star trek cast 1990

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation , often abbreviated to TNG , is the second live-action Star Trek television series, and the first set in the 24th century . Like its predecessors, it was created by Gene Roddenberry . Produced at Paramount Pictures , it aired in first-run syndication , by Paramount Television in the US, from September 1987 to May 1994 . The series was set in the 24th century and featured the voyages of the starship USS Enterprise -D under Captain Jean-Luc Picard .

The series led to four spin-offs set in the same time period: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which it ran alongside during its final two seasons, Star Trek: Voyager , Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard . It is also the beginning of a contiguous period of time during which there was always at least one Star Trek series in production, ending with Star Trek: Enterprise in 2005 .

• 2.1 Starring
• 2.2 Also starring
• 3.1 Season 1
• 3.2 Season 2
• 3.3 Season 3
• 3.4 Season 4
• 3.5 Season 5
• 3.6 Season 6
• 3.7 Season 7
• 4.1 Remastering
• 5.1 Performers
• 5.2 Stunt performers
• 5.3 Production staff
• 5.4 Companies
• 6 Related topics
• 8 External links

Summary [ ]

Star Trek: The Next Generation moved the universe forward roughly a century past the days of James T. Kirk and Spock . The series depicted a new age in which the Klingons were allies of the Federation , though the Romulans remained adversaries. New threats included the Ferengi (although they were later used more for comic relief), the Cardassians , and the Borg . While Star Trek: The Original Series was clearly made in the 1960s, the first two seasons of The Next Generation show all the markings of a 1980s product, complete with Spandex uniforms .

As with the original Star Trek , TNG was still very much about exploration, "boldly going where no one has gone before". Similarly, the plots captured the adventures of the crew of a starship, namely the USS Enterprise -D . Despite the apparent similarities with the original series, the creators of TNG were adamant about creating a bold, independent vision of the future. The public did not widely accept the show on its own terms until the airing of " The Best of Both Worlds ", which marked a shift towards higher drama, serious plot lines, and a less episodic nature. This helped pave the way for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and its two-year-long Dominion War arc and preceding build-up, as well as the third and fourth seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise . Star Trek: Voyager capitalized on the heightened crew relationships and familial bonds first seen on The Next Generation. DS9, on the other hand, balanced political intrigue, character development, and series-long plot threads with a rerun-friendly format.

As with the original Star Trek , TNG's special effects utilized miniatures, but due to great advancements in computerized effects and opticals, the show leaped ahead of its predecessor in terms of quality effects. This series marked the greatest surge in Star Trek 's mainstream popularity, and paved the way for the later televised Trek shows.

Four of the Star Trek motion pictures continued the adventures of the TNG cast after the end of the series in 1994. Star Trek Generations served to "pass the torch" from The Original Series cast, who had been the subject of the first six motion pictures, by including crossover appearances from William Shatner , James Doohan , and Walter Koenig ; it also featured the destruction of the USS Enterprise -D. Star Trek: First Contact , released two years later , was the first of the motion pictures to solely feature the TNG cast, transferred aboard the new USS Enterprise -E and engaging with one of their deadliest enemies from the television series, the Borg. Star Trek: Insurrection followed in 1998 , continuing certain character arcs from the series. In 2002 , Star Trek Nemesis brought some of these character arcs and plot threads to a seemingly definite conclusion, although some cast members expressed hope that future movies would yet pick up the story. Regardless, a new generation of actors appeared in 2009 's Star Trek , which created an alternate reality and returned the films' focus to Kirk and Spock .

On television, characters from TNG appeared in subsequent series. Recurring TNG character Miles O'Brien became a series regular on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , as did Worf in DS9's fourth season . Jean-Luc Picard appeared in Deep Space Nine 's pilot episode , and supporting characters from TNG appeared occasionally on DS9 (specifically, Keiko O'Brien , Lursa , B'Etor , Molly O'Brien , Vash , Q , Lwaxana Troi , Alynna Nechayev , Gowron , Thomas Riker , Toral , and Alexander Rozhenko ). Reginald Barclay and Deanna Troi appeared several times each on Star Trek: Voyager , and Troi and William T. Riker appeared in the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise , which was primarily a holographic simulation set during the TNG episode " The Pegasus ". However, Star Trek Nemesis was the final chronological appearance of the Next Generation characters for over 18 years, until Star Trek: Picard , which focused on the later life of Jean-Luc Picard. Riker, Troi, Data , and Hugh also appeared in Picard .

In 1994 , Star Trek: The Next Generation was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. During its seven-year run, it was nominated for 58 Emmy Awards, mostly in "technical" categories such as visual effects and makeup; it won 18.

Main cast [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. j.g. / Lt. / Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar ( 1987 - 1988 )
• Michael Dorn as Lt. j.g. / Lt. Worf
• Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher ( 1987 - 1988 ; 1989 - 1994 )
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
• Wil Wheaton as Ensign Wesley Crusher ( 1987 - 1990 )

Episode list [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

TNG Season 1 , 25 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

TNG Season 2 , 22 episodes:

Season 3 [ ]

TNG Season 3 , 26 episodes:

Season 4 [ ]

TNG Season 4 , 26 episodes:

Season 5 [ ]

TNG Season 5 , 26 episodes:

Season 6 [ ]

TNG Season 6 , 26 episodes:

Season 7 [ ]

TNG Season 7 , 25 episodes:

Behind the scenes [ ]

Star Trek: The Next Generation was originally pitched to the then-fledgling Fox Network . However, they couldn't guarantee an initial order greater than thirteen episodes, not enough to make the enormous start-up costs of the series worth the expense. It was then decided to sell the series to the first-run syndication market. The show's syndicated launch was overseen by Paramount Television president Mel Harris , a pioneer in the syndicated television market. Many of the stations that carried The Next Generation had also run The Original Series for a long time.

According to issues of Star Trek: The Official Fan Club Magazine from early 1987, TNG was originally planned to be set in the 25th century, 150 years after the original series, and the Enterprise would have been the Enterprise NCC-1701-G. Gene Roddenberry ultimately changed the timeline to mid-24th century, set on board the Enterprise NCC-1701-D, as an Enterprise -G would have been the eighth starship to bear the name and that was too many for the relatively short time period that was to have passed.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was billed initially as being set 78 years after the days of the original USS Enterprise . [1] (p. 16) However, after the series' first season was established as being set in the year 2364 , this reference became obsolete as dates were then able to be set for the original series and the four previous films. When this happened, it was established that the events of the original series were about a hundred years before the events of TNG. With TNG's first season being set in 2364, 78 years prior would have been 2286 . Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home partly takes place during this year along with the shakedown cruise of the USS Enterprise -A .

On the special The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation To The Next , Gene Roddenberry commented, " On the original Star Trek , I practically lost my family from working so many twelve-hour days, fourteen-hour days, seven days a week, and I told them, 'You can't pay me enough to do that.' But then they said, 'Hey, but suppose we do it in a way in which' they call syndication, 'in which we don't have a network and we don't have all those people up there?' And Paramount was saying to me, 'And we guarantee that you will be in charge of the show.' "

Andrew Probert was first hired by Roddenberry in 1978 . However, not until 1986 , when Roddenberry was preparing to launch a new show, entitled Star Trek: The Next Generation , did he call upon Probert to take a lead design role. Everything had to be rethought, imagined, planned and redesigned. As the vision evolved in the designers' minds, the evolution was charted in successive sketches and paintings.

Among Probert's creations, in addition to the new Enterprise starship and many of its interiors including the main bridge , are many other featured spacecraft. The Ferengi cruiser , and even the Ferengi species, are Probert designs.

Roddenberry originally insisted on doing a one-hour pilot and assigned D.C. Fontana to write the episode, first titled Meeting at Farpoint . However, the studio was keen on having a two-hour pilot, mainly because they wanted something big and spectacular to launch the series, especially considering first-run syndication. Roddenberry himself volunteered to extend Fontana's script to two hours, eventually adding the Q storyline to it.

Ronald D. Moore commented, " Gene did not want conflict between the regular characters on TNG. This began to hamstring the series and led to many, many problems. To put it bluntly, this wasn't a very good idea. But rather than jettison it completely, we tried to remain true to the spirit of a better future where the conflicts between our characters did not show them to be petty or selfish or simply an extension of 20th century mores. " ( AOL chat , 1997 ) Rick Berman explained, " The problem with Star Trek: The Next Generation is Gene created a group of characters that he purposely chose not to allow conflict between. Starfleet officers cannot be in conflict, thus its murderous to write these shows because there is no good drama without conflict, and the conflict has to come from outside the group. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 8)

Roddenberry tried to recruit many production staff members from The Original Series to work on the new series. These included producers Robert H. Justman and Edward K. Milkis , writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold (who served as the main creative force behind the formation of the series), costume designer William Ware Theiss , assistant director Charles Washburn , composer Fred Steiner , set decorator John M. Dwyer , and writer John D.F. Black . Roddenberry also tried to bring back cinematographer Jerry Finnerman , but he declined the offer, being busy working on Moonlighting at the time. However, all of the above people finished working on the series after or during the first season.

Unit Production Manager David Livingston was responsible for hiring Michael Westmore for the pilot episode. ( ENT Season 3 Blu-ray , " Impulse " audio commentary )

Remastering [ ]

After several months of speculation and partial confirmation, StarTrek.com announced on 28 September 2011 (the 24th anniversary of the series premiere) that The Next Generation would be remastered in 1080p high-definition for release on Blu-ray Disc and eventual syndication, starting in 2012 . The seventh and final season was released on Blu-ray in December 2014 .

