A native of
Los Angeles,
California, Donner worked in television and film since the 1950s including early work on
The Guiding Light and
As the World Turns. Honing his craft, he performed in seven successive seasons of
New York City regional and stock theater. Beginning in the 1960s he had many guest star and co-starring roles in shows including
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,
Mission: Impossible,
Mannix,
Kojak, and
The Streets of San Francisco. However, he was probably best known for his role of Romulan Subcommander Tal in the original
Star Trek episode "
The Enterprise Incident". He later returned as a Vulcan priest in the episodes "Kir'Shara" and "Home" of
Star Trek: Enterprise. Along with
Joseph Ruskin and
Clint Howard, he is one of only three actors to appear in both the original
Star Trek series and
Star Trek: Enterprise. In 1998 he appeared in the uncredited role of Commander Kinwon in
Power Rangers in Space. He had a recurring role on
General Hospital as
Nikolas and
Spencer Cassadine's butler, Alfred. Donner starred in
Peaches Christ's black comedy film
All About Evil and in Bryan Moore's adaptation of
H. P. Lovecraft's
Cool Air. He also had a brief but memorable scene as a fire-and-brimstone prosecutor who demands death in the 1971 film
The Night God Screamed. He founded Oxford Theater with fellow actor
Lee Delano. Their students included
Barry Levinson,
Craig T. Nelson,
Barbara Parkins, and
Don Johnson. ==Filmography==