Actor Michael Ansara died July 31 at age 91. (Click link for Hollywood Reporter obituary.)
A busy character actor since the early 1950s, he was usually cast as villainous/toughguy/noblemen types. He starred in the western TV series BROKEN ARROW (1956 - 1958) as 'Cochise.' Married to Barbara Eden from 1958 - 1974, he guest-starred in his wife's I DREAM OF JEANNIE a few times, e.g., as Jeannie's nemesis 'Blue Djinn,' and later as Hawaii's 'King Kamehameha.'
As 'Rufus the Red' on BEWITCHED / As 'Blue Djinn' on I DREAM OF JEANNIEHe's probably best remembered as the Klingon 'Cmdr. Kang' from the STAR TREK episode "The Day of the Dove." Ansara reprised the role in episodes of STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9 and STAR TREK: VOYAGER.
One of his earliest roles was a bit as 'Arabian guard' in
THE DESERT HAWK (1950), which costarred Joe Besser. In 1955, Ansara costarred in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955) as villain Marie Windsor's henchman 'Charlie.'
Michael Ansara, far left behind Lou CostelloSTAR TREK The Day of the Dove (1968), clip
BROKEN ARROW (1956), clip