Cast and crew [ ]

The following people worked on The Next Generation ; it is unknown during which season or on which episodes.

Performers [ ]

• Antonio – background actor
• Charles Bazaldua – voice actor
• Terrence Beasor – voice actor (17 episodes, including the voice of the Borg )
• Libby Bideau – featured actress
• Brian Ciari – background actor: Cardassian ( TNG Season 6 or 7 )
• Amber Connally – background actress: child
• Phil Crowley – voice actor
• Vincent DeMaio – background actor: Enterprise -D operations division officer
• David Dewitt – background actor
• Gregory Fletcher – background actor Borg
• Dan Horton – background actor
• Carlyle King – voice actress
• Mark Laing – featured actor
• Daryl F. Mallett – background actor
• Tina Morlock – background actress
• Jean Marie Novak – background actress: Enterprise -D operations division officer
• Rick H. Olavarria – background actor (1988)
• Jennifer Ott – background actress: Enterprise -D command division officer
• Richard Penn – voice actor
• Judie Pimitera – background actress: Ten Forward waitress
• Paige Pollack – voice actress
• Jeff Rector – background actor: Enterprise -D command division officer
• Gary Schwartz – voice actor/ADR voice
• Beth Scott – background actress
• Steve Sekely – background actor
• Andrea Silver – background actress: Enterprise -D sciences division officer
• Oliver Theess – recurring background actor (around 1990)
• Richard Walker – background actor
• Harry Williams, Jr. – background actor
• Bruce Winant – supporting actor
• Stephen Woodworth – background actor

Stunt performers [ ]

• Laura Albert – stunts
• John Lendale Bennett – stunts
• Richard L. Blackwell – stunts
• John Cade – stunts
• Chuck Courtney – Assistant Stunt Coordinator
• Terry James – stunts
• Gary Jensen – Assistant Stunt Coordinator
• Lane Leavitt – stunts
• Pat Romano – stunts

Production staff [ ]

• Joseph Andolino – Additional Composer
• David Atherton – Makeup Artist
• Gregory Benford – Scientific Consultant
• Steven R. Bernstein – Additional Music Composer/Orchestrator
• Les Bernstien – Motion Control Operator
• R. Christopher Biggs – Special Makeup Effects Artist
• Howard Block – Second Unit Director of Photography
• Stephen Buchsbaum – Colorist: Unitel Video (Four Seasons)
• Alan Chudnow – Assistant Editor
• Marty Church – Foley Mixer
• Scott Cochran – Scoring Mixer: Advertising Music
• Robert Cole – Special Effects Artist
• Sharon Davis – Graphics Assistant
• David Dittmar – Prosthetic Makeup Artist
• Dragon Dronet – Prop Maker: Weapons, Specialty Props and Miniatures
• Jim Dultz – Assistant Art Director
• Shannon Dunn – Extras Casting: Cenex Casting
• Chris W. Fallin – Motion Control Operator
• Edward J. Franklin – Special Effects Artist
• Lisa Gizara – Assistant to Gates McFadden
• John Goodwin – Makeup Artist
• Simon Holden – Digital Compositor (between 1989 and 1994)
• Kent Allen Jones – Sculptor: Bob Jean Productions
• Michael R. Jones – Makeup Artist (early 1990s)
• Jason Kaufman – Prop and Model Maker: Greg Jein, Inc.
• Nina Kent – Makeup Artist
• David Kervinen – Visual Effects Illustrator: Composite Image Systems (4 Seasons)
• Andy Krieger – Extras Casting: Central Casting
• Tim Landry – Visual Effects Artist
• Lisa Logan – Cutter/Fitter
• Jon Macht – Post Production Vendor
• Gray Marshall – Motion Control Camera Operator: Image "G"
• Karl J. Martin – Digital Compositor
• Belinda Merritt – VFX Accountant: The Post Group
• John Palmer – Special Effects Coordinator: WonderWorks Inc.
• Frank Popovich – Mold and Prop Assistant
• Molly Rennie
• Chris Schnitzer – Motion Control Technician/Rigger: Image "G"
• Steven J. Scott – Digital Compositor
• Bruce Sears – DGA Trainee
• Casey Simpson – Gaffer
• Ken Stranahan – Visual Effects Artist
• Rick Stratton – Makeup Artist
• Greg Stuhl – Miniatures: Greg Jein, Inc.
• Tim Tommasino – Assistant Editor
• Peter Webb – Digital Compositor
• Gregory A. Weimerskirch – Assistant Art Director
• Bill Witthans – Dolly Grip

Companies [ ]

• Bob Jean Productions
• Movie Movers
• Newkirk Special Effects
• WonderWorks Inc.

Related topics [ ]

• TNG directors
• TNG performers
• TNG recurring characters
• TNG studio models
• TNG writers
• Character crossover appearances
• Undeveloped TNG episodes
• Star Trek: The Next Generation novels
• Star Trek: The Next Generation comics, volume 1 (DC)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation comics, volume 2 (DC)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation comics (IDW)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation soundtracks
• Star Trek: The Next Generation on VHS
• Star Trek: The Next Generation on Betamax
• Star Trek: The Next Generation on LaserDisc
• Star Trek: The Next Generation on DVD
• Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-ray
• Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball machine

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: The Next Generation at Wikipedia
• Star Trek: The Next Generation at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: The Next Generation at the Internet Movie Database
• Star Trek: The Next Generation at StarTrek.com
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' 36 years later

• "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ("TNG") aired from 1987 to 1994.
• It was the first live-action "Star Trek" show since the original series ended in 1969.
• The cast will reunite for the final season of "Star Trek: Picard," which premieres February 16.

The captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, was played by Sir Patrick Stewart for all seven seasons.

Stewart got his start as a theater actor and was a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1966 to 1982. He then had various roles on British TV series until he was cast as the newest captain of the USS Enterprise in 1987 for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," kicking off decades of debates on who the superior captain is .

Arguably, "TNG" would never have been as successful as it was without the grounding presence of Stewart and his Shakespearean sensibilities. Some of the best episodes and arcs in "Trek" history come down to Stewart's performance, such as the iconic Locutus storyline and its aftermath in "Family," or classic episodes like "The Measure of a Man" and "The Inner Light."

He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in 1995. He won a Grammy in 1996 for best spoken word album for children for his reading of "Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf."

Stewart, 82, will conclude Picard's story in 2023 after three seasons of "Star Trek: Picard" on Paramount+.

By the time "TNG" wrapped up in 1994, Stewart had already  solidified his place in the hearts of nerds everywhere. He'd go on to star in four more "Trek" movies — "Generations" in 1994, "First Contact" in 1996, "Insurrection" in 1998, and "Nemesis" in 2002 — but that wasn't his last iconic role.

In 2000, he starred as the iconic Professor Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, in "X-Men." He reprised the role in 2003's "X2," 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," 2013's "The Wolverine," 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and 2017's "Logan" — the latter of which got him some Oscar buzz . He reprised the role in 2022's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for services to drama.

He's played various other roles throughout his decades-long career, returned to the stage many times, and secured a Tony nomination in 2008 for his performance in "Macbeth." But Picard wasn't done with him yet.

In 2018, it was announced that Stewart would be returning to the role of Jean-Luc Picard for a series on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) following the former captain 30 years after the events of "Nemesis." "Star Trek: Picard" premiered in 2020. The third and final season will premiere on February 16.

Commander William T. Riker, Picard's right-hand man and first officer, was played by Jonathan Frakes.

Riker was more of the classic "Trek" rogue, similar in some ways to William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk, namely, his penchant for getting into trouble and getting women across the galaxy to fall in love with him. But he was also a trusted colleague and friend to Picard across seven seasons and four movies. Picking up Riker from Farpoint Station is actually one of the crew's first missions in the pilot.

Before "TNG," Frakes had appeared in various episodes of '70s and '80s shows like "Charlie's Angels," "The Twilight Zone," "Hill Street Blues," and more. But he quickly became best known for "Trek."

Like Shatner and Leonard Nimoy before him, Frakes also became interested in directing, and he was behind the camera for eight episodes of "TNG," as well as episodes of spin-offs "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager." He also directed films "First Contact" and "Insurrection."

Frakes, 70, has appeared in "Picard" and "Lower Decks." He's also a successful director.

Soon after "TNG" wrapped up, Frakes began hosting the series "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?" from 1998 to 2002. A compilation clip of him saying things are false/fiction has since become a meme .

Frakes reprised his role as Riker in episodes of "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" in the '90s, the series finale of "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005, two episodes of "Star Trek: Picard" in 2020, and three episodes of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" in 2020 and 2021.

Over the last two decades, he's directed over 70 episodes of television, including shows like "Roswell," "Castle," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "The Librarians," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Seth MacFarlane's loving "Trek" homage "The Orville," and, of course, the new "Trek" shows like "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Picard."

Like the rest of the original "TNG" crew, Frakes has joined the cast of "Picard" for season three.

Marina Sirtis played Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor and an empath.

In some ways, Troi was like the exact opposite of Spock, a character from the original "Trek" who operated solely from a place of logic. Instead, Troi was a half-human, half-betazoid, which made her an empath (able to telepathically sense people's feelings and emotions). Her place on the ship was to counsel the captain and other members of the crew.

Notably, Troi and Riker were in a relationship before the events of the show, and they eventually get married during the movie "Nemesis," before moving to the USS Titan, where Riker would finally become captain.

