Robert James Zdarsky (June 3, 1950 – March 30, 2015), better known by his

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Robert Z'Dar, was an American

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

and film producer, best known for his role as officer Matt Cordell in the cult horror film ''

Maniac Cop ''Maniac Cop'' is a 1988 American action slasher film directed by William Lustig, written by Larry Cohen, and starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, and Sheree North. Z'Dar plays th ...

'' and its two sequels.Maniac Cop Actor Robert Z’Dar Dies at 64
time.com Z'Dar worked mainly in low-budget B-movies and direct-to-video features, but occasionally in mainstream Hollywood films and television. Due to his

cherubism Cherubism is a rare genetic disorder that causes prominence in the lower portion in the face. The name is derived from the temporary chubby-cheeked resemblance to putti, the chubby-faced infants featured in Renaissance paintings, which were often m ...

, a medical condition resulting in an enlarged jawline, Z'dar had a unique and easily recognizable look with a slightly sinister appearance, which aided his career as he usually portrayed villains. A prolific actor, Z'Dar appeared in 121 films over the course of his 39-year career.

Early life

Born in Chicago, Illinois,R.I.P. Robert Z’Dar, cult actor and Maniac Cop
avclub.com Z'Dar was of Lithuanian descent. He first started acting while attending

Proviso West High School Proviso West High School (PWHS) is a public high school located in Hillside, Illinois, United States. It is a part of Proviso Township High Schools District 209, and was opened in 1958. Its sister schools are Proviso East High School and Provi ...

Hillside, Illinois Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 8,320. Geography Hillside is located at (41.874797, −87.900372). According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Hillside has a total ar ...

. After high school, Z'Dar attended

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

where he received a BFA and played on the university football team. After graduation, Z'Dar returned to Chicago where he was employed as a Chicago police officer, member of the band Nova Express, commercial jingle writer and

Chippendales Chippendales is a touring dance troupe best known for its male striptease performances and for its dancers' distinctive upper body costume of a bow tie, collar, and shirt cuffs worn on an otherwise bare torso. Established in 1979, Chippenda ...

dancer.

Acting career

Eventually Z'Dar moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. His first feature film appearance was in the

women in prison film The women in prison film (or WiP film) is a subgenre of exploitation film that began in the early 20th century and continues to the present day. Their stories feature imprisoned women who are subjected to sexual and physical abuse, typically by ...

'' Hellhole'' (1985). Z'Dar appeared in several films, including ''

Hot Chili ''Hot Chili'' (also known as ''Hot Summer'') is a 1985 comedy film directed by William Sachs, and co-written by Sachs with Menahem Golan (who is credited in the film as Joseph Goldman). It stars Allan Kayser, Joe Rubbo, and Taaffe O'Connell. It ...

'' (1985), '' The Night Stalker'' (1987), ''

Cherry 2000 ''Cherry 2000'' is a 1988 American science-fiction film directed by Steve De Jarnatt and starring Melanie Griffith and David Andrews (actor), David Andrews. It was produced by Edward R. Pressman and Caldecot Chubb. The screenplay was by Michael ...

'' (1987), ''The Killing Game'' (1988), and ''

Grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...

'' (1988). Z'Dar's name became recognizable when he played Matt Cordell in 1988's ''

'', a film about a back from the dead hero

NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

cop turned evil avenger who brutally murders people. Z'Dar reprised his role in the 1990 sequel and '' Badge of Silence'' (1993). It was perhaps Z'Dar's performance in ''Maniac Cop'' that landed him the role of "Face" in 1989's ''

Tango & Cash ''Tango & Cash'' is a 1989 American buddy cop action comedy film starring Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Jack Palance and Teri Hatcher. Stallone and Russell star as Raymond Tango and Gabriel Cash respectively, two rival LAPD narcotics detect ...

'', alongside action stars

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

and

Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the Westerns on television, western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV series), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (19 ...

. He went on to appear in films such as ''Killing American Style'' (1988),'' The Final Sanction'' (1990), ''

A Gnome Named Gnorm ''A Gnome Named Gnorm'' (also known in some markets as ''Upworld'') is a 1990 fantasy buddy comedy film directed by Stan Winston and written by Pen Densham and John Watson. The film stars Anthony Michael Hall, Jerry Orbach and Claudia Christian ...

'' (1990), '' Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time'' (1991), ''

Mobsters A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization a ...

'' (1991), ''

Samurai Cop ''Samurai Cop'' is a 1991 American direct-to-video action film written, coproduced and directed by Amir Shervan and starring Robert Z'Dar, Matt Hannon and Mark Frazer. It has attained a cult following. Plot When a renegade Japanese gang known a ...

'' (1991), ''

Return to Frogtown ''Return to Frogtown'' (also known as ''Frogtown II'') is a 1993 B movie directed by Donald G. Jackson. It is the sequel to the 1988 cult film ''Hell Comes to Frogtown''. Like its predecessor, the film is set in a post-apocalyptic future where mu ...

'' (1993), '' Marching Out of Time'' (1993), '' Death from Above'' (2011), ''Meltdown'' (2009) and ''Easter Sunday'' (2014). It was Z'Dar's performance and unique appearance in ''Tango and Cash'' that inspired

Sean Pertwee Sean Carl Roland Pertwee''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 4 June 1964) is an English actor, narrator and producer with an extensive career since the 1980s in television and cinema productions. He is known ...

's facial technique and makeup in the film ''

Dog Soldiers The Dog Soldiers or Dog Men (Cheyenne: ''Hotamétaneo'o'') are historically one of six Cheyenne military societies. Beginning in the late 1830s, this society evolved into a separate, militaristic band that played a dominant role in Cheyenne re ...

''. Sean was quoted as being inspired by Z'Dar because, " ..like me, he has unusual features that are almost designed to portray grimacing death with profound accuracy and very little effort". Robert Z'Dar appeared in more than 121 films and television episodes, with at least one film appearance per year in 27 of the last 29 years of his career (missing only 1986 and 2001). He continued making at least one film every year despite a serious back injury he suffered in 2002 on a movie set. Two of Z'Dar's films, '' Soultaker'' (1990) and ''

Future War ''Future War'' is a 1997 American direct-to-video science fiction film about an escaped human slave fleeing his cyborg masters and seeking refuge on Earth. It was lampooned in a 1999 episode of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''. Plot A spaceship ...

'' (1997) appeared in season 10 of ''

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...

'', increasing his renown somewhat.Robert Z'Dar (1950 - 2015)
thedissolve.com In 2012, he was inducted to International Indie Filmmakers Hall of Fame at The Indie Gathering film festival.

Death

While appearing at

Pensacon Pensacon is a North American multigenre convention, founded in 2013, which takes place once each year in Pensacola, Florida. As of 2018, the convention draws an attendance of more than 25,000, features around 100 media guests, encompasses five ...

in Pensacola, Florida, Z'Dar was hospitalized for chest pains. He seemed to recover, but subsequently went into

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

and died on March 30, 2015, one month after his hospitalization.Cult actor Robert Z'Dar dies in Pensacola
pnj.com

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zdar, Robert 1950 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Male actors from Chicago Chicago Police Department officers American male film actors Film producers from Illinois American male television actors American people of Lithuanian descent Arizona State University alumni Film producers from Arizona