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William Sargent (born 28 November 1930; age 93) is an actor who played Thomas Leighton in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode "The Conscience of the King".

He filmed his scenes for the episode on Tuesday 13 September 1966 at Desilu Stage 10 and on Thursday, 15 September 1966 at Desilu Stage 9.

Life and career[]

Sargent was born Wolf Jakubowicz in a German Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, and at two years old, soon after the Nazis took charge, immigrated with his family to Palestine where he grew up. The family moved to the United States in 1947 where Jakubowicz changed his name to William W. Jacobs.

In 1951, he was drafted into the US army to serve in the Korean War. Upon his discharge, he studied drama at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and assumed a career in theater, taking the name William Sargent due to his agent's request.

In 1960, Sargent moved to Los Angeles to start a Hollywood career. In the next three decades, he appeared in two films and about thirty television shows.

Between 1962 and 1970, Sargent was married to Natalie Norwick, who played his on-screen wife (and widow) in "The Conscience of the King".

Besides Star Trek, Sargent guest-starred on two other Desilu-produced series, The Untouchables and Mission: Impossible. On the former, he appeared in an episode directed by Robert Butler, who previously directed Sargent on an episode of Stoney Burke with Lee Delano and Kenneth Tobey. On Mission: Impossible, Sargent appeared in an episode with John McLiam.

Sargent also appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone in 1963, one titled 'The Parallel,' with Paul Comi. That same year, he was seen in two episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and appeared in a third episode titled 'The Magic Room,' with David Opatoshu and John Megna the following year. In 1967, Sargent guest-starred in two episodes of The Invaders: one with Bill Erwin, Jonathan Lippe, Dallas Mitchell, and Phillip Pine, and another with Whit Bissell and Andrew Prine.

In addition, Sargent had a two-episode recurring role on the situation comedy series My Three Sons in 1963, having appeared as a different character on the show the previous year. He then appeared in several episodes of The F.B.I., including two in 1966 with Stephen Brooks (who was a regular at the time) and one in 1970 with Antoinette Bower. Sargent later had a brief recurring role on Cannon, during which time he worked with Barbara Babcock, the aforementioned Bill Erwin, Fritz Weaver, and Anthony Zerbe.

A 1966 episode of 12 O'Clock High entitled "The Survivor" had Sargent working alongside Seymour Cassel and fellow Original Series guest performer Jill Ireland. Sargent later appeared in two 1974 episodes of Barnaby Jones, on which Lee Meriwether was a regular; Terri Garr and Mariette Hartley also appeared in one of those episodes. Sargent's other TV credits include episodes of such programs as Combat!,Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive, Mannix (in an episode with Stanley Adams, Barry Gordon, and James Greene), and The Streets of San Francisco (working with Byron Morrow).

Sargent had an uncredited role in Young Savages (1961), as did Stanley Adams, Clegg Hoyt, and Bill Quinn. In 1969, Joseph Sargent (no relation) directed William Sargent in the television pilot movie for the 16-episode series entitled The Immortal. In addition, Sargent can be seen in A Great American Tragedy (1972, with William Windom). He also had a supporting role in The Take (1974, with John Chandler).

Following a 1975 episode of S.W.A.T. with George Murdock, Sargent ceased acting in either film or television. He made a brief return to the screen in the 1990s, appearing in the 1997 made-for-TV movie Not in This Town. Ed Begley, Jr. was among the lead actors in this film.

Retiring from Hollywood, Sargent and his wife moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he opened a downtown theater which ran for four seasons.

External links[]

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