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Scott Hale Reiniger, who was born in White Plains, turns 68 on Monday.
Reiniger, an actor, was born Sept. 5, 1948. In 2004, it was revealed Reiniger is the "Prince of Ghor," a province in western Afghanistan. Reiniger's great-great-great-grandfather, Josiah Harlan, was the first American to set foot in Afghanistan. Harlan was granted sovereignty over the province in perpetuity, for himself and his descendants, by Refee Beg, in exchange for military support. The Hazara had been raided by Uzbek warlords, particularly Murad Beg, and were nominal vassals of the Emperor of Afghanistan.
The Emir Dost Mohammad Khan sent Josiah Harlan with an armed group to collect tribute from the Hazara. The Hazara leaders, of whom the most prominent was Refee Beg, offered to send tribute if Harlan would unite them in the struggle against the raiding Uzbek warlords. The agreement made included Harlan being made hereditary paramount ruler and advocate. The British, who arrived later, negotiated with the Emperor for Harlan's departure and loss of temporal power. In his later life, Harlan continued advocating for the Hazara. Reiniger has expressed mild interest in the title and suggests passing it to his younger brother Harlan Reiniger, a historian and PBS documentary producer. But in general, he considers the title an anecdote and curiosity of no real world importance.
Reiniger made a cameo appearance in the 2004 version of "Dawn of the Dead," directed by Zack Snyder. He currently teaches at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood. Reiniger continues attending horror movie conventions around the world.
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