Robert Trebor, the actor who played Salmoneus in both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, has died.
His wife, Deirdre Hennings, told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died of sepsis on March 11 in the Los Angeles Medical Center. He was 71.
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Trebor had been diagnosed with leukemia in 2012 and had a stem-cell transplant the following year, his wife added. According to an online obituary, he suffered from side effects from the transplant.
Trebor is best remembered for his portrayal of Salmoneus, a shrewd but kindhearted merchant. He first took on the role in the 1994 syndicated telefilm Hercules and the Lost Kingdom and later on the syndicated action series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which starred Kevin Sorbo as the demigod son of Zeus. Trebor appeared in all five seasons of the show, which ran from 1995 through 1999, and also appeared as the character B.S. Hollingsfoffer in two episodes of the show’s later seasons, per his IMDb profile. He reprised the role of Salmoneus in the Hercules companion series Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless.
“The arc for Salmoneus is to try to be a good person, but his essential mercantile instincts kept interfering with that,” the actor said in a 2001 interview with The Voyageur. “I never saw him as a thief. Autolycus [played by Bruce Campbell] was the thief. I never saw him as a con man either, although I could understand why other people could. He was just a very enthusiastic guy who didn’t read the fine print and needed to make a living when he wasn’t a farmer or fighter. He lived by his glib tongue.”
Trebor, who also directed an installment of Hercules in 1997, became “so popular” in his role as Salmoneus that he became an Action Figure and appeared at fan conventions (Cons) in the U.S., England and Europe, his obituary noted.
Born Robert Alan Schenkman in Philadelphia on June 7, 1953, Trebor began his appearing in in plays written by Shel Silverstein at the Ensemble Studio Theatre before he made his onscreen debut in 1980’s Gorp. His breakout role came in 1985 when he starred as Son of Sam in the TV movie Out of the Darkness, which also starred Martin Sheen and Héctor Elizondo. His other credits include Jiminy Glick in Lalawood, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicle, Tales from the Crypt, Miami Vice, Baywatch, Night Court, and the Coen brothers’ 2016 film Hail Caesar!, which marked his final acting credit.
Trebor, who was named one of the first Artists-in-Residence at The Braid in Los Angele and also wrote two books, is survived by Hennings, his wife of 43 years.
