Bruce Horak

Horak was born in Calgary, Alberta. At age 18 months, he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, which caused him to lose his right eye and over 90% of the vision in his left eye. Horak's father, Karl Horak, was also visually impaired, having lost his left eye to disease.{{Cite web|url=https://www.original-cin.ca/posts/2022/6/30/interview-with-spoilers-star-treks-first-blind-characteractor-on-cancer-family-and-facing-death|title=Interview (with SPOILERS): Star Trek's First Blind Actor on Cancer, Family, and Facing Death|website=Original Cin|date=June 30, 2022}} Horak developed an interest in writing and theater in third grade, when a theater company came to his school and put on a play.

Horak attended at Mount Royal University, where he studied theater. He also trained at the Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary.

One of Horak's earliest plays was What You Can't See, in 1999, about a boy who hides his visual impairment. In 2001, he co-created The Canada Show, a comedic attempt to distill the history of Canada into a one-hour space. In 2005, he co-created the one-man show This is Cancer, described as a dark comedy. Horak also stars as Cancer in the play.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/actor-lightens-up-darkness-of-cancer-with-one-man-show/article590014/|title=Actor lightens up darkness of cancer with one-man show|website=The Globe and Mail|date=August 10, 2011}} He appeared in the role of Jake in a production of Evil Dead: The Musical in 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.straight.com/article-266034/evil-dead-musical-lacks-camp-its-source-material|title=Evil Dead: The Musical lacks the camp of its source material|website=The Georgia Straight|date=October 23, 2009}} In 2019, he co-created Goblin: Macbeth, a play which imagines goblins finding the works of Shakespeare, and attempting to act out a play without fully understanding what they are doing.{{Cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/theatre/the-magic-of-macbeth-shakespeare-company-brews-up-a-goblin-version-of-the-murderous-king|title=The magic of Macbeth: Shakespeare Company brews up a goblin version of the murderous king|website=Calgary Herald|date=March 11, 2022}}

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Horak plays Hemmer, the Aenar chief engineer aboard the Enterprise. The Aenar are a blind race in Star Trek, closely related to the Andorians, and the producers wanted a visually impaired actor to play the role of Hemmer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-bruce-horak-season-lt-hemmer-1235173020/|title='Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Actor Bruce Horak Explores Devastating Penultimate Season 1 Episode|website=Hollywood Reporter|date=June 30, 2022}} Horak, who describes himself as a Star Trek fan, eagerly auditioned for the role and won it. When Horak accepted the role, he was told Hemmer's character would have a limited run in Strange New Worlds. He appeared as Hemmer in six of the ten episodes of Season 1. He later appeared in one Season 2 episode in both a pre-recorded/flashback scene with Uhura and as an illusory Hemmer. In addition to Hemmer, Horak also played the Klingon commander General Garkog in Season 2's "Subspace Rhapsody".{{Cite magazine |last=Romano |first=Nick |date=August 3, 2023 |title='Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Hemmer actor had secret cameo in musical |url=https://ew.com/tv/star-trek-musical-bruce-horak-cameo-strange-new-worlds/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803201824/https://ew.com/tv/star-trek-musical-bruce-horak-cameo-strange-new-worlds/ |archive-date=August 3, 2023 |access-date=August 3, 2023 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}

Horak has painted hundreds of portraits, and has an aim to paint one thousand of them. In one of his plays, "Assassinating Thomson", he paints a portrait of the audience during the play.{{Cite web|url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/star-trek/bruce-horaks-other-career-painting-portraits/|title=All About 'Strange New Worlds' Star Bruce Horak's Other Career: He'll Paint a Portrait of YOU|website=heavy.com|date=November 28, 2022}} His paintings have been showcased at several Canadian galleries.

Horak has also recorded an album with Canadian artist Onalea Gilbertson under the name The Rail Birds. The album, called Intensive Care, was made available online in 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://onalea.com/therailbirds|title=The Rail Birds - Onalea}}

Horak was married to Rebecca Northan, whom he met while at Mount Royal. They did not remain married, but she has been his co-collaborator on many of his plays.

As of 2022, he resides in Stratford, Canada.

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|3894260}}
• [https://www.brucehorak.com/ Official website]

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Category:1974 births

Category:21st-century Canadian male actors

Category:21st-century Canadian painters

Category:Blind actors

Category:Blind artists

Category:Canadian actors with disabilities

Category:Canadian artists with disabilities

Category:Canadian blind people

Category:Canadian male painters

Category:Canadian male stage actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Canadian male voice actors

Category:Canadian portrait painters

Category:Living people

Category:Mount Royal University alumni