Nathan Jung, Star Trek’s Genghis Khan, has passed away at 74
Nathan Jung as Genghis Khan in Star Trek “The Savage Curtain”
MAY 2, 2021 - Star Trek: The Original Series guest actor Nathan Jung has died at the age of 74. According to a piece in Variety, Jung’s close personal friend and attorney, Timothy Tau confirmed Jung’s death on April 24th. No cause of death was disclosed.
The Star Trek: The Original Series episode “The Savage Curtain” was one of Jung’s first on-screen credits, as Genghis Khan. In that episode, he was teamed up with Kahless and other notorious villains from history, in an unlikely battle against Abraham Lincoln, Surak, Captain Kirk, and Mister Spock.
Although his character never spoke, Jung’s menacing presence as Genghis Khan established himself as part of Star Trek history. He was active on the convention circuit, even as recently as last December, appearing at a GalaxyCon Live event for “Guests of Star Trek”.
His appearance on Star Trek led to a number of guest-starring roles on classic television shows including M*A*S*H, Starsky & Hutch, and CHiPs. He also appeared in such well-known films as Big Trouble in Little China, Black Rain, and Beverly Hills Ninja.
Jung’s most recent on-screen appearance was in the documentary short, “Nathan Jung vs. Bruce Lee”, in which he shared his experience meeting the famed kung-fu expert while working on an episode of the 1960s TV series, Here Comes The Brides.
Nathan Jung is survived by his nephew Keith Jung. Please join me in sending condolences to Jung’s family.
Nathan Jung v. Bruce Lee from Timothy Tau on Vimeo.
Jack Brown is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. Jack teaches at a small film school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and also helps to manage his wife's career as a novelist and speaker. In his spare time he writes fiction, cooks, and watches classic movies.
