J. G. Hertzler

Early life and education Hertzler was born in Savannah, Georgia. His parents were from Port Royal, Pennsylvania, 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. he got his master's in set design at the University of Maryland, including with the Nixon Administration for the National Environmental Policy Act, 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, 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". 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. In an interview with Startrek.com, Hertzler said he had worked with Patrick Stewart at the Paramount Studios lot where Stewart ran some Shakespeare workshops. He would later audition for DS9 multiple times, but did not receive any roles. He was at the Paramount Studios auditioning for another series when DS9 casting director Ron Surma had him read for Klingon General Martok. At first, Hertzler portrayed Martok as a mild-mannered Klingon, but when he was asked to make him angrier, he picked up a chair and threw it into a wall. The chair's leg stuck briefly and he said he had also inadvertently ripped his thumbnail causing it to bleed, but it had impressed the auditors and he landed the part. In Star Trek: Enterprise, he played a Klingon lawyer in the episode "Judgment" and a Klingon Captain in the episode "Borderland". He made appearances at Star Trek and science fiction conventions and events.

Outside of the Star Trek world, Hertzler appeared in the television film Pirates of Silicon Valley where he portrayed director Ridley Scott. an American writer who gets involved in a love triangle.

Hertzler has been involved in voice-over for video games and audio productions. Outside some Star Trek titles, he was the voice of Dr. Grossman in BioShock.

New York theater and teaching During the 2005–2006 season, Hertzler played the role of Henry Drummond in productions of Inherit the Wind at Geva Theatre Center and Cornell University's Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.

In 2007, Hertzler moved to Ulysses, New York, and became a Resident Professional Teaching Associate (RPTA) in the Cornell University Department of Theatre, Film & Dance, where he has directed or performed in a number of productions through the 2010 season. In 2009, Hertzler directed an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Ithaca Shakespeare Company at the F.R. Newman Arboretum. He also portrayed Lord Capulet in Cornell's production of Romeo and Juliet, which involved students as well as professional actors.

After Cornell, Hertzler has continued to do acting and teaching in the New York area, including hosting a workshop about Shakespeare acting.

Writing Hertzler co-authored with novelist Jeffrey Lang two Star Trek novels, Left Hand of Destiny, Book 1, and Left Hand of Destiny, Book 2.

Hertzler has also written an original screenplay, Dancing with Sancho Panza, inspired by his time in Spain when he worked on Zorro. In June 2016, the announcement was made that the screenplay will be directed by Luis Mandoki with an anticipated release date of November 2017.

Activism

In 2013, Hertzler ran for a position on the Ulysses town council. His involvement in politics was partly because of the issue of hydraulic fracturing and concerns that the method of drilling for natural gas would destroy the Finger Lakes region. In 2016, he was elected to the town council board for a four-year term extending to 2020.

In the 2016 election, Hertzler endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for President.

Hertzler and fellow Star Trek actor James Cromwell were among nineteen people arrested for disorderly conduct during a protest outside a Crestwood Midstream compressor station in Watkins Glen, New York, on June 6, 2016. They were involved in the "We Are Seneca Lake" civil disobedience campaign against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission green-lighting underground gas storage in Seneca Lake's salt caverns, despite public opposition.

On June 8, 2017, Hertzler announced his candidacy as a U.S. House Representative for New York's 23rd congressional district in the 2018 midterm elections. As part of his campaign appearances, he planned to act "in the persona of Mark Twain", to present his ideas "through the brilliant humorist for all ages". He stated that this was a tribute both to Twain, who resided once in Elmira, and to actor Hal Holbrook, who had portrayed Twain on stage for more than six decades. On September 25, 2017, Hertzler announced his decision to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent. He advanced in the primary in June 2018, but later withdrew his candidacy prior to November.

Filmography Television Year Title Role Notes Quantum Leap Weathers Farrington Ep. "Sea Bride – June 3, 1954" –93 Zorro Alcalde Ignacio de Soto Highlander Marcus Korolus Ep. "See No Evil" The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Edward Hayes / Myron Stempler Ep. "Bounty Hunters Convention" Lois and Clark Trey Eps. "Battleground Earth", "Lord of the Flys" Star Trek: Voyager Hirogen Hunter Ep. "Tsunkatse" Everybody Loves Raymond Everett Muncie Ep. "Who Am I?" –04 Star Trek: Enterprise Advocate Kolos, Klingon Captain Ep. "Judgment", Ep. "Borderland" –05 Six Feet Under Gallery owner

Film Year Title Role Notes The Redeemer: Son of Satan Davis And Justice For All The other driver Treasure Island: The Adventure Begins Black Dog Promotional TV film produced by Treasure Island Resort & Casino Star Trek: Armada II Chancellor Martok Star Trek: Elite Force II Lurok Grouped under Additional Voices The Golden Compass Various characters Grouped under Actor BioShock Dr. Grossman Grouped under Actors Dead Space Captain Benjamin Mathius