Robert Trebor, actor and author, has passed away at the age of 71, departing this world on March 11, 2025. Trebor was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012, but survived the disease until his death of sepsis in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California at the Los Angeles Medical Center, a 600 bed teaching hospital. He has already been interred, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary.
Robert Trebor was born Robert Alan Schenkman June 7, 1953, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He developed an interest in theater at age thirteen, performing in local theater groups and taking acting classes. Trebor came to international fame playing the lovable rogue Salmoneus, in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its sister show, Xena: Warrior Princess.
He chose Robert Trebor as a stage name because he thought it would be amuzing to have a palindrome as a name. He began as a theater major at Northwestern University. Like many creatives, his talents were not confined to just one field. As a young actor, he worked as a film and theater critic, writing reviews of shows he wasn’t in. This writing practice came in useful years later when he wrote a hilarious political satire book, The Haircut Who Would Be King: A Political Fable.
The non-fantasy role for which Trebor received the most acclaim was as the Son of Sam Killer in Out of the Darkness (1985).
SF, Fantasy, and Horror Roles
- Harried Man in Taxi in The Shadow (1984)
- Reporter in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
- Xharles in My Demon Lover (1987)
- Waylin in Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994)
- Tuxedo salesman in Making Mr. Right (1987)
- Guest star, Tales from the Crypt
- Motel owner in Universal Soldier (1992)
- Salmoneus in Hercules the Legendary Journeys (22 episodes) and Xena: Warrior Princess (4 episodes)
- Schwarz in one episode of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones (1999)
- Marty Walker in The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
Director and Producer
Like many actors, Trebor tried his hand at directing and producing. In 1996, Trebor directed an episode of HerculesL The Legendary Journeys.
It was Trebor who produced the 2016 movie Hail, Caesar!
Trebor is survived by his wife, Deirdre Hennings, to whom we offer our condolences.
Susan Macdonald is the author of the children's book "R is for Renaissance Faire", as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in "Alternative Truths", "Swords and Sorceress #30", Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, "Cat Tails" "Under Western Stars", and "Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid". Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio's web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions, Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows. Her nonfiction book THEY ENDURED will be published by B Cubed Press in 2025 or 2026.
Trebor often played frightening characters, but then again, those characters were sometimes also funny.
He will be missed.