Almost 55 years after its original series debuted, Star Trek remains as strong and relevant as ever. With four ongoing Paramount+ shows (Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds), at least five series in development, and an upcoming film from Noah Hawley, the universe of the Gene Roddenberry-created franchise is expected to expand even more.
While it’s always exciting to see new cast members join the beloved sci-fi property, original and older Star Trek cast actors hold a very special place in the hearts of longtime Trekkies. If you’re wondering where those actors are today, lock through this list of Star Trek actors then and now to find out what the cast has been up to since starring in the franchise.
#1 Patrick Stewart
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard
Character name: Jean-Luc Picard
Age: 80
Stewart is one of the older Star Trek actors who remain active in the franchise. After playing Picard in seven seasons of The Next Generation and its four subsequent films from 1987 to 2002, the English actor returned to the role for the CBS All Access series Picard in 2020. Filming for the show’s second season is expected to begin in February 2021.
During his Star Trek hiatus, Stewart starred as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series and Walter Blunt in the Starz sitcom Blunt Talk. He has also done a lot of voice works over the years. Apart from being the voice of Avery Bullock in the sitcom American Dad!, he has also lent his voice in the Ted film series, The Emoji Movie¸ and the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, among many others.
#2 Brent Spiner
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard
Character name: Data
Age: 71
Spiner played the fan-favorite android Starfleet officer Data in The Next Generation and its four subsequent films from 1987 to 2002. Almost two decades later, he reprised the role in the first season of Picard.
After The Next Generation ended, Spiner went on to appear in several TV series, including a three-episode arc in Star Trek: Enterprise as Dr. Arik Soong. Outside Star Trek, the actor starred in the CBS sci-fi series Threshold, Cinemax horror drama Outcast, and Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. He also played Dr. Brackish Okun in the 1996 movie Independence Day and in its 2016 sequel Independence Day.
#3 William Shatner
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series
Character name: James T. Kirk
Age: 89
Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of Kirk, the captain of the starship USS Enterprise, in all three seasons of The Original Series from 1966 to 1969. Four years after the show was canceled, the Canadian actor returned to the franchise for two seasons of The Animated Series, in which he did voice-over works from 1973 to 1974. He then went on to appear in the first seven Star Trek movies, spanning from 1979 to 1994.
Post-Star Trek, Shatner played the title character in the ABC/CBS police drama series T.J. Hooker from 1982 to 1986. He also starred in the ABC legal drama The Practice (2004) and its spin-off Boston Legal (2004-2008) as famed attorney Denny Crane, a role that earned him a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
Aside from being an actor, Shatner also made a career as an author. His bibliography includes the book series TekWar, Star Trek, War, Quest for Tomorrow, and Samuel Lord.
#4 Leonard Nimoy
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series
Character name: Spock
Date deceased: February 27th, 2015 (aged 83)
Nimoy first played the role of Spock ― the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer and science officer aboard the USS Enterprise ― in the pilot episode of The Original Series shot in late 1964. He then went on to portray the character in The Animated Series and the first six Star Trek movies. After an almost two-decade Star Trek hiatus, the actor returned to the franchise in the 2009 movie Star Trek as Spock Prime, a role he reprised in the 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness. Having played Spock on and off from over a period of 49 years, from 1964 to 2013, Nimoy is the longest-serving Star Trek actor of all time.
In February 2015, Nimoy died of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition he attributed to a smoking addiction he had given up about 30 years earlier. A few days before his death, Nimoy tweeted: “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP”
#5 Nichelle Nichols
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series
Character name: Nyota Uhura
Age: 88
Nichols’ Uhura served as a communications officer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A in The Original Series, The Animated Series, and the first six Star Trek films. Nichols’ portrayal of Uhura was groundbreaking as it was one of the first times that an African-American actress portrayed a non-stereotypical role on television. Previously, most African-American female characters on U.S. TV were depicted as maids or housekeepers, and Nichols’ Uhura helped break that barrier.
In 1977, Nichols started to take part in a special project to recruit minority and female personnel for NASA. Among those she directly recruited through the program were Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and U.S. Air Force Colonel Guion Bluford, the first African-American astronaut. In 1979, Nichols was named as NASA’s Woman of the Year for her efforts.