Her mother, Lwaxana Troi, was a beloved "Trek" side character played by Majel Barrett, "Trek" creator Gene Rodenberry's wife and "Original Series" cast member. Barrett also played Christine Chapel.

Before "TNG," Sirtis had appeared in bit parts in films and was mainly doing theater in her native UK.

Sirtis, 67, reprised the role for one episode of "Picard" with her on-screen husband, Riker.

Sirtis appeared in all four "TNG" films," and she also reprised her role as Troi in "Voyager," "Enterprise," "Picard," and "Lower Decks." She also appeared in an episode of "The Orville."

She's steadily worked in TV over the last two decades, appearing in shows like "Without a Trace," "Make It or Break It," "Grey's Anatomy," "NCIS," and "Scandal."

Sirtis has also had a steady voice-acting career, lending her voice to "Gargoyles," "Adventure Time," and perhaps most famously, as Queen Bee in "Young Justice."

Sirtis will don her Starfleet uniform yet again in 2023 for the final season of "Picard."

LeVar Burton played the engineering genius Geordi La Forge.

Besides Stewart, Burton was easily the most well-known member of the cast. Ten years prior, he had played Kunta Kinte in the 1977 ABC miniseries "Roots," which was nominated for 37 Emmy Awards, winning nine, including a nomination for Burton . The series finale is still the second most-watched series finale of all time, garnering at least 110 million viewers. He reprised the role in the 1988 TV film "Roots: The Gift."

When he was cast as La Forge, the chief engineering officer who happened to be blind — a big step forward in disability representation at the time — Burton had already been hosting "Reading Rainbow" on PBS since 1983. "Reading Rainbow," which Burton produced, won a Peabody Award and 12 Daytime Emmys.

From 1990 to 1996, Burton also voiced Kwame on "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" for over 100 episodes. In 1999, he directed the Disney Channel Original Movie classic "Smart House."

Burton, 66, was recently at the center of a campaign to take over as the new host of "Jeopardy!"

Like the rest of the main cast, Burton appeared in "TNG's" four feature films . He also appeared as La Forge in an episode of "Voyager."

He will reprise his role for the first time on TV since 1998 during the third and final season of "Picard" — and he'll be joined by his daughter, Mica Burton, who will play La Forge's daughter Alandra, an ensign in Starfleet.

Burton has had a successful career in Hollywood since, appearing as Martin Luther King Jr. in 2001's "Ali," playing himself in iconic appearances on both "Community" and "The Big Bang Theory," and hosting "Reading Rainbow" until its end in 2006.

Like Frakes, Burton is also a successful TV director. He's directed numerous episodes of "Star Trek" and its spin-offs, as well as episodes of "Charmed," "JAG," and "NCIS: New Orleans." He made his movie directorial debut in 2008 with "Reach for Me," starring Seymour Cassel.

After the death of Alex Trebek in 2020 , fans began campaigning for Burton to take over as the new host of "Jeopardy!" Almost 300,000 fans have signed a petition to that effect. However, after a brief stint as guest host, Burton said he wouldn't be interested in taking over as the permanent host.

In October 2021, he was named next year's grand marshal of the Rose Bowl Parade.

Gates McFadden played the chief medical officer Dr. Beverly Crusher for six seasons — she was replaced briefly in season two.

Dr. Crusher was introduced as the chief medical officer of the Enterprise with a long relationship with Picard — her late husband, Jack, and Picard were close friends, and Picard even brought back Jack's body after death.

However, as the show progressed, Dr. Crusher and Picard's relationship evolved into love and they even got married (and divorced) in an alternate timeline. We want to see Beverly in "Picard," please — and it seems like we're finally getting our wish.

After the first season, McFadden was written out of the show due to issues with head writer Maurice Hurley and replaced with Diana Muldaur, who played Dr. Katherine Pulaski. Muldaur's character did not gel with the rest of the cast, and McFadden was subsequently brought back for season three (and Hurley was ultimately replaced with Michael Piller).

Before "TNG," McFadden was a choreographer and a puppeteer involved with the Jim Henson Company, in addition to her career as an actress . She appeared in and choreographed 1984's "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and choreographed "Labyrinth" in 1986 . McFadden directed an episode of "TNG" in 1994.

McFadden, 73, has appeared in episodes of shows like "Franklin & Bash," "NCIS," and "The Practice."

McFadden appeared in all four "TNG" films , though she didn't have a huge role in them, considering how her relationship with Picard was left in the series finale. She even joked during a screening of the season three premiere of "Picard" that she didn't remember being in the films.

Hopefully, their bond will be addressed in season three of "Picard," which McFadden will return for, especially since season two of "Picard" seems very concerned with the lack of love in his life.

Since the end of the films in 2002, McFadden has mainly appeared on TV. She was in four episodes of "Franklin & Bash," an episode of "NCIS," and a TV movie called "A Neighbor's Deception." She was also in a 2009 holiday rom-com called "Make the Yuletide Gay."

Michael Dorn played Worf, the first Klingon in "Trek" history to be a main character.

Worf was the first Klingon to be a main character in "Star Trek" — in three of the original films, Klingons were, if not the main antagonists, one of the secondary foes.

By the events of "TNG," Dorn's character Worf had enlisted in Star Fleet and slowly became one of the series' best and most beloved characters, as well as the chief security officer. He went on to star on "Deep Space Nine" for four seasons, from 1995 to 1999.

Before the show, Dorn had appeared in shows such as "CHiPS," "Knots Landing," and "Days of Our Lives."

Dorn, 70, has been in more episodes of "Star Trek" than any other actor. He'll add to his lead by appearing in "Picard."

Overall, Dorn played Worf for 277 episodes and four films, making more appearances than any other actor in "Trek" history. The character was so popular that there were even talks to continue his story in his own show, called "Star Trek: Captain Worf" in 2012, though they never came to fruition.

He'll continue his reign, as Dorn was announced with the rest of the cast of "TNG" to be returning to "Trek" in season three of "Picard."

Besides acting in "Star Trek," Dorn also directed three episodes of "Deep Space Nine," as well as an episode of "Enterprise."

Like many of his co-stars, Dorn has had a successful voice-acting career . He used his voice in "Dinosaurs," "Superman: The Animated Series," "I Am Weasel," "Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time," "Regular Show," and "Arrow," among others. Most recently, he voiced Battle Beast in "Invincible."

Dorn appeared in two of the "Santa Clause" movies as the Sandman, and he was also in "Ted 2." In real life, he's also an accomplished pilot.

Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher, Dr. Crusher's son and a controversial character.

Poor Wesley. It couldn't have been easy losing your dad at such an early age, only to be dragged onto a spaceship with the man who survived instead ... a man who pointedly hated kids to boot. But that was Wesley's plight, and it didn't make for a very enjoyable character. He was written off as a regular after season four, at which point he went to Starfleet Academy. Wesley reappeared in the final season for a send-off.

The year before Wheaton began appearing in "TNG," he starred in the classic '80s film "Stand by Me" alongside River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, and John Cusack, all future stars in the making.

Wheaton, 50, made a surprise cameo at the end of season two of "Picard."

As Wesley wasn't a  hugely  beloved character, he only appeared in one scene of one film , "Nemesis." He didn't even speak.

But Wheaton hasn't let the haters stop him from having a successful career. He's appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, and he hilariously played himself across 17 episodes of "The Big Bang Theory." He also had a recurring role on "Eureka," another recurring role on "Leverage," and a talk show on SyFy called "The Wil Wheaton Project."

Wheaton has also acted in many web series, including "Welcome to Night Vale." He's also had great success in voice acting, most recently voicing the Flash in "Teen Titans Go to the Movies."

He also hosted the web series "TableTop," in which he and guests play a game (like Settlers of Catan or Pandemic) each episode, which aired from 2012 to 2017.

Currently, he hosts "The Ready Room," the official "Star Trek" aftershow that features interviews with the cast and crew. He also made a brief, surprise appearance at the end of season two of "Picard."

Brent Spiner played Data, an android who was on a quest to become more human.

While most of the characters on "TNG" were almost entirely original, Data was clearly conceived as this show's version of Spock , another character who struggled with the concept of humanity.

However, as the show went on, Data solidified himself as his own character with his own fascinating backstory (Lore and Dr. Noonien Soong, anyone?) and a heartwarming desire to become human.

Before the series, Spiner enjoyed a successful career in theater , originating the role of Franz/Dennis in "Sunday in the Park with George" and starring as Aramis in "The Three Musketeers." He also appeared in six episodes of "Night Court."

In 1996, he appeared in the huge sci-fi blockbuster "Independence Day."

They keep finding ways for Spiner, 74, to stay in the "Trek" universe, even 21 years after Data's death in "Star Trek: Nemesis."

Spiner appeared in all four "TNG" movies . In fact, his character might have had the most complete arc, when you take in his sacrifice at the end of "Nemesis." He also played an ancestor of his character's creator, Dr. Arik Soong, in four episodes of "Enterprise's" fourth season.

In 2016, Spiner reprised his role as Dr. Brackish Okun in the sequel "Independence Day: Resurgence." Over the years he's appeared in dozens of TV shows, including "Friends," "Star Wars Rebels," "Ray Donovan," "The Goldbergs," and "Warehouse 13."

Spiner has also voiced two iconic Batman villains. He played the Joker in an episode of "Young Justice," and he voiced the Riddler in "Justice League Action."

