Miguel Ferrer

American actor (1955–2017)

Leilani Sarelle
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 2003)​
  • Lori Weintraub
    ​
    (m. 2005)​
    • Children2Parents
    Relatives
    • Betty Clooney (aunt)
    • Nick Clooney (uncle)
    • George Clooney (cousin)
    • Tessa Ferrer (niece)

    Miguel José Ferrer (February 7, 1955[1] – January 19, 2017) was an American actor. His breakthrough role was as Bob Morton in the 1987 film RoboCop. Other film roles include Harbinger in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Quigley in Blank Check, Eduardo Ruiz in Traffic (2000) and Vice President Rodriguez in Iron Man 3 (2013). Ferrer's notable television roles include FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield on Twin Peaks (1990–1991, 2017), Dr. Garret Macy on Crossing Jordan (2001–2007) and NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger on NCIS: Los Angeles (2012–2017).

    Ferrer has also done voice acting in animated projects, including Shan Yu in Mulan (1998), Tarakudo on Jackie Chan Adventures (2000–2005), and Vandal Savage in Young Justice (2010-2012).

    Early life

    Ferrer was born on February 7, 1955, in Santa Monica, California, the oldest of five children of Academy Award-winning Puerto Rican actor José Ferrer and singer Rosemary Clooney, who was of English, Irish and German descent.[2]

    Ferrer's siblings were sisters Maria and Monsita, and brothers Gabriel (later the husband of singer Debby Boone) and actor Rafael. He also had an older half-sister, Letty (Leticia) Ferrer, from his father José's prior marriage to Uta Hagen. He was the cousin of actor George Clooney and the nephew of journalist Nick Clooney.

    Ferrer was raised in Hollywood and Beverly Hills and attended Beverly Hills High School.[3] As a teenager, his interests tended toward music; he played the drums on Keith Moon's Two Sides of the Moon.[4] After high school, Ferrer studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse.[5]

    Career

    Ferrer's friend Bill Mumy cast him as a drummer in the series Sunshine, his first television role.[6] Ferrer was also Mumy's bandmate in Seduction of the Innocent, a band that also consisted of Steve Leialoha, and Max Allan Collins.[7] Sharing a love of comics Ferrer and Mumy co-created Comet Man and Trypto the Acid Dog plus co-wrote the Marvel Graphic Novel The Dreamwalker.[8]

    Ferrer began his acting career in the early 1980s, making guest appearances on episodic television. He played the younger version of his father's character on Magnum, P.I. in 1981. In 1983, he was given a small part as a waiter in The Man Who Wasn't There. He also had a minor role in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) as the U.S.S. Excelsior helm officer. In 1984, he directed the Mark Medoff play “When Ya Coming Back, Red Ryder?” at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Florida. He had a major role in the 1987 action film RoboCop as the corporate executive Bob Morton, the young, ambitious executive of Omni Consumer Products' Security Concepts and project leader of the RoboCop program.

    Ferrer's notable later roles include a sinister biker in Valentino Returns, an overzealous engineer in DeepStar Six (1989), a resourceful vigilante in Revenge (1990), Commander Arvid Harbinger in the comedy Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Lloyd Henreid in the Stephen King miniseries The Stand (1994), and a drug informant in Traffic (2000). He occasionally took on lead parts as well, such as The Harvest and The Night Flier.

    In the early 1990s, Ferrer appeared on three primetime TV series simultaneously: as D.A. Todd Spurrier in Shannon's Deal (1989–1991), as Cajun cop Beau Jack Bowman in Broken Badges (1990–1991), and as cynical, wittily abrasive FBI forensics specialist Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks (1990–91). Ferrer reprised the role of Rosenfield in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Ferrer played a super-villain called "The Weatherman" in the failed 1997 TV pilot, Justice League of America. Later in the same year, he provided the voice for a similar character, the Weather Wizard, in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Speed Demons". In 1999, Ferrer voiced Aquaman in another Superman: Animated episode, "A Fish Story." The same year, at the 41st Grammy Awards, Ferrer was nominated for "Best Spoken Word Album for Children" in Disney's The Lion King II, "Simba's Pride Read-Along." He was also the protagonist of the American rock band Toto's music video for the song "I Will Remember", appearing alongside actor Edward James Olmos.

