Micheal Ansara, A.K.A Commander Kang of the Imperial Klingon Expeditionary Forces is dead.
It was a good day to die!
Rip, Mr. Ansara.
Looks up at the sky and roars
I remember him as the Indian chief Cochise in Broken Arrow (1956-1960).
“Indian Agent Tom Jeffords makes friends with Chief Cochise, becoming a blood brother of the Apache. Together they fight white schemers and renegade Indians.”
He had a very long career. Rest in peace, chief.
Dammit! I just saw him in a bit part in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode last night and thought, “Oh, it’s that guy. I love that guy!”
That where I remember him from too. He was hot, but he also had great presence.
The movie version had Jimmy Stewart and Jeff Chandler in those roles. Is that one of the earliest TV series spun off from a movie?
Warn the dead. A Warrior is arriving.
He was married to Barbara Eden?
My admiration for this humanoid has increased substantially.
I believe he appeared in an episode of Babylon 5 as well. He played a technomage that Londo consulted, when his character was passing through the station.
There will be blood wine flowing and many songs sung in his honor in Sto-Vo-Kor. Make way, a mighty warrior is coming.
I liked his version of a Klingon best. Great Actor. He reprised his role in DS9 in Blood Oath.
Yup, just watched that episode earlier this week.
Elric the Technomage in the episode ‘The Geometry of Shadows’. First aired November 16, 1994. Ansara was 72 at the time.
Elric: As I look at you, Ambasador Mollari, I see a great hand reaching out of the stars. The hand is your hand. And I hear sound; the sounds of billions of people calling your name.
Ambassador Londo Mollari: My followers?
Elric: Your victims.
My first thought was poor Kodos.
Kang is dead! Long live the Kang!
Ah, Day of the Dove. Ansara chewed much scenery that day. Good times.
Mod: Edited title for clarity.
I am mortified to admit that my most vivid memories are of Kane in the Buck Rogers TV series, and the shaman in The Manitou.
Looking over his imdb page, he had quite a career.
He even worked with Abbott & Costello, and Hope & Crosby! (Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, and Road to Bali, respectively.)
He actually had a role as the head genie on *I Dreamie of Jeanie *who showed up a couple of times to make sure Jeanie toed the genie line.
Michael Ansara was TV’s version of Anthony Quinn – the go-to guy when you wanted a general ethnic type. He played a Genie on I Dream of GJeannie opposite wife Barbara Eden (as noted above), a Klingon, an Arab on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Quarlo Gobridney, the Soldier From The Future in Soldier, one of two Harlan Ellison-scripted episodes for the original Outer Limits. And, as noted, he was Cochise on Broken Arrow. An impressive resume (If I’m not mistaken, he played Klaris, The Mummy in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy). He will be missed.
Not to mention giving The Shat a good whack on the back at the end:
Go to 3:35 and watch Spock’s (or rather, Nimoy’s) reaction. It’s priceless! 