Michael Ensign (born February 13, 1944Ragan, David (1992). Who's Who in Hollywood, 1900–1976 : The Largest Cast of International Film Personalities Ever Assembled. New York : Facts on File. p. 496. .) is an American actor who has mostly played supporting roles. One of his most-known roles was Benjamin Guggenheim in the epic historical romance film Titanic (1997).
Early life Ensign, as Michael Evans, began his acting career as a child in Phoenix, Arizona, where he attended Arcadia High School. Ensign trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and spent the first ten years of his professional career working in the theatre in Britain.
Career He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1970s, appearing in productions of As You Like It, Love's Labour's Lost, and Cymbeline amongst others. He has appeared in Irene, Curse of the Starving Class, and The Red Devil Battery Sign in the West End.
Ensign's film credits include Superman (1978), Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), WarGames (1983), Ghostbusters (1984), Dr. Hackenstein (1988),"Dr. Hackenstein ". Troma Entertainment. Retrieved February 6, 2010. Titanic (1997), Solaris (2002), Bringing Down the House (2003), Down with Love (2003) and Seabiscuit (2003).
Ensign's many television appearances include Boston Legal, Three’s Company, Alias, Monk, JAG, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Star Trek: Enterprise, The X-Files, Friends, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, MacGyver, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, M*A*S*H, The A-Team, and The Dukes Of Hazzard. He appeared in the TV miniseries The Winds of War and Dream West.
Ensign provided the voice of the villainous Doctor Nefarious Tropy in the video games Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998), Crash Team Racing (1999), Crash Nitro Kart (2003) and Crash Twinsanity (2004). His role of N. Tropy was later passed down to Corey Burton, who voiced the character in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (2001), Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (2017), and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (2019), and then passed to J. P. Karliak, who currently voices the latter in Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (2020). In 2002, he voiced the main villain Raphael Drake in James Bond 007: Nightfire. He also gave his voice for Dr. Sebastian Wolfe in 2011 video game Infamous 2.
In 2009 Ensign was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Theatre from the College of Fine Arts at University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Writing in Forbes in 2011, David M. Ewalt noted, "Ensign is a classic example of "Hey! It's that guy!" --a versatile character actor with a long and illustrious career, but who you probably can't identify by name, or even where you've seen him" before going on to list some of Ensign's key film appearances.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1963 Of Heaven and Home Homeroom Teacher Short film 1973 Assassin Unknown 1978 Midnight Express Stanley Daniels 1978 Superman Newscaster, Superman's 1st Night 1980 Raise the Titanic Lieutenant Northacker 1981 Buddy Buddy Assistant manager 1982 Vice Squad Chauffeur 1982 Pink Floyd – The Wall Hotel Manager 1982 Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again Announcer 1982 Six Weeks Choreographer 1982 Kiss Me Goodbye Billy 1983 WarGames Beringer's Aide 1983 The Star Chamber Judge Kirkland 1983 The Man Who Wasn't There Assistant Secretary 1983 Mr. Mom Executive #2 1984 Ghostbusters Hotel Manager 1984 All of Me Mr. Mifflin 1984 The Ratings Game Le Boeuf Maitre d' 1985 Maxie Cleopatra Director 1985 House Chet Parker 1988 The Couch Trip Hendricks 1988 Inherit the Wind Reverend Brown 1988 License To Drive School Teacher / Bus Driver 1988 Dr. Hackenstein Dean Slesinger 1989 Frederick Forsyth Presents: Just Another Secret Chuck Lucas 1991 Life Stinks Knowles 1993 Born Yesterday Phillipe 1995 Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest Father Frank Nolan 1995 Rough Magic Powerbroker 1995 Fatal Pursuit Pinkrose 1997 Titanic