A Tribute to Robert Z'Dar

I don't think there is any actor with a more distinctive face than the late Robert Z'Dar. My first recollection of him wasn't his melodramatic bit role in Tango and Cash, nor was it his most famous part of all as the titular character of Maniac Cop. It wasn't even the super villain samurai in Samurai Cop (huh, just noticed a theme there.) It was an oddly-voiced side character in the MST3K take on Soultaker. Other than the forgotten Estevez (Joe), Robert just stood out. He always did. No matter the size of the role.

Robert J. Zdarsky acted in 121 films before his unfortunate and sudden passing at the age of 64 from cardiac arrest shortly before he was supposed to appear at Pensacon, a multi-genre convention in Pensacola, Florida. He was a man of many faces (especially the large-chinned variety), a college football player, a musician (singer/keyboardist/guitarist), a Chippendales dancer, a police officer, and most importantly--an actor.

He took his genetic condition (cherubism) and used it to his advantage. It didn't hold him back in the least as a character actor, and in fact added something really fun to his roles. Robert could never be mistaken for the good guy or the typical henchman (even when he was), and he had such a fantastic voice. He fought and beat throat cancer, which changed his voice irreversibly, but there was still something about his delivery despite this when he spoke, and his enthusiasm in his interviews was truly charming. I haven't found even one negative comment about Robert as a person, and I'm pretty sure he was probably a fun person to be around. Mister Z'Dar, you were one of a kind, and villain or not--you deserve to be remembered. Credit for the following tribute video goes to Vernon Williams.