Arlene Martel
American writer, actress and acting coach
About Arlene Martel
Lived 1936 – 2014 (aged 78). Arlene Martel was an American stage actor, film actor, television actor and actor.
Arlene Martel (born Arline Greta Sax; April 14, 1936 – August 12, 2014) was an American actress. Before 1964, she was frequently billed as Arline Sax or Arlene Sax. Casting directors, among other Hollywood insiders, called Martel the Chameleon because her appearance and her proficiency with accents and dialects enabled her to portray characters of a wide range of races and ethnicities.
Early life and education Martel was born Arline Sax in the Bronx and attended the Performing Arts High School in New York. a Hungarian immigrant on The Fugitive episode "The Blessings of Liberty" (1966); the French Resistance contact Tiger in five episodes of Hogan's Heroes (1965–71); and the evil witch Malvina on the Bewitched episode "How Not to Lose Your Head to King Henry VIII (Part 1)" (1971).
Martel's science fiction roles include The Outer Limits episode "Demon with a Glass Hand" (1964) and the Star Trek episode "Amok Time" (1967) as the scheming and duplicitous, but extremely logical, T'Pring, who is betrothed to Mr. Spock (thus, cast again with Leonard Nimoy) and expected to become his consort. In 1973 Arlene played a movie actress turned princess on the 3rd episode of Banacek entitled "The Three Million Dollar Piracy".
On Columbo, Martel played Gloria West, the “pretend girlfriend” of the murder victim Tony Goodland (Bradford Dillman), in season 2, episode 2, "The Greenhouse Jungle" (1972), and the salesgirl in the episode "A Friend in Deed" (1974).
In 1977, she was billed as "Tasha Martell" for the role of secretary Marty Bach in The Rockford Files episode "Trouble in Chapter 17." She appeared as the title character in the Gunsmoke episode "The Squaw" (1975).
Other shows on which Martel appeared included The Restless Gun (episode "A Bell for Santo Domingo"), The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible, Here Come the Brides, The Wild Wild West, The Flying Nun, Battlestar Galactica, The Monkees, Mannix, The Rookies, and The Six Million Dollar Man. In the fourth season of Mission: Impossible she was reunited with Leonard Nimoy in the episode "Terror", where she played an imprisoned terrorist's ruthless wife.
Martel also appeared in feature films, including The Glass Cage (1964), in the starring role. In Angels from Hell (1968), she played the owner of a go-go bar frequented by members of a biker gang. She received top billing as the commandant in charge of a Russian road crew in Zoltan, Hound of Dracula (1978), although it was only a bit part, lasting less than five minutes.
Late-life roles included a Vulcan priestess in the Star Trek fan film "Of Gods and Men" in a scene with her "Amok Time" suitor Lawrence Montaigne reprising his role as Stonn, and as one of the narrators of the 2015 documentary film Unity, which was released a year after her death.
Personal life and death Martel was a regular at Star Trek conventions worldwide from 1972 to 2014. Her last convention appearance was at TrekTrax Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 25–27, 2014, four months before her death.
Martel had breast cancer for the last five years of her life.
I Dream of Jeannie Female Cosmonaut Season 1, Episode 13: "Russian Roulette"
My Favorite Martian Viola Normandy Season 3 Episode 3 "Martin of the Movies"
Hogan's Heroes Olga Season 4 Episode 7: "Never Play Cards with Strangers"
Hogan's Heroes Tiger Season 6 Episode 11: "Operation Tiger" Mannix Valerie Price/Muriel Price Season 3 Episode 23: "Murder Revisited"
1978 Battlestar Galactica Adulteress 58 Season 1 Episode 7: "The Long Patrol" Season 4 Episode 19: "Return of the Ninny/Touchdown Twins/Split Personality"
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Important facts
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Tasha Martell, Arlene Martell MartinFamily & relationships
People in Arlene Martel's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Arlene Martel's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Arlene Martel?
American writer, actress and acting coach (1936–2014)
When was Arlene Martel born?
Arlene Martel was born on 14 April 1936 in The Bronx.
When did Arlene Martel die?
Arlene Martel died on 12 August 2014 in Santa Monica.
What was Arlene Martel's occupation?
Arlene Martel was a stage actor, film actor, television actor and actor.
What nationality was Arlene Martel?
Arlene Martel was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Arlene Martel. https://biography.guide/arlene-martel/
MLA: "Arlene Martel." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/arlene-martel/.
Chicago: "Arlene Martel." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/arlene-martel/.
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