J. G. Hertzler

John Garman Hertzler Jr. (born March 18, 1950) is an American actor, author, screenwriter, and activist best known for his role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the Klingon General (later Chancellor) Martok, whom he portrayed from 1995 until the series' end in 1999.

His first notable guest role on television was in 1990 on the Quantum Leap episode "The Sea Bride – June 3, 1954".

Hertzler began his acting career in the 1970s, doing mostly stage acting and appearing in some films.

After graduating in political science in 1972, he got his master's in set design at the University of Maryland, and attended law school for a year at American University.

While he was in the DC area, he worked in the federal government, including with the Nixon Administration for the National Environmental Policy Act, and took an assortment of jobs to practice theatre including waiting at a dinner theater, bartending, and taxi-driving.

Hertzler worked in the Washington area on theatre projects.

On the movie screen, he portrayed Lucas in the horror film The Redeemer: Son of Satan (also known as Class Reunion Massacre), which was released in 1978.

Hertzler also had a role in the feature film And Justice for All which starred Al Pacino, released in 1979.

He also worked in New York City on the Broadway production The Bacchae as King Pentheus.

In 1981, he moved to San Francisco to join the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) where he acted and directed in a number of productions including The Admirable Crichton, Richard II, Dial M for Murder, and a number of Shakespeare productions.

He was an instructor with ACT, and had also worked with other theater productions such as Medea with the Cincinnati Playhouse.

He moved to Southern California in 1988 and continued theatre work there.

He guest starred in a few episodes for different television shows before landing the part of Alcalde Ignacio De Soto in the early 1990s show Zorro.

In addition to Deep Space Nine, Hertzler has appeared on several other Star Trek shows, written two Star Trek novels, and has made appearances at Star Trek and science fiction conventions.

Hertzler lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York where he was a lecturer at Cornell University's theater department, and has been active in the area's regional politics, as well as writing a screenplay.

Hertzler was born in Savannah, Georgia.

His parents were from Port Royal, Pennsylvania, and his family is descended from German-speaking Amish families.

His father John G. Hertzler served in the U.S. Air Force, and his mother Eleanor Frances Beaver Hertzler was a Latin and French teacher.

His family lived in cities around the world including: St. Joseph, Missouri; El Paso, Texas; and Casablanca in Morocco.

He grew up mostly in the Washington, D.C. area, and attended Bucknell University, playing linebacker on their football squad.

While there, he got into acting when the drama department recruited him for a production of Marat/Sade as they were looking for a big guy for one of the roles.

His first major television role was in the 1990s series Zorro as Alcalde Ignacio De Soto, the antagonist character who replaces Ramone as the Alcalde (Mayor) of Los Angeles in the third and fourth seasons.

The show was filmed in a studio lot outside of Madrid, Spain, and was broadcast on The Family Channel.

He was also involved in a television movie called Treasure Island: The Adventure Begins where he played a pirate called Black Dog.

Treasure Island was broadcast to go along with a promotion for the casino resort in Las Vegas.

Hertzler's first involvement in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was in the series' pilot episode "Emissary" as the Vulcan captain of the Federation starship Saratoga.

In an interview with Startrek.com, Hertzler said he had worked with Patrick Stewart at the Paramount Studios lot where Stewart ran some Shakespeare workshops.

He would later audition for DS9 multiple times, but did not receive any roles.

He was at the Paramount Studios auditioning for another series when DS9 casting director Ron Surma had him read for Klingon General Martok.

At first, Hertzler portrayed Martok as a mild-mannered Klingon, but when he was asked to make him angrier, he picked up a chair and threw it into a wall.

The chair's leg stuck briefly and he said he had also inadvertently ripped his thumbnail causing it to bleed, but it had impressed the auditors and he landed the part.

Martok debuted in the season 4 premiere "The Way of the Warrior" followed by the season 5 premiere "Apocalypse Rising".

His character was originally a changeling (shapeshifter) Dominion impostor.

Hertzler said the writers chose Martok to be the changeling, because they thought that making the Klingon Chancellor Gowron to be an imposter was "too pat or too easy."

After the Martok changeling was killed in the episode Apocalypse Rising, the writers then brought in the real Martok as a recurring character starting in season 5, during which he portrayed a one-eyed Klingon.

He would play Martok for three seasons including the finale, by which time he had replaced Gowron as the leader of the Klingon Empire.

Hertzler describes the part as an actor's dream because of its physicality and range.

The character has been involved in many aspects of Deep Space Nine including frequently interacting with Worf.

Hertzler played other characters in DS9, including a changeling named Laas, in the episode "Chimera", who interacts with main character Odo.

In an interview with Little Review, Hertzler said that he was concerned he would be recognized as Martok despite the makeup and character change, but it worked out okay.