Max Grodénchik (born November 12, 1952), also known as Michael Grodénchik, is an American stage, film, and television actor, best known for his role as Rom, a recurring character on the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Max Grodénchik | |
|---|---|
 Grodénchik in 2009 | |
| Born | November 12, 1952 New York City, U.S. |
| Other names | Michael Grodénchik |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Relatives | Barry Grodenchik (brother) |
Biography
editBorn to a Jewish family[1] in New York City, Grodénchik worked in theater during the 1980s as Michael Grodénchik, where his performances received notice. Of his 1980 performance in John O'Keefe's All Night Long, Sarasota Herald-Tribune art reviewer Marcia Corbino wrote that Grodénchik was an intriguing actor who had "an enchanting, mobile comic face on which aberrant emotions flicker, spread, retreat, retrench and explode with a single instant."[2]
Television
edit
Grodénchik is best known for his portrayal of the character Rom in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[3][4] He had previously auditioned for the role of Rom's brother Quark, but the role was given to Armin Shimerman. Grodénchik was instead hired to play the "Pit Boss" in charge of the gambling at Quark's Bar in the pilot episode, and his role gradually expanded from there.[5] Shimerman and Grodénchik appeared on opposite teams on the short-lived British science fiction game show Space Cadets in 1997.
Grodénchik played baseball in high school, and considered a career in professional baseball before deciding to become an actor. In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Take Me Out to the Holosuite", Grodénchik's character Rom is the clumsiest player on his team; during filming of the episode, the naturally right-handed Grodénchik played left-handed, as it was the only way he could convincingly play baseball poorly.
Grodénchik played Sovak and Par Lenor in Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Captain's Holiday" and "The Perfect Mate", respectively. He is famous for being an expert on the Rules of Acquisition and can quote them by memory. He played Gint, the writer of those rules and the first Grand Nagus, in a dream sequence involving Quark.
In spring 2007, Grodénchik attended the annual Vulcan Spock Days ceremony.
Voice work
editIn summer 2018, Grodénchik reprised the roles of Rom and Sovak in Star Trek Online's Deep Space Nine-themed expansion pack Victory Is Life.[6]
Personal life and family
editGrodénchik lives with his wife and daughter in Austria, in the small hamlet of Nußbach in the county Kirchdorf an der Krems.[7][8]
Grodénchik's brother Barry Grodenchik is a former New York State Assemblyman[9] and Deputy Borough President of Queens.[10]
Episodes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
editFilmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Chu Chu and the Philly Flash | Frankie | |
| 1982 | Out | Arnold / Boy | |
| 1989 | Night Court | Norman Snite | Episode: "The Cop and The Lady" (Airdate: October 18 1989) |
| 1990-1992 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Sovak | Episode: "Captain's Holiday" (Airdate: April 2, 1990) |
| Par Lenor | Episode: "The Perfect Mate" (Airdate: April 27, 1992) | ||
| 1991 | Barton Fink | Clapper boy | |
| 1991 | The Rocketeer | Wilmer, Wounded Robber | |
| 1991 | The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw | Bailiff | TV Movie |
| 1992 | Sister Act | Ernie | |
| 1993 | Rising Sun | Club Manager | |
| 1993 | Doorways | Roth | TV Movie |
| 1993-1999 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Rom | 34 episodes |
| 1995 | Apollo 13 | FIDO Gold | |
| 1995 | Here Come the Munsters | Norman Hyde | TV Movie |
| 1995 | Rumpelstiltskin | Rumpelstiltskin | |
| 1998 | Star Trek: Insurrection | Trill Ensign | scenes deleted |
| 2000 | The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | Horse Spy | |
| 2003 | ER | Street Vendor | Episode 9:18 Finders Keepers |
| 2003 | Bruce Almighty | Control Room Operator | |
| 2007 | King of California | Leonid | |
| 2011 | CSI | Pawnbroker | Season 11, Episode 21: Cello and Goodbye |
| 2018 | Glossary of Broken Dreams | Biological Male | |
| 2019 | Strawberry Moments | Filmstar | |
| 2020 | Unbelievable!!!!! | Paramedic Yacky | |
| 2021 | Masking Threshold | Officer 2 | |
| 2023 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Rom (voice) | [11] |
| 2024 | Hacking at Leaves | Uncle Sam |
References
edit- ^ Gershom, Yonassan (March 13, 2013). Jewish Themes in Star Trek. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781458397683.
- ^ Corbino, Marcia (July 9, 1980). "West Coast Drama". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Google Archive. p. 7C. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ Fleming, Andrew (June 29, 2010). "City receives kudos from deep space". Royal City Record. royalcityrecord.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
- ^ Terry J. Erdmann, Paula M. Block (2008). Star Trek 101 (illustrated ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-7434-9723-7.
- ^ Kevin Dilmore (1999-03-23). "Spotlight: Max Grodenchik". StarTrek.com. Archived from the original on 2004-10-29.
getting to know and work with Armin Shimerman has been one of the highlights of my life.
- ^ Pascale, Anthony (24 May 2018). "Interview: Max Grodénchik On Growing As A Ferengi And Bringing Rom To 'Star Trek Online: Victory Is Life'". TrekMovie.com. SciFanatic Network. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ "Der Außerirdische aus der Bronx", an interview with M. Grodénchik by Peter Menasse, published in NU (#69), page 12
- ^ "11 Things to Know About Max Grodenchik". StarTrek.com. November 12, 2016.
- ^ Joseph, George (May 9, 2003). "Assemblyman tells community 'doors are always open'". India Abroad. highbeam.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ Rafter, Domenick (January 7, 2010). "Barry Back At Boro Hall". Queens Tribune. queenstribune.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ Robertson, Iain. "Early Review: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 4 Levels Up But Keeps The Laughs". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
External links
edit
- Max Grodénchik at IMDb
- Biography on StarTrek.com
- Chat transcript at the Wayback Machine (archived August 5, 2003)
- "Der Außerirdische aus der Bronx": interview with Max Grodénchik in the Austrian Jewish Culture magazine NU with information about his personal backstory (in German)
