Anthony Zerbe

Anthony Jared Zerbe (born May 20, 1936) is an American actor. After pursuing an interest in theater in his early years, including a stint at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City, he enlisted in the Air Force and later embarked upon a career in television and film.

On television, he appeared in many series, making multiple appearances in series such as Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Kung Fu, Mannix, How the West Was Won and The Equalizer. He had recurring roles in the series Harry O and The Young Riders, garnering an Emmy Award in 1976 for his work on the former. His film credits include Cool Hand Luke (1967), The Omega Man (1971), Papillon (1973), The Dead Zone (1983), Licence to Kill (1989), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998),The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003) and American Hustle (2013).

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

Stage Zerbe's interest in acting started with stage productions when he was 17. 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.

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. That same year, he played eldest brother Benjamin Hubbard in a Broadway revival of The Little Foxes.

Television On television, Zerbe 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, Little House on the Prairie (1974 TV series), Dynasty, and Columbo, among others.

Zerbe appeared as the stentorian Lieutenant Trench, employing a distinctive sonorous baritone which bore no resemblance to his own voice, in the television series Harry O from the second half of the first season through the series' conclusion at the end of the second season. At the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1976, Zerbe won an Emmy for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role. He appeared in several miniseries, including Centennial, as Mervin Wendell, A.D., in which he portrayed Pontius Pilate, and North and South: Book II, as General Ulysses S. Grant. Zerbe later had a principal role as Teaspoon Hunter on the television series The Young Riders (1989–1992).

Film Zerbe's film roles include an Irish Catholic coal miner and one of the titular characters in The Molly Maguires (1970); the post-apocalyptic cult commander Matthias in The Omega Man, a 1971 movie adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend; the leper colony chief Toussaint in the 1973 historical drama prison movie Papillon; a corrupt gambler in Farewell, My Lovely (1975); Rosie in The Turning Point (1977); Abner Devereaux in the television film Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978); villain Milton Krest in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989); Roger Stuart in The Dead Zone (1983); Admiral Dougherty in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998); and Councillor Hamann in the 2003 films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. In 2013, he played Senator Horton Mitchell in the dark comedy/crime movie American Hustle. Zerbe played Mr. Crumwald in the 2014 Hungarian-American movie, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.

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

Selected filmography Film

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