Jack Donner (born Jake Doner; October 29, 1928 – September 21, 2019) was an American actor whose career in theater, television, and film extended over six decades.

Career

A native of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, Donner worked in television and film since the 1950s including early work on ''

The Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

'' and ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...

''. Honing his craft, he performed in seven successive seasons of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

regional and stock theater. Beginning in the 1960s he had many guest star and co-starring roles in shows including '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'', and ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ow ...

''. However, he was probably best known for his role of Romulan Subcommander Tal in the original ''

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 ...

'' episode " The ''Enterprise'' Incident". He later returned as a Vulcan priest in the episodes "Kir'Shara" and "Home" of '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. Along with Joseph Ruskin and

Clint Howard Clinton Engle Howard (born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is the second son born to American actors Rance and Jean Howard, and younger brother of actor and director Ron Howard. His more than 200 acting credits include feature films ...

, he is one of only three actors to appear in both the original ''Star Trek'' series and '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. In 1998 he appeared in the uncredited role of Commander Kinwon in '' Power Rangers in Space''. He had a recurring role on ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

'' as Nikolas and

Spencer Cassadine ''General Hospital'' is an American television serial drama, airing on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The show was created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a District General Hospital, general hospital in an unnamed ficti ...

's butler, Alfred. Donner starred in Peaches Christ's black comedy film '' All About Evil'' and in Bryan Moore's adaptation of

H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (, ; August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer of Weird fiction, weird, Science fiction, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Provi ...

's '' Cool Air''. He also had a brief but memorable scene as a fire-and-brimstone prosecutor who demands death in the 1971 film '' The Night God Screamed''. He founded Oxford Theater with fellow actor

Lee Delano Lee Delano (January 19, 1931 – October 8, 2017) was an American character actor. Career Delano was born in New York City. He graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where he studied with Sandy Meisner for acting and M ...

. Their students included

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Rain Man'' (1988). His other best-known works are ''Diner'' (1982), '' The Natural'' (1984 ...

, Craig T. Nelson, Barbara Parkins, and

Don Johnson Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series '' Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Donner, Jack 1928 births 2019 deaths American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors Place of death missing Male actors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors