Robert James Zdarsky, known professionally as Robert Z'Dar, was born on June 3, 1950, in Chicago, Illinois. His early life was marked by a passion for the performing arts, which was nurtured at Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois.
Z'Dar's educational background includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University. Prior to his acting career, he had a diverse range of occupations, including being a singer, keyboardist, and guitarist for the Chicago-based rock band Nova Express. The band opened for notable acts like Jefferson Airplane, The Who, and The Electric Prunes.
In addition to his music endeavors, Z'Dar also worked as a jingle writer for prominent advertising agencies, such as Leo Burnett and J.Walter Thompson. He also had stints as a Chicago police officer and even briefly worked as a Chippendales dancer.
Standing at 6'2" with an imposing physique, Z'Dar's screen presence was characterized by his enormous face, gigantic jaw, and massive muscles. He often portrayed menacing and intimidating villains in his film career, which spanned over three decades.
Z'Dar made his film debut in the mid-1980s and gained cult fame for his roles in the "Maniac Cop" series, where he played the relentless and seemingly indestructible undead New York City police officer Matt Cordell. Some of his other notable roles include a prison guard in "Hellhole," a serial killer in "The Night Stalker," a criminal who beats up Sylvester Stallone in "Tango and Cash," the Angel of Death in "Soultaker," a drug dealer in "The Divine Enforcer," and an abusive husband in "The Rockville Slayer."
As a frequent guest at horror film conventions, Z'Dar also produced several movies and continued to act in various features until his death from cardiac arrest on March 30, 2015, at the age of 64.
