Jeffrey Combs
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Jeffrey Alan Combs (born 9 September, 1954) is a character actor best known for his horror film roles and his appearances in various aspects of the Star Trek franchise.
Born September 9, 1954 in Oxnard, California. Combs was raised in Lompoc, California, and attended Santa Monica's Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and later developed his acting talent in the Professional Actor's Training Program at the University of Washington.
After spending several years performing in playhouses all along the West Coast, Combs moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and got his first role in the 1981 film, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, playing an intern. His first horror film role came the next year in Frightmare, which set the path for the much of his career in the genre.
Combs' best known film role is Dr. Herbert West, a character in Re-Animator which he has reprised in the film's two sequels. His most recent film credits include FearDotCom (2002), House on Haunted Hill (1999), and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998).
On television, Combs has enjoyed critical and popular success with his characters on the various modern Star Trek incarnations, beginning in 1994 with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in 2000 with Star Trek: Voyager, and in 2001 with Star Trek: Enterprise. Combs originally auditioned for the role of Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but lost out to Jonathan Frakes, though producers kept him in mind for casting in the later series. His favorite and largest role to date has been the multi-episode, multi-season clone Weyoun on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He has played several other Star Trek characters, including Brunt, Mulcahey and Tiron on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Penk on Star Trek: Voyager, and a Ferengi in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode "Acquisition". He also appeared in that series as the recurring Shran, an Andorian military officer. "Enterprise" producer Manny Coto once mentioned in an interview that he hoped to make Combs a regular on the show as Shran, had the series been renewed for a fifth season.
Combs has also done extensive voice work for the Batman: The Animated Series. Among other characters, Combs voiced The Scarecrow. Combs currently voices The Question in Justice League Unlimited.
On Sept. 11, 2001, a man named Jeffrey Coombs (note the extra 'o' in the last name) was aboard hijacked American Airlines Flight 11, which was later crashed into the World Trade Center. Having been confused with the passenger on the jet, Combs the actor was pronounced dead by news media outlets and had to announce publicly that he was still alive.
Selected Filmography
- Re-Animator (1985} - Dr. Herbert West
- The Frighteners
- Bride of Re-Animator (1989} - Dr. Herbert West
- Beyond Re-Animator (2003} - Dr. Herbert West