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Michael Ensign

Michael Ensign
Born (1944-02-13) February 13, 1944 (age 80)
Safford, Arizona, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1972–present

Michael Ensign (born February 13, 1944[1]) is an American actor who mostly played small roles. One of his most-known roles was Benjamin Guggenheim in the 1997 film Titanic.

Early life

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A native of Safford, Arizona, Ensign was raised in both the United States and England. Born into a family in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he later became a member of the Episcopal Church, attending a parish which is in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.[citation needed]

He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and spent the first ten years of his professional career working in the theatre in Britain.[2]

Career

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He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1970s, appearing in productions of As You Like It, Love's Labour's Lost, and Cymbeline amongst others.[3] He has appeared in Irene, Curse of the Starving Class, and The Red Devil Battery Sign in the West End.

Ensign's film credits include Superman (1978), Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), WarGames (1983), Ghostbusters (1984), Dr. Hackenstein (1988),[4] Titanic (1997), Solaris (2002), Bringing Down the House (2003), Down with Love (2003) and Seabiscuit (2003).[5]

Ensign's many television appearances include Boston Legal, Three’s Company, Alias, Monk, JAG, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Star Trek: Enterprise, The X-Files, Friends, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, MacGyver, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, M*A*S*H, The A-Team, and The Dukes Of Hazzard. He appeared in the TV miniseries The Winds of War and Dream West.

Ensign provided the voice of the villainous Doctor Nefarious Tropy in the video games Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Crash Team Racing, Crash Nitro Kart and Crash Twinsanity.[6][7][8][9] His role of N. Tropy was later passed down to Corey Burton, who voiced the character in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy, and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, and then passed to JP Karliak, who currently voices the latter in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. He gave his voice for Dr. Sebastian Wolfe in 2011 video game inFamous 2.

In 2009 Ensign was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Theatre from the College of Fine Arts at University of Utah in Salt Lake City.[10]

Writing in Forbes in 2011, David M. Ewalt noted,

"Ensign is a classic example of "Hey! It's that guy!" --a versatile character actor with a long and illustrious career, but who you probably can't identify by name, or even where you've seen him"

before going on to list some of Ensign's key film appearances.[2]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1963 Of Heaven and Home Homeroom Teacher Short film
1973 Assassin Unknown
1978 Midnight Express Stanley Daniels
1978 Superman Newscaster, Superman's 1st Night
1980 Raise the Titanic Lieutenant Northacker
1981 Buddy Buddy Assistant manager
1982 Vice Squad Chauffeur
1982 Pink Floyd – The Wall Hotel Manager
1982 Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again Announcer
1982 Six Weeks Choreographer
1982 Kiss Me Goodbye Billy
1983 WarGames Beringer's Aide
1983 The Star Chamber Judge Kirkland
1983 The Man Who Wasn't There Assistant Secretary
1983 Mr. Mom Executive #2
1984 Ghostbusters Hotel Manager
1984 All of Me Mr. Mifflin
1984 The Ratings Game Le Boeuf Maitre d'
1985 Maxie Cleopatra Director
1985 House Chet Parker
1988 The Couch Trip Hendricks
1988 Inherit the Wind Reverend Brown
1988 License To Drive School Teacher / Bus Driver
1988 Dr. Hackenstein Dean Slesinger
1989 Frederick Forsyth Presents: Just Another Secret Chuck Lucas
1991 Life Stinks Knowles
1993 Born Yesterday Phillipe
1995 Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest Father Frank Nolan
1995 Rough Magic Powerbroker
1995 Fatal Pursuit Pinkrose
1997 Titanic Benjamin Guggenheim
1998 Secrets of a Chambermaid Hollingswood
2001 Not Another Teen Movie Father O'Flannagan
2002 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Simon Oliver
2002 Solaris Friend #1
2003 Bringing Down the House Daniel Barnes
2003 Down with Love J.R.
2003 Seabiscuit Steamer Owner
2004 The Drone Virus Dr. Jamison
2006 29 Reasons to Run Callahan Gold Bone Award for Best Ensemble Cast (2006)
2008 Prairie Fever Preacher Direct-to-video
2010 Love Shack Tush Bushman Direct-to-video
2012 The Five-Year Engagement Grandpa Harold

