John Zenda

John Zenda
{{{credit}}}
Portrays:	Sleeping Warrior at Flash Inspection (TOS) Third Cop (1980)
Date of Birth:	July 21, 1944
Date of Death:	August 3, 1994
Age at Death:	50
Nationality:
Related Media
		@ BW Media
[{{{site}}} Official Site]
IMDb profile

John Zenda, born John Louis Zendejas Sr. (July 21, 1944 – August 3, 1994), was an American actor who portrayed the unnamed Sleeping Warrior at Flash Inspection in Original Series' "Saga of a Star World" and the third cop in Galactica 1980's "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I".

Beyond his acting career, Zenda was a pioneering figure in drag racing who revolutionized track preparation methods and worked in diverse fields including law enforcement, professional wrestling, and motorsports administration.

Early life and military service

John Louis Zendejas Sr. was born on July 21, 1944, in Dunsmuir, California. He came from a diverse heritage, with maternal ancestry that included German and English roots. After dropping out of high school to work as a day laborer to help support his family, Zenda enlisted in the United States Air Force at age 18 and served for three years, including a tour of duty in the Vietnam War.

Early careers

After his military discharge, Zenda returned to Northern California and briefly worked as a police officer in Santa Maria, California, though he left the profession after approximately one year. He then joined a team of traveling professional wrestlers, becoming one of the early pioneers of the sport by performing theatrical moves wearing a cape and mask.

During the 1970s, Zendejas also worked with NHRA's Safety Safari, the organization's track safety and emergency response team. In 1973, he gave drag racing legend Shirley Muldowney a mixed-breed terrier puppy that became her beloved companion Skippy, who traveled with her to races for 18 years until the dog's death in 1991.

Drag racing innovations

Zenda transitioned to the drag racing industry, initially as a driver before becoming manager of the Santa Maria race track. During this period, he developed a groundbreaking innovation that would permanently transform the sport: Zenda began systematically spraying VHT (drag racing), a sticky liquid traction compound, on large portions of race tracks to improve tire adhesion. This technique quickly gained widespread adoption across the racing circuit and remains a fundamental practice in modern drag racing. One notable early experiment involved using a helicopter agricultural spray rig to apply VHT at Pomona Raceway for the Winternationals, though the airborne application proved problematic.

Zenda also developed a chemical spray formula for VHT to enhance the compound's effectiveness in making drag racing slicks adhere better to race tracks.

His most notable achievement came at Ontario Motor Speedway for the 1975 NHRA World Finals, an event later voted the greatest race in NHRA's 50-year history. Working for NHRA, Zendejas meticulously hand-applied VHT Track Bite traction compound the entire length of the quarter-mile, walking the track with a spraying device connected to a truck loaded with gallons of the compound. The track preparation contributed to historic performances that day, including Don Garlits' stunning 5.63-second pass that stood as the class record for nearly seven years and the sport's first 250-mph run, as well as Don Prudhomme's first sub-six-second Funny Car pass.

Acting career

Zenda's entry into acting came through his involvement in drag racing. He was cast in the 1979 film Burnout, a Crown International Pictures production about drag racing, playing a character named John. Although the film was a commercial failure, the experience convinced Zenda to pursue acting professionally.

After attending acting school in Los Angeles and obtaining an agent, Zenda began working under the abbreviated professional name "Zenda." He built a substantial television career with guest appearances on numerous series including Battlestar Galactica, Galactica 1980, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Starsky and Hutch, The Bionic Woman, and Falcon Crest.

Notable film roles

Zenda's most recognized film role came in 1983's Bad Boys, starring Sean Penn, in which he portrayed Supervisor Wagner. On set, Zenda and Penn developed a friendship that led to collaborations on subsequent projects, including the 1988 film Colors, in which Zenda played Officer Rutley. Penn even employed Zenda as his personal bodyguard for a period of time.

In the 1981 horror film Halloween II, the sequel to John Carpenter's Halloween, Zenda portrayed Marshal Terrence Gummell, a character murdered by Michael Myers. His other film credits included Backtrack (also released as Catchfire) in 1990, which proved to be his final film appearance.

Later life and career

Throughout his acting career, Zenda pursued competitive bodybuilding, participating in shows until he accumulated enough trophies to satisfy his competitive drive. He later taught acting at the Orange County High School of the Arts and directed several large-scale theatrical productions.

In the early 1990s, Zenda returned to his passion for drag racing, joining the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) as head of their newly created Historical Services division. He served as curator of the NHRA Motorsports Museum (then known as the Hot Rod Museum) in Pomona, California. Zendejas played a key role in helping NHRA founder Wally Parks' vision for the museum become reality, working alongside Steve Gibbs, Wayne Phillips, and curator Greg Sharp to establish the Historical Services Division that first opened in a small industrial unit adjacent to Auto Club Pomona Raceway.

In the mid-1990s, Zendejas expressed interest in driving the resurrected Winged Express nostalgia fuel altered race car being built by Al Marcellus to honor the late Wild Willie Borsch. NHRA Competition Director Steve Gibbs and Zendejas encouraged Marcellus to complete the project, with Zendejas intending to serve as driver. However, Zendejas' illness prevented him from fulfilling this role, and the car was later driven by Mike Boyd.

Death

Zenda was diagnosed with cancer in 1994 and died from the disease on August 3, 1994, at the age of 50. Most sources, including his IMDb biography written by his son, identify the cause as pancreatic cancer, though one source indicates lung cancer. He was buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

Personal life

Zenda was married to Alisa Zendejas from July 24, 1971, until their divorce on October 23, 1987. They had three children together. The IMDb biography was written by his son, John Louis Zendejas Jr.

External links

• John Zenda at the Internet Movie Database

• Find a Grave memorial