Stephen J. Austin

Stephen Austin first realized he enjoyed entertaining others while attending San Gabriel High School, just outside of Los Angeles. He split his time between performances with the Acapella Choir and appearances in productions such as "Man of La Mancha" while remaining active in the school's athletic programs. After a tour of duty with United States Navy, a momentous event occurred. Stephen made his first visit to a comedy club. The soon-to-be World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood. A "home" was found and a stand-up comedian was born. Stephen watched and learned from some of the best up-and -coming stars of the day such as Vic Dunlop, Sam Kinison, Bob Saget and Gary Shandling. This experience led to a two-year stint with Los Angeles' premier improv troupe , the L.A. Connection. You can still catch Stephen performing stand-up and improv at clubs and events around the country. While studying theater arts at UCLA, Stephen returned to the acting arena with his portrayal of "Ray", the younger brother in a local production of "Lone Star". His performance was highlighted with such a natural sense of comedic timing that it caught the attention of a director casting her upcoming production of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite". Stephen was given the role of the over-stressed, financially-strapped "Roy", the father of the bride. Over the years, Stephen has appeared in such television shows as "Space Rangers" (a precursor of things to come), "Melrose Place", "Beverly Hills 90210", "The Pretender", and "Sliders" His film credits include "Apollo 13", "Little Rascals", "Batman & Robin", "Con Air", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", "Super Dave, The Movie". Upon completing a year's internship with L.A's.West Coast Ensemble, Stephen found himself spending more and more time on the set of a fledgling sci-fi show call "Babylon 5". Being a life-long fan of the genre, this felt like a true gift from the gods (or in this case, "The Great Maker"). After appearing in several episodes as various background characters, something wonderful happened. Donovan Brown, the actor who had portrayed the "Pak' Ma' Ra Ambassador" in the first season was moving-on to other opportunities and Stephen was asked to carry the torch. Beginning with the second season and until this day, Stephen Austin and the carrion-eating "Pak' Ma' Ra" are forever inter-linked. (If that's not a visual; I don't know what is.)