Matthew Ansara

Matthew Michael Ansara Born on the 29th of August 1965, was a budding american actor and bodybuilding enthusiast and the only child of movie stars, Michael Ansara and Barbara Eden. Born and bred in Los Angeles California the young Matthew attended different schools while growing up such as the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Valley College.

Contents

• BARBARA EDEN and son MATTHEW attend play 1999
• Infographic
• Facts
• Family Details
• Mother Barbara Eden
• Father Michael Ansara
• Spouse Julie Ansara Julie Karolyn Hoefer
• Fianc Leanna Green
• Cause Reason of Death
• Funeral and Resting Place
• Filmography
• References

During the period of frequent school changes, he got involved in drug usage and was always in and out of rehab during his formative years. At the age of 29, he was diagnosed with depression and later went sober in 2000 after making his battle with drug addiction public.

Following the footsteps of his illustrious parents, he made his first stage appearance at the age of just 2 with his mom on the Mike Douglas show. Thirteen years later, he made his onscreen debut at the age of 15 in the episode “To dunk or not to dunk” of his mum’s (Barbara Eden) television series Harper Valley PTA. At age of 24, he featured once again in one of her films (Your Mother Wears Combat Boots). He also landed roles in various motion pictures including a 2001 comedy film, One World (1998), To protect and Serve (2001) and Con Games (released after his demise).

Matthew was also an amateur bodybuilder for a while and amassed quite a number of fan following before his death. Already a rising star at the age of 35, he was married once to Julie Ansara whom he later divorced and was later engaged to Leanna Green. An actor in his own right and a successful bodybuilder already on his way to superstardom, Matthew died on June 25, 2001, in Monrovia California due to heroin-related overdose.Ansara was found dead in his pickup truck outside a gas station in suburban Los Angeles, the result of a heroin overdose. He was 35 years old.

 His death was just one of several high profile figures who succumbed to drug addiction during the early 2000’ and brought to the fore a national debate regarding drug addiction and it’s high mortality rate especially among young adults.

He was divorced in 1995 after a two-year marriage with Julie Ansara. At the time of his death, he was engaged to be married to Leanna Green in just 6 weeks.

Infographic

Facts

Family Details

Mother Barbara Eden 

Born on the 23rd of August,  in Tucson Arizona, Barbara Eden is an American singer and actress who had a long and successful career spanning over 50 years. She is the mother of Matthew by her first husband Michael Ansara. Barbara is best known for her starring role in the family sitcom “I dream of Jeannie” in which she played the starring role of Jeannie. The daughter of Alice Mary Franklin and Hubert Morehead, she moved to San Francisco with her mother after her parents divorced. For years her true age was unknown due to an age fabrication. Originally a choir singer, the young Barbara started appearing on stage at night clubs as a soloist where she earned $10 a night for her performance. When she turned 16 she joined the Actor’s Equity and also studied singing at the Conservatory of Music in San Francisco. She also studied acting at the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre. A graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School and the City College of San Francisco, Barbara was elected Miss San Francisco in 1951 and also competed for the first Miss California crown.

Barbara met Michael Ansara on a blind date in October 1957 and three months later they got married in 1958. The marriage produced only one child (Matthew) and the couple stayed married for 16 years until the marriage crashed in 1974. While they were married, they both worked on television productions including voyages to the bottom of the Sea (1961). After her marriage ended with Michael, Barbara remarried again when she tied the knot with Charles Fegert in 1977. Her second marriage lasted for 3 years before they got divorced in 1982. The star actress will remain unmarried for another nine years until 1991 when she married Real Estate businessman John Eicholtz. Some of her famous films include Flaming Star (1960) and  A Private's Affair.

Awards

Active since 1955, she earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 17, 1988, for her contribution to Television. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law degree by the University of West Los Angeles in 1990

After the death of her son Matthew, she suffered an emotional breakdown which she brought to light in her memoir Jeannie Out of the bottle released on April 5, 2011. Matthew was her only child.

Father Michael Ansara 

Mathew as a child with his family

Michael Ansara was a notable American actor of Lebanese descent. He was born on the 15th of April 1922 in the French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon. At the tender age of 2, he moved to the US with his parents and remained there for almost nine decades until his death. Michael George Ansara was born in a small village in Syria Lebanon. After relocating to the US with his parents, his family lived in Lowell Massachusetts for ten years before moving to California. Michael initially wanted to be a physician but at some point, he started developing a passion for acting after taking acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse to overcome shyness. He attended the Los Angeles City College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. During World War 2 he served as a medic in the US army.

Known for his larger than life persona he starred in several movies and voice-over roles such as his role as Cochise in the television series Broken Arrow, Klingon commander Kang in Star Trek, and the voice-over role of Mr. Freeze in Batman. Michael Ansara was married three times. First was his marriage to Jean Byron in 1955 which ended one year later. Two years later he married Matthew's mother (Barbara Eden) and the union lasted until 1974. He later married Beverly Kushida in 1974 who remained until his death on July 31, 2013, in Calabasas California. Matthew was his only son from his second marriage. He was a Greek Orthodox Christian.

Awards

Active from 1944 until his retirement in 2001, Michael George Ansara won several prestigious awards of note during his active years such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Western Heritage Award, Saturn Award.

Death

Michael Ansara died on the 31st of July 2013 at the age of 91 twelve years after the death of his son. He succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease complications at his home in Calabasas. He was laid to rest next to his son at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills Los Angeles.

Spouse Julie Ansara (Julie Karolyn Hoefer)

Fiancé Leanna Green

Cause / Reason of Death