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Robert Clendenin (born 14 April 1964; age 59), sometimes credited as Bob Clendenin, is an American actor who played the role of a Vidiian surgeon in the Star Trek: Voyager second season episode "Deadlock". He also had a supporting role as a shipyard worker in Star Trek. [1]

Clendenin is perhaps best known for his role as Carl Dawson on the TBS improvisational comedy series 10 Items or Less, created by Voyager guest star Nancy Hower. He is also recognized for playing Roy in the internet series, Nobody's Watching. In addition, Clendenin has held recurring roles on numerous television series, including Scrubs and Cougar Town.

Early life and career[]

Clendenin was born in Newark, Ohio. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1986, and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from Pennsylvania State University in 1990. He worked in regional theater before moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1992. He made his television debut in that year, playing a guard in an episode of Renegade, an action drama series on which Branscombe Richmond was a regular.

His next two TV appearances were on The Nanny (which starred Daniel Davis) and The John Larroquette Show. He then made his feature film debut in Paramount Pictures' Eye for an Eye (1996, featuring Natalia Nogulich, Sierra Pecheur, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine regular, and Voyager guest, Armin Shimerman).

A few weeks before his episode of Voyager aired, Clendenin was seen on Space: Above and Beyond, in an episode directed by Winrich Kolbe. Lanei Chapman was a regular on this series, and Tucker Smallwood had a recurring role.

After Voyager[]

Television[]

Following his guest spot on Voyager, Clendenin made one-time appearances on such television series as ER (with Tom Towles), Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (with James W. Jansen), Chicago Hope (with Allan Miller, Ed O'Ross, and Richard Riehle), Will & Grace (with Aaron Lustig), and UPN's Roswell. He also began landing recurring parts on many television shows, starting with his role as David Rogers on The Practice, where he worked with such actors as Raymond Cruz, Cliff DeYoung, Paul Eiding, Stefan Gierasch, Albert Hall, Michelle Horn, Gregory Itzin, Norman Lloyd, and David Selburg. He then began appearing as another character named Dave on NBC's Caroline in the City (starring Lea Thompson, with Richard Herd and Todd Waring).

Clendenin first worked with J.J. Abrams, the director and producer of 2009's Star Trek, when Clendenin landed a role on Abrams' Felicity 1998. In that year, Clendenin appeared in two episodes as Dominic, working with fellow Trek alumni Erich Anderson, John Cho, and John Cothran, Jr.. Clendenin returned to the show in a different role for two episodes in 2001 and another in 2002, again working with Erich Anderson as well as Tracy Scoggins and Rick Worthy. Clendenin also appeared in a 2001 episode of Abrams' Alias with Keone Young.

From 1999 through 2001, Clendenin appeared as Godfrey on the WB series Popular, during which time he worked alongside Star Trek: Enterprise regular Anthony Montgomery. Clendenin also had recurring roles on Ally McBeal (working with Steven Culp, Albert Hall, Gina Philips, and Mark L. Taylor) and That '70s Show (starring Kurtwood Smith).

Between 2002 and 2009, he appeared as oncologist Dr. Zeltzer on Scrubs, on which Ken Jenkins is a series regular. Other shows in which he had a recurring role include The Closer (with James Avery, Raymond Cruz, Jonathan del Arco, Glenn Morshower, and Sean Whalen), Rodney, and My Name Is Earl.

While juggling recurring roles, Clendenin continued making single appearances on shows such as Charmed (directed by Allan Kroeker), Gideon's Crossing (with Rosalind Chao), Philly (with Ron Canada and Ellen Geer), NYPD Blue (starring Gordon Clapp), Boomtown (starring Neal McDonough), and Birds of Prey (starring Dina Meyer and Ian Abercrombie, in an episode with Sean McGowan). In the second episode of Joan of Arcadia, he and fellow Voyager guest star John Kassir both played versions of God. Clendenin followed this with appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (with Roger Aaron Brown and Wallace Langham), Desperate Housewives (starring Teri Hatcher, Mark Moses, Brenda Strong, and Alfre Woodard), Monk (with Kitty Swink), Ugly Betty (starring Alan Dale, Tony Plana, and Vanessa Williams), and Weeds (with Andy Milder).

From 2006 to 2009, Clendenin starred in the sitcom 10 Items or Less. From 2010 to 2015, he co-starred in another sitcom, Cougar Town.

Films[]

Clendenin had a small role in L.A. Confidential, which starred James Cromwell and co-starred Brenda Bakke, John Mahon, Matt McCoy, Jim Metzler, Colin Mitchell, Steve Rankin, and Symba Smith. Clendenin's subsequent film credits included brief parts in The Thirteenth Floor (1999, with Brad William Henke, Janet MacLachlan, Leon Rippy, and Jeremy Roberts), Lost Souls (starring Winona Ryder and featuring Brad Greenquist and Alfre Woodard), and Dude, Where's My Car? (2000, with Andy Dick and Brent Spiner).

He also had supporting roles in the independent films Watchers Reborn (with Larry Cedar, Stephen Macht, and Lisa Wilcox) and Bad City Blues (with Simon Billig, Jim Metzler, and Scott MacDonald). More recently, he appeared in Moonlight Miles (2002, with Gordon Clapp and Richard Fancy), Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), and the independent comedy A New Tomorrow (with Erin Cummings and John Hansen).

A few months prior to the release of Star Trek, Clendenin was seen in Race to Witch Mountain (2002, starring fellow Voyager guest actor The Rock and with Ike Eisenmann).

External links[]

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