Dr. Zaius is a fictional character from the Planet of the Apes franchise, first appearing in Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel Planet of the Apes (La Planète des singes). He appears in the first two films of the franchise, where he is portrayed by Maurice Evans, in the television series, where he is played by Booth Colman, and in the animated series, where he is voiced by Richard Blackburn. Dr. Zaius serves as the primary antagonist of the original film. He is an orangutan politician and member of the Ape National Assembly, as well as Minister of Science and Chief Defender of the Faith. He is aware of the true origins of the ape society, and the reason why humanity fell as the dominant species, but does not wish the other apes to learn of this fact.