Actors who played their "Star Trek" characters in multiple series

Stanley Adams (born Abramowitz) had a lengthy career on both stage and screen, the majority of which was spent playing minor supporting roles. A possible exception was the part of Rusty Trawler, a pint sized millionaire in the classic romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Otherwise, he portrayed innumerable minor ethnic villains, bartenders and avuncular, fast-talking characters, known in the credits only by their first names. On television, conversely, he proved himself more of a scene stealer, particularly in the 1960s and early '70s, when his face popped up on just about every major prime time show. He was at his best as pool hustler Sure-shot Wilson in an episode of The Odd Couple (1970), Rollo, a quirky time-traveling scientist on The Twilight Zone (1959), and - famously - as 'asteroid detecting', tribble-dispensing galactic entrepreneur Cyrano Jones on Star Trek (1966). Alas, he may also be remembered as a sentient space carrot named Tybo on Lost in Space (1965)....

His suicide in April 1977 has been attributed to severe depression as a result of a back injury, sustained earlier in the decade. Apart from the obvious pain, it would almost certainly have limited his employment opportunities.

Born in a small village in Syria, Michael Ansara came to the United States with his American parents at the age of two, living in New England, until the family's relocation to California ten years later. He entered Los Angeles City College with the intention of becoming a doctor, but got sidetracked into the dramatics department. A stint at the Pasadena Playhouse (where fellow students included Charles Bronson, Carolyn Jones and Aaron Spelling) led to roles on stage and in films; the starring role (as Cochise) on the popular television series Broken Arrow (1956) elevated Ansara to stardom.

During the series' run, he met actress Barbara Eden on a date arranged by the 20th Century-Fox publicity department; the two later married. He played the Klingon commander Kang on three Star Trek television series: Star Trek (1966), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and Star Trek: Voyager (1995). He also played Buck Rogers' evil adversary Kane on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), and provided the voice of Mr. Freeze on Batman: The Animated Series (1992) and its spin-offs. Michael Ansara died at age 91 from complications of Alzheimer's disease in his home in Calabasas, California on July 31, 2013.

Majel Barrett (born Majel Leigh Hudec) was an American actress, known for her long association with Star Trek. She had multiple Star Trek-related roles, though she is mostly remembered for her roles as Nurse Christine Chapel in Star Trek, The Original Series (1966-1969) and as Lwaxana Troi in Star Trek, The Next Generation (1987-1994) and Deep Space Nine (1993-1999). Due to her status as the second wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (1921-1991), Barrett was nicknamed "the First Lady of Star Trek".

In 1932, Barrett was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father was police officer William Hudec (d. 1955), who was eventually killed while on duty. Barrett had aspirations of becoming an actress since childhood, and took acting classes as a child. She received her secondary education at the Shaker Heights High School, a public high school located in a suburb of Cleveland, and graduated in 1950 at the age of 18. She then enrolled at the University of Miami, a public research university located in Coral Gables, Florida.

Following her graduation from university, started a career as a theatrical actress. In 1955, she was on tour with an off-Broadway road company. She had her first film role in the satirical film "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" (1957), which parodied the advertising industry, among other targets of satire. Barrett appeared in an uncredited bit part in a satirical advertisement within the film. Barrett's first credited film role was that Joyce Goodwin, a novice teacher depicted in the high school drama film "As Young as We Are" (1958). The film focuses on a male student who falls in love with his young, female teacher, and resorts to kidnapping her.

In the early 1960s, Barrett had small roles in the romantic comedy "Love in a Goldfish Bowl" (1961) and the World War II-themed war film "The Quick and the Dead" (1963), and appeared in guest star roles in then-popular television series, such as "Leave It to Beaver", "The Lucy Show", and "Bonanza". She was often employed by the television production company Desilu Productions, which at the time was owned by veteran actress Lucille Ball (1911-1989).

One of the television shows she appeared in was an episode of "The Lieutenant" (1964). This short-lived series created and written by Gene Roddenberry provided his first meetings and workings with many of the actors who would later become regulars and guest stars of Star Trek, including its two pilots. Barrett and Roddenberry befriended each other, and eventually started a romantic relationship. Roddenberry was still married to Eileen-Anita Rexroat, but often pursued relationships with other women.

In 1964, Roddenberry was working on the original pilot for Star Trek. He cast Barrett in the role of "Number One", the unnamed first officer of the star-ship USS Enterprise. Number One was depicted as exceptionally intelligent and strictly rational, but seemingly unemotional. The episode hinted at a mutual attraction between Number One and her captain, Christopher Pike (played by Jeffrey Hunter). The alien Talosians try to force them to mate with each other, as part of a breeding project.

This pilot was rejected by NBC executives, who complained about several aspects of the episode. One of them was the characterization of Number One, who was disliked for being overly assertive. In the subsequent retooling of the series, Number One was written out. Her character traits were added to that of a male character, Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy). Spock went on to become one of the franchise's most popular characters, due in large part to his coldly rational behavior.

