---
name: "Robert Ellenstein"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/robert-ellenstein"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 June 1923"
died: "28 October 2010"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T21:17:00.637131+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Robert Ellenstein

Actor. Born 18 June 1923 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Died 28 October 2010.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 June 1923, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- **Died:** 28 October 2010
- **Also known as:** Bob Ellenstein

## Biography

Robert Ellenstein (also credited as Bob Ellenstein) was an American actor. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Meyer C. Ellenstein, who served as mayor of the city from 1933 to 1941. Ellenstein served in the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and was awarded a Purple Heart.

He graduated with a degree in theatre from the University of Iowa and began his career in regional theatre before moving into film and television. His screen debut came in 1954 with *Rogue Cop*. He appeared as Licht in Alfred Hitchcock's *North by Northwest* (1959) and later played the Federation Council President in *Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home* (1986) and Steven Miller in an episode of *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987).

Ellenstein was active in live television during its golden age and guest-starred in numerous series including *Perry Mason*, *Get Smart*, *Columbo*, *Murder, She Wrote* and *ER*. He was a founding member of Theatre West, co-founder and artistic director of the Los Angeles Repertory Company, and the first artistic director of the Company of Angels. He also taught theatre for over fifty years.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, latimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *North by Northwest* (1959), Fi1m 89, as Licht — [page](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md)

## Also known for

- *Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home* (1986), Federation Council President
- *Brewster's Millions* (1985), Mr. Carter
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), Mr. P
- *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), Saul Greenberg
- *Get Smart* (1965), Alex
- *3:10 to Yuma* (1957), Ernie Collins
- *The Bionic Woman* (1976)
- *V* (1984), Gen. Maxwell Larson

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/robert-ellenstein