Jeffrey Combs - Career

Career

Combs' best known horror role was as Dr. Herbert West, the main character in the movie Re-Animator, which he has reprised in the film's two sequels. He also portrayed the part of author H. P. Lovecraft (creator of the Herbert West character) in 1993's film Necronomicon: Book of the Dead. Combs has starred in eight H.P. Lovecraft adaptations. Other film credits include FeardotCom (2002), House on Haunted Hill (1999), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) Dark House., and The Frighteners. (1996)

On television, Combs enjoyed critical and popular success playing alien characters on the various modern Star Trek incarnations, beginning in 1994 with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in 2000 with Star Trek: Voyager, and in 2001 with Star Trek: Enterprise. Even Trek fans unfamiliar with Combs' human face immediately recognized him due to his distinctive voice. Ironically, this distinctive voice Combs uses in all his screen roles is not his natural speaking voice but rather an affected one, as evidenced by interviews and commentaries on various DVDs of his film and television appearances. Combs originally auditioned for the role of Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but lost out to Jonathan Frakes, though producers kept him in mind for casting in the later series.

Combs has played nine onscreen roles in the Star Trek universe. His largest science-fiction role to date has been his multi-episode, multi-season appearances on Star Trek: 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.

On 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 Trek history as the first actor to play two unrelated recurring roles on screen in the same episode.

On Star Trek: Enterprise, Combs had a very popular recurring role as Shran, an Andorian military officer. Enterprise producer Manny Coto once mentioned in an interview that he hoped to make Combs a regular on the show, had the series been renewed for a fifth season.

In addition to his recurring Star Trek roles, Combs had non-recurring roles as a Wormhole Alien/Prophet, as human police officer Kevin Mulkahey, and as the alien Tiron on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; as the alien Penk on Star Trek: Voyager; and as the Ferengi pirate Krem on Star Trek: 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 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Combs also voices the character of Romulan Commander Suldok for the "Star Trek: Elite Force II" video game.

Beyond the Star Trek franchise, Combs has had roles in many other science fiction series. He starred as the telepath Harriman Gray, in "Eyes" (1994), a first season episode of Babylon 5. In August 2005, he appeared for the first time on the science fiction series The 4400 as Dr. Kevin Burkhoff; by 2006, this became a recurring role. In early 2007, he played a highly-fictionalized Edgar Allan Poe in "The Black Cat", an episode of Masters of Horror. With his feet in both the horror and science-fiction worlds, as well as outside the two popular genres, Combs enjoys a diverse and varied fanbase.

Combs has done extensive voice work; among others, Combs voiced The Scarecrow in the 1997 "revamp" of Batman: The Animated Series. Combs continued his work in the DCAU several years later, with a recurring role as The Question in Justice League Unlimited. His version of the Question was well regarded by both fans and the JLU writing staff and is credited for reviving interest in the character. Combs provides the voice of Ratchet on the new animated series, Transformers: Prime. Combs also narrated the 25th Anniversary of Re-Animator on 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, CA. 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 December 19, 2009. The show had its East Coast debut on January 23 and 24 2010 at Westminster Hall in Baltimore, MD, 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 stars 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 a 2011 interview with the horror website Dread Central, Broadstreet praised Combs' work in the film, saying "I think it's his best work in years." Although the 2012 prequel film is entitled "Re-Animation", it has no connection to Combs' most well-known film, "Re-Animator," nor does the film play on the imagery from "Re-Animator" in any way.