#6 DeForest Kelley
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series
Character name: Leonard “Bones” McCoy
Date deceased: June 11th, 1999 (aged 79)
Kelley’s McCoy served as the chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A in The Original Series, The Animated Series, and the first six Star Trek movies. Unfortunately, Kelley was one of the many Star Trek actors who was typecast after his initial stint in the franchise. Though he made some appearances on TV and film outside of the sci-fi franchise, he didn’t have any memorable role other than McCoy.
Later in life, Kelley developed an interest in poetry and eventually published the books The Big Bird’s Dream in 1977 and The Dream Goes On in 1984.
In June 1999, Kelley died of stomach cancer at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. He was 79.
#7 LeVar Burton
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Geordi LaForge
Age: 63
Though his appearance as LaForge in all seven seasons of The Next Generation and in four TNG movies made him more popular, Burton was one of the few Star Trek cast actors who had already made a name for himself before debuting in the franchise. He is known for his star-making, Emmy Award-nominated performance as Kunta Kinte in the critically acclaimed 1977 ABC miniseries Roots. He was also the longtime host of the popular, Daytime Emmy Award-winning children’s educational program Reading Rainbow, which ran from 1983 to 2006.
Aside from doing acting projects following his Star Trek stint, Burton has also become a full-blown director. In addition to 29 Star Trek episodes that he has helmed, his directorial credits also include The WB’s Charmed and CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans.
#8 Gates McFadden
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Beverly Crusher
Age: 71
McFadden’s Crusher ― the chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D and the USS Enterprise-E both under the command of Jean-Luc Picard ― appeared in six out of seven seasons of The Next Generation. The character was also part of the four TNG movies. McFadden didn’t appear in the entire second season of The Next Generation, as she was fired for being too vocal about some of the writing on the series being sexist. But thanks to a letter-writing campaign, support from Patrick Stewart, and a personal invitation from executive producer Rick Berman, McFadden was brought back to the show for its third and subsequent seasons.
Though McFadden appeared in a number TV series and movies after her Star Trek stint, none of those was major roles. Aside from being an actress, McFadden is also a teacher. She has taught at several universities and academic institutions, including American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Brandeis, Harvard, Purdue, Temple, the Stella Academy in Hamburg, and the University of Pittsburgh.
#9 Michael Dorn
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Worf
Age: 68
Having played Worf in all seven seasons of The Next Generation and in the last four seasons of Deep Space Nine, Dorn has appeared more times as a regular Star Trek cast member than any other actor in the franchise’s history. In addition to these two Star Trek TV series, the actor also reprised the role in five Star Trek movies.
Since the end of his Star Trek career, Dorn has done several voice projects for TV, including Disney’s The Lion Guard, The CW’s Arrow, Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and the upcoming Amazon Prime Video superhero series Invincible.
#10 James Doohan
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series
Character name: Montgomery “Scotty” Scott
Age: 85
Doohan’s Scott was the chief engineer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A in The Original Series and The Animated Series. Known for his superior technical and engineering skill, the character has inspired many fans to pursue careers in engineering and other technical fields. Aside from being part of the Star Trek cast, Doohan ― who also appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies ― also contributed in the development of the Klingon and Vulcan languages of the franchise.
After his Star Trek journey, Doohan had limited success in finding other acting roles. Two of his few post-Star Trek roles are Commander Canarvin in the short-lived live-action kids’ show Jason of Star Command and Damon Warwick on CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful.
#11 Jeri Ryan
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Picard
Character name: Seven of Nine
Age: 52
Ryan made her debut as Seven of Nine in the fourth season of Voyager and went on to play the role of the former Borg drone until the seventh and final season of the series in 2001. In 2020, almost two decades after the end of Voyager, Ryan reprised her role as Seven of Nine in the first season of Picard and is confirmed to appear in the show’s upcoming sophomore run.
Outside the Star Trek franchise, Ryan played the series regular roles of Ronnie Cooke in Fox’s Boston Public, Jessica Devlin on CBS’ Shark, and Kate Murphy in ABC’s Body of Proof. She also recurred as Veronica Allen in Amazon Prime Video’s Bosch and Gwendolyn Hayes in the CBS revival of MacGyver.
