(written from a Production point of view)
|Date of birth:||2 December 1952|
|Place of birth:||Oak Park, Illinois, USA|
|Character(s):||Teero Anaydis, Damrus|
Keith Szarabajka (born 2 December 1952; age 60) is the actor who played Teero Anaydis in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Repression" and later Damrus in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Rogue Planet". His shirt from his Voyager appearance was a costume re-use and previously worn by Duncan Regehr in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Shakaar". Stuntman Hugh Aodh O'Brien also wore the shirt in an episode of Enterprise.
Szarabajka is perhaps best known for his role as Mickey Kostmayer on the television series The Equalizer alongside one-time TOS guest actor Robert Lansing. Szarabajka was a regular cast member on this series from 1986 until its end in 1989. Szarabajka is also known for his recurring role as vampire hunter Daniel Holtz on the television series Angel.
Hailing from Oak Park, Illinois, Szarabajka attended the University of Chicago and the Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He also studied acting at the Organic Theater in Chicago from 1972 through 1978. Szarabajka performed in several stage productions during this time, making his Broadway debut in the 1973 play Warp with Tom Towles.
Szarabajka made his feature film debut in the 1980 science fiction comedy Simon, which co-starred Wallace Shawn. This was followed by a supporting role in the 1982 film Missing, with David Clennon and Jerry Hardin. After starring in the Broadway musical Doonesbury (based on the popular comic strip of the same name), Szarabajka appeared with fellow Star Trek alumni Chris Sarandon, Gail Strickland, Cliff DeYoung, Ed Begley, Jr. Kenneth Mars, and Joel Brooks in the 1984 comedy film Protocol.
In 1985, Szarabajka played the third male lead in the drama film Marie. In 1987, he co-starred with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actor Rene Auberjonois in the film Walker. His subsequent film credits include Clint Eastwood's 1993 drama A Perfect World (also featuring Voyager guest actor Bruce McGill), the 1994 family comedy Andre (starring Enterprise guest actor Keith Carradine), and the 2002 war drama We Were Soldiers (also featuring frequent Trek guest star Randy Oglesby).
In 1991, Szarabajka starred with Brad Greenquist, Ed Lauter, Matt Malloy, and Stephen Root in Stephen King's mini-series Golden Years, which aired on CBS. In 1994, Szarabajka appeared in the mini-series Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III, which also featured Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame. More recently, in 2005, Szarabajka was seen in the Emmy Award-winning mini-series Into the West, which also featured Keith Carradine, Clayton Rohner, and Garrett Wang.
In addition to his Star Trek appearances, Szarabajka has guest-starred on such television series as Babylon 5 (starring Bill Mumy and Andreas Katsulas), Becker (starring Terry Farrell), Touched by an Angel (working with Lee Meriwether and Ray Walston), ER (with Deborah May), and Numb3rs (directed by Lou Antonio). He also had recurring roles on NBC's Law & Order, UPN's Angel and Roswell, and FOX's 24.
He also voiced the character of "Kip O'Donnell" in the Nickelodeon animated series The Wild Thornberrys. He would voice a different character in 2002's The Wild Thornberrys Movie, which also featured the voices of Star Trek: Voyager's Ethan Phillips as well as Trek guest stars Alfre Woodard (Lily Sloane in Star Trek: First Contact) and Brock Peters (Joseph Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).
Since the early 2000s, Szarabajka has primarily been lending his voice to several video game projects. He recently returned to feature films with a role as Detective Stephens in the 2008 sequel to Batman Begins entitled The Dark Knight, in which he shares scenes with the late Heath Ledger. The other Star Trek performers appeared in The Dark Knight are Andrew Bicknell, Danny Goldring, and Tommy "Tiny" Lister, Jr.; Nathan Crowley was the film's production designer.