Still determined to cast Barrett in the series, Roddenberry later created a more traditionally feminine role for her. The role was that of Nurse Christine Chapel, depicted as the main assistant of Dr. Leonard McCoy (played by DeForest Kelley). Chapel was one of the main recurring characters in the series for three years. She was one of the earliest prominent female characters in Star Trek.

In 1969, "Star Trek" was canceled. Barrett and Rodenberry briefly parted ways. Later that year, Rodenberry was in Japan on business. He realized that he missed Barrett and invited her to join him in Japan. On August 6, 1969, the two had a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony. This wedding was unofficial, as Roddenberry's divorce had not been finalized yet. Following the end of the divorce process, the two were officially married on December 29, 1969. Barrett served as a stepmother to Dawn Roddenberry (b.1953), Gene's teenage daughter. Dawn moved into the new couple's residence, and Barrett helped in her upbringing.

Already known for her science fiction roles, Barrett was cast as female android Miss Carrie in the science fiction-Western "Westworld". Her character was the madame of the Westworld bordello. Barrett also had roles in the post-apocalyptic television film "Genesis II" (1973) and the science fiction television film "The Questor Tapes" (1974), both created and scripted by her husband.

Star Trek was revived with the sequel series "Star Trek: The Animated Series" (1973-1974), which used much of the main cast from the original series. Barrett voiced two of the series' main female characters, Christine Chapel and M'Ress. The new character M'Ress was depicted as a female alien in feline form, who served as an officer on the Enterprise. Barrett also voiced many of this series' female guest characters.

Barrett had a small role in the neo-noir film "The Domino Principle" (1977). The film depicted a secretive organization first helping a prisoner escape, and then trying to force him to serve as their newest assassin. When the escaped man refuses, a lethal struggle begins. This film was poorly received due to its convoluted plot.

Barrett's next notable role was the housekeeper Lilith in the horror film "Spectre" (1977). Her character is depicted as a practicing witch, who manages to cure the alcoholic tendencies of one of the main characters. The plot of film depicts the demon Asmodeus assuming a human form and identity, while two occult detectives attempt to stop the demon's scheme. The film was intended as the pilot of a television series, but was rejected.

Barrett played Christine Chapel again in the film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979), depicting older versions of the characters from the original series. While Chapel was not one of the film's main characters, she was now depicted as a doctor instead of a nurse.

Barrett's last appearance in the 1970s was a minor role in the Christmas television film "The Man in the Santa Claus Suit" (1979). The film depicted Santa Claus (played by Fred Astaire) subtly helping a number of adult characters in resolving their personal problems. The film is mainly remembered as Astaire's last television role.

Barrett played Christine Chapel for the last time in the film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986). She had a supporting role in the film, which depicted the former nurse as having achieved the rank of Commander. A year later, a third Star Trek television series was launched: "Star Trek: The Next Generation", which featured entirely new characters. Barrett guested in a few episodes as alien ambassador Lwaxana Troi, the eccentric mother of counselor Deanna Troi (played by Marina Sirtis). Barrett would play this role several times in this and the next Star Trek series, "Deep Space Nine", from 1987 to 1996. A subplot involving the character was that Lwaxana's other daughter had died young in an accident, causing Lwaxana to be overly protective of Deanna. Another subplot centered on her love relationship with Deep Space 9's shape-shifting security chief Odo.

In 1991, Gene Roddenberry died from natural causes. Barrett never remarried. In the 90s, she lent her voice talents to several Star Trek video games and the animated Spider Man TV series, and had roles in two theatrical movies. As Roddenberry had left behind archives with unfinished projects, Barrett further developed one of these projects into the science fiction television series "Earth: Final Conflict" (1997-2002). She served as the series' executive producer and acted as one of the main characters, Dr. Julianne Belman, in 11 episodes in the first three seasons. The premise of the series was that a group of seemingly benevolent aliens share their advanced technology with the people of Earth. Many humans suspect that the aliens have ulterior motives, and consequently form a militant resistance organization which opposes the aliens. The series lasted 5 seasons and 110 episodes.

Barrett fleshed out another of Roddenberry's unfinished projects into the space opera television series "Andromeda" (2000-2005). The series started in a distant future, where three galaxies are unified under the control of the Systems Commonwealth. When the Commonwealth attempts to resolve a war with another space-faring civilization by ceding territory to them, an uprising against the Commonwealth begins. In an early part of the conflict the spaceship "Andromeda Ascendant" is frozen in time. It emerges from stasis 303 years later, to find that the Commonwealth has collapsed and civilization has considerably declined. Main character Dylan Hunt (played by Kevin Sorbo) has the mission of restoring the Commonwealth. Like the previous Roddenberry series, "Andromeda" also lasted 5 seasons and 110 episodes. It was canceled largely due to a change of ownership of the production company Fireworks Entertainment. It was Barrett's last effort as an executive producer.

In her last years, Barrett was suffering from leukemia. She died in December 2008, at her home in Bel Air, Los Angeles. She was 76-years-old. Her funeral was held in early January 2009, with about 250 people in attendance. Several of her former co-stars from Star Trek attended the funeral. Prior to her death, Barrett had recorded a number of voice roles in several Star Trek fan films and series, resulting in some posthumous releases of her last roles. She is still remembered as a major figure of Star Trek.

Robert Adame Beltran was born in Bakersfield, California. He is the seventh of ten children, of Mexican-Native American ancestry, though Robert describes his heritage as Latindio. After finishing high school, he attended Fresno State College, where he graduated with a degree in theater arts. Beltran landed his first film role in Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit (1981) in 1981. One year later, he landed the role of Raoul in Paul Bartel's Eating Raoul (1982). Other appearances included Gaby: A True Story (1987), Nixon (1995) and another Paul Bartel film, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989) among others. In the theater, he has appeared in productions for Luis Valdez's El Teatro Campesino, the LA Theater Center, the California Shakespeare Festival and others. Robert founded and serves as co-artistic director of the East LA Classic Theater Group, with a staff of professional actors. There, he played Hamlet and served as co-producer as well as director. Robert appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream; King Henry IV; A Touch of the Poet; and The Price, among others. In 1995, he got the part of Commander Chakotay on Star Trek: Voyager (1995). At that time, he received a Nosotros Golden Eagle Award as best actor in a television series. Robert supports National Down Syndrome Society and lives in Los Angeles, California.

In his political activity, Robert Beltran has engaged over recent years in a series of classical drama workshops mainly on Shakespeare with the LaRouche Youth Movement of the Democratic Party as well as participating in several Schiller Institute conferences speaking on the subject of classical drama, most recently on his 2003 staging of Clifford Odets' 1948 play "The Big Knife".

Character actor and comedian Charlie Sanford Brill was born in Brooklyn, New York. His older brother was the piano prodigy and nightclub entertainer Marty Brill. Charlie made his screen debut in 1958. He met his future wife, the actress Mitzi McCall, the following year at a Paramount comedy workshop. They married in 1960. Together, they went touring the U.S. in a comic act. On television, they had a regular segment as a feuding couple on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) and appeared as celebrity contestants on the game show Tattletales (1974). In addition to many TV guest spots and voice-over work in animation (including several Hanna-Barbera productions), Charlie also enjoyed a lengthy stint as Captain Harry Lipschitz in the CBS crime drama Silk Stalkings (1991), his wife Frannie being played by his real life spouse. However, Charlie will most likely be best remembered for playing the devious Arne Darvin (he got the audition for the part courtesy of Leonard Nimoy), a Klingon saboteur masquerading as a human in the classic Star Trek (1966) episode The Trouble with Tribbles. He reprised the Darvin character three decades later for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) homage episode Trials and Tribble-ations.

Happily retired since 2015, he declared in a recent interview "I smoke cigars, I drink coffee and I hang out with a bunch of guys who drink coffee and smoke cigars."

LeVar Burton was born on 16 February 1957 in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He is an actor and director, known for Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). He has been married to Stephanie Cozart Burton since 3 October 1992. They have one child.

In 2019 Billy Campbell won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor for his role in the CTV/HULU television series "Cardinal" for the second year in a row, as well as being nominated for a 2018 International Emmy Award for Best Actor in a series. He is also known for his work as a co-lead in the critically acclaimed AMC series "The Killing", the Lifetime MOW "Lizzie Borden Took an Ax," DirecTV's Neil LaBute drama, "Full Circle," as well as the title role in Nat Geo Channel's "Killing Lincoln", which garnered record-breaking ratings. Other feature film credits include Disney's "The Rocketeer," "Ghost Town" opposite Ricky Gervias, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" directed by Francis Ford Coppola and the male lead in "Enough" opposite Jennifer Lopez.

Billy Campbell is best known for starring in the beloved ABC drama "Once and Again," for which he earned a Golden Globe Awards nomination in the Best Actor - Drama Series category, as well as a People's Choice Award in the Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series category.

Among his stage credits, Campbell starred in "A Winter's Tale" at The Old Globe, San Diego in 2014, as well as "Fortinbras," for which he received a 1996 Ovation Award for best actor in LA theatre, along with "Comedy of Errors" and "Much Ado about Nothing" at the Old Globe, San Diego.

William Campbell was born on 30 October 1923 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for The High and the Mighty (1954), Star Trek (1966) and Escape from Fort Bravo (1953). He was married to Tereza Pavlovic, Barbara Bricker and Judith Campbell Exner. He died on 28 April 2011 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.

Roger C. Carmel, who was born September 27, 1932, was named after his grandfather, Roger Charles, who carved the horses for the carousel in New York's Central Park. He became an actor and won television immortality by appearing as Harry Mudd in two classic Star Trek (1966) episodes, "I, Mudd" and "Mudd's Women" (Carmel was one of the few guest actors on Star Trek (1966) to appear in more than one episode as the same character).