In 2020, Spiner reprised his role as Data in "Picard," appearing as the character in dream sequences and as a virtual consciousness throughout the first season.

He also appeared as a descendant of his creator, Dr. Altan Inigo Soong, and as a similar android named B-4 who was originally introduced in "Nemesis." In season two, he played another one of Noonien Soong's ancestors, Adam Soong.

Spiner was announced, like the rest of the cast , to be part of "Picard's" third season, this time playing Data's evil "brother," Lore.

Denise Crosby only starred in one season of "TNG" as Natasha Yar.

Yar's death was one of the biggest shocks of "TNG" and proved this wasn't going to be like the original show — deaths weren't just reserved for "red shirts" here. No one was safe.

In actuality, Crosby asked to be written off the show , as she "was miserable. I couldn't wait to get off that show. I was dying." And so, her character was killed in the season one episode "Skin of Evil" by a malevolent tar-like creature. Yar would reappear two more times, in a season three episode called "Yesterday's Enterprise" (an all-timer), and the series finale.

Crosby also appeared in three episodes as a character called Sela, a future half-Romulan daughter of Yar's from an alternate timeline.

Before the show, Crosby, the granddaughter of Bing Crosby, had appeared in films like "48 Hrs.," "Pet Sematary," two "Pink Panther" films, and multiple episodes of "Days of Our Lives."

Crosby, 65, recently appeared in a few episodes of "General Hospital."

Crosby didn't appear as Yar in any of the "TNG" films, but that doesn't mean she's totally stayed away from "Trek." She produced and presented a 1997 documentary about "Trek" fandom called "Trekkies," and its 2004 sequel "Trekkies 2." As of 2017, there were plans for a third installment.

She's also appeared in multiple direct-to-video movies , in addition to her roles in "Southland," "Ray Donovan," "The Walking Dead," "Suits," "Creepshow," and most recently "NCIS" and "General Hospital."

Colm Meaney had a recurring role as the transporter chief Miles O'Brien.

Meaney appeared in over 50 episodes of "TNG" as O'Brien before he switched over to "Deep Space Nine," which he starred on from 1993 to 1999. His character got much more to do on the spin-off, though he did get married in a season four episode called "Data's Day," and he eventually had a child in the season five episode "Disaster."

During his run on "TNG," Meaney also appeared in a 1993 film called "The Snapper." He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance. 

Meaney, 69, continued to play O'Brien in "Deep Space Nine" through 1999.

After wrapping up his role in "Deep Space Nine," Meaney went on to be nominated for a Gemini Award in 2002 for his role in Canadian series "Random Passage." He also appeared in three episodes of "Stargate Atlantis," the miniseries "Alice," two episodes of "Men in Trees," and more.

Meaney was also nominated for a Saturn Award in 2013 for his role in "Hell on Wheels," appeared in 10 episodes of "Will" and in British series "Gangs of London" and "The Singapore Grip."

In 2021, he appeared in the 15th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" as the father of Charlie Day's character.

He's had success on the big screen, as well. He was nominated for the Irish Film and Television Award for best actor in 2007 for "Kings," and he has been in other films like "Law Abiding Citizen," "Get Him to the Greek," "Tolkien," "Seberg," and "Pixie."

He recently starred in "The Serpent Queen" as King Francis I on Starz.

Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for "Ghost" as she was recurring on "TNG" as Guinan, an alien bartender who was hundreds of years old.

Goldberg had already been nominated for an Oscar (for "The Color Purple" in 1985) and had won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 1985 (Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show Recording), and had been nominated for an Emmy  for her performance on "Moonlighting" in 1986, when she was asked if she wanted to appear in "TNG" as Guinan, an alien bartender in the ship's lounge who acted as a sounding board for many characters.

She actually asked to be on the show due to her "Trek" fandom, which stemmed from seeing Uhura, a Black woman, in a position of power in the first "Star Trek" series. Goldberg appeared in 28 episodes across seven seasons.

At the same time, Goldberg was becoming a true A-lister. In 1990, she starred in "Ghost," which eventually won her an Oscar. In 1992, she starred in the classic "Sister Act" and its sequel the following year.

Goldberg, 67, accepted a personal invitation from Stewart during "The View" to return as Guinan in season two of "Picard."

Goldberg appeared in two of the "Next Generation" films, "Generations" and "Nemesis." During that time, she also appeared in films like "The Lion King," "Girl, Interrupted," "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."

In 2002, Goldberg secured her Tony Award win for producing "Thoroughly Modern Millie." That same year, she completed her EGOT by winning an Emmy for outstanding special class series. She's also hosted multiple award shows, including the Tonys and the Oscars. 

Goldberg has consistently acted in both TV and movies in the 2000s, appearing in "Glee," "The Middle," "Toy Story 3," "Nobody's Fool," and more.

Since 2007, Goldberg has hosted "The View," which won her her second Emmy — she won outstanding entertainment talk show host at the 2009 Daytime Emmys.

During an appearance on "The View," none other than Patrick Stewart extended an invitation to Goldberg to reprise her role as Guinan during season two of "Picard," which she emotionally accepted.

Both Goldberg's version  and  a younger version played by Ito Aghayere of Guinan appeared during the show.

John de Lancie played Q, a mischievous, omnipotent being throughout all seven seasons of "TNG."

In many ways, it would've been impossible to bring back Picard without bringing back Q. The Enterprise's captain meets Q in the very first episode of "TNG," and for almost every season after he pops back in to check in on the crew (and usually antagonize them a little bit). "TNG's" highly lauded series finale is also a Q episode, with Q attempting to conclude the trial of humanity he began in the first episode.

John de Lancie played Q in eight episodes of "TNG," along with one episode of "Deep Space Nine" and three episodes of "Voyager."

Throughout the '80s and '90s, de Lancie also appeared in "Days of Our Lives," "Trial and Error," and had small roles in films like "The Fisher King" and "Multiplicity."

De Lancie, 74, returned for season two of "Picard."

De Lancie has continued to work frequently on TV, with arcs in shows like "Breaking Bad," "Charmed," "The Librarians," "The Secret Circle," and more.

The actor returned to the "Trek" universe to play Q once again on the first season of the animated series "Lower Decks" in 2020. Two years later, it was revealed that Q would play a major part in season two of "Picard" since, as Q would later say in the season, " even gods have favorites ."

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Star Trek Original Series Cast: Then and Now

As Spock himself would say, "Fascinating ..."

Talk about a first-class crew.

When the original Star Trek TV series premiered on NBC more than 50 years ago, it didn't just make stars of its actors, including William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley , it made icons -- icons who would help spawn a multi-media franchise that continues today via CBS All Access' Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery .

PHOTOS: See the original Star Trek stars

Here's a look back at the historic cast -- and a look at how each fared after the 1966-1969 series ended its primetime run. We've included series regulars, such as Shatner, who starred as Captain Kirk, and key guest stars, such as Susan Oliver (pictured, left), who's seen as the Orion slave-girl dancer in Season 1's "The Mengerie, Part II," and France Nuyen (pictured, right), who tempts Kirk in Season 3's "Elaan of Troyius."

Click on the arrow to beam up the pics!

( Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS. )

William Shatner Then

William Shatner plays the USS Enterprise's brave (and frequently shirtless) Captain James T. Kirk in the 1966-1969 Star Trek series and the first seven Star Trek movies, from Star Trek The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Generations . Like several of his Trek castmates, Shatner went on to voice his character in various Star Trek video games, and in the 1970s' cartoon, Star Trek: The Animated Series .

William Shatner Now

Shatner claimed two Primetime Emmy awards for playing the same role, attorney Denny Crane, on a pair of ABC legal dramas, The Practice and Boston Legal . He's seen here in 2020 at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Leonard Nimoy Then

Leonard Nimoy plays the USS Enterprise 's beloved half-Vulcan, half-human science officer, Spock, on the original Star Trek series, and in eight big-screen Star Trek movies -- two of which he directed ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ).

Leonard Nimoy Now

In addition to following his other creative passions -- photography, poetry and music -- Leonard Nimoy directed the hit movie, Three Men and a Baby .

Nimoy, who died in 2015 at age 83, made his last on-screen appearance -- as Spock, natch -- in 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness . He also appeared in the first film from the Trek franchise's J.J. Abrams era, 2009's Star Trek .

DeForest Kelley Then

DeForest Kelley plays Leonard "Bones" McCoy, who is a Starfleet doctor -- and not anything else -- in the original Star Trek series.

DeForest Kelley Now

DeForest Kelley appeared in the first six Star Trek movies, with his last major on-screen appearance coming in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . He died in 1999 at age 79.

James Doohan Then

The Canadian-born James Doohan affects a Scottish accent to play Montgomery Scott, or Scotty, originally the USS Enterprise 's chief engineer. Doohan plays Scotty in the 1966-1969 Star Trek series, and in seven Star Trek movies. He also plays the character on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

James Doohan Now

Credited with helping develop the Vulcan and Klingon languages, Doohan was a regular on the Star Trek convention circuit until being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2004. He's seen here that same year at a ceremony honoring him with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Doohan died in 2005. He was 85.

Nichelle Nichols Then

With her role as Lt. Uhura, the USS Enterprise 's communications officer on the original Star Trek , Nichelle Nichols made history as the first actress to play an African-American professional woman, per the Historical Dictionary of African American Television .

