Anthony Zerbe

American actor

Arnette Jens

(m. 1962)

Children2

Anthony Jared Zerbe (born May 20, 1936) is an American actor. His notable film roles include the post-apocalyptic cult leader Matthias in The Omega Man, a 1971 film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I Am Legend; as an Irish Catholic coal miner and one of the Molly Maguires in the 1970 film The Molly Maguires; as a corrupt gambler in Farewell, My Lovely; as the leper colony chief Toussaint in the 1973 historical drama prison film Papillon; as Abner Devereaux in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park; as villain Milton Krest in the James Bond film Licence to Kill; Rosie in The Turning Point; Roger Stuart in The Dead Zone; Admiral Dougherty in Star Trek: Insurrection; and Councillor Hamann in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.^[1]

Life and career

Zerbe was born in Long Beach, California, the son of Catherine (née Scurlock) and Arthur LeVan Zerbe.^[2] He went to Newport Harbor High School. He attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, graduating in 1958.^[3] His parents were also alumni of Pomona College.^[4] He served in the United States Air Force from 1959 to 1961.^[5]

Zerbe's interest in acting was kindled by stage productions when he was 17.^[6] He studied at the Stella Adler Studio in New York City. He made his New York City stage debut at the Greenwich Mews Theatre on October 15, 1961 with The Cave Dwellers.^[7] On television, he has played guest roles on such series as Naked City, The Virginian, Kung Fu (2 episodes), The Big Valley, Route 66, The Wild Wild West, Twelve O'Clock High, Bonanza, Mission: Impossible (5 episodes), Gunsmoke(3 episodes with one a double role), Hawaii Five-O, Mannix (4 episodes), It Takes a Thief, The Chisholms, Ironside, The F.B.I., The Rookies, The Rockford Files, Dynasty, and Columbo, among others.

Zerbe had a starring role in The Young Riders. He co-starred on Harry O from the second half of the first season through the series' conclusion at the end of the second season as Lieutenant Trench, known for his stentorian baritone, alternately heard yelling for his underling, Sergeant Roberts, or, at a lower decibel, horse-trading for information with the title character, P.I. Harry Orwell, played by David Janssen. He was seen as Pontius Pilate in the miniseries A.D. and as General Grant in North and South: Book II. He appeared in many episodes of the mini-series Centennial, in 1978. In 2013, he played Senator Horton Mitchell in the black comedy/crime film American Hustle.^[1] He was Mr. Crumwald in the 2014 Hungarian-American film, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.^[8]

Zerbe is the former artistic director of Reflections, A New Plays Festival at the Geva Theatre in Rochester, New York, and toured the United States, in 1981, with Behind the Broken Words, a performance of contemporary poetry, comedy, and dramatic works with fellow actor Roscoe Lee Browne.^[9]

In 1976, Zerbe won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Lieutenant K.C. Trench in the private detective series Harry O.^[10] In 1981, he played eldest brother Benjamin Hubbard in a Broadway revival of The Little Foxes.^[11]

Personal life

Zerbe has been married to Arnette Jens (sister of actress Salome Jens), since October 7, 1962; the couple have two children.^[1]

Selected filmography

1967 Cool Hand Luke as "Dog Boy"
1967 Will Penny as "Dutchy"
1970 The Molly Maguires as Dougherty
1970 The Liberation of L.B. Jones as Willie Joe Worth
1970 They Call Me Mister Tibbs! as Rice Weedon
1971 The Omega Man as Jonathan Matthias
1972 The Hound of the Baskervilles (TV Movie) as Dr. John Mortimer
1972 The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie as Fry
1972 The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean as The Hustler
1973 Papillon as Toussaint
1973 She Lives! (TV Movie) as "Dr. W"
1973 Carola (TV Movie) as Campan
1973 The Laughing Policeman as Steiner
1974 The Parallax View as Professor Nelson Schwartzkopf (uncredited)
1975 Farewell, My Lovely as Laird Brunette
1975 Rooster Cogburn as "Breed"
1977 The Turning Point as Rosie
1978 Child of Glass (TV movie)
1978 Who'll Stop the Rain as Antheil
1978 Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park as Abner Devereaux
1980 Attica (TV Movie) as William Kunstler
1980 The First Deadly Sin as Captain Broughton
1981 Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. as Morgan
1983 Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Justin Sepheran
1983 The Dead Zone as Roger Stuart
1986 Off Beat as Mr. Wareham
1986 Opposing Force as Becker
1987 P.I. Private Investigations as Charles Bradley, Joey's Father
1987 Steel Dawn as Damnil
1989 Listen to Me as Senator McKellar
1989 See No Evil, Hear No Evil as Sutherland
1989 Licence to Kill as Milton Krest
1997 Touch as Father Donahue
1998 Star Trek: Insurrection as Admiral Matthew Dougherty
1999 True Crime as Henry Lowenstein
2003 Behind the Broken Words
2003 The Matrix Reloaded as Councillor Hamann
2003 The Matrix Revolutions as Councillor Hamann
2007 Veritas, Prince of Truth as Porterfield
2013 American Hustle as Senator Horton Mitchell
2014 Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks as Mr. Crumwald
2016 The Investigation as Ash

