Robert Trebor
Encyclopedia
Robert Trebor is an American character actor, perhaps best known for his role as "Salmoneus" on the cult hits Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
and Xena: Warrior Princess
. His stage name is a palindrome
meaning it is spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards.
. His first lead role on the stage was as Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
for the St. Joseph's Summer Music Theatre Festival. Along with his acting Robert won several national awards from Scholastic Magazines for writing film and theatre reviews. Ironically one of his award winning reviews was for John Frankenheimer
's The Fixer. Years later he would star for Mr. Frankenheimer in the film 52 Pickup
. After a brief focus on oratory, he returned to acting, majoring in theater at Northwestern University
. He returned to Philadelphia to star with Bill Irwin
in a revival of George Gershwin's Strike Up The Band for the inaugural season of the American Music Theatre Festival at the historic Walnut Street Theatre.
Trebor has alternated between film and television. On the silver screen, his most acclaimed work is probably 52 Pickup, directed by John Frankenheimer.
, the second of five TV movies, Trebor rose to fame for playing the ever-out-to-make-a-buck merchant Salmoneus, a character originating on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and making occasional crossovers to sister show
Xena: Warrior Princess. Previously he had played the Son of Sam killer in the much-praised Out of the Darkness
opposite Martin Sheen.
A recent project for the theatre is a one-man show
called "The Return of Brother Theodore". The Los Angeles Weekly
gave the show its prized "GO" recommendation and said,
"actor Robert Trebor reincarnates Gottlieb in a 45-minute late-night solo performance that paints Brother Theodore’s belligerent reflections on a twisted life with broad yet powerful comedic strokes." This production was nominated by The LA Weekly for Best Solo Performance of 2007.
His most recent theatrical work was starring as the Russian Major
Viktor Davidykov in the drama Ravensridge written by TS Cook.
Mr. Cook was the writer of the aforementioned Out Of The Darkness
produced in 1985. His work in this play has been widely praised, Variety
saying "Trebor is superb as the acerbic Davidykov, ironically bemoaning, "We used to be such a beautiful police state," and then affectingly describing how for all of communism's faults, how important it was that the whole country was experiencing it together. Trebor's Russian accent is excellent, and his perf is multilayered and nimble."
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
and Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
. His stage name is a palindrome
Palindrome
A palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction, with general allowances for adjustments to punctuation and word dividers....
meaning it is spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards.
Early life
Trebor was born Robert Schenkman and grew up in Northeast Philadelphia, first showing signs of interest in acting around age 13. He was soon taking acting classes and participating in local theater groups. He also won several filmmaking awards from Kodak short film competitions, and the local Philadelphia ABC and PBS affiliates for a short black and white film called "Communicate!?"Starring Himself
He wrote, directed, and starred in this short, as well as composed the music on an early version of a Moog synthesizerMoog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
. His first lead role on the stage was as Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
for the St. Joseph's Summer Music Theatre Festival. Along with his acting Robert won several national awards from Scholastic Magazines for writing film and theatre reviews. Ironically one of his award winning reviews was for John Frankenheimer
John Frankenheimer
John Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films...
's The Fixer. Years later he would star for Mr. Frankenheimer in the film 52 Pickup
52 Pickup
52 Pickup or 52-Card Pickup is a children's game, using a standard deck of 52 playing cards, that verges on a practical joke. The name has also been used for solitaire versions and for legitimate educational children's games that are based on the fundamental principle of picking up scattered cards...
. After a brief focus on oratory, he returned to acting, majoring in theater at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. He returned to Philadelphia to star with Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin
William Mills "Bill" Irwin is an American actor and clown noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. He is known for his vaudeville-style stage acts, but has made a number of appearances on film and television and won a Tony Award for a dramatic role on...
in a revival of George Gershwin's Strike Up The Band for the inaugural season of the American Music Theatre Festival at the historic Walnut Street Theatre.
Trebor has alternated between film and television. On the silver screen, his most acclaimed work is probably 52 Pickup, directed by John Frankenheimer.
Television
On television, after playing Waylon the slave in Hercules and the Lost KingdomHercules And The Lost Kingdom
-Overview:Hercules comes to the aid of a young woman who is seeking the lost city of Troy. Eventually, Hercules leads her to a camp of refugees from the city, which has been taken over by Hera's Blue Priests. Hercules helps the refugees take back the city....
, the second of five TV movies, Trebor rose to fame for playing the ever-out-to-make-a-buck merchant Salmoneus, a character originating on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and making occasional crossovers to sister show
Sister show
Sister shows are two or more television shows which exist in the same fictional universe and which may have crossovers. They differ to a degree from spin-offs in that shows may air simultaneously, rather than being derived from, and replacing, another. The popularity of most shows is limited to a...
Xena: Warrior Princess. Previously he had played the Son of Sam killer in the much-praised Out of the Darkness
Out of the Darkness
Out of the Darkness is a 1985 telefilm about the life of the New York City detective who tracked down and arrested serial killer David Berkowitz.-Cast :*Martin Sheen ... Eddie Zigo*Hector Elizondo ... Father George...
opposite Martin Sheen.
