MICHAEL ANSARA BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Michael Ansara was born in Syria on April 15th, 1922.  At the age of two his family immigrated to the United States and he spent his youth in Lowell, Massachusetts.  At the age of twelve his family moved to California and upon finishing his schooling, he was admitted to Los Angeles City College  with the goals of becoming a doctor.  However, the drama department caught his attention, when one of his professors said that a drama class might help overcome is low self confidence.
 
Following this first introduction to the world of acting, he got a opportunity for a small bit at the Pasadena Playhouse which began his career in the right direction.  The first role that caught the attention of Hollywood was his role in, "The Robe" (1953) starring Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Michael Rennie, Dean Jagger, Jay Robinson, Richard Boone, Jay Novello, Cameron Mitchell and Jeff Morrow. 
 
A starring role on a television series, "Broken Arrow" (1956) co-starring John Lupton took him to an elevated level of stardom. He also met his wife, Barbara Eden on this series and two years later the couple were married.  Ansara also had the opportunity for a guest role the series, "I Dream of Jeannie" however that role went to Larry Hagman instead.  In 1959, he had the chance to portray a federal marshal in the western series, "Law of the Plainsman" and was also a guest star in an episode of, "The Rifleman" starring Chuck Connors, Paul Fix and Johnny Crawford. 
 
Along with his appearance in the Biblical Epic, "The Robe" (1953), he portrayed Judas in, "The Ten Commandments (1956) and was cast on, "The Comancheros" (1961) starring John Wayne, Stuart Whitman, Ina Balin, Bruce Cabot, Bob Steele, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Lee Marvin and Nehemiah Persoff and "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965) starring Max von Sydow, Dorothy McGuire, Charlton Heston, Claude Rains, Jose Ferrer, Telly Savalas, Martin Landau, David McCallum, Donald Pleasence, Michael Anderson Jr., Roddy McDowall, Joseph Schildkraut, Ed Wynn, Ina Balin, Carroll Baker, Robert Blake, Pat Boone, Victor Buono, John Considine, Richard Conte, Jamie Farr, David Hedison, Van Heflin, Russell Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Robert Loggia, John Lupton, Sal Mineo, Nehemiah Persoff, Sidney Poitier, Paul Stewart, John Wayne and Shelley Winters.    

Ansara had the chance to work with his wife, Barbara on, "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" (1961) starring Walter Pidgeon, Robert Sterling, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden and Peter Lorre and appeared as the character, Red Sky in the "Daniel Boone" series (1966).  There was no shortage of work for Ansara as he continued to cast guest star roles frequently on series television shows such as, "The Road West" (1957), "Land of the Giants" (1969) and "Mission: Impossible" (1973).  A year later in 1974, Eden and Ansara divorced.  They did have one son together, Matthew Ansara who was also an actor, but sadly passed away from a heroine overdose on June 25th, 2001.    

Ansara was not only limited to televison as in 1977, he starred in the movie, "Mohammad, Messenger of God" followed by a season on the series, "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (1979-1980).  Ansara, did not slow his career down moving into the 1980's.

He continued with roles on, "The Lone Ranger" starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels, "The Outer Limits", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Still the Turtle Watched (1993).  In 1994, Ansara portrayed Elric in the science fiction TV series, "Babylon 5".  Ansara also worked as a voice over in vaarious projects such as Mr. Freeze in, "Batman, the Animated Series" and "Batman and Mr. Freeze, Subhero" and the video game spin-off, Batman Vengeance.

The most important part that he played ever throughout his acting career was his role in star trek. He played the character of Kang in the series and again used his voice for Q's supervisor in an episode on "The Next Generation".  He is now semi retired and living in Calabasas, California, but still dabbles occasionally in cartoon voice over work.
 

Filmography

1999   Batman Beyond: The Movie
1999   The Long Road Home
1999   Greatest Heroes of the Bible
1990   Border Shootout
1988   Murder, She Wrote The Last Flight of the Dixie Damsel
1987   Assassination
1986   KGB: The Secret War
1986   Knights of the City
1984   The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins
1984   Access Code
1982   Bayou Romance
1981   The Guns and the Fury
1979   The Manitou
1979   Centennial The Scream of Eagles
1978   Centennial
1978   Dr. Strange
1978   Centennial Only the Rocks Live Forever
1977   The Message
1977   Mission to Glory: A True Story
1977   Day of the Animals
1976   ar- Risâlah
1975   Barbary Coast
1974   The Bears and I
1974   The First Woman President 
1974   Shootout in a One-Dog Town
1974   It's Alive
1973   Ordeal 
1973   The Doll Squad
1973   Call to Danger
1972   Dear Dead Delilah
1972   Stand Up and Be Counted
1971   Powderkeg
1971   The Mod Squad
1971   A Double for Danger 
1970   The Phynx
1969   Guns of the Magnificent Seven
1969   Target: Harry
1968   The Pink Jungle
1968   Sol Madrid
1968   The Destructors
1968   Daring Game
1968   I Dream of Jeannie
1968   Battle of Waikiki
1968   Star Trek Day of the Dove
1967   How I Spent My Summer Vacation
1966   Texas Across the River 
1966   And Now Miguel
1966   I Dream of Jeannie Happy Anniversary
1965   Harum Scarum
1965   The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965   Branded The Bounty
1964   The Confession
1961   The Comancheros
1961   Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 
1959   Law of the Plainsman
1959   The Rifleman  
1957   The Sad Sack 
1957   The Tall Stranger
1957   Last of the Badmen 
1957   Quantez
1956   Pillars of the Sky
1956   The Ten Commandments
1956   Broken Arrow
1956   Gun Brothers
1956   The Lone Ranger
1956   Diane
1955   Jupiter's Darling
1955   Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy
1955   New Orleans Uncensored
1954   Sign of the Pagan
1954   The Egyptian
1954   Bengal Brigade
1954   The Saracen Blade
1954   Drums of Tahiti
1954   The Diamond Queen
1954   Three Young Texans 
1954   Princess of the Nile
1953   The Robe
1953   White Witch Doctor
1953   Julius Caesar
1953   Serpent of the Nile
1953   Yankee Buccaneer
1953   Road to Bali 
1953   The Bandits of Corsica
1953   The Golden Hawk
1953   The Lawless Breed 
1953   Slaves of Babylon
1952   Diplomatic Courier
1952   Brave Warrior
1951   My Favorite Spy
1951   Bannerline
1951   Only the Valiant
1951   Kim
1951   Smuggler's Island
1951   Soldiers Three
1951   Family Theatre
1951   The Lone Ranger
1951   Trouble at Black Rock
1950   South Sea Sinner
1950   The Desert Hawk
1949   Outpost in Morocco
1948   Queen Esther
1947   Intrigue
1944   Action in Arabia