Tige Andrews (19 March 1920 – 27 January 2007; age 86) was the actor who played Kras in the Star Trek: The Original Series second season episode "Friday's Child". He filmed his scenes between Wednesday 24 May 1967 and Monday 29 May 1967 on location at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park and at Desilu Stage 10.
Andrews had about a dozen movie roles and fifty television guest appearances to his credit, but he is probably best known for his Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated regular role as police captain Adam Greer on The Mod Squad, co-starring future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest actor Clarence Williams III.
He was born in Brooklyn as Tiger Andrews from Syrian immigrant parents (his father's original family name was Androwas). Following Syrian custom, his parents named him after a strong animal to ensure his good health. A graduate of the American of Dramatic Arts in New York, Andrews began his acting career in theater, working both on and off Broadway. His television career started with appearances on various anthology shows in the early 1950s, ultimately becoming a regular on The Phil Silvers Show, after which he took on a recurring role on The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor from 1959 through 1962.
In 1955, Andrews made his feature film debut when director John Ford cast him in Mister Roberts, having seen Andrews in the Broadway play on which the film was based. Fellow Original Series guest actor Perry Lopez also had a role in this film. John Ford subsequently cast Andrews in an uncredited role in the 1957 drama The Wings of Eagles, starring John Wayne and also featuring Kenneth Tobey. That same year, Andrews appeared in the war drama Until They Sail, directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons. Subsequent film credits include supporting roles in Onionhead (1958, co-starring James Gregory), In Enemy Country (1968, with Gene Dynarski), and The Last Tycoon (1976, also featuring Seymour Cassel, Jeff Corey, and Byron Morrow).
The majority of Andrews' television work took place throughout the 1960s. During this time, Andrews worked with fellow Star Trek alumni on Mr. Novak (with Jeanne Bal and Vince Howard), Jericho (with Whit Bissell), Premiere (with Roger C. Carmel and Fritz Weaver), 12 O'Clock High (starring Robert Lansing with Paul Comi), The Best of the Post (with Paul Fix), Sam Benedict (with Sam Gilman), The Fugitive (with Steve Ihnat), Run for Your Life (with Janet MacLachlan), The F.B.I. (with Dallas Mitchell), The Dick Powell Show (with Susan Oliver), Slattery's People (with Percy Rodriguez and Warren Stevens), and Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (with Warren Stevens). He also made guest appearances on hit programs like Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, and Gunsmoke and had a recurring role on Gomer Pyle, USMC, during which he worked with Michael Barrier and Ken Lynch. Additionally, he earned an Emmy nomination for his 1967 guest appearance on The Big Valley, in an episode with Paul Sorensen.
After portraying Captain Greer on The Mod Squad from 1968 through 1971, Andrews went on to appear in a Police Story two-parter with Anthony Caruso and Phillip Pine. In 1975 Andrews again co-starred with Trek star William Shatner on Barbary Coast, in an episode with Louise Sorel. Also in 1975 Andrews guest-starred in an episode of Police Woman with David Huddleston and Bert Remsen. In addition, he made several appearances on Kojak (working with Whit Bissell, Antoinette Bower, Seamon Glass, Robert Ito, Stephen Macht, and Andrew Robinson) and CHiPs (with Michael Dorn, Paul Comi, Robert Pine, and Paul Sorensen) before concluding the 1970s by reprising his role on Greer in the TV special Return of the Mod Squad.
Andrews continued working in television throughout the 1980s, appearing on shows such as Vegas (in an episode with Rod Loomis and Phil Morris), CHiPs (with the aforementioned Michael Dorn and Robert Pine along with William Lucking), and Quincy, M.E. (starring Robert Ito and Garry Walberg). Andrews ultimately retired in 1990 after guest-starring in an episode of Murder, She Wrote with Robert Costanzo, Monte Markham, William Utay, and William Windom.
Andrews passed away in Encino, California, at the age of 86, leaving behind six children, eleven grandchildren, and a career spanning more than sixty years.
Other Trek connections[]
Additional projects in which Andrews worked with other Star Trek alumni include:
- Playhouse 90 (1958) with Celia Lovsky
- The Lawless Years episode "The Tony Motelli Story" with James Gregory and Ken Lynch
- The Werewolf of Woodstock (1975 TV movie) with Richard Webb
- Raid on Entebbe (1977 TV movie) with Peter Brocco, Robin Gammell, Stephen Macht, and David Opatoshu
- Hawaiian Heat (1984) with Tracy Scoggins
- Misfits of Science (1985) with Sid Haig
- Sledge Hammer! episode "Jagged Slege" (1987) with Gerrit Graham