Nichelle Nichols Now

Nichelle Nichols played Uhura in the first six Star Trek movies. She's gone on to appear in NBC 's Heroes and the CBS daytime soap, The Young and the Restless . Seen here at a 2018 Star Trek convention, Nichols also worked with NASA to help recruit minorities and women for the astronaut program.

George Takei Then

George Takei plays Lt. Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise on the 1966-1969 Star Trek series. He went on to play Sulu in the first six Star Trek movies -- a run in which his character was eventually promoted to captain of the USS Excelsior .

George Takei Now

Today, George Takei, seen at the 2019 Saturn Awards, is a vocal LGBTQ activist, and the co-author of the graphic-book memoir, They Called Us Enemy , about his experience in the U.S. internment camps that held Japanese-Americans during World War II. He appeared in the Broadway musical, Allegiance , which is also based on his life.

Walter Koenig Then

Walter Koenig joined the original Star Trek cast in Season 2 as Ensign Pavel Chekov, the Monkees- and Beatles-channeling navigator of the USS Enterprise . He plays the Russian-accented character in the first seven Star Trek movies.

Walter Koenig Now

Among his considerable post-Star Trek series credits, Walter Koenig was a star and consulting producer on Star Trek: Renegades , a partly crowd-funded pilot for a would-be new Trek series. In 2010, he endured the death of his actor son , Andrew Koening (Growing Pains).

Majel Barrett Then

Majel Barrett plays Number One (pictured, left) in the original Star Trek pilot, known as "The Cage." In the rejiggered version of the show that NBC picked up in 1966, Barrett plays the Spock-infatuated USS Enterprise nurse, Christine Chapel (pictured, right).

Majel Barrett Now

There really was no life after Star Trek for Majel Barrett: She married franchise creator Gene Roddenberry in 1969, and went on to play roles in numerous other Trek projects. She is heard as the voice of Starfleet computers in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise and the 2009 J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie.

Roddenberry died in 1991; Barrett, seen in 2006 with her son, Eugene Roddenberry, died 2008. She was 76.

Susan Oliver Then

In the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage," Susan Oliver plays Vina, a shipwrecked woman on the planet Talos IV, who is used by the Talosian powers-that-be to tempt Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter). In one famous scene, Vina is seen as an Orion slave dancer. Oliver's Vina scenes are repurposed for the Star Trek Season 1 episodes, "The Menagerie, Part I" and "The Menagerie, Part II."

Susan Oliver Now

Susan Oliver is seen in a paparazzi shot from 1986. She died in 1990 at age 58. Her post- Star Trek credits included guest spots on Murder, She Wrote and the original Magnum, P.I.

France Nuyen Then

France Nuyen stars as the strong-willed titular character of the Season 3 Star Trek episode, "Elaan of Troyius."

France Nuyen Now

Seen at a 2018 Motion Picture Academy screening of The Joy Luck Club , a movie in which she starred, France Nuyen's post- Star Trek credits include a stint as a series regular on the 1980s NBC medical drama, St. Elsewhere .

Grace Lee Whitney Then

Grace Lee Whitney plays the USS Enterprise's beehive-boasting Yeoman Rand on the original Star Trek series.

Grace Lee Whitney Now

Though Yeoman Rand was written out of Star Trek after Season 1, Grace Lee Whitney went to appear in Star Trek movies and several other franchise properties, including an episode of Star Trek: Voyager . Whitney died in 2015 at the age of 85.

Joan Collins Then

Joan Collins stars as the doomed social-worker Edith Keeler, one of the great loves of Captain Kirk's life, in the Season 1 episode, "The City on the Edge of Forever," TV Guide's pick for the best original-series Star Trek episode of all time .

Joan Collins Now

Joan Collins is arguably best known for playing the dastardly Alexis Carrington on the original Dynasty series. In 2018, she played two characters in FX's American Horror Story: Apocalypse .

Mariette Hartley Then

In the Season 3 Star Trek episode, "All Our Yesterdays," Mariette Hartley plays Zarabeth, an ice age-era woman who Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) encounter on the planet Sarpeidon.

Mariette Hartley Now

Of late, the Emmy-winning Mariette Hartley has had recurring roles on ABC's Grey's Anatomy , NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Fox's 9-1-1 (pictured), where she played the ailing mother of Connie Britton's character in Season 1.

Ricardo Montalban Then

Ricardo Montalban plays Khan Noonien Singh, the super-powered strongman who's found aboard the SS Botany Bay in the Season 1 Star Trek episode, "Space Seed." The installment would serve as the basis for the hit movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , in which he also starred.

Ricardo Montalban Now

From 1977-1984, Ricardo Montalban starred as the mysterious Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island . He went on to do voice work on Kim Possible , and appear as Grandfather in the Spy Kids movies. He died in 2009 at age 88.

Diana Muldaur Then

Diana Muldaur appears in two original-series Star Trek episodes: Season 2's "Return to Tomorrow," and Season 3's "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" Muldaur plays different characters in the episodes -- both are doctors.

Diana Muldaur Now

Diana Muldaur played yet another Star Trek M.D., Dr. Katherine Pulaski, in Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Her more recent credits include a voice-over role in Batman: The Animated Series (pictured). Her character? Leslie Thompkins -- a doctor, of course.

Mark Lenard Then

Mark Lenard is another actor seen as multiple characters on multiple Star Trek episodes: In Season 1's "Balance of Terror," he plays a Romulan commander (pictured, left); and, in Season 2's "Journey to Babel," he is introduced as Sarek (pictured, right), Spock's Vulcan father.

Mark Lenard Now

In real life, Mark Lenard was less than seven years older than Leonard Nimoy. But on screen, he was the perfect Spock dad, and he would play the character in subsequent Star Trek series, and in three Star Trek movies, including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (pictured). He also played a Klingon in 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

Lenard died in 1996 at the age of 72.

Teri Garr Then

Teri Garr appears in the Season 2 Star Trek episode, "Assignment: Earth" (where she's billed as Terri Garr). The episode is a modern-day tale (for, well, 1968) about a time-traveler, and his secretary (Garr). The episode was a backdoor pilot for a never-was TV series.

Teri Garr Now

Teri Garr's considerable post- Trek film credits include Young Frankenstein , Tootsie (for which she was nominated for an Oscar), Mr. Mom and, of late, Unaccompanied Minors (pictured). She had a recurring role on Friends as the mother of Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow).

Jeffrey Hunter Then

Jeffrey Hunter stars as the USS Enterpris e's Captain Christopher Pike in the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage," which was presented to -- and rejected by -- NBC in 1965. His work as Captain Pike would finally make it to air in the Season 1 Star Trek episodes, "The Menagerie, Part I" and "The Menagerie, Part II."

Jeffrey Hunter Now

Best known for playing Jesus in the film, King of Kings , post- Star Trek , Jeffrey Hunter appeared in the 1968 Bob Hope comedy, The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (pictured). He died in 1969 at the age of 42.

Clint Howard Then

A young Clint Howard plays Balok, the commander of a starship who uses a scary-looking creature (played by The Addams Family's Ted Cassidy) as a front as he toys with the USS Enterprise in the Season 1 Star Trek episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver."

Clint Howard Now

Clint Howard, the younger brother of Ron Howard, is a familiar face from his sibling's movies, from Eat My Dust to Solo: A Star Wars Story . In addition to Star Trek , Howard has appeared in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise , and a Season 1 installment of Star Trek: Discovery (pictured).

Sally Kellerman Then

Sally Kellerman appears as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the second crack at a Star Trek pilot, the one that sold the series -- and that aired as the show's third-ever episode in 1966.

Sally Kellerman Now

Sally Kellerman is seen at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas in 2016. After Trek , Kellerman notched an Oscar nomination for the film version of MASH . Her latter-day credits include an episode of Hulu's Difficult People , and a recurring role on IFC's Maron .

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Star trek: the original series cast & character guide.

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10 Best Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes To Hook New Fans

Star trek should never explain this 1 unanswered mystery from the original series, supergirl's melissa benoist & 5 other actors join mindhunter star's netflix thriller series.

• Star Trek: The Original Series debuted in 1966 and immediately developed a devoted following, eventually becoming a cultural sensation.
• The show featured iconic characters such as Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, who have endured for nearly 60 years.
• While the show has some aspects that haven't aged well, like outdated special effects and misogynistic undertones, the original cast remains intoxicating and capable of bringing passion and intrigue to even the thinnest of plots.

Star Trek: The Original Series - originally known simply as Star Trek - features some of the most iconic characters in all of science fiction with the crew of the original USS Enterprise. After its initial pilot episode was rejected by network NBC, Star Trek was massively overhauled with a largely new cast and a more adventurous tone. Star Trek debuted in 1966, and while it was never a ratings champion, the show immediately attracted a devoted following. Star Trek would go on to become a cultural sensation in syndication in the 1970s and was eventually revived as a hit film franchise as well as a series of successful television spinoffs that continues to this day.

There are aspects of Star Trek: The Original Series that have not aged especially well; the special effects are quaint at best, and the misogynistic undertones of many episodes are hard to ignore when viewed in the 21st century. That said, the original Star Trek cast remains intoxicating , a fantastic group of actors who could imbue even the thinnest of plots with passion and intrigue. There's a reason these characters have endured for nearly 60 years.

Star Trek: The Original Series may feel dated in some ways, but here are 10 episodes that should hook even the most skeptical new fans.

10 William Shatner As Captain James T. Kirk

Captain of the uss enterprise.

