Max Grodénchik
Max Grodénchik in 2009
Born (1952-11-12) November 12, 1952
New York City, New York, U.S.
Other namesMichael Grodénchik
OccupationActor
Years active1975–present
RelativesBarry Grodenchik (brother)

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.

Biography

Born 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

Grodénchik (right) with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine co-star Armin Shimerman (left)

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

In 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

Max Grodénchik 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] In December 2015, Barry was inaugurated to the New York City Council, representing District 23.[11]

Episodes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Filmography

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
1996 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) [12]

References

  1. ↑ Gershom, Yonassan (March 13, 2013). Jewish Themes in Star Trek. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781458397683.
  2. ↑ Corbino, Marcia (July 9, 1980). "West Coast Drama". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Google Archive. p. 7C. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Terry J. Erdmann, Paula M. Block (2008). Star Trek 101 (illustrated ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-7434-9723-7.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "Der Außerirdische aus der Bronx", an interview with M. Grodénchik by Peter Menasse, published in NU (#69), page 12
  8. ↑ "11 Things to Know About Max Grodenchik". StarTrek.com. November 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "Barry Grodenchik officially sworn in as District 23 councilman". QNS.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  12. ↑ Robertson, Iain. "Early Review: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 4 Levels Up But Keeps The Laughs". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
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