Television

Naked City (TV series) (1963) – Phil Karshow
The Big Valley (TV series) (1965) - S1 Ep 13 - "The Guilt of Matt Bentall"
The Wild Wild West (1967) – Deke Montgomery
The Virginian (1968) – Jake Powell
Gunsmoke (3 episodes, 1968–1973) – Talbot / Heraclio Cantrell and Father Hernando Cantrell / Nick Skouras
Mission: Impossible: "The Photographer" (1967) – David Redding
Mission: Impossible: "Live Bait" (1969) – Colonel Helmut Kellerman
Mission: Impossible: "The Amnesiac" (1969) – Col. Alex Vorda
Bonanza: "A Ride in the Sun" (1969) – John Spain
Mannix: "Death in a Minor Key" (1969) – Chief Walt Finley
Mission: Impossible: "The Amateur" (1970) – Eric Schilling
Mission: Impossible: "The Connection" (1971) – Reece Dolan
Ironside: "The Killer Priest Series" (1971) - Vincent Wiertel
Mannix: "Cry Silence" (1972) – James Conway
Cannon (1972, 1973) – three episodes
The Streets of San Francisco (1973) – Eddie Whitney
Kung Fu (1973 and 1974) – Rafe / Paul Klempt
Hawaii Five-O (1974) S6/Ep22 – Cord McKenzie in "Mother's Deadly Helper"
Harry O (1975–1976) Season 1 (after episode 14), Season 2 – Lt. KC Trench, 30 episodes
Once an Eagle (1976) – Dave Shifkin
How the West Was Won (1976–1977) – Martin Grey / Provost Marshal Captain Martin Grey
The Red Hand Gang (1977)
The Rockford Files: "The Gang at Don's Drive-In" (1978) – Jack Skowron
Centennial (1978) – Mervin Wendell
Little House on the Prairie "The Wild Boy" (1982) - Dr. Joshua McQueen
George Washington (1984) – General St. Pierre
A.D. (miniseries) (1985) – Pontius Pilate
Highway to Heaven (1985) – Jabez Stone in "The Devil and Jonathan Smith"
Dream West (1986) – Bill Williams
One Police Plaza (1986)
North and South, Book II (1986) – Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
The Equalizer: "Memories of Manon" (1987) – Phillipe Marcel
Baja Oklahoma (1988) – Ole Jeemy Williams
Onassis: The Richest Man in the World (1988) – Livanos
Columbo: "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" (1989) – Max Dyson
The Young Riders (1989–1992) – Teaspoon Hunter
Murder, She Wrote: "Murder of the Month Club" (1994) – Matt Matthews
Tales from the Crypt: "Revenge is the Nuts" (1994) - Arnie Grunwald
Walker Texas Ranger: "Break In" (1996) – Joey Galloway
Asteroid (1997) – Dr. Charles Napier
Frasier: "RDWRER" (2000) - Clifford
Judging Amy: "Accountability" (2004) – Judge Henry Sobel

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Anthony Zerbe at IMDb
^ "Anthony Zerbe profile". Film Reference. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
^ "1958". Pomona College Timeline. Pomona College. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
^ Pomona College Alumni Directory, 2000, p. 278.
^ "Overview For Anthony Zerbe". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
^ Hubbard, Ann (February 2, 1998). "Live theater was actor's inspiration". Kokomo Tribune. pp. A1-2. Retrieved October 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Gelb, Arthur (October 16, 1961). "The Cave Dwellers Revived in 'Village'". The New York Times.
^ "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
^ Gussow, Mel (December 11, 1981). "Stage - Broken Words, Verse In Performance". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
^ "Anthony Zerbe". Television Academy. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
^ "Supporting Cast Named For The Little Foxes". The New York Times. January 22, 1981. Retrieved May 29, 2017.