A recent project for the theatre is a one-man show
called "The Return of Brother Theodore". The Los Angeles Weekly
gave the show its prized "GO" recommendation and said,
"actor Robert Trebor reincarnates Gottlieb in a 45-minute late-night solo performance that paints Brother Theodore’s belligerent reflections on a twisted life with broad yet powerful comedic strokes." This production was nominated by The LA Weekly for Best Solo Performance of 2007.
His most recent theatrical work was starring as the Russian Major
Viktor Davidykov in the drama Ravensridge written by TS Cook.
Mr. Cook was the writer of the aforementioned Out Of The Darkness
produced in 1985. His work in this play has been widely praised, Variety
saying "Trebor is superb as the acerbic Davidykov, ironically bemoaning, "We used to be such a beautiful police state," and then affectingly describing how for all of communism's faults, how important it was that the whole country was experiencing it together. Trebor's Russian accent is excellent, and his perf is multilayered and nimble."
Filmography
- GorpGorp (film)Gorp is a 1980 independent comedy film starring Michael Lembeck and Dennis Quaid, and featuring early acting work of Rosanna Arquette and Fran Drescher in supporting roles. Directed by Joseph Ruben, with both story and screenplay by Jeffrey Konvitz & A...
(1980) - The First Time (1983)
- The Sex O'Clock News (1984)
- Out of the DarknessOut of the DarknessOut of the Darkness is a 1985 telefilm about the life of the New York City detective who tracked down and arrested serial killer David Berkowitz.-Cast :*Martin Sheen ... Eddie Zigo*Hector Elizondo ... Father George...
(1985) (TV) - The Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin, and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, it is the tale of a film character who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real...
(1985) - Turk 182Turk 182Turk 182! is a 1985 film starring Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall, Robert Culp and Peter Boyle. It is also one of the first movies to receive a PG-13 rating.-Film synopsis:...
(1985) - 52 Pick-Up52 Pick-Up52 Pick-Up is a 1986 crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. The film stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret and is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.-Plot:...
(1986) - Making Mr. RightMaking Mr. RightMaking Mr. Right is a science fiction/comedy film, directed by Susan Seidelman and starring John Malkovich as Jeff Peters/Ulysses and Ann Magnuson as Frankie Stone.This film is primarily about an android and a woman's misadventures.-Plot:...
(1987) - My Demon Lover (1987)
- Talk RadioTalk Radio (film)Talk Radio is a 1988 American drama film, starring Eric Bogosian, Ellen Greene and Leslie Hope. Directed by Oliver Stone, the film was based on the play by Eric Bogosian and Tad Savinar. Portions of the film and play were based on the assassination of radio host Alan Berg in 1984...
(1988) - The Nutt HouseThe Nutt HouseThe Nutt House is a short-lived situation comedy that aired on NBC as part of its 1989 Fall lineup.-Overview:The Nutt House was the creation of executive producers Mel Brooks and Alan Spencer and was a broad farce about a once-prestigious New York City hotel which had of late fallen on hard times,...
(1992) - Universal SoldierUniversal Soldier (1992 film)Universal Soldier is a 1992 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who kill each other in Vietnam but are reanimated in a secret Army project along with a large group of other previously dead...
(1992) - Hercules and the Lost KingdomHercules And The Lost Kingdom-Overview:Hercules comes to the aid of a young woman who is seeking the lost city of Troy. Eventually, Hercules leads her to a camp of refugees from the city, which has been taken over by Hera's Blue Priests. Hercules helps the refugees take back the city....
(1994) (TV) - The ShadowThe ShadowThe Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
(1994) - Hercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary JourneysHercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
(1995–1999) (TV series) - Xena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
(1995–2001) (TV series) - Dying on the Edge (2001)
- Jiminy Glick in LalawoodJiminy Glick in LalawoodJiminy Glick in Lalawood is a 2004 comedy film. It stars Martin Short as Jiminy Glick, a movie critic who is involved in a murder case at the Toronto International Film Festival.-Storyline:...
(2004) - Meet Market (2004)
- Raise Your VoiceRaise Your VoiceRaise Your Voice is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara-Plot:Terri Fletcher , a teenager with a passion for singing, has been accepted into a music program in Los Angeles to compete for a $10,000 scholarship shortly after her brother Paul 's tragic death in a car crash...
(2004) - Wedding DazeWedding DazeWedding Daze is a 2006 romantic comedy movie, written and directed by Michael Ian Black. It stars Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher.-Plot:...
(2004) (TV) - The Devil's RejectsThe Devil's RejectsThe Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is about the family of psychopathic killers from the previous film now on the run...
(2005) - Meet MarketMeet Market (film)Meet Market is a 2008 movie directed by Charlie Loventhal and starring Alan Tudyk, Krista Allen, Elizabeth Berkley, Laurie Holden and Julian McMahon. The movie is a comedy about singles in Los Angeles who attempt to find love in the aisles of a supermarket. The films was released directly to DVD...
(2008)
External links
- Interview-with online magazine Whoosh
- "The Return of Brother Theodore" A one-man theatrical tribute starring Robert Trebor