Benjamin Guggenheim 1998 Secrets of a Chambermaid Hollingswood 2001 Not Another Teen Movie Father O'Flannagan 2002 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Simon Oliver 2002 Solaris Friend #1 2003 Bringing Down the House Daniel Barnes 2003 Down with Love J.R. 2003 Seabiscuit Steamer Owner 2004 The Drone Virus Dr. Jamison 2006 29 Reasons to Run Callahan Gold Bone Award for Best Ensemble Cast (2006) 2008 Prairie Fever Preacher Direct-to-video 2010 Love Shack Tush Bushman Direct-to-video 2012 The Five-Year Engagement Grandpa Harold 2019 Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters Himself Documentary film
Television YearTitleRoleNotes 1972 Colditz Lieutenant Dave Olding Episode: "The Undefeated" 1978 A Life at Stake Glynn Lunney Episode: "Houston... We've Got a Problem" 1980 Tenspeed and Brown Shoe Maitre D' Episode: "The Sixteen Byte Data Chip and the Brown-eyed Fox" 1981 Enos Trapnell Episode: "Forever Blowing Bubbles" 1981 The Greatest American Hero Principal David Kane Episode: "The Best Desk Scenario" 1981 M*A*S*H Major Cass Episode: "'Twas the Day After Christmas" 1981 The Gangster Chronicles Owney "The Killer" Madden 13 episodesTelevision miniseries 1982 Benson Wally Episode: "Pete the Hero" 1982 Eleanor, First Lady of the World Ship Steward Television film 1982 Games Mother Never Taught You Jennings Lachman Television film 1983 Tales of the Golden Monkey Halliburton Episode: "Ape Boy" 1983 The Winds of War Lieutenant Sissons Television miniseriesEpisode: "The Changing of the Guard" 1983 Hart to Hart George Wiesenkopf Episode: "The Wayward Hart" 1983 Las aventuras de Frank Buck Inspector Newton 3 episodes 1983 Voyagers! Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle Episode: "Jack's Back" 1983 Sunset Limousine Gavrik Television film 1984 The Dukes of Hazzard Bender Episodes: "Undercover Dukes: Parts 1 & 2" 1984 Three's Company Doctor Episode: "Forget Me Not" 1984 The A-Team Cartel Leader Episode: "Deadly Maneuvers" 1984 St. Elsewhere Proctor Episode: "Cramming" 1984 Velvet Stefan Television film 1984 Hotel Harold Episode: "Flesh and Blood" 1984 Shattered Vows Father Meyer Television film 1984 Too Close for Comfort Government Agent Episode: "The Missing Fink" 1984 Hill Street Blues IRS Investigator Episode: "Blues for Mr. Green" 1984 Hardcastle and McCormick Waiter Episode: "You and the Horse You Rode On" 1984 Cover Up Donald Rutledge Episode: "Writer's Block" 1984 A Touch of Scandal Manderly Television film 1985 Otherworld Baxter Dromo Episode: "Rock and Roll Suicide" 1985 ABC Afterschool Specials Mr. Grey Episode: "One Too Many" 1985 Me and Mom Arthur Dodds Episode: "The Murder Game" 1985 George Burns Comedy Week Unknown 2 episodes 1985 Cagney & Lacey Mort Jeffries Episode: "Filial Duty" 1986 Dream West Karl Preuss 2 episodesTelevision miniseries 1986 Sylvan in Paradise The Vice Counsel Television film 1986 Downtown Kling Episode: "The Spring Line" 1986–1987 Falcon Crest Frank McIntyre 4 episodes 1986 Sledge Hammer! Crandell Episode: "Dori Day Afternoon" 1987 21 Jump Street Mr. Mickey Hoskett Episode: "Next Generation"Credited as Michael Ensign Evans 1987 Sledge Hammer! Claude Goldfunger Episode: "Sledge in Toyland" 1987 Beauty and the Beast Edward Hughes Episode: "Nor Iron Bars a Cage" 1987 MacGyver Derek Thompson Episode: "Soft Touch" 1988 Wiseguy Pierre Coscare Episode: "The Merchant of Death" 1988 Dynasty William Todd Episodes: "The Trial" and "The Proposal" 1988 It's Garry Shandling's Show Store Manager Episode: "Pete's Got a Secret" 1988 Mr. Belvedere Professor Rosenthal Episode: "The Curse" 1989 Single Women Married Men John Briggs Television film 1989–1991 Guns of Paradise Mr. Axlerod 15 episodes 1989 Matlock Spaulding Kane Episode: "The Psychic" 1989 MacGyver Professor Wycliff Episodes: "Legend of the Holy Rose: Parts 1 & 2" 1990 Mancuso, FBI Unknown Episode: "Conspiracy" 1990 Rock Hudson Mark Miller Television film 1990 The Golden Girls Donald Episode: "All Bets Are Off" 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation Minister Krola Episode: "First Contact" 1991 Matlock Doctor Episodes: "The Witness Killings: Parts 1 & 2" 