Albert Paul Shenar (February 12, 1936 − October 11, 1989) was an American actor and theater director, known for portraying the evil rat Jenner in Don Bluth's film, The Secret of NIMH (1982) and Bolivian drug lord Alejandro Sosa[1] in Scarface (1983).
Paul Shenar | |
|---|---|
 Shenar as Alejandro Sosa in Scarface | |
| Born | Albert Paul Shenar February 12, 1936 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | October 11, 1989 (aged 53) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1971−1989 |
| Partner | Jeremy Brett (late 1970s) |
A veteran Broadway and Shakespearean actor, he was one of the twenty-seven founding members of the American Conservatory Theater.
Early life
editShenar was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the second of four boys (one older brother John, two younger brothers Michael and Marc), born from Mary Rosella (née Puhek) and Eugene Joseph Shenar. He was of Polish and Slovenian descent.[2]
Career
editShenar became involved in theater at an early age, working in Milwaukee playhouse productions. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. Following his military career he began acting again. Shenar gained attention playing larger-than-life entertainment legends in late 1970s television films—Orson Welles in The Night That Panicked America and Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr., in Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women. He portrayed the character John Carrington in Part II of the miniseries Roots.
In 1983, Shenar also portrayed Alejandro Sosa[1] in Brian De Palma's Scarface and later portrayed Paulo Rocca[3] in Raw Deal.
A founding member, actor, director and teacher of the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco, he played more than forty roles there, including Hamlet, Oedipus Rex and Brother Julian in Tiny Alice. In 1982, he portrayed Jenner[4] in Don Bluth's The Secret of NIMH; his performance in the film impressed Bluth so much that he wanted Shenar to also portray Borf in Space Ace, but was unable to do so due to budget issues and the role ultimately went to Bluth himself.[5]
Shenar continued to act during the late 1980s. He did a stage version of Macbeth in Los Angeles and appeared in films like Best Seller (1987), The Bedroom Window (1987), The Big Blue (1988), plus the TV film Rage of Angels: The Story Continues.
Personal life
editShenar was gay, and was romantically involved with the British actor Jeremy Brett during the 1970s; they were in a relationship that reportedly lasted from 1973 to 1978.[6] After the couple separated, they remained close friends until Shenar's death in 1989.[7]
Death
editIn 1983, Shenar was diagnosed with AIDS. He died from the disease on October 11, 1989. He was 53 years old. His remains were cremated and given to his executor, Thomas Wiley.[8]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Lulu | Ludwig Schon | |
| 1982 | The End of August | Arobin | |
| The Secret of NIMH | Jenner | Voice | |
| 1983 | Deadly Force | Joshua Adams | |
| Scarface | Alejandro Sosa | ||
| 1986 | Dream Lover | Ben Gardner | |
| Raw Deal | Paulo Rocca | ||
| 1987 | The Bedroom Window | Collin Wentworth | |
| Man on Fire | Ettore | ||
| Best Seller | David Madlock | ||
| 1988 | The Big Blue | Dr. Laurence |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The ABC Afternoon Playbreak | Lt. Joe Moroni | Episode: "Alone with Terror" |
| 1974 | Columbo | Sgt. Young | Episode: "Publish or Perish" |
| Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Blair | Episode: "House of Friends" | |
| Mannix | Johnny Sands | Episode: "The Dark Hours" | |
| Great Performances | De Guiche | Episode: "Cyrano de Bergerac" | |
| The Execution of Private Slovik | Crawford | TV movie | |
| 1975 | Kojak | Arthur Harris | Episode: "Night of the Piraeus" |
| Petrocelli | Archie LaSalle | Episode: "Death in Small Doses" | |
| The Invisible Man | Alexi Zartov | Episode: "Barnard Wants Out" | |
| Ellery Queen | Announcer Wendell Warren | Episode: "The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance" | |
| The Night That Panicked America | Orson Welles | TV movie | |
| 1976, 1977 | Hawaii Five-O | Chadwick Todd Daniels |
Episodes: "A Killer Grows Wings" "See How She Runs" |
| 1976 | The Keegans | Rudi Portinari | TV movie |
| Gemini Man | Charles Edward Royce | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| The Bionic Woman | Dr. Alan Cory | Episode: "The Ghosthunter" | |
| Wonder Woman | Lieutenant Wertz | Episodes: "The Feminum Mystique: Part 1" "The Feminum Mystique: Part 2" | |
| 1977 | Roots | John Carrington | Episode: "Part II" |
| The Hostage Heart | James Cardone | TV movie | |
| Young Dan'l Boone | Hammond | Episode: "The Pirate" | |
| Logan's Run | David Eakins | Episode: "Man Out of Time" | |
| The Mask of Alexander Cross | Alexander Cross | TV movie | |
| 1978 | Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women | Florenz Ziegfeld | |
| The Courage and the Passion | Nick Silcox | ||
| Suddenly, Love | Jack Graham | ||
| 1979 | Family | Bob Gantry | Episode: "Moment of Truth" |
| 1980 | Hart to Hart | Michael Shillingford | Episode: "Night Horrors" |
| Beulah Land | Roscoe Corlay | TV mini-series | |
| 1983, 1985 | Dynasty | Jason Dehner Justin Dehner |
Episodes: "The Search" "Samantha" "The Californians" |
| 1983 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | James Delano | Episode: "Service Above and Beyond" |
| 1984 | Paper Dolls | Jonathan Westfield | Episode: #1.1 |
| 1985 | Brass | Schuyler Ross | TV movie |
| Spenser: For Hire | Matthew Lowington | Episode: "Discord in a Minor" | |
| Streets of Justice | J. Elliott Sloan | TV movie | |
| Best of the Football Follies | Narrator | ||
| 1986 | Dark Mansions | Phillip Drake | |
| Rage of Angels: The Story Continues | Jerry Worth | ||
| 1987 | Time Out for Dad | Chase |
References
edit- ^ a b "Scarface 'Counting Money' / X After Inventing Y". Know Your Meme. September 18, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ "Paul Shenar Biography (1936-1989)". Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- ^ Club, Wolfman's Cult Film (May 9, 2021). "Raw Deal (1986) Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes On The Mob". Wolfmans Cult Film. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ Central, Film Music (August 31, 2018). "Disturbing Bluth #4: Jenner in The Secret of NIMH (1982)". Film Music Central. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
- ^ Space Ace Blu-ray, commentary by Bluth
- ^ Graham, David, Casting About: A Memoir (iUniverse, 2007), page 265
- ^ "Livres sur Jeremy Brett". jeremy-brett.forumactif.com (in French). Retrieved April 13, 2021.
- ^ "AIDS at 25". San Francisco Chronicle. June 8, 2006. p. E1. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
Paul Shenar, died Oct. 11, 1989, at age 53. Actor. Part of the American Conservatory Theater's founding acting company, Shenar appeared in more than 40 plays with ACT in the 1970s, including appearances as Hamlet, Oedipus and in "Tiny Alice."
External links
edit- Paul Shenar at IMDb