Steve Ihnat

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Steve Ihnat (August 7, 1934 – May 12, 1972) was a Czechoslovakian-born actor and director who immigrated as a child to Canada. Ihnat was raised on a farm in Lynden, Ontario. His family settled there after fleeing his native Czechoslovakia in 1939, when he was five. Ihnat, his mother, father and two young boys from other families left Czechoslovakia, three days before Prague was closed.

Ihnat became hooked on acting when he played a child role in an amateur theatre near Lynden. He said "I knew this was the only thing I wanted to do with my life." He also said "I think wanting to act started when I was about 14 as an escape valve to my environment. I was raised on a farm and I decided I wanted to be everything in life. Acting is the best way to do it."

Ihnat moved to the United States in 1958 to pursue a career in acting and attended the Pasadena Playhouse. He took out United States citizenship and served in Korea.

Steve Ihnat (with Yvonne Craig) as Garth of Izar in Star Trek

Ihnat starred in several television series during the 1960s and is best known by Star Trek fans as Garth of Izar from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Whom Gods Destroy". While never achieving major fame for starring in movies or his own television series, Ihnat held over seventy guest star credits in such well known works as Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, The Virginian, Mission: Impossible and The Outer Limits. He often played villains, using his abilities to subtly turn one-dimensional characters into complex and multi-dimensional antagonists. He memorably portrayed a murderous thug in the 1968 film Madigan, starring Richard Widmark.

Ihnat was a screenwriter and director as well, most notably of "The Honkers" starring James Coburn. As an actor, he first achieved wide notice for his portrayal of a mind-controlled lieutenant in the science fiction TV series "The Outer Limits." His extended speech at the end of that double episode ("The Inheritors - Part 1 & Part 2" - 1964) is one of the most affecting moments in television. Ihnat eventually became one of the most in-demand A-list guest stars of the 1960s.

Ihnat's most famous role in Mission: Impossible was that of brilliant Soviet investigator Stefan Miklos in the 1969 episode "The Mind of Stefan Miklos," widely praised as one of the most cerebral and intelligent episodes of the entire series. While he played other roles (mostly villains) in the show, his performance in this episode is his most memorable.

Steve Ihnat was married to Sally Carter-Ihnat who had been a Playboy Playmate of the Month in May of 1962. He died at the young age of thirty seven after suffering a heart attack while visiting France. Ed Asner announced his death on the Emmys telecast.

Here is the text from Ed Asner's speech:

"Steve, only 37, died on May 12, 1972, of a heart attack — while attending the Cannes Film Festival. He left his wife, Sally, a daughter and a son 6 weeks old at the time of his death.

His picture, 'The Honkers,' starring James Coburn and directed and co-written by Steve, had just been released. His future as a moviemaker was assured and would have taken him well beyond the fame he had as an actor.

In the winter of '68-'69 he approached me about doing a movie, to which I agreed. At this point, Steve had no script, just an idea about a newly made actor-star, his agent (me), his separated wife (his wife) and a business manager (Arthur O'Connell) and the business manager's daughter.

We'd cruise around in his old Rolls improvising scenes for the two of us. Steve would then type these taped improves into script form and then we'd sit about honing and refining the scenes and giving them a direction and their place in the total picture.

The film was called 'Don't Throw Cushions in the Ring' and got Steve his start as a major director. Though slow, there are many fine things in it and I feel that Steve would always have called the picture his testament. He was at Cannes talking to potential exhibitors when he died. Since his death, I believe arrangements for exhibition in England and Europe have been concluded.

Steve had a large ego but coupled with it were love and generosity.

I experienced all of them and can only express amazement and envy at the response the news of his death evoked in people. The intensity of love and sorrow I've witnessed by his friends and fans is remarkable and I can only think how fortunate I was to have been there on the project he was most proud of. I hope it will suffice to say that I considered him a great actor, filmmaker and friend."

Ihnat is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Sally Carter-Ihnat was married to Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall from 1977 to 1988.