Mark Lenard
Mark Lenard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leonard Rosenson October 15, 1924 |
| Died | November 22, 1996 (aged 72) |
| Occupation(s) | Film, television actor |
| Years active | 1951–1993 |
| Spouse |
Ann Amouri (m. 1960–1996) |
Mark Lenard (October 15, 1924 – November 22, 1996) was an American actor, primarily in television.
Biography
Lenard was born Leonard Rosenson in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a Russian Jewish immigrant, Abraham, and his wife, Bessie. He joined the United States Army in 1943 and trained to be a paratrooper during World War II but did not see actual combat and was discharged in 1946 as a technical sergeant.[1]
A graduate of the University of Michigan, Lenard was best known as the actor who played Spock's father Sarek in Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series and later in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was one of the first actors to appear in more than one Star Trek series as the same character and to play more than one character. He played the first Romulan seen on the show and the first Klingon with a ridged forehead. Lenard wanted to appear in Star Trek: The Motion Picture but Sarek was not a character in the film so he was cast as the Klingon commander in the beginning of the film. Lenard did eventually appear as Sarek in supporting roles in three Star Trek feature films: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984); Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986); and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).
Lenard was also known for roles outside the Star Trek series. He played the prosecutor in Fort Grant in the 1968 Clint Eastwood movie, Hang 'Em High. He also played the character Aaron Stempel in Here Come the Brides, and the hostile gorilla Urko in the television series Planet of the Apes. He also made a guest appearance on Little House on the Prairie in the episode "Journey in the Spring, Part I" playing Peter Ingalls, older brother of Charles Ingalls. He had roles in Gunsmoke several times, including the episode "No Where to Run" (1968). He also guest starred in several episodes of the original Mission: Impossible, including one with Leonard Nimoy, and a two-part episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Lenard also played a lead role in the movie Noon Sunday filmed on Guam with costars Keye Luke, TV series star John Russell from Lawman, and character actor Stacy Harris.
Lenard died of Multiple myeloma in New York City, New York in 1996 at the age of 72.
Films
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) ... Klingon Captain
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) ... Ambassador Sarek
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) ... Ambassador Sarek
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) ... Ambassador Sarek
Television
- Star Trek: The Original Series: "Balance of Terror" (1966) (Romulan Commander)
- Star Trek: The Original Series: "Journey to Babel" (1967) (Sarek)
- Here Come the Brides (1968–1970) (TV series) (Aaron Stempel)
- Hawaii Five-O: To Hell With Babe Ruth (1969) (Yoshio Nagata)
- Star Trek: The Animated Series: "Yesteryear" (1973) (Voice of Sarek)
- Planet of the Apes: "TV Series" (1974) (General Urko)
- Little House on the Prairie: "Journey in the Spring" (1976) (Peter Ingalls)
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: "Journey to Oasis" (1981) (Ambassador Duvoe)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Sarek" (1990) (Sarek)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: "Unification" (1991) (Sarek)
- In the Heat of the Night: "Legacy" (1993) (Horrace Sloan)