Ned Romero (December 4, 1926 – November 4, 2017) was an American actor and opera singer who appeared in television and film.

Early childhood and education 
Romero was born on December 4, 1926 in Franklin, Louisiana, the seat of St. Mary Parish in South Louisiana, the son of Anna and Sidney Romero. His ancestry was Chitimacha Native American, as well as Spanish and French. Romero was a graduate of Louisiana State University, where he earned a master's degree in music.

Stage 
Romero began his career in 1943 as an opera singer, appearing in productions with the San Francisco Opera and in Los Angeles. He also appeared in musicals, such as Kiss Me, Kate, Kismet and Oklahoma!. On Broadway, he appeared in 3 for Tonight (1954).

Television 
After twenty years on the stage, he moved into television and film. His first television appearance was an opera skit on CBS's The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis with Dwayne Hickman, in which he performed a  medley of famous opera arias. His roles as a regular cast member on TV shows included portraying investigator Bob Ramirez on The D.A., Broken Foot on Born to the Wind and Sgt. John Rivera on Dan August.

He subsequently appeared in several films and television programs. His credits include appearances in The Munsters, Walker: Texas Ranger, Tarzan (1966 TV series)#Season 1: 1966–67, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Custer, Police Woman, Land of the Lost, Kung Fu, The Six Million Dollar Man, Ironside, Death Valley Days, The Incredible Hulk, Adam-12, and Emergency!, and in an unaired episode of the short-lived series The New Land.

He also played the title role in a 1975 television drama of the life of Chief Joseph entitled: I Will Fight No More Forever. In 2006, he appeared in the feature film Expiration Date.

Personal life
Romero's second wife was singer and dancer Jolene Lontere.

Filmography

Film
The Talisman (1966) as the Indian
Winchester 73 (1967, TV Movie) as Wild Bear
The Violent Ones (1967) as Mendoza
Hang 'Em High (1968) as Charlie Blackfoot, Cooper Hanging Party
Mark of the Gun (1969)
Big Daddy (1969)
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969) as Tom
Gentle Savage (1973) as Richard Allen
I Will Fight No More Forever (1975, TV Movie) as Chief Joseph
Bigfoot and Wildboy as  Ranger Lucas  (1977)
The Last of the Mohicans (1977, TV Movie) as Chingachgook
The Deerslayer (1978, TV Movie) as Chingachgook
Sultan and the Rock Star (1980, TV Movie) as Big Joe Ironwood
Gone to Texas (1986, TV Movie) as Chief John Jolley
House IV (1992) as Ezra
Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1992) as Frank Redbear
Fabulous Shiksa in Distress (2003) as Sam
Expiration Date (2006) as old native man (final film role)

Television

The Virginian – episode  Siege as Angelo (1963)
McHale's Navy – episode   The Great Eclipse as the fierce native (1964) 
Get Smart – episode   Survival of the Fattest as agent #2 (1965)
Shane – 6 episodes as Chips (1966)
The Munsters – episode 56   Heap Big Herman  as Wonga (1966)
Rango – episode   Rango the Outlaw as Hocker (1967)
Laredo – episode   Enemies and Brothers as Captain Montoya (1967)
The F.B.I. – episode   The Extortionist as Esteban Rodriguez (1967) 
Bonanza – episode   In Defense of Honor as White Wolf  (1968)
Star Trek – episode   A Private Little War as  Krell (1968)
[[The High Chaparral] – episode   For What We Are About To Receive as  Carlos Mendoza (1968)
The Virginian – episode   The Heritage as Tza'Wuda (1968)
The F.B.I. – episode   Southwind as Alarcon (1968) 
Lancer – episode   Cut the Wolf Loose as Wichita Jim (1969)
The F.B.I. – episode   The Patriot as  Jose Orledo (1969) 
Dan August – 26 episodes as  Det. Joe Rivera (1970–1971) 
The D.A. – episode   The People vs. Drake as  D.A. Investigator Bob Ramirez (1971)
Banacek – episode   No Sign of the Cross as Chief Frank Mendoza (1972)
Cannon – episode   A Long Way Down as  Ben (1972) 
Adam-12 – episode   Airdrop as Sgt. Jesse Marco (1972)
Cannon – episode   Trial by Terror as Sgt. Taggart (1973)
Kung Fu – episodes   The Cenotaph: Parts 1 & 2 as  Lame Dog (1974)
Harry O – episode   Forty Reasons to Kill: Parts 1 & 2 as  Deputy Gutierrez (1974)
Kung Fu – episode   Flight to Orion as Indian Leader (1975)
Police Woman  – episode Incident Near a Black and White as Gates (1975)
The Six Million Dollar Man – episode   Divided Loyalty as  Boris (1975)
Police Woman – episode   Paradise Mall as  Det. Ed (1975)
Emergency! – episode   905-Wild  as Officer Garcia (1975)
Police Woman – episode   Blast as  Gomez (1975)
The Blue Knight – episode   A Slight Case of Murder (1976)
Land of the Lost – episode   Medicine Man as Lone Wolf (1976)
The Six Million Dollar Man – episode   The Thunderbird Connection   as Akmed Khaduri (1976)
The Incredible Hulk – episode   Rainbow's End as  Thomas Logan (1978)
 Police Woman – episode   A Shadow on the Sea as Delgado (1978)
Galactica 1980 – episode   Space Croppers  as Hector Alonzo (1980)
Lou Grant – episode   Indians as Howard Sweetwater (1980)
Dan August: The Jealousy Factor – TV Movie as Sergeant Joe Rivera (1980)
Dan August: Once Is Never Enough – TV Movie as Sergeant Joe Rivera (1980)
Disney's Wonderful World – episode  Sultan and the Rock Star as Big Joe Ironwood (1980) 
Dan August: Murder, My Friend – TV Movie as Joe Rivera (1980)
Quincy, M.E. – episode   Vigil of Fear as  Ramon (1981) 
Diff'rent Strokes – episode  Burial Ground as John Longwalker (1982)
Simon & Simon – episode   The Cop Who Came to Dinner as Clerk (1986)
Santa Barbara – episode   Episode #1.1455. #1.1458, and #1.1459 as Shaman (1990)
MacGyver – episode   "The Mountain of Youth" as Baba (1992)
 Northern Exposure "Sleeping With The Enemy" as Leston (1993)
Murder, She Wrote – episode   "Northern Explosion" as Joe Quill (1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generation – episode   Journey's End  as Anthwara   (1994)
Diagnosis Murder – episode   The Restless Remains as Mr. Clarke (1994)
The Magnificent Seven – episode   Ghosts of the Confederacy as Seminole Chief (1998)
Walker, Texas Ranger – episodes   Tribe, and War Cry as  Judge Henry Fivekills (1998)
Walker, Texas Ranger – episode   Way of the Warrior as Shaman (1999)
Star Trek Voyager – episode   The Fight as Chakotay's Great-Grandfather (1999)
Roswell – episode   River Dog    (season 1 episode 7, 1999) 
Walker, Texas Ranger – episode   White Buffalo as Ned Grey Fox (2000)

References

External links
 

1926 births
2017 deaths
American male film actors
American opera singers
American male television actors
People from Franklin, Louisiana
Musicians from Greater Los Angeles
Actors from Greater Los Angeles
Male actors from Louisiana
Singers from Louisiana
American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent
American people of Spanish descent
American people of French descent
Western (genre) television actors