Tige Andrews

Tige Andrews was the actor who played the Klingon Kras in the  episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. Andrews has about a dozen movie roles and fifty television guest appearances to his credit, but he is probably best known for his Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated regular role as police captain Adam Greer on , co-starring future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest actor Clarence Williams III.

He was born in Brooklyn as Tiger Andrews from Syrian immigrant parents (his father's original family name was Androwas). Following Syrian custom, his parents named him after a strong animal to ensure his good health. A graduate of the American of Dramatic Arts in New York, Andrews began his acting career in theater, working both on and off Broadway. His television career started with appearances on various anthology shows in the early 1950s, ultimately becoming a regular on The Phil Silvers Show – the cult sitcom also known as Sgt. Bilko – after which he took on a recurring role on The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor from 1959 through 1962.

In 1955 Andrews made his feature film debut when director John Ford cast him in Mister Roberts, having seen Andrews in the Broadway play on which the film was based. Fellow TOS guest actor Perry Lopez also had a role in this film. John Ford subsequently cast Andrews in an uncredited role in the 1957 drama The Wings of Eagles, starring John Wayne and also featuring Kenneth Tobey. That same year, Andrews appeared in the war drama Until They Sail, directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons. Subsequent film credits include supporting roles in 1958's Onionhead (co-starring James Gregory), 1968's In Enemy Country (with Gene Dynarski), and Elia Kazan's 1976 classic The Last Tycoon (also featuring Seymour Cassel, Jeff Corey, and Byron Morrow).

The majority of Andrews' television work took place throughout the 1960s. During this time, Andrews worked with fellow Star Trek alumni Jeanne Bal (in an episode of Mr. Novak, also with Vince Howard), Whit Bissell (on Jericho), Roger C. Carmel (on Premiere, along with Fritz Weaver), Paul Comi (on Twelve O'Clock High, starring Robert Lansing), Paul Fix (in an episode of The Best of the Post), Sam Gilman (on Sam Benedict), Steve Ihnat (in an episode of The Fugitive), Janet MacLachlan (on Run for Your Life), Dallas Mitchell (on The F.B.I.), Susan Oliver (on The Dick Powell Show), Percy Rodriguez (on Slattery's People and Bob Hope Presents), and Warren Stevens (also on Slattery's People). He also made guest appearances on hit programs like Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, and Gunsmoke and had a recurring role on Gomer Pyle, USMC, during which he worked with Michael Barrier and Ken Lynch. Additionally, he earned an Emmy nomination for his 1967 guest appearance on The Big Valley, in an episode with Paul Sorenson.

After portraying Captain Greer on The Mod Squad from 1968 through 1971, Andrews went on to appear in a Police Story two-parter with Anthony Caruso and Phillip Pine. In 1975 Andrews again co-starred with Trek star William Shatner on the latter's short-lived series Barbary Coast, in an episode with Louise Sorel. Also in 1975 Andrews guest-starred in an episode of Police Woman with David Huddleston and Bert Remsen. In addition, he made several appearances on Kojak (working with Whit Bissell, Antoinette Bower, Seamon Glass, Robert Ito, Stephen Macht, and Andrew Robinson) and CHiPs (with Michael Dorn, Paul Comi, Robert Pine, and Paul Sorenson) before concluding the 1970s by reprising his role on Greer in the TV special Return of the Mod Squad.

Andrews continued working in television throughout the 1980s, appearing on shows such as Vega$ (in an episode with Rod Loomis and Phil Morris), CHiPs with the aforementioned Michael Dorn and Robert Pine along with William Lucking), and Quncy, M.E. (starring Robert Ito and Garry Walberg). Andrews ultimately retired in 1990 after guest-starring in an episode of Murder, She Wrote with Robert Costanzo, Monte Markham, William Utay and William Windom.

Andrews passed away in Encino, California, at the age of 86, leaving behind six children, 11 grandchildren, and a career spanning more than 60 years.

Other Trek connections
Additional projects in which Andrews worked with other Star Trek alumni include:
 * Playhouse 90 episode "Seven Against the Wall" (1958) with Celia Lovsky
 * The Lawless Years episode "The Tony Motelli Story" with James Gregory and Ken Lynch
 * The Werewolf of Woodstock (1975 TV movie) with Richard Webb
 * Raid on Entebbe (1977 TV movie) with Peter Brocco, Robin Gammell, Stephen Macht and David Opatoshu
 * Hawaiian Heat episode "Old Dues" (1984) with Tracy Scoggins
 * Misfits of Science episode "Fumble on the One" (1985) with Sid Haig
 * Sledge Hammer! episode "Jagged Slege" (1987) with Gerrit Graham

Trivia

 * Andrews was also a painter and a singer.


 * He served in the US Army and was wounded in Sicily during World War II.