Summary
- Actors in minor roles in Star Trek often return to play iconic characters, showcasing the franchise's successful casting choices.
- René Auberjonois and Tim Russ, among others, had minor roles in Star Trek before landing their iconic roles in the franchise.
- The progression of characters like Dr. Katherine Pulaski, Quark, and Lt. Tom Paris highlights the versatility of Star Trek actors.
Several actors appeared in Star Trek as minor characters before being cast in their more iconic roles. The Star Trek franchise has a long history of making great casting choices, and some actors made such an impression that they were brought back to play multiple characters. With actors and characters as iconic as William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy's Spock, it's no surprise that Star Trek actors often became most associated with just one role. This applies to characters like Odo (René Auberjonois) and Tuvok (Tim Russ) as well, but these actors had appeared in Star Trek shows before.
Many factors contribute to Star Trek's success, including the franchise's incredible characters and the actors who play them. Even with modern Star Trek prequels like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the producers have taken great care when choosing new actors to portray iconic characters. While many Star Trek characters have now been played by two (or more) actors, just as many Trek actors have portrayed multiple characters. Here are 10 Star Trek actors who popped up in the franchise before being cast in their most iconic Trek roles.
10 Mark Lenard
Known for portraying Ambassador Sarek in Star Trek: The Original Series & Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Before taking on the role of Spock's father Ambassador Sarek, Mark Lenard appeared as an unnamed Romulan Commander in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 14, "Balance of Terror." As one of the first Romulans seen on screen, Lenard's Romulan Commander shocked Captain Kirk and his crew with his Vulcan-like appearance. Although the Romulans and the Federation had been involved in a war before the events of "Balance of Terror," they had never actually seen one another.
Mark Lenard's performance as the Romulan Commander so impressed the producers of TOS that they thought of him when casting began for Spock's father, Sarek. In TOS season 2, episode 10, "Journey to Babel," Lenard originated the character of Sarek alongside his human wife and Spock's mother, Amanda (Jane Wyatt). Lenard would go on to portray Sarek in three Star Trek films and one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Mark Lenard also appeared as a Klingon Captain in Star Trek: The Motion Picture , making him one of the few actors to portray a Romulan, a Vulcan, and a Klingon.
9 Diana Muldaur
Known for portraying Dr. Katherine Pulaski in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Diana Muldaur is most recognizable to Star Trek fans as TNG's Dr. Katherine Pulaski, but she had previously appeared as two different characters on Star Trek: The Original Series. Muldaur's first appearance came in TOS season 2, episode 20, "Return to Tomorrow," where she played Dr. Ann Mulhall, an astrobiologist serving on the USS Enterprise. In TOS season 3, episode 5, "Is There In Truth No Beauty?," Muldaur portrays Dr. Miranda Jones, a psychologist accompanying the Medusan ambassador Kollos.
After playing two doctors in two different TOS episodes, Muldaur took on the role of Dr. Katherine Pulaski for Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2. Although Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) had served as the Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise-D, McFadden had been fired before TNG's second season. With a personality similar to Dr. Leonard McCoy's (DeForest Kelley), Pulaski didn't quite gel with the rest of TNG's cast and she left the show after only one season.
8 Armin Shimerman
Known for portraying Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
With his portrayal of Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Armin Shimerman almost single-handedly changed the perception of the Ferengi in Star Trek. But Quark was not the first Ferengi Shimerman had played. Long before the character of Quark was even conceived, Shimerman appeared as Letak, one of the first Ferengi on screen in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 5, "The Last Outpost."
Armin Shimerman had an uncredited appearance as a Betazoid gift box in TNG season 1, episode 11, "Haven."
Armin Shimerman also played Ferengi DaiMon Bractor in TNG season 2, episode 21, "Peak Performance," the commander of the Ferengi ship Kreechta. The Ferengi were initially meant to be major villains on TNG, but they came across as too humorous and were difficult to take seriously. Thankfully, Shimerman got to redeem himself with his portrayal of Quark, making the Ferengi bartender a complex and fascinating character.
7 Marc Alaimo
Known for portraying Gul Dukat in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
As the Cardassian Gul Dukat on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Marc Alaimo consistently delivered a menacing, but captivating performance. Before appearing as Dukat, however, Alaimo popped up in several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation as various characters. Alaimo's first credited appearance was as the Romulan Tebok in TNG season 1, episode 26, "The Neutral Zone."
Alaimo had an uncredited appearance in TNG season 1, episode 7, "Lonely Among Us," as an Antican delegate named Badar N'D'D.
Marc Alaimo also played Gul Macet, one of the first Cardassians seen on screen in TNG season 4, episode 12, "Wounded." Alaimo's final appearance in TNG came in the two-parter "Time's Arrow," in which he played the human card shark, Frederick La Rouque. Alaimo would go on to appear as Gul Dukat in 35 episodes of DS9, making him one of Star Trek's most prominent Cardassian characters.
