Robert Z'Dar Movies and Career Information

Robert Z’Dar (born June 3, 1950) is an American actor and film producer, perhaps best known for his role as Matt Cordell in the cult horror film Maniac Cop and its two sequels. Due to his unique facial structure, he is often referred to as "The Chin". Born Robert J. Zdarsky in Chicago, Illinois, Z'Dar is of Lithuanian descent. He first started acting while attending Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois. After high school, Z’Dar attended Arizona State University where he received a BFA. After graduation, Z'Dar returned to Chicago, for a time, where he was employed as a police officer. Eventually Z’Dar made his move to Hollywood, California to pursue a career in acting. In 1984, Z’Dar appeared in his first feature film, Joe Tornatore’s Code Name Zebra, a film about a band of ex-soldiers forming an international anti-crime unit. Z’Dar has appeared in at least one film a year, including: The Night Stalker (1987), The Killing Game (1988), and Dead End City (1988) and Marching out of Time (1993) directed by Anton Vassil. Z’Dar's name became recognizable when he played Matt Cordell in 1988’s Maniac Cop, a film about a maniac in an NYPD cop uniform who brutally murders people.