Jack Donner

Jack Donner
“Big Didi”

 

Film audiences will recognize Jack from his appearances in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Four Christmases (starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon), Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar (starring Judi Dench and Leonardo DiCaprio) and dozens of other films and television series.

Jack began his career in 1950 on the New York stage. After relocating in his native Los Angeles, he founded the Oxford Theatre/Workshop whose alumni include Barry Levinson, Craig T. Nelson and Don Johnson. Jack’s television work from that period included the role of Romulan Sub-Commander Tal in the original Star Trek series. He took a hiatus to earn a degree in psychotherapy and returned to acting in 1991, adding another 25 features and 35 television roles to his resume. He had a recurring role in Star Trek: Enterprise and also appeared on Criminal Minds, Cold Case, The District, Frasier, Alias, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 7th Heaven, Bones, Hot in Cleveland, Ghost Whisperer and Comedy Central’s Reno 911.

”Mesmerizing” is the word most often applied to Jack’s portrayal of Big Didi in A New York Heartbeat. Director Tjardus Greidanus agrees. “I was looking for someone with a lethal presence always in reserve, yet it had to be tempered with his deep love for his niece. Jack was able to inhabit that paradox.”