Mark Lenard (born Leonard Rosenson, October 15, 1924 – November 22, 1996) was an American actor, primarily in television. His most famous role was that of Sarek, father of

Spock Spock is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterpri ...

, in the science fiction ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' franchise, both in '' Star Trek: The Original Series'' and the

animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

, in three films, and in two episodes of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. He also played a

Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a humanoid species of aliens in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star T ...

in '' Star Trek The Motion Picture'', and a Romulan Commander in the episode

Balance of Terror "Balance of Terror" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Paul Schneider and directed by Vincent McEveety, it first aired on December 15, 1966. The series, ...

of the original series.

Biography

Lenard was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, the son of a

Russian Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...

immigrant, Abraham, and his wife, Bessie, and was raised in the small town of South Haven, Michigan, on

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

, where his family owned a tourist resort. He joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

in 1943 and trained to be a paratrooper during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

; he did not see combat, and was discharged in 1946 as a technical sergeant. He got his start on stage while in the army. After earning a master's degree in theater and speech from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, he became known in New York City for serious drama, including the plays of Ibsen, Shaw, and Chekhov. His first noteworthy role was that of Conrad in

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud ( ; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Britis ...

's production of ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'', followed by the Broadway show '' A Far Country''. In the mid-1960s, he moved his family to Los Angeles, where he played the recurring role of Dr. Ernest Gregory in '' Another World'', and one of the

Three Wise Men 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

in the biblical epic ''

The Greatest Story Ever Told ''The Greatest Story Ever Told'' is a 1965 American epic film, epic List of religious films, religious film that retells the Biblical account of Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, from the Nativity of Jesus, Nativity through to the Ascension of J ...

'' (1965). Lenard is best known for his appearances in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, particularly in the role of Sarek, the father of Spock (

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...

). His first ''Star Trek'' appearance was in the first season of '' Star Trek: The Original Series'', however, playing the first Romulan ever seen in the series, in the episode "

" (1966). He originated the character of Sarek in the second-season episode "

Journey to Babel "Journey to Babel" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on November 17, 1967. In the episod ...

" (1967), and provided the voice of Sarek in the '' Star Trek: The Animated Series'' episode " Yesteryear" (1973). He later played an ill-fated

Captain in '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1979), which gave him the distinction of being the first actor to play a Romulan, a Vulcan, and a Klingon in ''Star Trek''. He reprised the role of Sarek in three of the ''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)—and provided the voice of young Sarek in a brief flashback sequence in '' Star Trek V: The Final Frontier'' (1989). Additionally, he appeared as the elderly Sarek in the third-season '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode " Sarek" (1990) and the fifth-season episode " Unification: Part 1" (1991). Lenard began acting in television series dramas and TV movies in 1955. He was the fifth actor to play Nathan Walsh in the soap opera ''

Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show f ...

'' (1959–1960). He played Dr. Ernest Gregory in '' Another World'' (1964–1965). For two seasons Lenard played Aaron Stempel in the television series '' Here Come the Brides'' (1968–1970). Lenard guest-starred in several episodes of the original '' Mission: Impossible'' from 1966 to 1970, including one with Leonard Nimoy, and in a two-part episode of '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.'' He played the prosecutor in Fort Grant in the

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...

film '' Hang 'Em High'' (1968), and the hostile gorilla Urko in the television series ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...

''. He made a guest appearance on ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'', in the episode "Journey in the Spring, Part I", playing Peter Ingalls, older brother of Charles Ingalls. He had roles in ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' several times, including the episode "Nowhere to Run" (1968). Lenard played a lead role in the film ''Noon Sunday'', filmed on

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

with his costars Keye Luke; John Russell of the series '' Lawman''; and character actor Stacy Harris. In ''The Radicals'' (1990), which recounted the beginnings of the Swiss

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism'; , earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...

movement in the 1520s, he played a composite historical character, Eberhard Hoffman, a Catholic bishop who serves as prosecutor in the trial of his former abbot

Michael Sattler Michael Sattler (1490 – 20 May 1527) was a monk who left the Roman Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation to become one of the early leaders of the Anabaptist movement. He was particularly influential for his role in developing t ...

. In 1993, Lenard and fellow ''Star Trek'' actor

Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid-1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in '' Star Trek: The Original ...

toured in a production of ''The Boys in Autumn''. Lenard played a late middle-aged Huck Finn who re-encounters his childhood friend Tom Sawyer after a lifetime apart. Koenig played Sawyer. Lenard died of

multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibody, antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone ...

in New York City, New York, at the age of 72.

Filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1965) - Balthazar * '' Hang 'Em High'' (1968) - Prosecuting Attorney at Fort Grant * '' Noon Sunday'' (1970) - Jason Cootes * ''

Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer ...

'' (1977) - Navy Officer * ''

Getting Married ''Getting Married'' is a play by George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on ...

'' (1978) - Mr. Bloom * '' 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 V: The Final Frontier'' (1989) - Ambassador Sarek (voice) * ''The Radicals'' (1990) - Eberhard Hoffmann * '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' (1991) - Ambassador Sarek

Television

* ''Studio One'' (1960) - David * ''

'' (1959–1960) - Nathan Walsh * ''

Armstrong Circle Theatre ''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran from June 6, 1950, to June 25, 1957, on NBC, and from October 2, 1957, to August 28, 1963, on CBS. It alternated weekly with '' The United States Steel Ho ...

'': "Ghost Bomber: The Lady Be Good" (1960) - Major Bennett * ''Family Classics: The Three Musketeers'' (1960) - Jusac De Rochefort * '' Another World'' (1964–1965) - Dr. Ernest Gregory * '' Mission: Impossible'': "

Wheels A wheel is a rotating component (typically circular in shape) that is intended to turn on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axl ...

" (S1:E7, 1966) - Felipe Mora * ''

'': "

" (S1:E14, 1966) - Romulan Commander * ''

'': "

" (S2:E10, 1967) - Sarek * '' Mission: Impossible'': " Trek" (S2:E2, 1967) - Col. Luis Cardoza * ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western (genre), Western, spy film, spy, and science fiction on television, science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 19 ...

'': "The Night of the Iron Fist" (S3:E14, 1967) - Count Draja * '' Cimarron Strip'': "The Greeners" (S1:E23, 1968) - Jared Arlyn * ''

'': "No Where to Run" (S13:E18, 1968) - Ira Stonecipher * '' Here Come the Brides'' (1968–1970) - Aaron Stempel * '' Mission: Impossible'': "

Nitro Nitro may refer to: Chemistry *Nitrogen, a chemical element and a gas except at very low temperatures, with which many compounds are formed: **Nitro compound, an organic compound containing one or more nitro functional groups, -NO2 **Nitro ligand ...

" (S3:E21, 1969) - Aristo Skora * '' Hawaii Five-O'': "To Hell with Babe Ruth" (1969) - Yoshio Nagata * '' Mission: Impossible'': " The Rebel" (1970) - Colonel Bakram * '' Hawaii Five-O'': "Will the Real Mr. Winkler Please Die" (S5:E19, 1973) - Rogloff * '' Star Trek: The Animated Series'': " Yesteryear" (1973) - Sarek (voice) * ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'': " Desert Run" (1973) - Hal Morgan * ''

'' (1974) - General Urko * '' Hawaii Five-O'': "Secret Witness" (1974) - Dan Bok * ''

'': "Journey in the Spring" (1976) - Peter Ingalls * ''

The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American television sitcom produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychol ...

'': "Carlin's New Suit" (1977) - Earl Stanley Plummer * '' Hawaii Five-O'': "You Don't See Many Pirates These Days" (1977) - Commander Hawkins * '' The Secret Empire'' (TV series) (1979) - Emperor Thorval * '' The Incredible Hulk'' (TV series) (1979) - Mr. Slater * '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'': "Journey to Oasis" (1981) - Ambassador Duvoe * ''

Otherworld In historical Indo-European religion, the concept of an otherworld, also known as an otherside, is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other world/side"), a term used by Lucan in his desc ...

'' "The Zone Troopers Build Men" (1985) - Perel Sightings * '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'': " Sarek" (1990) - Sarek * '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'': " Unification: Part 1" (1991) - Sarek * '' In the Heat of the Night'': "Legacy" (1993) - Horrace Sloan (final appearance) * ''Amazing Space on TLC'' (1993)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lenard, Mark 1924 births 1996 deaths Male actors from Michigan American people of Russian-Jewish descent American male film actors Male actors from Chicago Military personnel from Chicago American male television actors Jewish American male actors Deaths from multiple myeloma in the United States Deaths from cancer in New York (state) University of Michigan alumni 20th-century American male actors People from South Haven, Michigan United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army non-commissioned officers Paratroopers 20th-century American Jews Jews from Illinois