Michael Ansara was born in a small village in Syria on April 15, 1922. Ansara came to the United States with his American parents at the age of two, living in New England, until the family's relocation to California ten years later. He entered Los Angeles City College with the intention of becoming a doctor, but got sidetracked in the drama department. A stint at the Pasadena Playhouse (where fellow students included Charles Bronson, Carolyn Jones and Aaron Spelling) led to roles on stage and in films; the starring role (as Cochise) on the popular "Broken Arrow" (1956) TV series elevated Ansara to stardom. During the series' run, Ansara was married to actress, singer Jean Byron [1925-2006] from 1949-1956, he then met actress Barbara Eden [1934- ] on a date arranged by the 20th Century-Fox publicity department; the two were later married from 1958-1974, Michael then married actress Beverly Kushida in 1977. Michael had one son with Eden, Matthew Ansara [1965-2001]. Ansara appeared in three Star Trek films and appeared as Mr. Freeze in four Batman films. Michael appeared in one Euro-western “Guns of the Magnificent Seven” (1967) as Colonel Diego. Today we celebrate Michael Ansara’s 90th birthday.
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