Mark Lenard was an American actor, primarily known for television roles. He is primarily known for playing Vulcan ambassador Sarek (Spock's father) in "Star Trek: The Original Series" and a number of its spin-offs.
In 1924, Lenard was born under the name "Leonard Rosenson" in Chicago Illinois. His father was Abraham Rosenson, a Russian-Jewish immigrant who eventually owned his own tourist resort in South Haven, Michigan. Lenard was primarily raised in South Haven.
Lenard joined the United States Army in 1943, at the age of 19. He was originally trained as a paratrooper, but was eventually given the position of a technical sergeant. He was discharged in 1946, without ever seeing combat.
During his military service, Lenard served as an an amateur actor in theatrical productions. Following the war, he sought a formal acting education at the University of Michigan. He graduated with a master's degree in theater and speech. For several years, he was primarily a theatrical actor in New York City.
In the mid-1960s, Lenard moved to to Los Angeles, where he hoped to find work in film. He made his film debut in the Biblical epic "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), at the age of 41. He played Balthazar, the Persian magus (Zoroastrian priest, magician) mentioned in the Nativity narrative of the Gospel of Matthew.
Lenard first appeared in "Star Trek: The Original Series" in 1966, playing an unnamed Romulan commander in the episode "Balance of Terror" . He first played his character of ambassador Sarek in the episode "Journey to Babel" (1967). He voiced Sarek in the 1973 episode "Yesteryear" of "Star Trek: The Animated Series". He played Sarek again in the episodes "Sarek" (1990) and "Unification: Part 1" (1991) of the sequel series "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
In the film versions of Star Trek, Lenard played Sarek in four films: "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984), "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986), "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" (1989), and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". He also played an unnamed Klingon captain in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979).
Lenard had guest star roles in several other series, such as "Mission: Impossible", The Wild Wild West", "Gunsmoke", and "Hawaii Five-O". He had a recurring role in the comedy Western television series "Here Come the Brides" (1968-1970), playing Seattle-based sawmill owner Aaron Stempel.
Possibly due to his experience in Star Trek, Lenard was often cast as an authority figure in science fiction television series. He played General Urko in "Planet of the Apes", Emperor Thorval in "The Secret Empire", Ambassador Duvoe in "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century", and camp commandant Perel Sightings in "Otherworld".
Lenard had a rare villainous role as Catholic bishop Eberhard Hoffman in the historical film "The Radicals" (1990), depicting the persecution of the then-new Anabaptist movement in the 16th century. He mostly retired from television in 1993, as he had a leading role in a theatrical play which was performed on tour, "The Boys in Autum". He played an elderly Huckleberry Finn who gets reacquainted with his childhood friend Tom Sawyer (played by Walter Koenig). It was Lenard's last significant role.
Lenard died in 1996, suffering from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. He was 72-years-old, and had been appearing on film and television for three decades.
Known For
Credits
Cast Credits
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Guest starring as Sarek
(2 episodes)
- Episode 5x07: Unification I (Nov 4, 1991) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 3x23: Sarek (May 14, 1990)
Otherworld (1985)
Guest starring as Commander Perel Sightings
- Episode 1x02: The Zone Troopers Build Men (Feb 2, 1985)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)
Guest starring as Ambassador Duvoe
(2 episodes)
- Episode 2x04: Journey to Oasis (2) (Jan 22, 1981)
- Episode 2x03: Journey to Oasis (1) (Jan 22, 1981)
The Incredible Hulk (1977)
Guest starring as Mr. Slater
- Episode 3x11: Captive Night (Dec 21, 1979) [Co-Star]
Planet of the Apes (1974)
Guest starring as Urko
(11 episodes)