After appearing on stage, Carmel began working steadily on television in the early 1960s as a character actor, appearing on both dramas ("Route 66") and situation-comedies (The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961). In 1967, he was cast as the husband of Kaye Ballard's character on NBC's Desi Arnaz Productions' sitcom The Mothers-In-Law (1967), Desi Arnazs first production since I Love Lucy (1951). NBC was disappointed by the mediocre ratings of The Mothers-In-Law (1967), and almost canceled it. It picked the show up for a second season after rival network ABC expressed interest in the show, but NBC informed Arnaz that they would not give any additional money for the show. Traditionally, salaries are increased when a TV show is picked up for a new season, and all the actors' contracts specifically called for raises in the event of renewal. Arnaz, who was also producer, director, and writer, called together the cast and crew and told them that although the series had been renewed, there was no money for salary increases.

According to Carmel's own recollection, Arnaz was already drawing down multiple salaries on the program, and would shortly cast himself as a supporting character in the series, thus drawing another salary, although Carmel didn't know that at the time. Arnaz elicited a promise from the creative people, the crew and the actors to forgo salary increases to keep the show on the air. All the actors agreed but one. Carmel told Arnaz he would quit unless he received a raise, as per his contract. In a contemporaneous account of the incident, Carmel said, "Desi called me and put it on a personal basis. I didn't feel it should be done that way - it was very unfair of him. Then Desi and the Morris Agency threatened I would be replaced. Kaye Ballard and Eve Arden also called me and asked me to go along, but I wouldn't."

Arnaz's response to Carmel's ultimatum was dismissive. "Where else is he going to make two thousand dollars a week?", the producer asked rhetorically. If Arnaz's Desilu production company gave in to Carmel, it would be faced with giving all the cast members a raise, which was financially unviable with the money on offer from NBC. Arnaz was forced to terminate Carmel, who was replaced by Richard Deacon for the second season. The show had poor ratings and was canceled following its second season.

After leaving "The Mothers-in-Law", Carmel's acting career suffered. Other than his Harry Mudd appearances, Carmel's most memorable gig on TV was as the very campy guest villain Colonel Gumm on Batman (1966) in 1967. He made regular appearances on the syndicated quiz TV show "Stump The Stars" from 1968-70. Carmel even reprised his most famous role, that of Harry Mudd, in an episode of the animated version of "Star Trek" (1973-75), an indicator of the direction of his future career. However, during the 1970s, he could not secure another regular role as an ongoing character on a TV series, though he continued to appear regularly on sitcoms, mostly in ethnic roles, including appearances on "All In The Family", "Chico and The Man", and "Three's Company". He also appeared in B-movie bombs, including the Jerry Lewis flop "Hardly Working" (1981).

At the dawn of the new decade of the 1980s, Carmel finally got another opportunity for the first time in a dozen years, when he was cast as a regular on the network program Fitz and Bones (1981). An hour-long drama starring the TV comedy-musical duo The Smothers Brothers as investigative reporters, the show was a ratings failure, lasting only one month. After this monumental flop ("Fitz and Bones" was the lowest-rated series for the entire 1981-82 season), character parts dried up and Carmel was reduced to doing voice-over work for children's cartoons, including "The Transformers".

Carmel's last triumph as an actor was in commercials. He was a huge hit in advertising playing Senor Naugles, a faux-Mexican Colonel Sanders clone, for the West Coast region Mexican fast food chain Naugles. The commercials were a success and the chain began expanding rapidly. However, both the renewed success of Carmel and the fresh success of the chain were, sadly, to prove short-lived.

According to acquaintances, Carmel suffered chest pains on the night he died and called a cab to take him to the hospital. When the cab showed up at his Hollywood high-rise but Carmel did not come down to get it, the doorman sent the cab away, never inquiring why he failed to appear. Carmel was found dead on the floor of his apartment the next morning, November 11, 1986. While there were rumors that he committed suicide (he was rumored to be a recreational drug user), the official cause of death was listed as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle in which the organ becomes enlarged. The condition leads to congestive heart failure. Carmel was only 54 years old. He was interred in Glendale, New York.

After Carmel's death, Naugles failed to come up with another successful ad campaign, and eventually, its financial fortunes changed. It was eventually acquired by rival, Del Taco.

Rosalind Chao is best known for M*A*S*H, The Joy Luck Club (1993), Star Trek, What Dreams May Come, and most recently The Laundromat (2019), and Plus One (2019). She was born and raised in Orange County, California where her parents ran a Chinese restaurant and pancake house. Rosalind first began appearing in commercials and television after having been spotted as a small child at her family restaurant. She had also trained and appeared on stage from an early age in the Peking Opera and Chinese dance. She continues to act in the theater, most recently starring in 2018 the National Theatre of Great Britain in a new play The Great Wave. She has been married to Simon Templeman since 1989. They have two children.

