From the
Ithaca Journal:
Former Klingon helps young Cornellians prosperVeteran thespian tackles role of intro to acting professorBy Topher Sanders
Journal Staff
J. G. Hertzler entertained legions of Star Trek fans as the Klingon Martok on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” but now the career actor is at Cornell University helping students master their own inner thespians.
Hertzler joined Cornell's staff this year as a resident professional teaching actor, and he is teaching introduction to acting this semester. The biggest challenge, Hertzler said, will be that his students are not majoring in theater or acting.
“It's incumbent upon me to not only interest them in the art of acting but to interest them in the application of the art of acting in every other aspect of their lives,” he said.
From romantic relationships and interviews to politics and giving speeches, Hertzler said the talents needed for acting are transferable to many aspects of life off the screen and stage.
“They are going to use this stuff because it's all about presenting yourself in the best possible light, and in the context of a stage it's about presenting your character,” he said.
Hertzler has been acting for 35 years with countless stage performances and appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Six Feet Under.” And while his role as Martok is his most famous role, he hopes that it isn't his most recognizable as he had to endure three hours of make-up to become the Klingon.
“Recognizable? No, I hope not,” he said with a laugh.
Video game players might know Hertzler as the voice of Doctor Splicers in the popular game “BioShock.”
As his resume indicates, Hertzler is a hard worker, and he takes exception to the stereotypes many people have of the Los Angeles acting community.
“I've been a blue collar actor all my life, and I'm a blue collar person,” he said. “People mistake Hollywood for a glamour city and that everybody drives Bentleys and shops on Rodeo Drive. Well, 98 percent of us just get by.”
Some of Hertzler's students were surprised to learn that their professor was such an accomplished actor.
“That was a quite a surprise to me,” said Sarah Brown, who is in one of Hertzler's classes this semester. “I didn't realize that our teachers were actors who had actually acted and had very impressive resumes.”
Brown was recommended to take the class by a computer science professor to help her become more social and interactive.
“I think Professor Hertzler's definitely done a good job of teaching that,” she said.
In addition to teaching at Cornell, Hertzler said he has fallen for Ithaca's charm and plans to make his home here for the next several years.
“This is the strangest small town I've ever visited because it's like a huge town in a very small package; you got people from all over the world here,” Hertzler said. “When I saw Ithaca in the summer for the first time it was incredible. So for now this is it, for the foreseeable future, this is it.”
Getting acting gigs while living in Ithaca may be more difficult than when Hertzler lived in Los Angeles, but Hertzler doesn't seem to mind much.
“At this point I am more inclined to direct and write,” he said. “My longer term ambition is not to act. I've sort of been there and done that. I don't have the fire in the belly as much as I once did. But to write and direct projects that are more deeply involved in the human condition is what I'm interested in.”
Hertzler said his is aware that STARFLEET, an international Star Trek fan association, will hold its 2008 conference in Ithaca, and he is willing to take part in panels. Hertzler, who drives a 1982 vegetable oil-powered Mercedes, said he is particularly interested in taking part in panels focused on alternative fuels.
cbsanders@ithacajournal.comOriginally published October 30, 2007
Photo by SIMON WHEELER/Journal Staff
Photo caption:
"Actor J.G. Hertzler who has who played Martok on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” in addition to appearances on HBO's “Six Feet Under” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” works with Cornell University students as they learn scenes from “Crimes of the Heart” by Beth Henley in a Theater 280 class."
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Klingon Imperial Forums
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