    Ferrer again played a medical examiner on the small screen, Dr. Garret Macy, in the television crime/drama series Crossing Jordan (2001–07). In August 2003, Ferrer made his New York stage debut in the off-Broadway production of The Exonerated.[9] In 2004, Ferrer performed as the voice of the Heretic leader in the video game Halo 2. Ferrer took voice-over roles in the TV series Robot Chicken (2006) and American Dad! (2007). He played Jonas Bledsoe on NBC's Bionic Woman series and in 2009 also starred in another NBC series, Kings, as a military commander of Gath.

    Ferrer played Los Angeles Police Lieutenant Felix Valdez in the 2011 Lifetime police procedural drama, The Protector. Also, in 2011, he had a multiple-episode guest role on the final season of Desperate Housewives. Signed to a recurring role in NCIS: Los Angeles as Naval Criminal Investigative Service Assistant Director Owen Granger, Ferrer was promoted to a series regular for the fifth season on February 6, 2013.[10] He also appeared in the 2013 film Iron Man 3 as the Vice President. Ferrer reprised his role of Albert Rosenfield in the 2017 revival of Twin Peaks.[11]

    Death

    On January 19, 2017, Ferrer died at his Santa Monica home from heart failure and complications of throat cancer at the age of 61.[11][12][13] At the time of his death, Ferrer was married to producer Lori Weintraub. He had two sons and two stepsons.[14]

    Legacy

    Miguel O'Hara, the alter ego of the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man 2099, was named after Ferrer by his friend, writer Peter David, who co-created the character.[7]

    The seventh episode of Young Justice: Outsiders was dedicated to him. Ferrer had voiced the character Vandal Savage in the first two seasons of Young Justice. As a result of his death, David Kaye took over Ferrer's role as Savage as well as his role as Jonathan Rook/Stretch Monster in Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters.[15]

    Filmography

    Film

    Year Title Role Notes
    1982 Truckin' Buddy McCoy Pete
    1982 And They Are Off
    1983 Heartbreaker Angel
    1983 The Man Who Wasn't There Waiter
    1984 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock USS Excelsior helm officer
    1984 Flashpoint Roget
    1984 Lovelines Dragon
    1987 RoboCop Bob Morton
    1989 Deepstar Six Snyder
    1989 Valentino Returns Sinister biker
    1990 Revenge Amador
    1990 The Guardian Ralph Hess
    1992 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Albert Rosenfield
    1992 The Harvest Charlie Pope
    1993 Cigarettes & Coffee Bill Short film
    1993 Point of No Return Director Kaufman
    1993 Hot Shots! Part Deux Commander Harbinger
    1993 Another Stakeout Tony Castellano
    1993 It's All True: Based on an Unfinished Film by Orson Welles Narrator Voice, documentary
    1994 Blank Check Carl Quigley
    1997 The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca Centeno
    1997 The Night Flier Richard Dees
    1997 Mr. Magoo Mr. Ortega Peru
    1998 Mulan Shan Yu Voice[16]
    1998 Where's Marlowe? Joe Boone
    2000 Traffic Eduardo Ruiz
    2002 Sunshine State Lester
    2004 The Manchurian Candidate Colonel Garret
    2004 Silver City Cliff Castleton
    2005 The Man Agent Peters
    2008 Justice League: The New Frontier J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter Voice, direct-to-video[16]
    2009 Wrong Turn at Tahoe Vincent
    2010 Hard Ride to Hell Jefe
    2011 This Is Not a Movie Voice
    2011 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Delgado Voice, direct-to-video[16]
    2011 Four Assassins Eli
    2012 Noah Kabos Voice
    2012 The Courier Mr. Capo
    2012 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta! Delgado Voice, direct-to-video[16]
    2013 Iron Man 3 Vice President Rodriguez
    2014 Rio 2 Big Boss Voice[16]
    2017 Teen Titans: The Judas Contract Slade Wilson / Deathstroke Voice, direct-to-video; posthumous release[16]

