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Actor Jeff Corey (10 August 191416 August 2002; age 88), birth name Arthur Zwerling, played Plasus in the Star Trek: The Original Series third season episode "The Cloud Minders". He filmed his scenes on Tuesday 12 November 1968 and Wednesday 13 November 1968, and between Friday 15 November 1968 and Wednesday 20 November 1968, at Desilu Stage 9, Stage 10 and Paramount Stage 5.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Corey made over two hundred film and television appearances in a career that spanned sixty-one years. His early career included appearances in such classic films as The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), The Killers (1946), and Miracle on 34th Street (1947, with Sam Bagley). Later feature film credits include two classic western adventures released in 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and True Grit. The first features Trek guest actors Ted Cassidy, Kenneth Mars, Don Keefer, and Charles Dierkop. The latter film features one-time Original Series guest actors Kim Darby, Alfred Ryder, Ron Soble, and John Fiedler.

In 1948, Corey co-starred with Original Series actors DeForest Kelley and Whit Bissell in the crime thriller Canon City, which also featured Phyllis Douglas. Corey later appeared in the 1951 film Only the Valiant, as did veteran Trek actor Michael Ansara. Corey also played Luke Benson, the xenophobic local shot by the mole men's ray gun, in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men. This movie, which also featured Billy Curtis and which was the first theatrical feature-length film featuring DC Comics' Superman, was later edited into a two-part episode of the TV series Adventures of Superman.

Corey was among the many actors affected by the US government's quest to seek out people they thought were communists. He was blacklisted in 1951 for refusing to name names of possible communists before the so-called House Un-American Activities Committee. Not only did he refuse to name names, but he also critiqued the acting of previous witnesses. After being blacklisted, Corey worked as an acting teacher for twelve years, and was even one of Leonard Nimoy's early acting coaches. Corey also worked as a drama coach for several other young aspiring actors and actresses; one of his other students being Laurel Goodwin. (Star Trek 30 Years)

Corey returned to acting in 1963, appearing in The Balcony (1963, with Nimoy and Peter Brocco). He and Nimoy later appeared together in Catlow (1971). Corey also co-starred with Salome Jens and William Wintersole in Seconds (1966, featuring music by Jerry Goldsmith), and They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970, with Anthony Zerbe and Garry Walberg photographed by Jerry Finnerman, released in 1970.

Other films in which Corey appeared include In Cold Blood (1967, with Mary-Linda Rapelye), Little Big Man (1970, with Alan Oppenheimer and stunts by Hal Needham), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970, with James Gregory and Gregory Sierra, and music by Leonard Rosenman), Oh, God! (1977, with Terri Garr, Paul Sorvino, William Daniels, Clyde Kusatsu, and David Ogden Stiers) and Battle Beyond the Stars (1986, with Morgan Woodward). His later career included a role in Conan the Destroyer (1984, with Olivia d'Abo and featuring music by Basil Poledouris), Second Serve (1986, with Louise Fletcher and Alice Krige, and appearances in the 1994 films Color of Night (featuring Scott Bakula, Erick Avari, and Brad Dourif) and Surviving the Game (with F. Murray Abraham, Bob Minor, and Trek stuntman Steven Lambert).

His television appearances include guest spots on The Wild Wild West ("The Night of a Thousand Eyes", with Celeste Yarnall, and "The Night of the Underground Terror", with Nehemiah Persoff and Sabrina Scharf), Bonanza ("The Bridegroom" with Joanne Linville, and "A Single Pilgrim" with John Schuck), and Hawaii Five-O ("King of the Hill" written by John D.F. Black, and "Highest Castle, Deepest Grave" with France Nuyen and Bill Quinn). In 1977, Corey, Original Series star William Shatner, John de Lancie, Theodore Bikel, and Logan Ramsey appeared in the mini-series Testimony of Two Men, partly directed by Leo Penn and featuring music by Gerald Fried.

Corey also made two memorable appearances on the sitcom Night Court, appearing with John Larroquette and William Utay. In addition, Corey was the voice of the villain Silvermane in the 1990s animated Spider-Man series, based on characters appearing in Marvel Comics magazines.

Corey appeared in the 1996 season 3 finale of Babylon 5, "Z'ha'dum" directed by Adam Nimoy. Despite only one appearance, his character was foreshadowed as Captain Sheridan's "equal and opposite", who explained to him the Shadows' philosophy and tried to convert him by reason or force.

Corey died due to injuries from a fall in Santa Monica, California on 16 August 2002, just six days after his 88th birthday. His last film was a little-known comedy called Ted, released in 1998 and featuring Trek guest actors Andy Dick, Lee Arenberg, and Michael Shamus Wiles. His last television appearance came on 25 November 2000, in "The Jackal", an episode of The District which also featured Michelle Forbes and Jack Donner. He was survived by his wife of 63 years and their three children.

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