After Jeffrey Hunter declined to reprise his role as Christopher Pike from Star Trek' s initial failed pilot, "The Cage," he was replaced by William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk . Where Hunter's Pike had been an introverted and weary man, Shatner's Kirk was a swashbuckling charmer , as likely to get into a fistfight with a Klingon as he was to seduce an Orion slave girl. Kirk was largely defined by his decades-long friendship with his Vulcan First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy), with Kirk's dynamic bravado bouncing off Spock's measured logic resulting in one of the most fascinating relationships in all of pop culture. For many, James T. Kirk remains the gold standard for Starfleet Captains.

Paul Wesley plays the younger Lieutenant James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Words.

9 Leonard Nimoy As Mr. Spock

Science officer and first officer of the uss enterprise.

Arguably the most important character in all of Star Trek , Spock was the only character to be held over from the show's original pilot ,"The Cage," though the character was reworked to be far less outwardly emotional. A product of a human mother and Vulcan father, Mr. Spock was constantly torn between his two cultures; Spock chose to live his life as a Vulcan, though he most often surrounded himself with humans. Spock's unbreakable bond with Captain Kirk and his chaotic, tempestuous friendship with Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) formed the central trio of Star Trek: The Original Series . No Star Trek character has had a greater cultural impact.

Ethan Peck plays the younger Lieutenant Spock in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

8 DeForest Kelley As Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy

Chief medical officer of the uss enterprise.

The USS Enterprise's resident curmudgeon, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy was not only the ship's brilliant physician, he was among Captain Kirk's closest and most trusted confidants. McCoy routinely went on away missions or sat in on important meetings that a ship's primary doctor wouldn't necessarily take part in generally, but "Bones" was part of Kirk's inner circle, and the Captain valued his opinion. McCoy often clashed with his friend and consistent irritant Spock , as the passionate country doctor and the cold, emotionless Vulcan could not have viewed the universe any more differently. Still, they deeply respected each other, even if they'd be loath to admit it.

7 James Doohan As Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

Chief engineer of the uss enterprise.

Known to all as Scotty, Commander Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) wore many hats on the USS Enterprise, overseeing the transporters and serving as Second Officer. However, Scotty was primarily known as the ship's Chief Engineer, able to seemingly pull off technological miracles whenever Captain Kirk needed them . A proud Scotsman, Scotty enjoyed playing the bagpipes and drinking his scotch - perhaps a little too much. Scotty was skeptical of new, untested technology, preferring to work on machines he knew well. Prone to outbursts of righteous anger, Scotty still remained one of Captain Kirk's most trusted officers, able to get the Enterprise out of virtually any jam.

Martin Quinn plays the younger Lt. Montogomery Scott in Star Trek: Strange New World s.

6 George Takei As Hikaru Sulu

Uss enterprise's helmsman.

Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) was the USS Enterprise's primary helmsman under Captain Kirk's command. Generally a reserved, genial officer, Sulu quietly contained multitudes . When a virus drove much of the ship's crew mad in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Naked Time," Sulu was seen bouncing around the ship shirtless with a foil in hand. He displayed considerable bravery more than once, which eventually paid off for his career. By the time of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Sulu had been promoted to Captain of the USS Excelsior, beginning what would go on to become a Starfleet career just as revered as Captain Kirk's.

5 Nichelle Nichols As Nyota Uhura

Uss enterprise's communications officer.

Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) was the Communications Officer on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. One of the few female characters and virtually the only Black character in a position of authority on Star Trek: The Original Series , Uhura was a revolutionary presence at the time the show was produced. Uhura was often relegated to being a background character, but she always shined when given the opportunity, whether it be flirting with Spock on the bridge or entertaining the crew with a song. Modern Star Trek has been much kinder to Uhura than TOS , but Nichols' immortal version is still deserving of praise.

Celia Rose Gooding plays the younger Ensign Uhura on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

4 Walter Koenig As Pavel Chekov

Uss enterprise's navigator.

Introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 when George Takei was unavailable while shooting a movie, Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) was a wide-eyed young Russian officer. Mr. Chekov was introduced not only due to Takei's absence, but also to acknowledge the Russians' at the time advanced progress in the 1960s space race. Chekov brought an innocent, youthful energy to the show, with a truly unforgettable Russian accent. Chekov was rarely the at the center of the action on TOS , but he was a character who was easy to like, and would eventually get to do some heavier lifting in the TOS film franchise.

3 Majel Barrett As Nurse Christine Chapel

Key member of uss enterprise's medical team.

Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry) was Dr. McCoy's top nurse aboard the USS Enterprise. Chapel had an unrequited love for Spock , often seen pining for the Vulcan who could never give her the emotional connection she so desired. Chapel was a victim of Star Trek: The Original Series ' subpar writing for women characters in general, though things took a turn for the better by the time of the movie franchise, where it was revealed Chapel became a doctor and a full Starfleet officer. Chapel would get a much-needed reworking for the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

Jess Bush plays the younger Nurse Christine Chapel on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

2 Mark Lenard As Sarek

Vulcan ambassador and spock's father.

Introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 episode "Journey To Babel," Sarek (Mark Lenard) was the Vulcan ambassador to Earth, as well as Spock's estranged father . Sarek disapproved of his son's decision to enter Starfleet Academy, preferring him to live his life among Vulcans. The relationship between Sarek and Spock was deeply complicated ; while Sarek may have disagreed often with his son, he and Kirk risked everything dear to them to revive Spock in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock . Spock's fraught relationship with Sarek is one of the most enduring aspects of Star Trek: The Original Series .

James Frain played the younger Ambassador Sarek i n Star Trek: Discovery, which revealed that Sarek adopted Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) as a child and raised him as Spock's sister.

1 Grace Lee Whitney As Yeoman Janice Rand

Captain kirk's yeoman in star trek: the original series season 1.

Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) appeared in 8 episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series as Captain Kirk's Yeoman. Set up as a potential love interest for Kirk, Rand's role was severely reduced during production , often relegating Janice to bringing her Captain coffee and pining for the oddly resentful Kirk. The reason Whitney was fired from Star Trek was later revealed by the actress in her autobiography to be because she was assaulted by a network executive. However, Janice Rand did return in the Star Trek: The Original Series movies, and Grace Lee Whitney also played Commander Janice Rand in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager.

Star Trek: The Original Series is available to stream on Paramount+.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 4, Episode 6

Where to watch, star trek: the next generation — season 4, episode 6.

Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 4, Episode 6 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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Cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard

Jonathan Frakes

Cdr. William Riker

LeVar Burton

Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn

Gates McFadden

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis

Counselor Deanna Troi

Episode Info

32 Star Trek Actors Who Played Multiple Characters

One role just wasn't enough for some.

If you watch Star Trek shows a lot, like I do, you start to notice some familiar faces. With decades of television shows and movies under its belt, it's only natural that the franchise has approached actors to play multiple roles over the years. Sometimes, it was because it made sense for the character, but other times, it just seemed like the franchise loved working with that person. 

Today, we acknowledge both of those roles. Some of these actors you'll know quite well, and others you might not even realize it was them beneath all of those prosthetics and makeup. Let's dive in, and talk about these special actors who took on multiple roles during their time in Star Trek . 

Brent Spiner

This one is fairly obvious if you've watched Star Trek: The Next Generation , you've seen Brent Spiner play more roles than just Data. He's played his Synth twins Lore and B4, as well as various members of the Soong family across several shows. It's a fun recurring bit, and one fans are never upset to see. 

Jason Alexander

Since  leaving the  Seinfeld  cast , Jason Alexander has performed a couple of Star Trek roles. He played the merchant Kuros in Star Trek: Voyager and is also the voice of Dr. Noum in the animated series Prodigy . Both characters are wildly different, and show a side of Alexander that casual viewers may not have seen before. 

Thomas Kopache

If Thomas Kopache's face looks familiar to Star Trek fans, it's because he's been in a good deal of shows. The actor has held minor roles in The Next Generation , Voyager , Enterprise , Deep Space Nine , and even the movie Star Trek Generations . From a Starfleet communications officer to a Vulcan, one might never know where he'll pop up!

While he may be more well-known for his role in Candyman which required a lot of bee stings , Tony Todd is a beloved figure in the Star Trek universe. He played a recurring role as the Klingon Kurn in TNG and DS9 , an Alpha Hirogen in Voyager , but many may most remember his role as the older Jake Sisko in "The Visitor."  

Tim Russ was a beloved part of Star Trek: Voyage r's main cast as the Vulcan Tuvok, but that wasn't his only role in the franchise. He first popped up in The Next Generation as the mercenary Devor, and later in Deep Space Nine as a Klingon named T'Kar.

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Diana Muldaur

Diana Muldaur had a few roles in the original Star Trek , but it was in The Next Generation she made her biggest contribution to the franchise. Dr. Katherine Pulaski served on the Enterprise while Beverly Crusher was away, and had a brief fling with Riker's father. Her tenure was short, though Bev fans would argue not short enough. 

Todd Stashwick

Star Trek: Picard fans will sooner remember Todd Stashwick as the prickly Captain Shaw from Season 3, but that was not the actor's first role in the franchise. He had a smaller role as the Vulcan Talok in Star Trek: Enterprise . It's far less notable compared to the anti-hero he played in Picard , but still worth checking out. 

Kurtwood Smith

While readers may know him better as the hot-headed Red Forman in That 70s Show , Kurtwood Smith also had a couple of high-profile roles in Star Trek . He was the Federation President in Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country , as well as the obsessive captain Annorax in the iconic Voyager episode "Year of Hell." 

