Kenneth Mars
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference
(written from a Production point of view)
| Kenneth Mars | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Date of birth: | 14 April 1936 |
| Place of birth: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Character(s): | Colyus |
Veteran comic actor Kenneth Mars (born 14 April 1936; age 73) played the role of Colyus in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Shadowplay". He hails from Chicago, Illinois.
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[edit] Film work
A veteran of farcical comedy, Mars is probably best recognized for his zany, over-the-top performances in two of Mel Brooks' most well-known films, The Producers in 1968 and Young Frankenstein in 1974, the latter of which co-starred one-time TOS guest actress Teri Garr. Mars' comedic talents have also been utilized by director Peter Bogdanovich for his films What's Up, Doc? (1972, with Graham Jarvis, Stefan Gierasch, and Sean Morgan) and Illegally Yours (1988, with Leon Rippy).
Mars also had supporting roles in such acclaimed classics as 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (with TOS guest stars Jeff Corey and Ted Cassidy), 1974's The Parallax View (featuring Star Trek: Insurrection actor Anthony Zerbe), 1985's Fletch (with fellow DS9 guest actor Richard Libertini as well as Bruce French), and Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987, with Wallace Shawn and Mike Starr). He later had a role in 1989's Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, co-starring David Graf, Matt McCoy, Gerrit Graham, Arthur Batanides, and Darryl Henriques. In 1992, he appeared in Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog, co-starring Trek alumni such as David Ogden Stiers, Camille Saviola, Kurtwood Smith, Richard Riehle, and Wallace Shawn.
Mars' more recent film credits include the 1996 comic drama Citizen Ruth (in which he again worked with David Graf and Kurtwood Smith) and the 2002 comedy Teddy Bears' Picnic (with Henry Gibson, Michael McKean, Kurtwood Smith, and Brenda Strong).
[edit] Television work
On television, aside from voice work, Mars was a regular on the short-lived (1968-69) CBS comedy series He & She, as was his fellow DS9 guest star Hamilton Camp. Mars later played W. D. "Bud" Prize on the talk show parody series Fernwood 2 Night (1977) and America 2-Night (1978). Mars then briefly became a regular skit performer on Carol Burnett & Company in 1979.
Mars has also made guest appearances on such classic TV series as Gunsmoke (in an episode directed by Marc Daniels and co-starring Michael Ansara and Richard Webb), Get Smart (with William Schallert), Mannix (with Paul Carr and Warren Stevens), McMillan & Wife (with Michael Ansara, David Huddleston, and John Schuck), Police Woman (directed by Alexander Singer), Wonder Woman (in the pilot movie, co-starring Henry Gibson and Ian Wolfe), Barney Miller (starring Ron Glass), Baa Baa Black Sheep (starring John Larroquette), Barnaby Jones (starring Lee Meriwether), Alice (starring Vic Tayback), and even a stint on The Carol Burnett Show. Some of the more contemporary series on which has appeared are Trapper John, M.D. (with Bibi Besch), Magnum P.I. (two episodes, including one with Samantha Eggar), Murder, She Wrote (working alongside Diana Muldaur), and Simon & Simon (three episodes: one directed by Mike Vejar, one with Gary Lockwood and Bebe Neuwirth, and a third with Parley Baer and Darleen Carr).
In 1985, Mars guest-starred in an episode of Remington Steele with DS9 regular Nana Visitor. He also guest-starred in two episodes of Hardcastle and McCormick, starring Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly in the title roles; one of these episodes co-starred Leslie Bevis, Claudette Nevins, Phil Rubenstein, and Voyager's Robert Picardo. More recent guest appearances include an episode of L.A. Law with Armin Shimerman (and series regulars Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake), an episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (starring Teri Hatcher), an episode Nash Bridges with Melinda Clarke and Richard Libertini, and three episodes of Becker, alongside his DS9 co-star Terry Farrell. More recently, Mars had a recurring role as Otto Mankusser on the series Malcolm in the Middle.
[edit] Voice-over work
In recent years, Mars has become most recognizable supplying his voice to several animated characters, most notably King Triton in the 1989 Walt Disney film The Little Mermaid, which also featured the voice of DS9 star Rene Auberjonois. Mars and Auberjonois have also collaborated as voice actors on such animated shows as The Jetsons, Challenge of the GoBots, and Pirates of Dark Water. Mars has voiced characters on several television shows for Disney, as well, including TaleSpin (as Heimlich Menudo), Darkwing Duck (as Tuskerninni), and the TV series spin-off of The Little Mermaid (again voicing King Triton).
Mars has also been voicing Littlefoot the dinosaur's grandfather in the countless Land Before Time direct-to-video sequels. In addition, Mars and Star Trek: Voyager star Kate Mulgrew voiced characters in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "The Lion and the Unicorn". Mars' other TV voice-over credits include episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and Freakazoid! Some of his feature film voice credits include We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story (1993) and Thumbelina (1994). Mars can also be heard in the 2003 video game Freelancer, along with George Takei, and he continued voicing King Triton in the Kingdom Hearts video games.
