Robert Trebor, Hercules and Xena Actor, Dead at 71

I, a follower of pop culture, sadly report my own sadness at the passing of Robert Trebor, renowned for his roles on the beloved series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and its sister show, “Xena: Warrior Princess.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, Trebor, 71, succumbed to sepsis on March 11th at Los Angeles Medical Center. His wife, Deirdre Hennings, shared that he was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012 and underwent a stem-cell transplant the following year. Trebor’s charismatic character, Salmoneus, graced both “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess.” Additionally, Trebor portrayed the Son of Sam serial killer in the CBS made-for-TV film “Out of the Darkness.

David Berkowitz, infamously known as “The Son of Sam,” was a notorious serial killer active in New York during the 1970s. Martin Sheen portrayed detective Ed Zigo, who assisted in capturing Berkowitz. In an interview from 2003, Trebor referred to playing Son of Sam as both mentally and physically exhausting. During the day, Trebor embodied Son of Sam, while at night he was performing in a Broadway play titled “The Crate Those“. This led to grueling 18-hour workdays for him.

Trebor’s resume features films such as John Frankenheimer’s “52 Pickup” (1986), Susan Seidelman’s “Making Mr. Right” (1987), Oliver Stone’s “Talk Radio” (1988), and the Coen brothers’ “Hail, Caesar” (2016). In the latter, Trebor portrayed a movie producer, marking his final onscreen performance.

Fans of popular culture may recall Robert Trebor for his portrayal of Salmoneus in the TV shows “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess”. He initially played this character in the 1994 TV movie “Hercules and the Lost Kingdom”, followed by starring in 20 episodes of the series, which ran from 1995 to 1999. Later, Trebor reprised his role as Salmoneus in four episodes of “Xena” between 1996 and 1999.

In 2001, Trebor explained to the fansite of The Voyageur that Salmoneus’ goal was to be a virtuous individual, but his underlying commercial nature often got in the way. He didn’t view him as a thief; instead, he saw Autolycus (portrayed by Bruce Campbell) as the thief. Although Salmoneus could come off as a swindler to others, Trebor believed that he wasn’t intentionally deceitful. Instead, he was an overly optimistic man who lacked attention to detail and had to find ways to earn a living when he wasn’t farming or fighting. He made his living through his quick wit.

As I hail from Philadelphia, born on the 7th of June, 1953, under the name Robert Alan Schenkman, I found it prudent to adopt a stage moniker that wouldn’t get me mixed up with my fellow Philadelphian and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Robert Schenkkan. To ensure clarity, I chose a palindrome as my stage name.

I’m contributing to “The Braid” and also supporting the Leukemia Research Foundation, all in memory of the remarkable Robert Trebor. We’re setting up a scholarship fund in his honor.

Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

2025-04-04 22:39

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