Shannon was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Her work spans film, television, stages large and small, commercials, audio books and directing and teaching. She has a long standing relationship with Steppenwolf Theatre and Chicago. She has had extensive theatre work in the US and Europe, including the world premieres of A Doll's House: Part 2, Bug, Man From Nebraska and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. She received an Obie Award for Bug, as well as Joseph Jefferson Awards for Pal Joey, at the Goodman and Dance of Death at Writers Theatre.

John Colicos was born on 10 December 1928 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for The Changeling (1980), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) and Battlestar Galactica (1978). He was married to Mona McHenry. He died on 6 March 2000 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Eugene Cordero was born in Detroit, Michigan. He is an actor and writer, known for Loki (2021), Kong: Skull Island (2017) and Tacoma FD (2019). He has been married to Tricia McAlpin since 18 June 2011. They have two children.

Ronny Cox is a superbly talented actor, singer-songwriter, and musician who has been consistently active in Hollywood for more than 40 years portraying a diverse range of characters. Born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, Cox received positive reviews for his first film role, his portrayal of ill-fated businessman Drew Ballinger in the terrifying backwoods thriller Deliverance (1972), with Cox featuring in the entertaining "Duelling Banjos" sequence of the film. Following this promising start, Cox regularly guest-starred in numerous television series before scoring the lead in the short-lived family drama Apple's Way (1974) and grabbing the critics' attention again with an excellent performance in the Emmy-nominated TV movie A Case of Rape (1974).

Interestingly, Cox was often at his best playing rigorous authority figures, usually in law enforcement or military roles, including as a detective in the TV movie Who Is the Black Dahlia? (1975), alongside Charlton Heston in the submarine drama Gray Lady Down (1978), as a Los Angeles detective pursuing cop killers in The Onion Field (1979), and alongside then-rising stars Tom Cruise and Sean Penn in the powerful Taps (1981). The 1980s was a high-profile decade for Cox, with strong supporting roles in several blockbusters playing strong-willed figures on both sides of the law. Cox starred alongside box office sensation Eddie Murphy in the mega-hit Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and its sequel, Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), as well as portraying sinister company executives in the futuristic sci-fi action films RoboCop (1987) and Total Recall (1990).

Throughout the 1990s, Cox was again prolific, appearing in many television series, feature films, and high-caliber TV movies. He took control of the USS Enterprise for two episodes as Captain Edward Jellico in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), and contributed entertaining performances in Murder at 1600 (1997), Early Edition (1996), Forces of Nature (1999), and the chilling tale Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder (2000). Cox has continued to remain busy with more recent performances in Stargate SG-1 (1997), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), and the highly popular Desperate Housewives (2004). However, when he's not in front of the cameras, Cox can be found touring and demonstrating his musical talents at various music festivals and theater shows and, to date, he has released ten albums (four of them live performances)-an eclectic mixture of jazz, folk, and western tunes.

Born in Los Angeles but raised in Manhattan and educated at Middlebury College and Carnegie-Mellon University, James Cromwell is the son of film director John Cromwell and actress Kay Johnson. He studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon, and went into the theatre (like his parents) doing everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays. He started appearing on television in 1974, gaining some notice in a recurring role as Archie Bunker's friend Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family (1971), made his film debut in 1976, and goes back to the stage periodically. Some of his more noted film roles have been in Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and the surprise classic about a charming pig, Babe (1995). He garnered some of the best reviews of his career (many of which said he should have received an Oscar) for his role as a corrupt, conniving police captain in L.A. Confidential (1997).

This Arkansas native was born on 26 November 1945 to parents who owned a movie theater. He often felt that his desire to become an actor came from the fact that he spent so much time in the theater's "crying room" for babies - and listening to the likes of Tyrone Power and others. His first "professional" work came at the age of 11 when he became a member of the cast of a children's TV series broadcast from Little Rock - "Betty's Little Rascals". His formal acting training came from the Arkansas Arts Center (a fine arts conservatory with its own repertory company), followed by work with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and 6 years with the American Conservatory Theatre, among many others. He also taught acting classes while at ACT. His love of the theater has continued through his career. He has played in nearly every Shakespeare play and an untold number of musicals (he's an accomplished singer) and straight plays. For the year 2000 Tony Awards, he was recognized with a nomination as best actor in a featured role for his performance in "Wrong Mountain". When The Nanny (1993) first went on the air, many people believed that the very British butler "Niles" was definitely being played by a British actor. This Southern boy was so convincing in his role that many fans wrote to the show and suggested that he teach Charles Shaughnessy (a true British native) how to improve his accent!

John de Lancie was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Kent State University where he won a scholarship to Juilliard. John's father was a professional oboist with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. de Lancie is probably best known for his portrayal as Eugene Bradford on Days of Our Lives (1965) and the iconic, all-powerful Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).

