Recent Obituaries, Classic Films Only

[Staph]

46. Michael Ansara

Michael Ansara, the rugged character actor who played Klingon commander Kang on three different Star Trek TV series, has died. He was 91. Ansara, who was married to actress Barbara Eden of I Dream of Jeannie fame, died July 31 at his home in Calabasas, Calif., after a prolonged illness, his former publicist, Michael B. Druxman, said.

Ansara is beloved by Star Trek fans as one of only seven actors to play the same character -- in his case legendary Klingon warrior Kang -- on three versions of the sci-fi series: the original (in the 1968 episode "Day of the Dove&quot , Deep Space Nine (1994's "Blood Oath&quot and Voyager (1996's "Flashback&quot .

He also had major roles in such films as 1953's Julius Caesar and The Robe (as Judas); 1955's Jupiter’s Darling (his co-star in that film, swimmer-turned-actress Esther Williams, died in June); 1961's Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (he also appeared in the subsequent ABC series); The Comancheros (1961) with John Wayne; The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965); Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969); The Bears and I (1974); The Message (1977); and It’s Alive (1974).

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-ansara-star-trek-kang-dies-598786