Paul Shenar(1936-1989)

Attractive, dark-featured character actor with a voice like thunder, and eyes like a wolf, who was featured in less than sympathetic roles throughout his career. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Albert Paul Shenar attended the University of Wisconsin. Soon after graduation, he relocated to New York City, where he quickly landed roles on the stage. These experiences led to a Broadway debut in 'Tiny Alice' as 'Brother Julian.' After a few satiating years on and off Broadway, Paul found himself again relocating, this time to Philadelphia. It was here where he made a considerable contribution to the arts. Along with fellow actors Rene Auberjonois and Bill Ball, to name a few, he co-founded the American Conservatory Theater, where he was not only a regular performer until the day he died, but a teacher and advisor as well. From there, roles on television, and the big screen followed. Shenar made a splash, portraying Orson Welles in La nuit qui terrifia l'Amérique (1975). He received some of the best reviews of his career for this famous television film. Soon after he received more for his portrayal of another famous celebrity, as Florenz Ziegfeld in Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women (1978). He continued working steadily on television, even appearing in shot-for-television replacement footage for the disaster film, Un tueur dans la foule (1976). And then feature films came calling. Shenar turned in credible and memorable performances in film, such as the diabolical Bolivian drug lord Alejandro Sosa, in Brian De Palma's Scarface (1983) (1983), and most notably, voicing the evil conspiring rat, "Jenner", in Don Bluth's Brisby et le secret de NIMH (1982). Other roles of note include Dr. Lawrence in Luc Besson's Le Grand Bleu (1988), Joshua Adams in Deadly Force (1983), Paulo Rocca in the action packed Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Raw Deal (1986), and Ben Gardner, the father of a troubled Kristy McNichol, in Alan J. Pakula's Dream Lover (1986), respectively. Though not a household name in his time, his candor, energy, and aesthetic performances have left a long lasting impression, that only gets better with age, and will not soon be forgotten.