Jeffrey Combs

I don't think there's a more famous guest star among die-hard Star Trek fans. He's played many roles across all shows, even if you exclude the numerous clones of the Deep Space Nine character Weyoun. There are way too many to post for this entry, but personally, I would say his role as the Andorian Shran on Enterprise is among the best. 

Ken Mitchell

Actor Ken Mitchell was known for various roles across Star Trek: Discovery and Lower Decks and didn't let his diagnosis of ALS get in the way of interacting with the fandom along the way. The actor was remembered by many Trek actors and fans when he passed in February of 2024 . 

Aron Eisenberg

In addition to his incredible journey as Nog in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , actor Aron Eisenberg also had a brief role in Voyager . He played the young Kazon named Kardon in "Initiations," and once readers know that, they won't have trouble spotting him in the episode. 

Robert Duncan McNeill

Before he was the daring and sometimes troublesome Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager , Robert Duncan McNeill had played an almost identical character on The Next Generation by the name of Nicholas Locarno. Canonically, they're just two separate guys who look identical and have very similar personalities, as weird as that may be.  

Susanna Thompson

Before she stepped in as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Voyager , actress Susanna Thompson did some smaller guest roles for the franchise. She played roles like a Vulcan and an illusion in  The Next Generation  and was also a Trill scientist on  Deep Space Nine . 

J.G. Hertzler

J.G. Hertzler's Martok was a beloved character for Deep Space Nine fans, but the actor also played a litany of minor characters in the series as well. He also did the same for The Next Generation , and even did some voice work for Lower Decks . 

Majel Barrett

An accomplished actress and the wife of creator Gene Roddenberry, Majel Barrett was in Star Trek from the very beginning. While her role as "Number One" wasn't resurrected until Star Trek: Discovery and later in Strange New Worlds , she was featured in TOS as Nurse Chapel and was beloved as Lwaxana Troi in TNG and DS9 . She also did tons of voice work for the franchise, including the voice of most of the computers up until the modern era. 

Robin Curtis 

After Kirstie Alley was allegedly blocked from returning to play Saavik, actress Robin Curtis came in to fill the role in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock . Following her work on that, she was also welcomed onto the set of The Next Generation to play the Vulcan posing as a Romulan named Tallera. 

George Murdock

George Murdock had two notable roles in Star Trek, but it's fair to say they're both substantial. He played "God" in Star Trek V: The Voyage Home , as well as Picard's friend and Starfleet Vice Admiral J.P. Hanson in The Next Generation . With roles like that, one has to wonder, "What would an actor want with a third role?" 

John Fleck has been in a lot of Star Trek , but due to fact he was always wearing prosthetics, fans may not be aware. If they watched Enterprise , no doubt they remember his Suliban character, Silik, who was a bit of a rival to Archer throughout the run of the series. 

Malachi Throne

Malachi Throne was there at the very beginning of Star Trek , playing The Keeper in the pilot episode "The Cage." Throne would be welcomed back in a couple of TOS roles, and wrap up his time in TNG as the Romulan senator Pardek. Malachi passed in 2013, but it's fair to say he was instrumental in the success of the franchise with his first role. 

Elias Toufexis

Elias Toufexis played one of the main antagonists L'ak in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, but that wasn't the first time he appeared in the series. Go all the way back to Season 1, and he played the criminal Cold, who tried to jump Michael Burnham in the mess hall with another prisoner named Psycho. Not the best thing to be proud of for a role, but at least Toufexis got to play the first unmasked Breen in Trek history, which he was understandably thrilled about . 

Armin Shimerman

Armin Shimerman made us all laugh as Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , but it wasn't his only role in the franchise. Hilariously enough, he played a couple of other Ferengi in TNG , which might be why some fans think every Ferengi acts like him. He also played that weird Betazoid Gift Box in the "Haven" episode, though was not credited for the role. 

Michael Dorn

Michael Dorn famously played the Klingon Worf across more episodes than any other Star Trek character, but he also has another role people tend to forget. Some might forget his role as Colonel Worf in Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country , where he's an attorney meant to be an ancestor of the future Starfleet character. 

René Auberjonois

There are few characters in Star Trek as iconic as Odo, and if that were the only role René Auberjonois gave us before his untimely passing, many would be ok with that. It's not his only role, however, as we can see him without his prosthetics in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Colonel West. 

Barbara Babcock

Actress Barbara Babcock may have only had roles on the original Star Trek , but the show made the most of her. In addition to her two live-action roles, she did voice work for the cat Isis, Loskene, and the Zetarians just to name a few. Her prints are all over the original series, and she's definitely one of the more underrated guest stars of the bunch. 

Fionnula Flanagan

Fionnula Flanagan might've made all of us shed a tear playing the unaware Android Juliana Tainer, but also popped up in places outside of Star Trek: The Next Generation . She played the Vulcan diplomat V'Lar in Enterprise , and the former lover of Curzon Dax Enina Tandro in Deep Space Nine . 

Clint Howard

Few actors can say they started their career with a role in Star Trek , and later returned to play it in adulthood. I think perhaps the coolest thing about Howard's various roles is that he not only appeared in the original series, but was more recently in Season 2 of Strange New Worlds . Talk about sticking with a franchise across the decades!

Ethan Phillips

Ethan Phillips' Neelix brought a lot of personality to Star Trek: Voyager , so of course it makes sense it wasn't the only role the actor ever did. He had a small role as a waiter in First Contact and later showed up in TNG and Enterprise as a Ferengi. A pretty impressive run for someone who stood out as much on his original series, but well-deserved all the same. 

Mark Lenard

Mark Lenard is a national treasure in Star Trek , especially considering the powerful roles he had outside of playing Spock's father Sarek. We also see him as one of the unnamed commanders in the iconic episode "Balance Of Terror," and he also played a Klingon Captain in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . 

Robert O'Reilly

While the wild-eyed Gowron will always be the most notable role Robert O'Reilly ever did, he also had some smaller roles aside from that. This included playing a mobster in The Next Generation . He also played an accountant in Deep Space Nine , as well as a very creepy-looking Klingon in Enterprise , though I'd rather not talk about the last one because the visual freaks me out. 

James Cromwell

Beyond playing one of the most important characters in Star Trek , Zefram Cochrane, James Cromwell has had a couple of other random roles in the franchise. This includes the mole rat-looking Jaglom Shrek in The Next Generation , as well as the Karemma Hanok on Deep Space Nine . 

Brian Cousins

The actor who terrified Star Trek: The Next Generation fans as the Borg "Crosis" ended up making a couple of appearances as other characters. He played a Romulan named Parem two seasons before his Borg role, and would later be cast in Enterprise to play a character by the name of Paltani in the episode "The Catwalk." 

Patrick Kilpatrick

The Imhotep species of Voyager are some of the most unique aliens I've seen in the show, so it's a shame we only got a small bit of Patrick Kilpatrick's character. While the actor had the one-and-done appearance as that species, he also played a Kazon in the series, and later popped up in Deep Space Nine as a soldier in the Dominion War. 

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Elinor Donahue, the Princess of Classic TV: Her Iconic Roles from ‘Father Knows Best’ to ‘Star Trek’

The actress also reflects on 'Andy Griffith,' 'The Odd Couple' and being one of the first stars on Fox

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There is no question that Lucille Ball earned her crown as Queen of Classic TV, but could Elinor Donahue be considered TV’s Princess? After all, in the 1950s she played Betty “Princess” Anderson on Father Knows Best. By the 1960s, she was part of The Andy Griffith Show , Many Happy Returns  (nope, we didn’t know that either) and Star Trek . In the 1970s she charmed audience in The Odd Couple  and her career just kept climbing from there.

In this look back at our favorite parts she played, the retired Elinor Donahue, who was born April 19, 1937 in Tacoma, Washington (and even worked in vaudeville), shares her memories on nearly 40 years’ worth of TV shows)

Elinor Donahue as Princess in ‘Father Knows Best’ (1954 to 1960)

CAST:  Robert Young (James “Jim” Anderson, Sr.), Jane Wyatt (Margaret Anderson), Billy Gray (James “Bud” Anderson), Lauren Chapin (Kathy “Kitten” Anderson)

ELINOR PLAYS: Betty “Princess” Anderson

PREMISE:  The quintessential family sitcom of the 1950s, chronicling the life of the Anderson family.

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS:  “I look back at  Father Knows Best  with great fondness. Fondness for the group of us. We were very, very close and really liked each other. Watching the show now brings, generally speaking, happy memories. I was very critical of myself when I was young, which is probably a reason I didn’t watch the show. I made myself uncomfortable. Now I can be a little bit more forgiving.

“As to the show’s ongoing appeal, I think it’s the kindness and the sweetness that the people had toward one another. It has a warmth and an energy — a loving energy — to it that was very special. And the dialogue was never mean, always thoughtful. If  anybody  was mean spirited, I think it was Princess occasionally. She was always on a crusade of some sort, kind of huffy about everything.”

WHERE TO WATCH:  Peacock TV , Pluto TV , Tubi

Ellie Walker on ‘The Andy Griffith Show’ (1960 to 1961)

CAST:  Andy Griffith (Sheriff Andy Taylor), Ronny Howard (Opie Taylor), Don Knotts (Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife), Frances Bavier (Aunt Bee), Hal Smith (Otis Campbell), Howard McNear (Floyd Lawson), Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle)

ELINOR PLAYED:  Ellie Walker, Mayberry pharmacist and Andy Taylor’s girlfriend in season 1.