1991 A Different World Auctioneer Episode: "How Great Thou Art" 1991 The Wonder Years Mr. Finora Episode: "Triangle" 1991 L.A. Law Dr. George Leeson Episode: "Lose the Boss" 1991 Secret Bodyguard Niles Television film 1992 Jake and the Fatman Mikael Rikas Episode: "Ain't Misbehavin'" 1992 Coach Father Engler Episode: "Vows" 1992 Raven Dr. Spencer Episode: "Disciples of Dawn" 1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Lojal Episode: "The Forsaken" 1993 Sisters Howard Greenway, The Travel Agent Episode: "The Land of the Lost Children" 1993 Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth Ronald Marsh Television film 1993 Dangerous Heart Father Korcheck Television film 1994 Melrose Place Sheriff Episode: "Love, Mancini Style" 1994 General Hospital Dr. Gary 3 episodes 1994 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle Unknown Television film 1995 Vanishing Son Rory Rasmussen Episode: "Runaway Hearts" 1995 The Monroes Simon Episode: "Pilot Episode" 1995 Pointman Stewart Sumner Episode: "Business and Pleasure" 1995 Murphy Brown Jack Stanfield Episode: "The Ten Percent Solution" 1995 The Christmas Box Steven Hooper Television film 1995 Maybe This Time John Biddle Episode: "Judgement Day" 1996 The Wayans Bros. Lloyd Episode: "It Takes a Thief" 1996 Star Trek: Voyager Bard Episode: "False Profits" 1996 Murder One Mr. Bluth Episode: "Chapter One, Year Two" 1997 Profiler Brooks Winchell Episode: "Doppelganger" 1997 The Nanny Trevor Episode: "The Ex-Niles" 1997 Malcolm and Eddie Miles Episode: "Whole Lotta Love Seat" 1997 A Thousand Men and a Baby Bert Schumann Television film 1997 Caroline in the City Mr. Fogel Episode: "Caroline and the Kink" 1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Donald T. Blanchard Episode: "Ghost Visitor" 1998–1999 Friends Dr. Ledbetter Episodes: "The One with Ross' Sandwich" and "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" 1998 Chicago Hope Dr. Andrew Shaddock Episode: "Bridge over Troubled Waters" 1998 The Tom Show Floyd Episode: "The Top Five" 1998 Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place Chairman At Presentation Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Presentation" 1999 3rd Rock from the Sun Fordham Episode: "Superstitious Dick" 1999 Any Day Now Unknown Episode: "Blue" 1999 Brimstone Dr. Morris Uncredited Episode: "Faces" 1999 The X-Files Dr. Barnes Episodes: "Biogenesis" and "The Sixth Extinction" 2000 The Others Professor Dan Teplin Episode: "Life Is for the Living" 2000 Batman Beyond Butler Voice, episode: "The Eggbaby" 2001 Diagnosis Murder Chick Episode: "Bachelor Fathers" 2002 Just Shoot Me! Bob Fennel Episode: "The Book of Jack" 2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Judge Peter Croft Episode: "The Accused Is Entitled" 2002 Son of the Beach "F" Episode: "You Only Come Once" 2002 Judging Amy Dr. Riley Episode: "Roses and Truth" 2003 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Judge Brenner Episode: "Invisible Evidence" 2003 JAG General Tillman Episode: "Posse Comitatus" 2003 Star Trek: Enterprise Dr. Oratt Episode: "Stigma" 2004 Monk Raymond Toliver Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets Married" 2004–2008 Boston Legal Judge Paul Resnick 10 episodes 2005 Alias Vogel Episode: "Pandora" 2007 Not Another High School Show Jeeves Television film 2007 Mystery Woman: In the Shadows Yuri Slipchenko Television film 2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Judge Episode: "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda" 2008 Ladies of the House Pastor Wesley Television film 2008 Cold Case Bruce Davies '08 Episode: "Slipping" 2009 Big Love Ritual Superior Voice, episode: "Outer Darkness" 2011 Hannah Montana Mr. Elderman Episode: "I Am Mamaw, Hear Me Roar!" 2012 Cupid, Inc. Louis, The Maitre D' Television film 2014 NCIS Dr. Ishmael Havana Episode: "Choke Hold" 2014 Love by the Book Philip Television film 2015–2017 Kirby Buckets Superintendent Episodes: "Kirby Sells Out" and "Closing Time" 2016 The Detour Peter Donaire Episode: "The Tank" 2018 Living Biblically Karl Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor"
Video games