#12 Kate Mulgrew
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Prodigy
Character name: Kathryn Janeway
Age: 65
Mulgrew starred as Captain Janeway in the entire seven-season run of Voyager from 1995 to 2001. In 2020, it was announced that Mulgrew will reprise the role in the upcoming Nickelodeon animated series Prodigy.
When Voyager came to an end, Mulgrew returned to theater and starred in several productions, including a one-woman play called Tea at Five, an off-Broadway production of Our Leading Lady, Iphigenia 2.0, Equus, and William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.
Mulgrew also played the series regular roles of Kove on Adult Swim’s NTSF:SD:SUV:: as well as Galina “Red” Reznikov in the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, for which she was nominated for her first Primetime Emmy Award.
#13 George Takei
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series
Character name: Hikaru Sulu
Age: 83
Over a period of 40 years, Takei’s Sulu served aboard at least three different Federation starships, including the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A, before finally becoming the commanding officer of the USS Excelsior. Takei played the character in The Original Series, The Animated Series, and the first six Star Trek movies.
Like most former Star Trek actors, Takei has booked several voice roles since his last appearance in the franchise. These include Nickelodeon’s Supah Ninjas, Disney Channel’s Kim Possible, and the ongoing HBO Max animated series Love Monster.
Takei has also played a few live-action roles post-Star Trek, including Kaito Nakamura on NBC’s Heroes, Nobuhiro Yamato on AMC’s The Terror, and Supreme Commander on ABC’s The Neighbors.
#14 Walter Koenig
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Character name: Pavel Chekov
Age: 84
Koenig’s Chekov mainly served as the navigator and security chief aboard the USS Enterprise and the USS Enterprise in The Original Series and in the first seven Star Trek movies. Due to budgetary reasons, Koenig was the only original Star Trek cast member not to reprise his role in The Animated Series, though he still contributed to the series by writing the episode The Infinite Vulcan.
Though he has continued to act since his last Star Trek appearance, Koenig seems to have shifted his focus on creating a career as a writer. Koenig has penned several books, including Chekov’s Enterprise (1980), Warped Factors: A Neurotic’s Guide to the Universe (1998), and Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot (2006).
He also created his own comic book series called Raver, which was published by Malibu Comics in the early 1990s. In 2013, Bluewater Comics published his graphic novel Walter Koenig’s Things To Come with artist J.C. Baez.
#15 Wil Wheaton
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Wesley Crusher
Age: 48
Wheaton made his debut appearance as Wesley in the series premiere of The Next Generation back in 1987. Wesley, the gifted son of Starfleet officers Jack Crusher and Beverly Crusher, was a regular character in the first four seasons of the series and appeared sporadically in the next three seasons. Wheaton is one of the three Star Trek actors with an asteroid named after them, the two being George Takei and Nichelle Nichols.
After his Star Trek stint, Wheaton appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, and in the roles of Fawkes on the web series The Guild, Colin Mason on TNT’s Leverage, and Dr. Isaac Parrish on Sci-Fi Channel’s Eureka.
Wheaton has also made a career as a host and presenter. He was one of the hosts of the web series TableTop from 2012 to 2017 and has hosted the Star Trek aftershow The Ready Room since its second season.
#16 Ricardo Montalbán
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series
Character name: Khan Noonien Singh
Date deceased: January 14th, 2009 (aged 88)
Montalbán first appeared as Khan in The Original Series in 1967. He reprised the role 15 years later in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. A notorious enemy of James T. Kirk, Khan was an extremely intelligent and dangerous superhuman who is the most prominent of the genetically-engineered Human Augments of the late-20th century Eugenics Wars period on Earth.
Prior to joining the Star Trek cast, Montalbán was best known for his portrayal of Armando in two of the installments of original Planet of the Apes film series. After his initial Star Trek appearance, the Mexican actor played the role of Satangkai in the ABC How the West Was Won, which earned him an Emmy Award in 1978. Montalbán also portrayed Mr. Roarke on ABC’s Fantasy Island for seven seasons from 1977 to 1984.
In January 2009, Montalbán died of complications from advancing age at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88.
