikīkī", and in the final season, he played Major Biff Jellico in the episode "My Sister, the Home Wrecker". Michael Ansara and Barbara Eden divorced in 1974. The couple had one son together, actor Matthew Ansara, who died on June 25, 2001, of a heroin overdose.
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