| This article is written from the Real World perspective |  |
| This article is written from the Real World perspective | |
| Michael Dorn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Born | Michael Dorn December 9, 1952 Luling, Texas | ||||
| Characters played | Gorgon Kraven the Hunter | ||||
| |||||
Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor, director, producer, and writer who played Gorgon on Fantastic Four and Kraven the Hunter on Spider-Man: The New Animated Series. He is best known for playing Worf on Star Trek.
Biography
Early Life
Michael Dorn was born to Allie Lee (née Nauls) and Fentress Dorn, Jr in Luling, Texas.
They moved to Pasadena, California where he grew up to study radio and television production at Pasadena City College. Later he began a career in performing music with several different rock music bands. During this time he traveled between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Early Career
He got his first acting break in the 1976 film Rocky as Apollo Creed's bodyguard. He appeared in the 1977 movie Demon Seed.
He made an appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show along with Edward Asner. In 1978 Dorn guest appeared on the television show W.E.B.. Impressed with his work, a producer introduced Dorn to an agetn who then introduced him to Charles Conrad, an acting teacher he studied under for six months. He later got a regular role on the television series CHiPs starting 1979.
Star Trek
Dorn's most prolific role to date is the Klingon officer Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation and its spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. According to him he was already a Trekkie and got the part because of all the people who showed up at the interview he was the only acting like a Klingon warrior. He did not smile, speak, or sit but stood in a corner in a rigid attention posture, and when called he marched into the room, scowled, and shook the interviewer's hand sharply. Afterwards he gruffly thanked the director and walked out.
Dorn made more appearances as a single character than any other actor in the entire Star Trek franchise, with a total of 272 episodes and four movies. He also appeared as Worf's grandfather in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which also featured George Takei. Dorn made several appearances on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine with Majel Barrett-Roddenberry.
Dorn made an appearance on Webster as Worf come to life.
In addition to acting Dorn directed three episodes of Deep Space Nine and one of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Due to his years of portraying the Klingon Dorn's voice has deepened.
After Star Trek
Dorn has continued to play small parts in films. He played the Sandman in The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. He played a pilot in Ali. He also appeared as Jack Thornhill in Shade.
He also continues to appear in television series such as Dinosaurs, The Outer Limits, and Without a Trace. Most recently he appeared as the President of the United States of America in the superhero series Heroes, which also has Takei.
Voice Acting
In the Marvel Animated Universe Dorn voiced the Inhuman Gorgon in the Fantastic Four episodes "The Inhumans Among Us", "Beware the Hidden Land", and "Beware the Hidden Land". In Non MAU he voiced Kraven the Hunter in the Spider-Man: The New Animated Series series finale "Mind Games, Part One" and "Mind Games, Part Two".
In the DC Animated Universe Dorn voiced Kalibak and Steel on Superman: The Animated Series, Reverend Anderson on Static Shock, Colonel Lemak on The Zeta Project.
He has provided voice work in dozens of other works in varying levels of prominence. He provided the title character in I Am Weasel. He's done work on Megas XLR, Gargoyles, Danny Phantom, Martian Centurion Robots in Duck Dodgers, King Beardbottom in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Ben 10.
He's reprised his role as Worf on Family Guy episodes "Peter's Got Woods" and played himself in "Not All Dogs Go To Heaven".
He is an admitted fan of South Park and did voice work on "Fun with Veal".
He has also done work for commercials for companies such as Neutrogena.
In addition to reprising his role as Worf, Dorn has voiced characters in several video games. His video game credits include the Duke of House Atreides in Emperor: Battle for Dune, Dr. John in Gabriel Knight, Agent Frank Horrigan and Marcus the Mutant Sheriff in Fallout 2 (which also had Ron Perlman), Commander Dana in Mission Critical, and the Maero in Saints Row 2. He is reported to play several non-playable characters in World of Warcraft.
In movies Dorn played Rufus 3000 in the Kim Possible movie A Sitch in Time and the Great Spirit Mata Nui in Bionicle: The Legend Reborn.
Personal Life
Dorn has his Private Pilot License as he enjoys flying. He owns several aircrafts, or "starships" as he calls them, such as a T-33 Shooting Star, F-86 Sabre, and North American Sabreliner. He has flown with the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. He has done interviews for the episode "Private Jets" of Modern Marvels.
He serves on several organizations such as being on the advisory board of the Air Force Heritage Foundation. He is also a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.