- Episode 1x14: Up Above the World So High (Dec 20, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x12: The Cure (Nov 29, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x11: The Tyrant (Nov 22, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x10: The Interrogation (Nov 15, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x09: The Horse Race (Nov 8, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x07: The Surgeon (Oct 25, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x05: The Legacy (Oct 11, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x04: The Good Seeds (Oct 4, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x03: The Trap (Sep 27, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x02: The Gladiators (Sep 20, 1974) [Co-Star]
- Episode 1x01: Escape from Tomorrow (Sep 13, 1974) [Co-Star]
Little House on the Prairie (1974)
Guest starring as Peter Ingalls
- Episode 3x06: Journey in the Spring (1) (Nov 15, 1976) [Co-Star]
Chopper One (1974)
Guest starring as Assistant D.A. Jim Dugan
- Episode 1x05: The Informer (Feb 14, 1974) [Co-Star]
Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973)
Guest starring as Sarek
- Episode 1x02: Yesteryear (Sep 15, 1973) [Uncredited]
Alias Smith and Jones (1971)
Guest starring as Willard R. Sloane / Jim Plummer
- Episode 1x03: Exit from Wickenburg (Jan 28, 1971)
Here Come the Brides (1968)
Starring as Aaron Stempel
(52 episodes)
- Episode 2x26: Two Women (Apr 3, 1970)
- Episode 2x25: The Last Winter (Mar 27, 1970)
- Episode 2x24: Absalom (Mar 20, 1970)
- Episode 2x23: Bolt of Kilmaron (Mar 13, 1970)
- Episode 2x22: How Dry We Are (Mar 6, 1970)
- Episode 2x21: To the Victor (Feb 27, 1970)
- Episode 2x20: Two Worlds (Feb 20, 1970)
- Episode 2x19: Candy and the Kid (Feb 13, 1970)
- Episode 2x18: Another Game in Town (Feb 6, 1970)
- Episode 2x17: She Bear (Jan 30, 1970)
- Episode 2x16: Debt of Honor (Jan 23, 1970)
- Episode 2x15: To Break the Bank in Tacoma (Jan 16, 1970)
- Episode 2x14: Obie Brown and the Black Princess (Dec 26, 1969)
- Episode 2x13: Lorenzo Bush (Dec 19, 1969)
- Episode 2x12: His Sister's Keeper (Dec 12, 1969)
- Episode 2x11: The Fetching of Jenny (Dec 5, 1969)
- Episode 2x10: The Eyes of London Bob (Nov 28, 1969)
- Episode 2x09: Land Grant (Nov 21, 1969)
- Episode 2x08: The Legend of Bigfoot (Nov 14, 1969)
- Episode 2x07: The Road to the Cradle (Nov 7, 1969)
- Episode 2x06: Hosanna's Way (Oct 31, 1969)
- Episode 2x05: A Wild Colonial Boy (Oct 24, 1969)
- Episode 2x04: Next Week, East Lynne (Oct 17, 1969)
- Episode 2x03: The Soldier (Oct 10, 1969)
- Episode 2x02: The Wealthiest Man in Seattle (Oct 3, 1969)
- Episode 2x01: A Far Cry from Yesterday (Sep 26, 1969)
- Episode 1x26: The Deadly Trade (Apr 16, 1969)
- Episode 1x25: Marriage, Chinese Style (Apr 9, 1969)
- Episode 1x24: Loggerheads (Mar 26, 1969)
- Episode 1x23: A Man's Errand (Mar 19, 1969)
- Episode 1x22: Mr. & Mrs. J. Bolt (Mar 12, 1969)
- Episode 1x21: The Crimpers (Mar 5, 1969)
- Episode 1x20: A Dream That Glitters (Feb 26, 1969)
- Episode 1x19: One to a Customer (Feb 19, 1969)
- Episode 1x18: One Good Lie Deserves Another (Feb 12, 1969)
- Episode 1x17: Democracy Inaction (Feb 5, 1969)
- Episode 1x16: A Kiss for Just So (Jan 29, 1969)
- Episode 1x15: Wives for Wakando (Jan 22, 1969)
- Episode 1x14: The Firemaker (Jan 15, 1969)
- Episode 1x13: The Log Jam (Jan 8, 1969)
- Episode 1x12: After a Dream Comes Mourning (Jan 1, 1969)
- Episode 1x11: A Christmas Place (Dec 18, 1968)
- Episode 1x10: A Man and His Magic (Dec 4, 1968)
- Episode 1x09: The Stand Off (Nov 27, 1968)
- Episode 1x08: A Jew Named Sullivan (Nov 20, 1968)
- Episode 1x07: Lovers and Wanderers (Nov 6, 1968)
- Episode 1x06: Letter of the Law (Oct 30, 1968)
- Episode 1x05: A Hard Card to Play (Oct 23, 1968)
- Episode 1x04: The Man of the Family (Oct 16, 1968)
- Episode 1x03: And Jason Makes Five (Oct 9, 1968)
- Episode 1x02: A Crying Need (Oct 2, 1968)
- Episode 1x01: The Pilot (Sep 25, 1968)
Hawaii Five-O (1968)
Guest starring as Commander Hawkins
- Episode 10x02: You Don't See Many Pirates These Days (Sep 22, 1977)
Guest starring as Yoshio Nagata
- Episode 2x02: To Hell with Babe Ruth (Oct 1, 1969)
Guest starring as Rogloff
- Episode 5x19: Will the Real Mr. Winkler Please Die? (Feb 6, 1973)
Guest starring as Dan Bok
- Episode 6x18: Secret Witness (Jan 15, 1974)
It Takes a Thief (1968)
Guest starring as Colonel Kessler
- Episode 1x10: Birds of a Feather (Mar 19, 1968)
Judd for the Defense (1967)
Guest starring as Sheriff Mike Galves
- Episode 1x15: Firebrand (Dec 15, 1967)
Mission: Impossible (1966)
Guest starring as Felipe Mora
- Episode 1x07: Wheels (Oct 29, 1966) [Co-Star]
Guest starring as Col. Luis Cardoza
- Episode 2x02: Trek (Sep 17, 1967) [Co-Star]
Guest starring as Aristo Skora
- Episode 3x21: Nitro (Mar 23, 1969)
Guest starring as Colonel Bakram
- Episode 5x11: The Rebel (Nov 28, 1970)
Star Trek (1966)
Guest starring as Romulan Commander
- Episode 1x14: Balance of Terror (Dec 15, 1966)
Guest starring as Ambassador Sarek
- Episode 2x10: Journey to Babel (Nov 17, 1967)