    Television

    Year Title Role Notes
    1981 Magnum, P.I. Ensign Robert 'Bobby' Wickes, USN Episode: "Lest We Forget"
    1982–85 Trapper John, M.D. Trauma Team Doctor, Dr. Austin, Darby Thud 3 episodes
    1983 CHiPs Bean Episode: "Firepower"
    1984 Cagney & Lacey Nunzio Episode: "Choices"
    1984 Hill Street Blues Carlos Episode: "Ewe and Me, Babe"
    1985 T. J. Hooker Sonny Unger Episode: "Love Story"
    1987 Houston Knights Virgilio Episode: "Scarecrow"
    1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Mic Episode: "Kung Fu: The Next Generation"
    1987 Hotel Brian Episode: "All the King's Horses"
    1987 Ohara Kramer Episode: "Artful Dodgers"
    1987 Downpayment on Murder Martin Television film
    1987 Kung Fu: The Next Generation Sequel of Kung Fu: The Movie
    1988 Hooperman Scott Kapus Episode: "Chariots of Fire"
    1988 C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf Paul Kiley Television film
    1988 Badlands 2005 Rex Pilot
    1987, 1989 Miami Vice Ramon Pedroza, District Attorney 2 episodes
    1989 Guts and Glory: The Rise and Fall of Oliver North Scott Toney Television film
    1989 Shannon's Deal Todd Spurrier Television film
    1990 Drug Wars: The Camarena Story Tony Riva 3 episodes
    1990–91 Twin Peaks FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield 8 episodes
    1990–91 Shannon's Deal D.A. Todd Spurrier 9 episodes
    1991 Murder in High Places Wilhoite Television film
    1990–91 Broken Badges Beau Jack Bowman 7 episodes
    1990–94 Tales from the Crypt Gary, Hitman, Mitch Bruckner 3 episodes
    1992 On the Air Bud Budwaller 7 episode
    1992 In the Shadow of a Killer District Attorney Steven Walzer Television film
    1992 Cruel Doubt Lewis Young 2 episodes
    1993 Scam Barry Landers Television film
    1994 Biography Narrator Voice, episode: "Bruce Lee: The Immortal Dragon"
    1994 Royce Gribbon Television film
    1994 The Stand Lloyd Henreid 4 episodes
    1994 Incident at Deception Ridge Ray Hayes Television film
    1994 ER Mr. Parker Episode: "24 Hours"; uncredited
    1994 Jack Reed: A Search for Justice Win Carter Television film
    1994 A Promise Kept: The Oksana Baiul Story Stanislav Television film
    1995 The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A. Jack Valko Television film
    1995 In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice Thomas Manning Television film
    1995 Fallen Angels Prologue Narrator, Abbazzia 6 episodes
    1996 Project ALF Dexter Moyers Television film
    1997 Justice League of America Dr. Eno / Weather Man Pilot
    1997–99 Superman: The Animated Series Aquaman, Weather Wizard, De'Cine Voice, 3 episodes[16]
    1997 The Shining Mark James Torrance Voice, episode: "#1.2"; uncredited
    1998 Brave New World Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning Television film
    1998 Men in Black: The Series Dr. Lupo Voice, episode: "The Take No Prisoners Syndrome"
    1998 Hercules Antaeus Voice, episode: "Hercules and the Hostage Crisis"
    1998–99 LateLine Victor 'Vic' Karp 17 episodes
    1999 Will & Grace Nathan Berry Episode: "Saving Grace"
    2000 3rd Rock from the Sun Jack Episode: "Youth Is Wasted on the Dick"
    2001 Matisse & Picasso: A Gentle Rivalry Pablo Picasso Voice, television short
    2001–07 Crossing Jordan Dr. Garret Macy 117 episodes
    2002 Shadow Realm Dr. Daniel Critchley Television film
    2002 Night Visions Dr. Dan Critchley Episode: "Patterns"
    2002 Sightings: Heartland Ghost Allen Television film
    2003 L.A. County 187 Sgt. Walter Drazin Television film
    2003–2004 Jackie Chan Adventures Tarakudo/Shadowkhan King Voice, 8 episodes
    2006 Robot Chicken Danny Ocean, Basher Tarr Voice, episode: "1987"
    2007 American Dad! Agent Hopkins Voice, episode: "American Dream Factory"
    2007 El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera El Tigre I Voice, episode: "The Grave Escape"[16]
    2007 Bionic Woman Jonas Bledsoe 9 episodes
    2007 The Batman Sinestro Voice, episode: "Ring Toss"[16]
    2008 Medium Joey, Teddy Carmichael Episode: "Being Joey Carmichael"
    2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Gus Kovak Episode: "Ten Count"
    2009 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Defense Attorney Whitten Episode: "Miscarriage of Justice"
    2009 The Spectacular Spider-Man Silvio Manfredi / Silvermane Voice, 2 episodes[16]
    2009 Kings General Mallick Episode: "Prosperity"
    2009 Lie to Me FBI ASAC Bill Steele Episode: "Tractor Man"
    2010 Psych Fred Collins Boyd Episode: "Think Tank"
    2010 Edgar Floats Bob Pilot
    2011 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Magister Hulka Voice, episode: "Basic Training"
    2011 ThunderCats Duelist Voice, episode: "The Duelist and the Drifter"[16]
    2011 The Protector Lieutenant Felix Valdez 13 episodes
    2011 Desperate Housewives Andre Zeller 5 episodes
    2012 Applebaum Detective Pepper Ferrer Pilot
    2010–13 Young Justice Vandal Savage, Bibbo Bibbowski, Tribune, National Guardsman #2 Voice, 11 episodes[16]
    2011–14 Adventure Time Death, Grob Gob Glob Grod, Skeleton #2 Voice, 4 episodes[16]
    2012–17 NCIS: Los Angeles NCIS Assistant Director Owen Granger 115 episodes
    2017 Twin Peaks Albert Rosenfield 11 episodes
    Posthumous release
    Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television
    2017–18 Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters Stretch Monster, Helicopter Pilot Voice, 10 episodes; posthumous release[16]