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1972 Colditz Lieutenant Dave Olding Episode: "The Undefeated"
1978 A Life at Stake Glynn Lunney Episode: "Houston... We've Got a Problem"
1980 Tenspeed and Brown Shoe Maitre D' Episode: "The Sixteen Byte Data Chip and the Brown-eyed Fox"
1981 Enos Trapnell Episode: "Forever Blowing Bubbles"
1981 The Greatest American Hero Principal David Kane Episode: "The Best Desk Scenario"
1981 M*A*S*H Major Cass Episode: "'Twas the Day After Christmas"
1981 The Gangster Chronicles Owney "The Killer" Madden 13 episodes
Television miniseries
1982 Benson Wally Episode: "Pete the Hero"
1982 Eleanor, First Lady of the World Ship Steward Television film
1982 Games Mother Never Taught You Jennings Lachman Television film
1983 Tales of the Golden Monkey Halliburton Episode: "Ape Boy"
1983 The Winds of War Lieutenant Sissons Television miniseries
Episode: "The Changing of the Guard"
1983 Hart to Hart George Wiesenkopf Episode: "The Wayward Hart"
1983 Las aventuras de Frank Buck Inspector Newton 3 episodes
1983 Voyagers! Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle Episode: "Jack's Back"
1983 Sunset Limousine Gavrik Television film
1984 The Dukes of Hazzard Bender Episodes: "Undercover Dukes: Parts 1 & 2"
1984 Three's Company Doctor Episode: "Forget Me Not"
1984 The A-Team Cartel Leader Episode: "Deadly Maneuvers"
1984 St. Elsewhere Proctor Episode: "Cramming"
1984 Velvet Stefan Television film
1984 Hotel Harold Episode: "Flesh and Blood"
1984 Shattered Vows Father Meyer Television film
1984 Too Close for Comfort Government Agent Episode: "The Missing Fink"
1984 Hill Street Blues IRS Investigator Episode: "Blues for Mr. Green"
1984 Hardcastle and McCormick Waiter Episode: "You and the Horse You Rode On"
1984 Cover Up Donald Rutledge Episode: "Writer's Block"
1984 A Touch of Scandal Manderly Television film
1985 Otherworld Baxter Dromo Episode: "Rock and Roll Suicide"
1985 ABC Afterschool Specials Mr. Grey Episode: "One Too Many"
1985 Me and Mom Arthur Dodds Episode: "The Murder Game"
1985 George Burns Comedy Week Unknown 2 episodes
1985 Cagney & Lacey Mort Jeffries Episode: "Filial Duty"
1986 Dream West Karl Preuss 2 episodes
Television miniseries
1986 Sylvan in Paradise The Vice Counsel Television film
1986 Downtown Kling Episode: "The Spring Line"
1986–1987 Falcon Crest Frank McIntyre 4 episodes
1986 Sledge Hammer! Crandell Episode: "Dori Day Afternoon"
1987 21 Jump Street Mr. Mickey Hoskett Episode: "Next Generation"
Credited as Michael Ensign Evans
1987 Sledge Hammer! Claude Goldfunger Episode: "Sledge in Toyland"
1987 Beauty and the Beast Edward Hughes Episode: "Nor Iron Bars a Cage"
1987 MacGyver Derek Thompson Episode: "Soft Touch"
1988 Wiseguy Pierre Coscare Episode: "The Merchant of Death"
1988 Dynasty William Todd Episodes: "The Trial" and "The Proposal"
1988 It's Garry Shandling's Show Store Manager Episode: "Pete's Got a Secret"
1988 Mr. Belvedere Professor Rosenthal Episode: "The Curse"
1989 Single Women Married Men John Briggs Television film
1989–1991 Guns of Paradise Mr. Axlerod 15 episodes
1989 Matlock Spaulding Kane Episode: "The Psychic"
1989 MacGyver Professor Wycliff Episodes: "Legend of the Holy Rose: Parts 1 & 2"
1990 Mancuso, FBI Unknown Episode: "Conspiracy"
1990 Rock Hudson Mark Miller Television film
1990 The Golden Girls Donald Episode: "All Bets Are Off"
1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation Minister Krola Episode: "First Contact"
1991 Matlock Doctor Episodes: "The Witness Killings: Parts 1 & 2"
1991 A Different World Auctioneer Episode: "How Great Thou Art"
1991 The Wonder Years Mr. Finora Episode: "Triangle"
1991 L.A. Law Dr. George Leeson Episode: "Lose the Boss"
1991 Secret Bodyguard Niles Television film
1992 Jake and the Fatman Mikael Rikas Episode: "Ain't Misbehavin'"
1992 Coach Father Engler Episode: "Vows"
1992 Raven Dr. Spencer Episode: "Disciples of Dawn"
1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Lojal Episode: "The Forsaken"
1993 Sisters Howard Greenway, The Travel Agent Episode: "The Land of the Lost Children"
1993 Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth Ronald Marsh Television film
1993 Dangerous Heart Father Korcheck Television film
1994 Melrose Place Sheriff Episode: "Love, Mancini Style"
1994 General Hospital Dr. Gary 3 episodes
1994 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle Unknown Television film
1995 Vanishing Son Rory Rasmussen Episode: "Runaway Hearts"
1995 The Monroes Simon Episode: "Pilot Episode"
1995 Pointman Stewart Sumner Episode: "Business and Pleasure"
1995 Murphy Brown Jack Stanfield Episode: "The Ten Percent Solution
1995 The Christmas Box Steven Hooper Television film
1995 Maybe This Time John Biddle Episode: "Judgement Day"
1996 The Wayans Bros. Lloyd Episode: "It Takes a Thief"
1996 Star Trek: Voyager Bard Episode: "False Profits"
1996 Murder One Mr. Bluth Episode: "Chapter One, Year Two"
1997 Profiler Brooks Winchell Episode: "Doppelganger"
1997 The Nanny Trevor Episode: "The Ex-Niles"
1997 Malcolm and Eddie Miles Episode: "Whole Lotta Love Seat"
1997 A Thousand Men and a Baby Bert Schumann Television film
1997 Caroline in the City Mr. Fogel Episode: "Caroline and the Kink"
1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Donald T. Blanchard Episode: "Ghost Visitor"
1998–1999 Friends Dr. Ledbetter Episodes: "The One with Ross' Sandwich" and "The One Where Everybody Finds Out"
1998 Chicago Hope Dr. Andrew Shaddock Episode: "Bridge over Troubled Waters"
1998 The Tom Show Floyd Episode: "The Top Five"
1998 Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place Chairman At Presentation Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Presentation"
1999 3rd Rock from the Sun Fordham Episode: "Superstitious Dick"
1999 Any Day Now Unknown Episode: "Blue"
1999 Brimstone Dr. Morris Uncredited
Episode: "Faces"
1999 The X-Files Dr. Barnes Episodes: "Biogenesis" and "The Sixth Extinction"
2000 The Others Professor Dan Teplin Episode: "Life Is for the Living"
2000 Batman Beyond Butler Voice, episode: "The Eggbaby"
2001 Diagnosis Murder Chick Episode: "Bachelor Fathers"
2002 Just Shoot Me! Bob Fennel Episode: "The Book of Jack"
2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Judge Peter Croft Episode: "The Accused Is Entitled"
2002 Son of the Beach "F" Episode: "You Only Come Once"
2002 Judging Amy Dr. Riley Episode: "Roses and Truth"
2003 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Judge Brenner Episode: "Invisible Evidence"
2003 JAG General Tillman Episode: "Posse Comitatus"
2003 Star Trek: Enterprise Dr. Oratt Episode: "Stigma"
2004 Monk Raymond Toliver Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets Married"
2004–2008 Boston Legal Judge Paul Resnick 10 episodes
2005 Alias Vogel Episode: "Pandora"
2007 Not Another High School Show Jeeves Television film
2007 Mystery Woman: In the Shadows Yuri Slipchenko Television film
2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Judge Episode: "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda"
2008 Ladies of the House Pastor Wesley Television film
2008 Cold Case Bruce Davies '08 Episode: "Slipping"
2009 Big Love Ritual Superior Voice, episode: "Outer Darkness"
2011 Hannah Montana Mr. Elderman Episode: "I Am Mamaw, Hear Me Roar!"
2012 Cupid, Inc. Louis, The Maitre D' Television film
2014 NCIS Dr. Ishmael Havana Episode: "Choke Hold"
2014 Love by the Book Philip Television film
2015–2017 Kirby Buckets Superintendent Episodes: "Kirby Sells Out" and "Closing Time"
2016 The Detour Peter Donaire Episode: "The Tank"
2018 Living Biblically Karl Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor"

