J.G. Hertzler

John Garman Hertzler Jr. (born March 18, 1950) is an American actor, author, screenwriter, and activist best known for his role on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' as the Klingon General (later Chancellor) Martok, whom he portrayed from 1995 until the series' end in 1999.

Hertzler began his acting career in the 1970s, doing mostly stage acting and appearing in some films. He guest starred in a few episodes for different television shows before landing the part of Alcalde Ignacio De Soto in the early 1990s show '' Zorro''. In addition to ''Deep Space Nine'', Hertzler has appeared on several other ''Star Trek'' shows, written two ''Star Trek'' novels, and has made appearances at ''Star Trek'' and science fiction conventions. Hertzler lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York where he was a lecturer at Cornell University's theater department, and has been active in the area's regional politics, as well as writing a screenplay.

Early life and education

Hertzler was born in Savannah, Georgia. His parents were from Port Royal, Pennsylvania, and his family is descended from German-speaking Amish families. His father John G. Hertzler served in the U.S. Air Force, and his mother Eleanor Frances Beaver Hertzler was a Latin and French teacher. His family lived in cities around the world including: St. Joseph, Missouri; El Paso, Texas; and Casablanca in Morocco. He grew up mostly in the Washington, D.C., area, and attended Bucknell University, playing linebacker on their football squad. While there, he got into acting when the drama department recruited him for a production of '' Marat/Sade'' as they were looking for a big guy for one of the roles. After graduating in political science in 1972, he got his master's in set design at the University of Maryland, and attended law school for a year at American University. While he was in the DC area, he worked in the federal government, including with the Nixon Administration for the National Environmental Policy Act, and took an assortment of jobs to practice theatre including waiting at a dinner theater, bartending, and taxi-driving.

Career

Hertzler worked in the Washington area on theatre projects. On the movie screen, he portrayed Lucas in the horror film '' The Redeemer: Son of Satan'' (also known as ''Class Reunion Massacre''), which was released in 1978. Hertzler also had a role in the feature film '' And Justice for All'' which starred Al Pacino, released in 1979. He also worked in New York City on the Broadway production '' The Bacchae'' as King Pentheus. In 1981, he moved to San Francisco to join the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) where he acted and directed in a number of productions including ''The Admirable Crichton'', '' Richard II'', '' Dial M for Murder'', and a number of Shakespeare productions. He was an instructor with ACT, and had also worked with other theater productions such as ''Medea'' with the Cincinnati Playhouse. He moved to Southern California in 1988 and continued theatre work there.

His first notable guest role on television was in 1990 on the '' Quantum Leap'' episode "The Sea Bride – June 3, 1954". His first major television role was in the 1990s series '' Zorro'' as Alcalde Ignacio De Soto, the antagonist character who replaces Ramone as the Alcalde (Mayor) of Los Angeles in the third and fourth seasons. The show was filmed in a studio lot outside of Madrid, Spain, and was broadcast on The Family Channel. He was also involved in a television movie called ''Treasure Island: The Adventure Begins'' where he played a pirate called Black Dog. ''Treasure Island'' was broadcast to go along with a promotion for the casino resort in Las Vegas.

left, Hertzler (standing) as Martok, with Robert O'Reilly as Gowron, at the Riverside Trek Fest in 2014">Gowron.html" ;"title="Robert O'Reilly as Gowron">Robert O'Reilly as Gowron, at the Riverside Trek Fest in 2014
Hertzler's first involvement in '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' was in the series' pilot