#17 Marina Sirtis
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Deanna Troi
Age: 65
Sirtis played Troi in all seven seasons of The Next Generation and reprised the role in all four TNG movies. She also guest-starred in episodes of Voyager, Picard, and Lower Decks. Under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Trois served as counselor aboard the USS Enterprise-D and the USS Enterprise-E. As a half-Betazoid, Troi has telepathic abilities. However, the range of her telepathic abilities was limited compared to full-blooded Betazoids.
After starring in the TNG movies, Sirtis has landed a number of voice roles, including Demona in Walt Disney Television’s Gargoyles as well as Queen Bee in the Cartoon Network/DC Universe series Young Justice.
#18 Jonathan Frakes
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: William T. Riker
Age: 68
Frakes originated the role of Riker in The Next Generation and reprised it in all four TNG movies. He also guest-starred as Riker in Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Picard, and Lower Decks. Riker served as the first officer for Captain Jean-Luc Picard for 15 years on the USS Enterprise-D and USS Enterprise-E before finally accepting his own command with the USS Titan.
Like most former Star Trek actors, much of Frakes’ acting work after Star Trek has been animation voice acting. He most notably voiced the recurring role of David Xanatos in the Disney series Gargoyles.
Aside from acting, Frakes has also made a career as a director. In addition to helming the Star Trek movies First Contact and Insurrection, he has also directed episodes of several TV shows, including The WB’s Roswell, TNT’s Leverage, ABC’s Castle, CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles, USA Network’s Burn Notice, ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., TNT’s The Librarians, and Fox’s The Orville.
#19 Denise Crosby
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Natasha Yar
Age: 63
Crosby played the role of Yar in the first season of The Next Generation, who served as the security chief aboard the USS Enterprise-D. After Yar died in the latter part of the show’s freshman run, Crosby returned to the series to portray the role of Sela, the daughter of Yar from an alternate timeline who played a very important role in Romulan politics.
After her Star Trek stint, Crosby has been cast in several TV roles. She played the recurring role of Deb in Showtime’s Ray Donovan from 2013 to 2017. In 1994, she also appeared in three episodes of The Walking Dead as Mary, a member of a group of cannibals. Most recently, she appeared as Special Master Faye Richardson in nine out of 10 episodes of the final season of USA Network’s Suits.
#20 Colm Meaney
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Miles O’Brien
Age: 67
Meaney debuted the role of O’Brien in The Next Generation and continued to play the role in Deep Space Nine. O’Brien served as transporter chief aboard the USS Enterprise-D for several years before being promoted to chief of operations aboard Deep Space 9. Meaney appeared in 52 episodes of The Next Generation and in 173 episodes of Deep Space Nine. Among all the Star Trek actors, Meaney is the cast member to have appeared in the pilots and final episodes of both series.
Post-Star Trek, the Irish actor appeared in a lot of movies, including the Daniel Craig-led crim film Layer Cake (2004), sports drama The Damned United (2009), comedy Get Him to the Greek (2010), and the Nicholas Hoult-fronted biographical drama Tolkien (2019). He was also one of the main cast members of AMC’s western period drama Hell on Wheels, in which he played the role of Thomas “Doc” Durant from 2011 to 2016.
#21 Nana Visitor
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Kira Nerys
Age: 63
Appearing in all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine, Visitor’s Nerys served as a Bajoran liaison officer on Deep Space 9 and later assumed command of the Starfleet station.
After starring in Star Trek, Visitor has done a number of TV projects, including Fox’s Dark Angel, ABC Family’s Wildfire, and Fox’s Family Guy, in which she voiced various characters. She also played the iconic role of Pamela Voorhees, the mother of horror icon Jason Voorhees, in the 2009 movie reboot of Friday the 13th.
#22 Terry Farrell
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Jadzia Dax
Age: 57
Farrell appeared in the first six seasons of Deep Space Nine as one of its original main cast members. A joined Trill and the eighth host of the Dax symbiont from 2367 to 2374, Farrell’s Jadzia served on space station Deep Space 9 under the command of Captain Benjamin Sisko.