Jonathan Del Arco was born in Uruguay from where he relocated with his family at the age of ten to Port Chester, New York, US. He is an actor and activist, best known for his roles of Hugh in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Picard (2020) and Dr. Morales in The Closer (2005) and Major Crimes (2012). In 1976 his family relocated from Uruguay to Port Chester, New York, US. He became interested in acting as a teenager and moved to New York City after graduating high school. His first acting job was in a touring company of Torch Song Trilogy and his screen debut was an episode of Miami Vice (1984). In 1990 Del Arco relocated to Los Angeles, appearing in both TV shows and theatre productions across California. In 1992 he first appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation as the Borg drone Hugh, a role to which he later returned several times. Between 2007 and 2018 he played his longest-running role of the medical examiner Doctor Morales on The Closer and its spin-off Major Crimes. In addition to acting, he is an activist, partaking in political, environmental, and LGBT+ rights campaigns. He's married to Kyle Fritz.

Elizabeth Dennehy, originally from New York, is a classically trained actress living in Los Angeles. The proud daughter of actor Brian Dennehy and mother of actor Jack Lancaster, Elizabeth is probably best known for playing Lieutenant Commander Shelby on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Elizabeth is a Shakespeare geek, who loves to travel, sing, teach, and support young artists.

Best known as Scotty in Star Trek he was educated at High School in Sarnia, Ontario, where he acted in school productions.

When WWII began he joined the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery eventually obtaining the rank of Captain. He was wounded on D-Day, suffering severe damage to his right middle finger which was removed ahead of first knuckle, then became a flying observer for the rest of the war. His daring aerial maneuvers flying in an observation plane got him known as the craziest pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Once the war ended, he found himself on many other adventures although none of them would come anywhere close to what he experienced before.

He would become a popular voice actor who participated in thousands of CBC programs spread across both radio and television.

Later on, during the mid-1960's, he would develop into the Star Trek great we now know as Montgomery Scott, "Scotty".

In 1946 he won a 2 year scholarship to the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City and from there went to teach for three years.

In 1953 he returned to Canada and lived in Toronto for 8 years acting on radio, television and some films before moving to Hollywood where he also appeared in a number of popular television series such as the Canadian version of The Howdy Doody Show, Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, R.C.M.P., Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, Hazel, The Gallant Men, Bonanza, The Richard Boone Show, The Outer Limits, Ben Casey, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Fugitive, Laredo, Bewitched, The Virginian, The Man from Uncle, The F.B.I., Peyton Place, Daniel Boone, Marcus Welby M.D., Fantasy Island, Magnum P.I., Danger Bay and The Bold and The Beautiful, while in between he made a return to the stage for various plays.

James Doohan departed the scene at the age of 85 on 20 July 2005.

Many current-day engineers credit Scotty with being their childhood inspiration and in honour of his memory a portion of Doohan's ashes were sprinkled in space by the rocket SpaceLoft XL.

Michael Dorn is an American actor from Texas. He is best known for playing Worf in the "Star Trek" franchise, the first Klingon character to be part of a television series' main cast. Dorn played the character regularly from 1987 to 2002, appearing in four films and 272 television episodes. Dorn has had more episode appearances than any other actor in the franchise's main cast.

In 1952, Dorn was born in Luling, Texas. Luling was a small city, established as a railroad town in 1874. It used to be visited by cattle drivers on the Chisholm Trail. In the 1950 census, the city had a population of about 4,300 people. Dorn's parents were Fentress Dorn, Jr. and his wife Allie Lee Nauls. Relatively little is known about his family background.

The Dorn family eventually moved to California. Dorn was primarily raised in Pasadena, a city located 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. He eventually attended Pasadena City College, a community college located in Pasadena. He studied radio and television production, though he had not planned on becoming an actor.

Following his graduation, Dorn initially pursued a career as a rock musician. He served as a member of several California-based music bands, though fame eluded him. In 1976, Dorn made his film debut in the sports film "Rocky". He had an uncredited role as the bodyguard of boxer Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers).

Dorn had his next film role in the science fiction-horror film "Demon Seed" (1977), which depicted the forced impregnation of a woman by a sentient computer. He had a small television role in the short-lived soap opera "W.E.B. " (1978), which depicted the behind-the-scenes activities of the personnel of a television network.

Dorn came to the attention of a television producer, who learned that the novice actor had no formal training. The producer helped introduce Dorn to a talent agent, who arranged for some acting lessons for Dorn. Dorn was trained for six months by the acting coach Charles Erich Conrad (1925 - 2009).

Dorn received his first regular television role when cast as officer Jebediah Turner in the crime drama series "CHiPs". The series depicted the activities of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). He was a series regular from 1979 to 1982. For most of the 1980s, Dorn played bit parts and one-shot characters in various television series.

In 1985, Dorn had a small part in the neo-noir thriller "Jagged Edge". The film depicts an affair between defense lawyer Teddy Barnes (played by Glenn Close) and a client who is accused of murdering his wife. Barnes is increasingly convinced that her lover is manipulating her. The film was a modest box office hit, and received decent reviews.