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
1998 Crash Bandicoot: Warped Doctor Nefarious Tropy
1998 Titanic Explorer Philip Franklin
1999 Crash Team Racing Doctor Nefarious Tropy
2002 James Bond 007: Nightfire Raphael Drake
2003 The Hobbit Additional Voices
2003 Crash Nitro Kart Doctor Nefarious Tropy
2004 Crash Twinsanity Doctor Nefarious Tropy / Tribesmen
2007 The Golden Compass Master / Head Inspector
2008 White Knight Chronicles Dalam English version[11]
2010 BioShock 2 Additional Voices
2011 L.A. Noire Raymond Gordon / Otis Chandler
2011 Infamous 2 Dr. Sevastian Wolfe
2015 Lego Dimensions Hotel Manager Archival footage; uncredited

References

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  1. ^ Ragan, David (1992). Who's Who in Hollywood, 1900–1976 : The Largest Cast of International Film Personalities Ever Assembled. New York : Facts on File. p. 496. ISBN 0-8160-2009-4.
  2. ^ a b Ewalt, David M. (22 March 2011). "Michael Ensign: 'Hey, It's That Guy'". Forbes. Jersey City, New Jersey. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Search: Person: Ensign, Michael". collections.shakespeare.org.uk. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  4. ^ "Dr. Hackenstein Archived 2009-11-22 at the Wayback Machine". Troma Entertainment. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
  5. ^ "Michael Ensign: Filmography". www.bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  6. ^ Universal Staff (1998). Crash Bandicoot : Warped Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. p. 14.
  7. ^ Crash Team Racing Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment. 1999. p. 26.
  8. ^ Crash Nitro Kart Instruction Booklet. Fresno, California, United States of America: Universal Interactive. 2003. pp. 23–24.
  9. ^ Crash Twinsanity Instruction Manual. Vivendi Universal Games. 2004. pp. 10–11.
  10. ^ "Distinguished Alumni". finearts.utah.edu. College of Fine Arts, University of Utah. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  11. ^ "Michael Ensign (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 28 July 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
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