Just five months after her last appearance in Deep Space Nine, Farrell made her debut as Reggie Kostas in the CBS sitcom Becker. Farrell only appeared in the first four seasons of the comedy series, as she initially decided to retire from acting in 2002. Fifteen years later, she joined the cast of the 2017 web-released fan film Star Trek: Renegades and its subsequent two-episode series Renegades.
#23 Avery Brooks
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Benjamin Sisko
Age: 72
The lead actor of Deep Space Nine, Brooks played the role of Sisko, the commanding officer of the titular space station in the Bajor sector. After starring in the series for seven years from 1993 to 1999, Brooks only managed to land a few TV and movie projects. He, however, appeared in several theatrical productions, including The Oedipus Plays, King Lear, Othello, and Tamburlaine.
In a December 2020 interview with The 7th Rule podcast on the YouTube channel Orville Nation, host Cirroc Lofton, who also appeared on Deep Space Nine, said that Brooks has not retired from acting and would return in front of the camera if offered a role. Lofton went on to reveal that Brooks has been blacklisted from Hollywood and is without any agent or agency. This prompted fans to start the hashtag #WeWantAvery on Twitter, hoping that the actor would get a resurgence in Hollywood.
#24 Majel Barrett
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise
Character names: Christine Chapel, Lwaxana Troi, M’Ress, voice of various computers
Date deceased: December 18th, 2008 (aged 76)
Among all Star Trek actors, Barrett was the only one who had an acting role in all the first six Star Trek series. Aside from providing the voice of various computers in the six series, she also played Christine Chapel in The Original Series, M’Ress in The Animated Series, and Lwaxana Troix in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, among many others.
Barrett was the second wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Her association with Roddenberry earned her the title The First Lady of Star Trek. Barrett died in December 2008 as a result of leukemia. She was 76.
#25 Whoopi Goldberg
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Guinan
Age: 65
Goldberg portrayed the recurring role of Guinan from season 2 through season 6 of The Next Generation. She also reprised the role in the movies Star Trek Generations and Star Trek Nemesis. From the race of “listeners” called El-Aurian, Guinan was the enigmatic bartender who ran Ten Forward, the lounge aboard the USS Enterprise-D. She was well known for her wise counsel, which proved invaluable many times.
Goldberg’s has landed several TV and movie roles since her debut appearance in the Star Trek franchise. Among her most notable roles, post-Star Trek, include Oda Mae Brown in the 1990 romantic fantasy film Ghost as well as Deloris Van Cartier in the 1992 comedy film Sister Act and its 1993 sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Since 2007, Goldberg has also moderated and co-hosted the daytime talk show The View.
#26 John de Lancie
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Q
Age: 72
De Lancie made his debut appearance as Q in The Next Generation. After appearing in eight episodes of the Patrick Stewart-led series from 1987 to 1994, the actor reprised the role in one episode of Deep Space Nine, three episodes of Voyager, and an episode of Lower Decks. Q was a highly powerful entity from a race of godlike beings also known as the Q.
In 1995, a year after his The Next Generation stint ended, de Lancie landed the role of Janos Bartok in UPN’s sci-fi western drama Legend. He then went on to play Frank Simmons in Showtime/Sci-Fi’s Stargate SG-1 from 2001 to 2002 and Donald Margolis in AMC’s Breaking Bad from 2009 to 2010. He also provided the voice of Discord in Discovery Family’s My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic from 2011 to 2019.
#27 Ashley Judd
Star Trek series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Character name: Robin Lefler
Age: 52
Judd is one of the few Star Trek actors who made their acting debut in a Star Trek series. Jude’s first-ever TV appearance was in the 1991 Darmok episode of The Next Generation, in which she played a Starfleet officer and engineer named Robin Lefler. The actress reprised the role in another episode of the series before moving on to other acting projects.
Just a month after her last Star Trek appearance, Judd started to recur as Reed Halsey in the NBC family drama Sisters ― a role she played from 1991 to 1994. Her other notable TV credits include ABC’s Missing, Showtime’s Twin Peaks, and Epix’s Berlin Station. She also earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Norman Jean in the 1996 TV film Norma Jean & Marilyn.
On the movie front, Judd played Linda Porter in the 2004 musical biopic De-Lovely. Her portrayal of the role earned her another Golden Globe nom. She also appeared in 2013’s Olympus Has Fallen, 2019’s A Dog’s Way Home, and in the Divergent film trilogy.