6 Max Grodénchik
Known for portraying Rom in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Like Armin Shimerman before him, Max Grodénchik also appeared as two different Ferengi on Star Trek: The Next Generation before taking over the role of Rom on DS9. In TNG season 3, episode 19, "Captain's Holiday," Grodénchik portrayed a Ferengi named Sovak, who followed the archeologist Vash (Jennifer Hetrick) to Risa where he had a run-in with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).
Later, in TNG season 5, episode 21, "The Perfect Mate," Grodénchik played the Ferengi Par Lenor, who tricked his way onto the Enterprise-D to acquire an empathic metamorph named Kamala (Famke Janssen). Grodénchik is, of course, most known for playing Rom, the lovable Ferengi engineer on DS9. Constantly picked on by his brother Quark, Rom eventually became the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi.
5 Robert Duncan McNeill
Known for portraying Lt. Tom Paris in Star Trek: Voyager.
Before taking on the role of Lt. Tom Paris in Star Trek: Voyager, Robert Duncan McNeill played Starfleet cadet Nicholas Locarno in TNG season 5, episode 19, "The First Duty." Part of the flight team known as Nova Squadron, Locarno and his friends, including Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton), were involved in an accident at Starfleet Academy that killed a fellow cadet.
The character of Tom Paris was largely based on Nick Locarno, but Locarno's actions in "The First Duty" made him too difficult to redeem. Initially, Voyager's producers sought a different actor to portray Tom Paris, but no one was better suited than Robert Duncan McNeill. Unlike Locarno, Paris is ultimately a good guy who has made some mistakes, and he redeems himself throughout Voyager's seven seasons.
Robert Duncan McNeill returned to voice Nicholas Locarno in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, in which the former Starfleet cadet turned full villain.
4 René Auberjonois
Known for portraying Constable Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Throughout seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, René Auberjonois' Odo became one of the show's most compelling and beloved characters. Before being cast as Deep Space Nine's security officer, René Auberjonois appeared as Colonel West in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. West was a Starfleet officer involved in the conspiracy to sabotage peace talks between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
René Auberjonois' role as Colonel West went uncredited because all of his scenes were cut from the theatrical release of the film, although his scenes are included in the 2022 Blu-ray edition. Between his search for belonging, his romance with Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor), and his contentious friendship with Quark, Odo has an incredible journey on DS9 and is beautifully brought to life by René Auberjonois.
3 Tim Russ
Known for portraying Lt. Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager.
Tim Russ may be most recognizable as Lt. Tuvok, but he has the distinction of being one of the few actors to have appeared in TNG, DS9, and a Star Trek film. Russ's first Trek appearance comes in TNG season 6, episode 18, "Starship Mine," in which he plays Devor, one of the mercenaries thwarted by Captain Picard. Russ then went on to portray a Klingon mercenary named T'Kar in DS9 season 2, episode 4, "Invasive Procedures."
Before taking on the role of Tuvok, Russ popped up in Star Trek Generations as a lieutenant aboard the USS Enterprise-B, who tries to beam aboard El-Aurian refugees. As the first Vulcan main cast member since Spock, Tim Russ had big shoes to fill, but he more than lived up to expectations, making Tuvok a fascinating and complex character. Russ returned as Tuvok in Star Trek: Picard season 3, to promote his fellow Voyager crew member Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan).
2 Todd Stashwick
Known for portraying Captain Liam Shaw in Star Trek: Picard.
As the grumpy, but lovable Captain Liam Shaw, Todd Stashwick became the breakout star of Star Trek: Picard season 3, but some fans may not know the actor had been in Star Trek before. In Star Trek: Enterprise season 4, episode 9, "Kir'Shara," Stashwick portrayed Talok, a Romulan working undercover as a Vulcan. Although Talok attempted to further the goals of the Romulan Star Empire and their desire to conquer Vulcan, his plan was ultimately thwarted by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula).
Todd Stashwick returned to Star Trek in Picard season 3, as the captain of the USS Titan. Having survived the devastating Battle of Wolf 359, Shaw did things by the book and was none too happy when Admiral Picard and Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) commandeered his ship. Despite an initially cold introduction, Captain Shaw developed into one of Picard season 3's most compelling and tragic characters.
1 Elias Toufexis
Known for portraying L'ak in Star Trek: Discovery.
In Star Trek: Discovery's fifth and final season, Elias Toufexis portrayed L'ak, the first Breen to be unmasked, but he had previously appeared in an earlier episode of the show. In Discovery season 1, episode 3, "Context is for Kings," Toufexis portrayed a human convict nicknamed Cold. Cold was being transferred alongside Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), and he pointed her out to his fellow inmates.
Discovery season 5 followed Captain Burnham and the USS Discovery as they searched for the powerful treasure of the Progenitors. Elias Toufexis appeared throughout the season as L'ak, a member of Breen royalty who ran away with a human courier named Moll (Eve Harlow). In their search for the Progenitors' technology, Moll and L'ak evaded the Federation for much of the season before Discovery eventually caught up with them. Elias Toufexis joins the list of actors who appeared in Star Trek before landing the role they would later become known for.
