John Ralston is a Canadian actor born on 1964 in Chatham, Ontario. He is most well-known for playing father figure George Venturi in the television sitcom
Life with Derek, and for the role of Mr. Avenir in Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. He pursued a diploma in jazz studies at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, and became interested in acting during his time there. He has appeared in a number of other television productions, among them PSI Factor, La Femme Nikita, Highlander: The Raven, Earth: Final Conflict,
Queer as Folk , and Mutant X. He has also acted in the movies Turn It Up, Exit Wounds, and Bar Life.
Ming is portrayed by John Ralston in the Sci-Fi Channel's modern-day remake of the classic comic series Flash Gordon. He is an evil despot and tyrant who rules the planet Mongo with an iron fist, and is the main enemy of Flash and his companions, as well as the father of Aura. Throughout the traditional history of the series, Ming has had access to a number of deadly weapons ranging from spaceships, to an army of giant robots, to death rays. He constantly pursues Flash and his friends as they fight to free Mongo from his tyranny, seeking to either enslave or destroy them all.
(Photo courtesy of SciFi)