#28 Roxann Dawson
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: B’Elanna Torres
Age: 62
Dawson appeared in all seven seasons of Voyager as B’Elanna Torres, a Klingon-Human hybrid who served as the chief engineer aboard the USS Voyager under the command of Captain Kathryn Janeway.
Though Dawson landed a few TV roles after Voyager ended, Dawson became one of the Star Trek actors who have shifted their focus on directing. Some of her notable directorial credits include the NBC crime drama Crossing Jordan, CBS police procedural Cold Case, and the ABC superhero series Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. She most recently directed two episodes of AMC’s 2020 dark fantasy series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
#29 Jennifer Lien
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: Kes
Age: 46
A main cast member in the first three seasons of Voyager, Lien played the Ocampan character Kes, who served as field medic of the USS Voyager crew. Lien initially left the show in 1997 after appearing in the first two episodes of season 4 as a guest star. Three years later, the actress returned to the show for a season 6 episode to reprise her role one last time. After her contract as a main cast member was not renewed after season 3, Jeri Ryan joined the show as Seven of Nine.
Following her Star Trek stint, Lien lent her voice to Agent L in Men in Black: The Series from 1997 to 2001 and appeared as a nurse in the 2001 film Accidents Don’t Happen, which marked her last acting role. In an interview a 2010 interview, Lien said: “I still love acting, but I don’t like that life anymore. I can’t.” At the time of the interview, Lien was working on her associate’s degree and planning to pursue a career as a nutritionist.
#30 Robert Beltran
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: Chakotay
Age: 67
Appearing in all seven seasons of Voyager, Beltran’s Chakotay served as the first officer aboard the titular starship under the command of Captain Kathryn Janeway. Chakotay is the first Native American main character in the Star Trek franchise.
Post-Star Trek, Beltran appeared in a number of TV series, including the HBO drama Big Love, in which he played the recurring role of Jerry Flute from 2009 to 2010.
#31 Robert Picardo
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: The Doctor
Age: 67
A main cast member in all seven seasons of Voyager, Picardo played the titular starship’s Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), most notably The Doctor who served as chief medical officer during the starship’s seven-year journey through the Delta Quadrant. The actor also played the EMH creator, Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, as well as some of his other holographic creations.
In 2004, three years after Voyager wrapped up, Picardo began playing the recurring role of International Oversight Advisory (IOA) member Richard Woolsey in Stargate SG-1 and later in its spinoff series Stargate Atlantis. In 2008, he was promoted to series regular for the fifth and final season of Stargate Atlantis.
Picardo most recently recurred as Ithamar Conkey in the first two seasons role of the Apple TV+ comedy series Dickinson.
#32 Robert Duncan McNeill
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: Tom Paris
Age: 56
McNeill portrayed the role of Tom Paris in all seven seasons of Voyager. Paris is a human Starfleet officer who served as flight controller of USS Voyager under the command of Captain Kathryn Janeway.
Though McNeill has only landed six acting roles since Voyager ended, he has continued to work in the entertainment industry as a TV director. His notable directing credits include Fox’s The Orville, Bravo’s Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, NBC’s Chuck, and The WB’s Dawson’s Creek.
#33 Ethan Phillips
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: Neelix
Age: 65
Phillips’ Neelix is a Talaxian hybrid who joined the USS Voyager when it was pulled into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker’s array in 2371. While the titular starship made a seven-year journey through the Delta Quadrant, Neelix served as a chef, morale officer, navigator, and ambassador to the Delta Quadrant aboard the vessel.
Phillips is one of the Star Trek actors who have continued to book several acting jobs since their last appearance in the franchise. Phillips’ most recent acting credits include HBO’s sci-fi comedy Avenue 5, AMC’s crime drama Better Call Saul, HBO’s comedy-drama Girls and political satire Veep.
#34 Tim Russ
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: Tuvok
Age: 64
Appearing in all seven seasons of Voyager, Russ portrayed Tuvok, a Vulcan Starfleet officer who served as a tactical officer and second officer under the command of Captain Kathryn Janeway during the titular starship’s journey through the Delta Quadrant. Russ is one of the only two Star Trek actors who have appeared on-screen with four different Star Trek series captains, the other one being Jonathan Frakes.
