"Wow," said the girl discovering and looking through a pile of Beatles records, "Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings."
That little witty popped into my head when I heard of the passing of Michael Ansara.
(CNN) -- He struck an imposing figure as Kang, the villainous Klingon commander who struck fears in the hearts of the federation.
The man who played Kang in three iterations of "Star Trek," Michael Ansara, has died, according to his former agent.
Ansara was 91.
The veteran character actor was probably best known for playing the Klingon leader in the original "Star Trek" series, then again in the legendary sci-fi series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager."
But he had an illustrious career beyond that, plus a personal life that included a marriage to Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie" fame and a 36-year marriage to his wife Beverly.
Ansara died Wednesday at his home in Calabasas, California, according to former agent Michael B. Druxman.
He was born in a small village in Syria, arriving in the United States with his American parents at the age of two, according to a biography provided by Druxman.
Having entered college in Los Angeles intending to be a doctor, he went into acting instead. His breakout role came as Cochise in the 1950s TV series "Broken Arrow."
Other small-screen roles included in parts in such shows as "The Untouchables," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Perry Mason, "Lost in Space," "Hawaii 5-0," "Murder She Wrote," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" and his ex-wife's show, "I Dream of Jeannie." Ansara also voiced Mr. Freeze in Batman movies and the TV series.
Ansara's film credits include 1953's "Julius Caesar," "The Greatest Story Ever Told," John Wayne's "The Comancheros," "Guns of the Magnificent Seven," "The Bears and I," "The Message" and "The Guns and the Fury."
William Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk on the original Star Trek, was among the many who offered condolences upon hearing of Ansara's death. So too did Eden, Ansara's former wife.
Tweeted Eden: "He was a good man, a good father & a fantastic actor who had a long and full life."
Given that it's 2013, it's perfectly understandable that the "was probably best known for" portion of this accomplished actor highlighted his three turns as the kooky Klingon Kang.
Since Star Trek is still very much a part of contemporary culture, it is, arguably, of all of Michael Ansara's work, that which, when his passing was announced, rang a bell.
Or Kang a bell, as the case may be.
And if going into the history books as a three times star of one of television and motion pictures most iconic creations was all he had to show for the 60 plus professional years of his 91 year long life, well, it would be a heck of a thing.
Or Trek of a thing, as the case may be.
For me, though, Ansara gets props for his largely unsung work tackling, through, his acting, the hot button issue of race relations, especially during the 1950's when those relations were beginning to reach critical mass in the culture and the country.
Oh, didn't know that this gifted actor was a civil rights pioneer?
Next time you're inclined to go a Wikipedia-ing in search of fun things to know and tell for show and tell and you've already filled the folders marked Rosa Parks, James Meredith, Jackie Robinson, et al, give this name a look see.
Sam Buckhart.
The character portrayed in, first, several episodes of the, again, iconic 1950's and 60's TV western, "The Rifleman" and then, shortly after, for just one short season, in another lesser known series, "Law of the Plainsman".
Here, allow me.
The character of Native American U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart was introduced in two episodes ("The Indian" and "The Raid") of the popular ABC Western television series The Rifleman starring Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain.
Law of the Plainsman is distinctive and unique in that it was one of the few television programs that featured a Native American as the lead character, a bold move for U.S.network television at that time. Ansara had earlier appeared in the series Broken Arrow, having portrayed the Apache chief, Cochise.
Ansara played Sam Buckhart, an Apache Indian who saved the life of a U.S. Cavalry officer after an Indian ambush. When the officer died, he left Sam money that was used for an education at private schools and Harvard University. After school, he returned to New Mexico where he became a Deputy Marshal working for Marshal Andy Morrison
Looking back at this show, and this time, through the admittedly dusty fifty year old lens, might easily generate a "what's the big deal?" attitude amongst contemporary television viewers.
Let's face it, a couple of hours of Real Housewives, with a dash of Honey Boo Boo, a soupcon of American Guy, all smothered in a buffoonish frosting of anything and everything with the name Tyler Perry on it and one little piddly weekly show about a native American marshal in the old West might be medically proven to invoke a yawn or two.
But, dusty lens or not, this was fifty years ago.
A time in American history when, in terms of our entertainment, racial issues were a sleeping dog that even the most rebellious television and/or movie creative types let lie.
Or disguised in so much metaphor that only the hippest of the hip realized they were being offered a little morality underneath the melodrama.
Cue Rod Serling and several choice episodes of "The Twilight Zone".
And even well into the sixties and beyond, the race card could only be played if it was slipped into the deck with a little more metaphorical slight of hand.
Cue Gene Roddenberry and several choice episodes of the original "Star Trek".
But with "Law of the Plainsman", prime time television put racial conflict front and center, even if it was still substituting native American (then still referred to, without a moment's pause, as Indian) issues for the more radioactive African American (then still referred to, without a moment's pause, as Negro) issues.
And right there, just a big as life with conflict up to here and hair down to there, was native American United States Marshal Sam Buckhart.
Played passionately, intelligently and fearlessly by Michael Ansara.
The character, accounting for both appearances on "The Rifleman" and "Law of the Plainsman" only existed on our small screens for a total of thirty two half hour episodes, hardly enough time to generate the kind of controversy that prolonged exposure might have spawned.
But, putting those issues on the mainstream small screen in those days was a brave thing to do.
And playing the character took courage, as well.
The kind of courage that can very easily go unnoticed.
Especially when one is distracted by the blinding light of a disruptor blast fired by commander Kang of the Klingon Empire.
"Wow", said the girl discovering and going through You Tube episodes of "The Rifleman" and "Law of the Plainsman", "Michael Ansara was on TV even before "Star Trek".
Yes, as a matter of fact, he was.
As Sam Buckhart.
Bravely going where no one had gone before.
No comments:
Post a Comment