Dorn received his big break as an actor when cast as Worf in the science fiction television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994). It was the third television series in the "Star Trek" franchise and featured an entirely new cast of characters. Klingons had traditionally been portrayed as a warrior race with an antagonistic relationship with the United Federation of Planets. Worf was depicted as an orphaned Klingon who was raised by human adoptive parents. He had chosen to follow a career in the Federation's Starfeet, and his upbringing resulted in him having unique cultural traits. Worf turned out to be one of the series' most popular characters.

In 1991, Dorn appeared in the film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" which depicted the cast of the original Star Trek series. Dorn played the role of a namesake ancestor of Worf, who was employed as a defense lawyer. He next played Worf himself in the film "Star Trek Generations" (1994), which featured the cast of the third series. The film was successful and was followed by three sequels. Dorn played Worf in three subsequent films: "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996), "Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998), and "Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002).

In 1995, Dorn (as Worf) was added to the main cast of the television series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999), the fourth "Star Trek" television series. The addition to the cast was part of an effort to boost the series' ratings. The series introduced a romantic relationship between Worf and chief science officer Jadzia Dax (played by Terry Farrell). The two characters were married in the series' 6th season, though the marriage ended with Jadzia's death in the season finale. The series was canceled in 1999, ending Dorn's regular appearances in "Star Trek" television series.

During the 1990s, Dorn started regularly working as a voice actor in animated television series. Among his notable voice roles in this period were the cyborg gargoyle Coldstone in the urban fantasy series "Gargoyles" (1994-1997), Gorgon the Inhuman in the superhero series "Fantastic Four" (1994-1996), and both the villainous god Kalibak and the superhero Steel/John Henry Irons in the superhero series "Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000). He also received the eponymous role of I.M. Weasel in the comedy series "I Am Weasel" (1997-2000). The series focused on a rivalry between the successful and popular character Weaser and his envious frenemy I.R. Baboon (played by Charlie Adler), who constantly tries to upstage him.

In the 2000s, Dorm continued working regularly as a voice actor, though he often played one-shot characters. Among his prominent roles in superhero series of this period were the super-villain Kraven the Hunter/Sergei Kravinoff in "Spider-Man: The New Animated Series" (2003) and villainous ghost Fright Knight in "Danny Phantom" (2004-2007). and the super-villain Bane in "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" (2008-2011).

In a 2010 interview, Dorn mentioned that he had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. While receiving treatment, he decided to switch to a vegan diet.

In 2011, Dorn was cast as the villainous god Lord Darkar in Nickelodeon's dub of the popular Italian animation series "Winx Club". Darkar was a major villain in the series 2nd season but was eventually killed. Whether his death was permanent is questionable because he had the form of a phoenix.

From 2011 to 2015, Dorn had the regular role of Dr. Carver Burke in the police procedural series "Castle (2009-2016). Burke is depicted as the psychiatrist treating female lead Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) for post-traumatic stress disorder. She eventually confides in him about other psychological problems which she is facing.

In 2011, Dorn had another prominent role in a superhero series when he voiced Ronan, the Accuser, in the final season of "The Super Hero Squad Show" (2009-2011). Ronan is a prominent Marvel character, typically serving as an officer of the Kree Empire, a militaristic space empire. His role as a hero or a villain depends on the Empire's plan in any given story-line.

From 2015 to 2016, Dorn played the alien Captain Mozar in the superhero series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " (2012-2017). Mozar is a humanoid Triceratops leading an alien invasion fleet to Earth. The character was a regular antagonist of the Turtles, portrayed as a brutal military commander.

From 2016 to 2017, Dorn voiced the super-villain Prometheus/Adrian Chase in the live-action series "Arrow" (2012-2020). The series portrayed the adventures of the superhero Green Arrow/Oliver Queen, and Prometheus holds Queen responsible for his father's death and seeks revenge.

In 2017, Dorn voiced Fortress Maximus, an Autobot Titan, in the animated web series "Transformers: Titans Return". The series featured characters from the "Generation 1" version of the "Transformers" franchise. Fortress Maximus was introduced in the 1980s. Dorn replaced the three previous voice actors of the character, Stephen Keener, Kunihiko Yasui, and Ikuya Sawaki.

From 2017 to 2018, Dorn voiced Atrocitus in the superhero series "Justice League Action" (2016-2018). Atrocitus is a prominent DC super-villain, typically depicted as the leader of the Red Lantern Corps. In the original comics, Atrocitus is a character mainly motivated by revenge. His wife and daughters were murdered before his eyes, and since then, Atrocitus has sought revenge against those responsible for the tragedy.

From 2017 to 2019, Dorn voiced the recurring character Bupu, the sable antelope, in the coming-of-age series "The Lion Guard" (2016-2019). The series was a spin-off of the film "The Lion King" (1994) and featured the adventures of Simba's son Kion. Bupu is depicted as the leader of a herd of antelopes and too proud and stubborn to follow orders from others.

By 2021, Dorn is 68-years-old and continues to add new roles to his resume.

Shannon Fill was born on 13 June 1971 in Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Murder, She Wrote (1984) and Walker, Texas Ranger (1993).

Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo is an American actress who has appeared on television and in independent films. Forbes first gained attention for her dual role in daytime soap opera Guiding Light (1952), for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. She is also a Saturn Award winner with three nominations.

Forbes is known for her recurring appearances on genre and drama shows such as Ensign Ro Laren in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and her regular role as medical examiner Julianna Cox on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) during the 1990s, while building her career with recurring roles throughout the 2000s in Battlestar Galactica (2004), 24 (2001), In Treatment (2008), Durham County (2007), Prison Break (2005) and her series regular role as Maryann Forrester on True Blood (2008). She has appeared in significant roles in movies such as Escape from L.A. (1996), Kalifornia (1993), Swimming with Sharks (1994) and Columbus (2017).

She starred in the 2011-2012 AMC television series The Killing (2011), for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. On June 18, 2019 it was announced that Forbes would join USA Network's action drama series Treadstone (2019), a prequel/sequel to the Bourne franchise.

Jonathan Scott Frakes was born in Bellefonte, central Pennsylvania. He is the son of Doris J. (Yingling) and Dr. James R. Frakes, a professor. His parents moved with Jonathan and his younger brother Daniel to Bethlehem in eastern Pennsylvania. There, his father taught English at Lehigh University, where he held the Fairchild chair in American Literature until his passing in 2002. Frakes is of German, and some English, ancestry.

While growing up Jonathan was introduced to jazz by his father and started playing the trombone when he was in fourth grade. As a child Jonathan was always friendly, funny and somewhat of an actor according to a childhood friend. In high school he played in the band and ran track. He graduated from Liberty High in Bethlehem in 1970. The day after he graduated he started classes at Pennsylvania State University, enrolling as a psychology major. The next summer he worked as an usher for the local theater and observed his peers thoroughly enjoying acting. He was motivated to switch his major to theater arts and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1974.

At this point he decided to move to New York City and try to make it as an actor. The roles did not come easily so he had to take side jobs, such as a waiter, a furniture mover (where he injured up his back), and a stint as Captain America for Marvel Comics. Meanwhile he won roles in the Broadway musical "Shenandoah" and on the soap opera The Doctors (1969) as Vietnam veteran Tom Carroll from 1977 to 1978. At his agent's urging Jonathan moved to Los Angeles in late 1978 to try his hand at television guest appearances. He guest-starred on several of the big prime-time shows of the time, including Charlie's Angels (1976), Fantasy Island (1977), Barnaby Jones (1973), Quincy, M.E. (1976), Highway to Heaven (1984), The Waltons (1972), and The Dukes of Hazzard (1979).

During the 1980s Jonathan landed a starring role in a prime-time soap opera, Bare Essence (1983), which had spun off a successful miniseries of the same name. However the show did not take off with the viewers and was soon canceled. He went back to guest appearances for two more years until he got the part of Stanley Hazard in the Civil War epic North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985). After spending more than six months filming all over the southern United States, he and his co-star, Genie Francis, fell in love (he had met her three years before when they co-starred in Bare Essence (1983)). During that time he and Genie didn't have much to do with each other, other than his making fun of her hair, according to her. However three years later they were an item.

In early 1987 Jonathan went to an audition for a new television series at the urging of his soon-to-be wife and her family. After six weeks, and seven auditions, he won the role that would bring him worldwide fame: that of Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). It was at this time, he and Genie announced their engagement. They would have to postpone their wedding twice because of his job but were finally married in the first-season hiatus on May 28, 1988. All of his new co-stars attended the wedding, along with Star Trek (1966) creator Gene Roddenberry. During the seven years Frakes starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), he not only acted but discovered that he had a talent for directing. He helmed eight episodes in all and was invited to direct on the Next Generation spin-offs, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and Star Trek: Voyager (1995).

The day after his 42nd birthday, on August 20, his son, Jameson Ivor Frakes, was born. Jameson is named after both his grandfathers, the late James Frakes and the late actor Ivor Francis, Genie's father. During this time Jonathan actually turned down work, preferring to stay at home and raise his son with his wife. For the next two years he did a few guest appearances on television.

In 1996 it was announced that he was to be the director of the next Star Trek film, Star Trek: First Contact (1996). He received critical praise for his work on the film and it became the highest-grossing entry of the franchise to date. He formed a production company, Goepp Circle Productions, named after the street he lived on in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Just two days after his ninth wedding anniversary in 1997, Elizabeth Francis Frakes was born. Sadly just two weeks prior Jonathan's brother, Daniel, passed away from pancreatic cancer. In 1998 he was asked to direct the ninth Star Trek film, Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). Following mixed reviews for this film he continued to direct in movies and television, act in a few non-Star Trek roles, and starred in the tenth Star Trek film, Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

Born in Manhattan Beach, California, Gibney moved to Webster, New York at a young age. She graduated from Buffalo State College in New York with a major in theater and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama. Living in New York after school, she appeared in several off-Broadway productions. After working in Los Angeles for three years, Gibney returned to New York to refresh her theatre roots. She landed a permanent place in Hollywood in 1996.