Quick Facts
| Intro | American actor | ||
| Is | Actor Stage actor Television actor | ||
| From | United States of America | ||
| Field | Film, TV, Stage & Radio | ||
| Gender | male | ||
| Birth | 20 May 1936, Long Beach | ||
| Age | 87 years | ||
| Stats |
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Biography
Anthony Jared Zerbe (born May 20, 1936) is an American stage, film and Emmy-winning television actor. Notable film roles include the post-apocalyptic cult leader Matthias in The Omega Man, a 1971 film adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I Am Legend; as a corrupt gambler in Farewell, My Lovely; as Abner Devereaux in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park; as villain Milton Krest in the James Bond film Licence to Kill; Rosie in The Turning Point, Admiral Dougherty in Star Trek: Insurrection and Councillor Hamann in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.
Life and career
Zerbe was born in Long Beach, California, the son of Catherine (née Scurlock) and Arthur Lee Van Zerbe. He attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, graduating in 1958. His parents were also alumni of Pomona College.
Zerbe served in the United States Air Force from 1959-61. Zerbe studied at the Stella Adler Studio in New York City. On television, he has played guest roles on such series as Naked City, The Virginian, The Big Valley, Route 66, The Wild Wild West, Twelve O'Clock High, Bonanza, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, It Takes a Thief, The Chisholms, Ironside, The F.B.I., The Rookies, and Columbo, among others. He held a starring role in The Young Riders and co-starred on Harry O in that series' second and final seasons. Zerbe was also seen as Pontius Pilate in the miniseries A.D. and as General Grant in North and South: Book II. He was also in many episodes of the mini-series Centennial, in 1978. His latest appearance is in the criminal comedy-drama American Hustle.
Zerbe is the former artistic director of Reflections, A New Plays Festival at the Geva Theatre in Rochester, New York, which has toured the United States in Behind the Broken Words, a performance of contemporary poetry, comedy and dramatic works with fellow actor Roscoe Lee Browne. In 1976, Zerbe won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Lieutenant K.C. Trench in the private detective series Harry O. In 1981, he played eldest brother Benjamin Hubbard in a Broadway revival of The Little Foxes.
Personal life
Zerbe has been married to Arnette Jens (sister of actress Salome Jens), since October 7, 1962; the couple has two children.
Selected filmography
- Cool Hand Luke (1967) - Dog Boy
- Will Penny (1967) - Dutchy
- The Molly Maguires (1970) - Dougherty
- The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970) - Willie Joe Worth
- They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) - Rice Weedon
- The Omega Man (1971) - Matthias
- The Hound of the Baskervilles (1972, TV movie) - Dr. John Mortimer
- The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (1972) - Fry
- The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) - Hustler
- She Lives! (1973, TV movie) - Dr. W - Toussaint
- The Laughing Policeman (1973) - Steiner
- The Parallax View (1974) - Prof. Nelson Schwartzkopf (uncredited)
- Farewell, My Lovely (1975) - Laird Brunette
- Rooster Cogburn (1975) - Breed
- The Turning Point (1977) - Rosie
- Child of Glass (1978, TV movie)
- Who'll Stop the Rain (1978) - Antheil
- Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978) - Abner Devereaux
- Attica (1980, TV movie) - William Kunstler
- The First Deadly Sin (1980) - Captain Broughton
- Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. (1981) - Morgan
- Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983) - Justin Sepheran
- The Dead Zone (1983) - Roger Stuart
- Off Beat (1986) - Mr. Wareham
- Opposing Force (1986) - Becker
- P.I. Private Investigations (1987) - Charles Bradley, Joey's Father
- Steel Dawn (1987) - Damnil
- Listen to Me (1989) - Senator McKellar
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) - Sutherland
- Licence to Kill (1989) - Milton Krest
- Touch (1997) - Father Donahue
- Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) - Dougherty
- True Crime (1999) - Henry Lowenstein
- Behind the Broken Words (2003)
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003) - Councillor Hamann
- The Matrix Revolutions (2003) - Councillor Hamann
- Veritas, Prince of Truth (2007) - Porterfield
- American Hustle (2013) - Senator Horton Mitchell
- Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2014) - Mr. Crumwald
- The Investigation (2016) - Ash (final film role)
Television
- Naked City (TV series) (1963) - Phil Karshow
- The Wild Wild West (1967) - Deke Montgomery
- The Virginian (1968) - Jake Powell
- Gunsmoke (3 episodes, 1968-1973) - Talbot / Heraclio Cantrell and Father Hernando Cantrell / Nick Skouras
- Mission: Impossible: The Photographer (1967) - David Redding
- Mission: Impossible: Live Bait (1969) - Colonel Helmut Kellerman
- Mission: Impossible: The Amnesiac (1969) - Col. Alex Vorda
- "Bonanza: A Ride in the Sun" (1969) - John Spain
- Mission: Impossible: The Amateur (1970) - Eric Schilling
- Mission: Impossible: The Connection (1971) - Reece Dolan
- Cannon (1972, 1973) - three eipsodes
- The Streets of San Francisco (1973) - Eddie Whitney
- Kung Fu (1973 and 1974) - Rafe / Paul Klempt
- Once an Eagle (1976) - Dave Shifkin
- How the West Was Won (1976-1977) - Martin Grey / Provost Marshal Captain Martin Grey
- The Red Hand Gang (1977)
- Centennial (1978) - Mervin Wendell
- George Washington (1984) - General St. Pierre
- A.D. (miniseries) (1985) - Pontius Pilate
- Dream West (1986) - Bill Williams
- North and South, Book II (1986) - Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
- The Equalizer: Memories of Manon (1987) - Phillipe Marcel
- Baja Oklahoma (1988) - Ole Jeemy Williams
- Onassis: The Richest Man in the World (1988) - Livanos
- Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989) - Max Dyson
- The Young Riders (1989–1992) - Teaspoon Hunter
- Murder, She Wrote: Murder of the Month Club (1994) - Matt Matthews
- Asteroid (1997) - Dr. Charles Napier
- Judging Amy: Accountability (2004) - Judge Henry Sobel