PREMISE:  Life in the town of the fictional Mayberry, North Carolina, with Sheriff Andy Taylor at the center.

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS:  “When I went from Father Knows Best  to  The Andy Griffith Show  I felt like a bird out of a nest. I didn’t feel like I had all my feathers yet and I didn’t feel capable. It was the strangest feeling. I had a three-year contract for that show, but at the end of the first year I asked to be let out of my contract, because I didn’t feel that I was playing the role properly. I just didn’t feel right about it. In retrospect, and from things that people have said to me — very lovely things — I was doing okay. I was just not a happy camper and there was no point in my trying to continue with it.”

WHERE TO WATCH:  Paramount+

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Joan randall on ‘many happy returns’ (1964 to 1965).

CAST:  John McGiver (Walter Burnley), Mark Goddard (Bob Randall), Andrea Sacino (Laurie Randall)

ELINOR PLAYS:  Joan Randall, daughter to Walter, wife to Mark and mother to Laurie.

PREMISE:  The work and home life of Walter Burnley, the manager of the Adjustments and Refunds Department at the fictitious LA department store, Krockmeyer’s.

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS:  “That show came to me through friends of my husband, Harry Ackerman. We married in 1961 and had our first son together in 1962 and I was retired, which is what I wanted. But Many Happy Returns  sounded ideal, because it was a recurring role, which meant that I would not have have to work all the time. But what happened more than once was that I would think I had the week off and would plan things with my my son, Brian, and would get a call on Monday morning, saying, ‘Oh, we had to switch scripts, so we need you at 2:00 for a read through’ and everything would get thrown off. Well, as fate would have it, I got pregnant again and was able to use the pregnancy to leave the show.”

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Commodore nancy hedford ‘star trek: metamorphosis’ (1967).

CAST:  William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy)

ELINOR PLAYED:  Commodore Nancy Hedford

PREMISE:  While returning to the starship Enterprise aboard the shuttlecraft, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the seriously ill Federation diplomat, Ambassador Nancy Helford, find themselves kidnapped by a sentient energy cloud and brought to a planet. Her life is ultimately saved by joining with that cloud. Yes, it’s only one episode, but, given that it’s the original  Star Trek , it has certainly endured.

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS: “ When we filmed it, obviously we didn’t know it would go on the way it has, but Star Trek  certainly became a phenomenon very early on. You could see that it was going to have legs for a long time, because they would have those  Star Trek  conventions throughout the ’70s. I was usually invited, but I never wanted to go, because I thought, ‘Well, gee, I was only in the one episode. That doesn’t seem right.’

“But I did go to a Las Vegas convention for the show’s 50th anniversary. That was quite wonderful and quite fun. What I thought was funny is that when I was there, someone asked if I felt it was strange that Ambassador Hedford would be serving coffee to the men. I told her it didn’t seem strange to me at all. In this day and age, I guess you wouldn’t have a female character serving if you’re a big muckity-muck in whatever service it is. But doing coffee service for someone in those days was fine.”

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Miriam welby on ‘the odd couple’ (1972-1975).

CAST:  Tony Randall (Felix Unger), Jack Klugman (Oscar Madison)

ELINOR PLAYS:  Miriam Welby (her last name in tribute to her  Father Know Best  father, Robert Young’s, next series, Marcus Welby, M.D. ), Felix’s girlfriend in 17 episodes.

PREMISE:  Can two divorced men, one neat and one a slob, share an apartment without driving each other crazy? Of course not!

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS:  “I loved both the guys and everybody on that show, although Tony Randall could be a little prickly. I was just supposed to do one episode and I was supposed to be a blind date for him. We meet at a restaurant and we were doing a dress rehearsal — and bear in mind, I always  get particularly nervous at dress rehearsals — and I couldn’t remember my lines. He got very upset and he started pounding on the table, saying, ‘Say your line! Say your line!’ And Jack Klugman said, ‘Tony, relax! Calm down; you’re scaring her.’ At that point I couldn’t have told you my name, I was so scared.

WHERE TO WATCH:  Pluto TV

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“The next day when we came in to do the full on taping, in my dressing room was a bouquet. Not a large bouquet, but a pretty, very sweet, beautiful bouquet from Tony apologizing and thanking me for being on the show. It was the sweetest thing, and from that time on he was just as nice to me as he could possibly be. Jack was a doll. We just had a wonderful, wonderful time together. Jack and Tony could make anything funny; they were perfectly matched for their characters.”

Tony Randall: Much More Than One Half of ‘The Odd Couple’

Jane mulligan on ‘mulligan’s stew’ (1977).

CAST:  Lawrence Pressman (Michael Mulligan), Johnny Doran (Mark Mulligan), Julie Anne Haddock (Melinda Mulligan), K.C. Martel (Jimmy Mulligan), Lory Koccheim (Polaris “Polly” Freedman), Suzanne Crough (Stevie Freedman), Chris Ciampa (Adam “Moose” Freedman), Sunshine Lee (Kimmy Nguyen Freedman)

ELINOR PLAYS:  Jane Mulligan, wife to Michael, mother to Mark, Melinda and Jimmy; aunt to Polly, Stevie, Moose and Kimmy.

PREMISE:  Comedy-drama focused on the Mulligan family, consisting of Michael and Jane Mulligan, parents of three, who, while in the midst of adopting a Vietnamese daughter, take in their nephew and two nieces when their two parents die in a plane crash.

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS:  “Joanna Lee, a very talented woman who had been an actress herself and a very good writer, probably a better writer than an executive to a certain extent, and I’m not meaning to be critical — her forte was writing — told me the story that she was writing up to the last minute we were filming. And if there was a mistake made, I would have to fault the network only in that when they did the two-hour movie, they did it in the summer and aired it in August. Joanna had hoped that it would be a mid-season replacement series, which would give her time to write all the scripts. Well, the movie went on the air, had huge ratings and they announced the series for the fall and she didn’t have any time to write. So she was writing right up to the day that we shot; the shows were literally being cut and shipped overnight to the network and she was just going crazy.

“We knew there were problems, but I liked the scripts and I think the show would’ve worked, but it wasn’t garnering the audience that they had hoped, so they canceled us after only four episodes aired. The show got better as it went on, but they really were having problems with her and they pulled the plug.”

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Carol lambert on ‘please stand by’ (1979).

CAST:  Richard Schaal (Frank Lampert), Darian Mathias (Susan Lampert), Stephen Schwartz (David Lampert), Bryan Scott (Rocky Lampert), Tom Logan (Announcer)

ELINOR PLAYS:  Carol Lambert, wife of Frank and mother to Susan, David and Rocky.

PREMISE:  After a couple purchases the smallest television station in the country, they start running it out of their New Mexico garage with the assistance of their kids and a local Sioux Indian.

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS:  “By the time I got involved with  Please Stand By , it had already been sold into syndication and I was replacing someone, I don’t know who, and it was for 22 episodes. The fact that it was 22 episodes guaranteed, I said I’d do it. I’d had it with the network pulling the plug all the time, so as long as I had a little security. And I had a really good time. It was cute, it was fluff and I had a perfectly lovely year, but I don’t know whatever happened to it.”

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Susan baxter on ‘the new adventures of beans baxter’ (1987).

CAST:  Jonathan Ward (Beans Baxter), Rick Lenz (Benjamin Baxter, Sr.), Scott Bremner (Scott “Scooter” Baxter)

ELINOR PLAYED:  Susan Baxter, mother to Beans

PREMISE:  In a nutshell, it’s about the spy adventures of the teenage title character, with Susan Baxter very much in a supporting role.

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS: “Getting the part was fun, though I can’t say that about most audition processes. I don’t like them much and I’m not good at them. but for this one, I signed all the contracts, I went in, did the scenes and left, because you never want to see the other people auditioning for the part. Well, it turned out I was the only one brought in, which was a nice honor. Barry Diller [then the head of Fox] was a fan of mine and he was the one that said, ‘Okay, that’s her.'”

Gladys Peterson on ‘Get a Life’ (1990 to 1992)

CAST:  Chris Elliot (Chris Peterson), Bob Elliot (Fred Peterson)

ELINOR PLAYED:  Gladys Peterson, Chris’ mother and Fred’s wife

Deal of the Day

PREMISE:  Thirty-years-old, Chris Peterson still lives with his parents, works as a newspaper delivery “boy,” has no driver’s license and is the epitome of a man-child. Stupid may be too cruel a word to use to describe him, but if the stoopid fits….

ELINOR DONAHUE REMEMBERS:  “I was given the script very quickly, because they were starting the next day with the reading for the network. I mean, it had to be cast right then and there, and the casting director said, ‘This character is the mother of a newspaper boy and he lives at home.’ ‘Sure, fine.’ Now one of my sons had delivered newspapers from the age of 11 to about 13, so I had that in my head. I’m visualizing that in front and I’m reading with that in mind in the office with the producers, one of whom was Chris Elliott. When I got home I was told I got the part and I should come in the next day to read with the whole cast in front of the network.

“When I found out the son was not 11, but was 30, I thought it was terrific. Hilarious. I still had a boy at home who was pushing 20, I think, at the time, and when I told him what the premise was, he said, ‘I’m out of here,’ and he moved out! And the character Chris played was such  a doofus and it was all very surreal. And Papa and I never got out of our pajamas and slippers — I don’t quite know why. It helped with the character somehow to be a little bit bizarre. You don’t have to remark on it or say anything about it, you just go on about your business.”

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