Jeffrey Combs

**Jeffrey Alan Combs** (born 9 September 1954) is an American actor.

He played Berman Livingston in *Pandora*.

## Early Life

Combs was born in Oxnard, California, to Jean (née Sullins) Owens (1921–1986) and Eugene "Gene" Combs (1922–1999), and raised in Lompoc. A graduate of Lompoc High School, as a senior, Combs played the lead role of Captain Fisby in a stage production of *The Teahouse of the August Moon*. Combs then attended Santa Maria's Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and later developed his acting skills in the Professional Actor's Training Program at the University of Washington.

## Career

In 1980, after spending several years performing in playhouses on the West Coast, Combs moved to Los Angeles. He landed his first role in the 1981 film *Honky Tonk Freeway*, in which he played an unnamed drive-in teller. His first horror film role came two years later in *Frightmare*.

Combs' best-known horror role is Herbert West, the main character in the film *Re-Animator* and its two sequels. He portrayed author H. P. Lovecraft, creator of the Herbert West character, in the film *Necronomicon: Book of the Dead* (1993) and has starred in eight H.P. Lovecraft adaptations. Other film credits include *The Attic Expeditions* (2001), *FeardotCom* (2002), *House on Haunted Hill* (1999), *I Still Know What You Did Last Summer* (1998), and *The Frighteners* (1996).

Combs has had roles in many science fiction television series. He starred as telepath Harriman Gray in first-season episode "Eyes" (1994) of *Babylon 5*. In 2001, he played the sinister Dr. Ek in *The Attic Expeditions*. In August 2005, he appeared for the first time in the science fiction series *The 4400* as Dr. Kevin Burkhoff, which had become a recurring role by 2006. In early 2007, he played a highly fictionalized Edgar Allan Poe in "The Black Cat" episode of *Masters of Horror*.

Combs has also worked extensively as a voiceover artist. His voiceover roles include the Scarecrow in *The New Batman Adventures*, the Question in *Justice League Unlimited*, Ratchet in *Transformers: Prime*, the Leader in *The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes*, the Rat King in *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* and Brainiac in *Injustice 2*. He also narrated the 25th Anniversary of *Re-Animator* at the 2010 FanTasia.

In July 2009, Combs returned to his stage roots and reprised his role as Edgar Allan Poe in a one-man theatrical show entitled *Nevermore... an Evening with Edgar Allan Poe* at The Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood. Although only supposed to run for a month, the show enjoyed much success and sold-out crowds, and was extended four times. *Nevermore*, as it is now simply known, closed its run in Los Angeles on 19 December 2009. The show had its East Coast debut on 23 and 24 January 2010 at Westminster Hall in Baltimore, Poe's final resting place. A tour of the Saturn Award nominated *Nevermore* is now in the works, with stops possibly including Chicago, New York, and Seattle, and a confirmed two-date run in San Diego in February.

Combs starred with Andrew Divoff in the 2012 Screen Media Films release *Night of the Living Dead 3D: Re-Animation*, a prequel to the 2006 cult hit *Night of the Living Dead 3D* directed by Jeff Broadstreet. In 2012, he also played Dr. Lambrick in *Would You Rather*.

### Star Trek

On television, Combs enjoyed popular success playing a number of alien characters in the various modern *Star Trek* incarnations, beginning with *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* in 1994, with *Star Trek: Voyager* in 2000, and with *Star Trek: Enterprise* in 2001. Combs has played nine different onscreen roles in the *Star Trek* universe. His largest science-fiction role to date was his regular guest role in *Deep Space Nine* as the Vorta clone Weyoun. Combs has said that Weyoun was his favorite *Star Trek* role, and he had a great deal of input in developing the character.

In the same series, Combs had a recurring role as the Ferengi character Brunt. During the *DS9* episode "The Dogs of War", Combs appeared as both Weyoun and Brunt, making *Star Trek* history as the first actor to play two unrelated recurring roles on screen in the same episode; however, the two characters never appeared in the same scene together.

In *Enterprise*, Combs had a recurring role as Shran, an Andorian military officer. *Enterprise* producer Manny Coto once mentioned in an interview hoping to make Combs a regular on *Enterprise* had the series been renewed for a fifth season.

In addition to his recurring *Star Trek* roles, Combs had non-recurring roles as the human police officer Kevin Mulkahey and as the alien Tiron in *Deep Space Nine*, as the alien Penk in *Voyager*, and as the Ferengi pirate Krem in *Enterprise*. Along with many other actors, writers, and creators of the show, Combs also had a cameo appearance as a holographic patron in Vic's Lounge in the final episode of *Deep Space Nine*. Combs also voiced Romulan Commander Suldok for the *Star Trek: Elite Force II* video game.