    Video games

    Year Title Role Notes
    1998 Disney's Animated Storybook: Mulan Shan Yu
    2004 Halo 2 Sesa Refume
    2013 Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know! Death

    Music video

    Year Title Artist
    1986 "Pizza Face" Barnes & Barnes
    1995 "I Will Remember" Toto
    1997 "Sorry" Nerf Herder[17]


    See also

    • flagPuerto Rico portal
    • Biography portal

    References

    1. ^ Crossland, Ken (2013). Late Life Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 64. ISBN 978-0199798575.
    2. ^ "Rosemary Clooney".
    3. ^ Braslow, Samuel (February 11, 2019). "Bezos's Investigator Gavin de Becker Is a Legend of Celebrity Security". Los Angeles Magazine. Culver City, CA.
    4. ^ Lawrence, Derek (January 19, 2017). "Miguel Ferrer: 7 things you need to know". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
    5. ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (2011). Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. pp. 72–73. ISBN 978-0-7864-8694-6 – via Google Books.
    6. ^ "Remembering Star Trek III Actor Miguel Ferrer, 1955-2017". StarTrek.com. January 19, 2017. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
    7. ^ a b David, Peter (January 19, 2017). "Miguel Ferrer". PeterDavid.net.
    8. ^ "GCD :: Creator :: Miguel Ferrer (b. 1955)". www.comics.org.
    9. ^ Hernandez, Ernio (June 25, 2003). "TV Cops Play Inmates in Off-Broadway's The Exonerated Through June 29". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
    10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 6, 2013). "Miguel Ferrer To Become Regular On 'NCIS: LA' And Also Co-Star In 'NCIS: LA' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood.
    11. ^ a b Saperstein, Pat (January 19, 2017). "Miguel Ferrer, 'NCIS: Los Angeles' Actor, Dies at 61". Variety. Los Angeles. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
    12. ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 19, 2017). "Miguel Ferrer Dies: 'NCIS: Los Angeles' & 'Crossing Jordan' Star Was 61". Deadline Hollywood. Los Angeles: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
    13. ^ "Miguel Ferrer, 'NCIS: Los Angeles' actor, dies at 61". Chicago Tribune. Tribune News Services. January 19, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
    14. ^ "Miguel Ferrer obituary". the Guardian. January 23, 2017.
    15. ^ Morrison, Matt (January 18, 2019). "Young Justice: Outsiders - 14 Big Questions From Episodes 7-9". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
    16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Miguel Ferrer (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 3, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
    17. ^ "Nerf Ball". Los Angeles Times. February 9, 1997. Retrieved March 18, 2024.

    External links

    • Miguel Ferrer at IMDb
    • Voice chasers Archived August 31, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
    • The A.V. Club interview
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