Mike Connors — born Krekor Ohanian to Armenian immigrant parents in Fresno, California — was an American actor best known for playing detective Joe Mannix in the hit TV series Mannix, which ran for eight seasons and made him one of the most recognized faces on American television.
Mike Connors was born Krekor Ohanian on August 15, 1925, in Fresno, California, to Armenian immigrant parents. His parents had emigrated from Armenia — part of the Armenian immigrant community that settled in the San Joaquin Valley in the early 20th century. He grew up in Fresno, attended UCLA, and began his acting career in the early 1950s, initially using the stage name "Touch Connors" before settling on Mike Connors.
Connors worked steadily in films and television through the 1950s and 1960s before landing the role that would define his career: Joe Mannix, a tough, independent Los Angeles private detective in the CBS series Mannix. The show ran from 1967 to 1975 — eight seasons, 194 episodes — and was one of the most popular and long-running detective series in television history. Connors received multiple Emmy Award nominations for his performance.
Mike Connors — born Krekor Ohanian — grew up in Fresno, California, which was and remains home to one of the largest Armenian communities in the United States. The San Joaquin Valley's Armenian community was built by immigrant families who came to California in the early 20th century, many of them fleeing the massacres and Genocide of 1915. Connors was proud of his Armenian heritage and maintained connections to the Armenian community throughout his life.
After Mannix ended in 1975, Connors continued to work in television movies and series, though nothing matched the cultural impact of Mannix. He was a familiar face in Hollywood for decades and was recognized by the Armenian community as one of their own — an Armenian immigrant's son who made it to the top of American television. He died on January 26, 2017, in Tarzana, California, at age 91.
Mike Connors was Fresno's Armenian American TV legend. Discover more of the Armenian community.
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