Following his Star Trek stint, Russ has continued to act in TV and movies. Some of his notable roles post-Star Trek roles are Principal Ted Franklin in Nickelodeon’s teen sitcom iCarly and Frank the Doorman in the ABC sitcom Samantha Who?
Russ, who has been a musician for over 40 years, has also released three albums since Voyager wrapped up. Those albums are Kushangaza (2001), Brave New World (2003), and 2nd Thoughts (2007).
#35 Garrett Wang
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Voyager
Character name: Harry Kim
Age: 52
Wang’s Kim served as operations officer aboard USS Voyager during the seven years it was lost in the Delta Quadrant. He was fresh out of the Starfleet Academy when the starship was pulled into the Delta Quadrant.
Wang has become a convention moderator after appearing Deep Space Nine. Though he hasn’t landed a TV series regular role since Voyager, he did manage to appear in a few movies, including the 2002 horror thriller Survival Island, 2010’s crime drama Acts of Violence, and 2012’s sci-fi comedy Rock Jocks.
#36 Connor Trinneer
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Enterprise
Character name: Charles “Trip” Tucker III
Age: 51
Trinneer played the series regular role of Tucker in all four seasons of Enterprise, which aired on UPN from 2001 to 2005. Tucker served as chief engineer and second officer of the titular starship under the command of his best friend, Captain Jonathan Archer.
A year after Enterprise was canceled, Trinneer became one of the Star Trek actors to appear in MGM’s Stargate franchise. He portrayed the recurring role of Michael Kenmore, a vengeful Wraith-Human hybrid, in 10 episodes of the Sci-Fi Channel series Stargate: Atlantis.
Outside the sci-fi realm, Trinneer had recurring roles in ABC Family’s family drama Lincoln Heights, NBC’s action thriller American Odyssey, and USA Network’s horror thriller The Purge.
#37 John Billingsley
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Enterprise
Character name: Phlox
Age: 60
Appearing throughout four seasons of Enterprise, Billingsley played Dr. Phlox, the Denobulan chief medical officer of Enterprise NX-01. An extremely cheerful alien, Doctor Phlox is known for using many animals and naturalistic cures in practicing medicine.
After Enterprise’s run was cut short in 2005, Billingsley joined ABC’s serial drama The Nine as one of the main cast members. He also landed the series regular role of Dr. Shenendoah Cassidy in the 2014 CBS series Intelligence. Billingsley’s other notable acting credits post-Star Trek include HBO’s True Blood, AMC’s Turn: Washington Spies, and Freeform’s Stitchers.
#38 René Auberjonois
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Odo
Date deceased: December 8th, 2019 (aged 79)
Auberjonois played the Changeling named Odo in the entire seven-season run of Deep Space Nine. The shape-shifting character was the security chief of the show’s titular space station. Aside from being one of the main cast members of the show, Odo had also directed eight episodes of the series.
Five years after the end of Deep Space Nine, Auberjonois landed the role of Paul Lewiston in the ABC legal drama Boston Legal. He was part of the show’s main cast in the first three seasons and recurred in the last two seasons. Auberjonois’ other acting credits post-Star Trek include Syfy’s Warehouse 13, NBC’s sitcom 1600 Penn, and CBS’ political drama Madam Secretary.
Auberjonois died in December 2019 following a battle with metastatic lung cancer. He was 79. Sadly, Auberjonois joins the list of Star Trek actors that has passed away in recent years.
#39 Alexander Siddig
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Julian Bashir
Age: 55
Siddig starred in all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine as Dr. Bashir, the chief medical officer of the titular space station. The Sudanese-born English actor also appeared as Dr. Bashir in an episode of the sixth season of The Next Generation.
Siddig is one of the Star Trek actors who have been in demand since starring in the franchise. Post-Deep Space Nine, Siddig recurred in Fox’s 24, starred in ITV’s Primeval, and guest-starred in BBC One’s Atlantis. His most recent acting credits include the Fox espionage thriller Deep State, Fox action crime drama Gotham, British period crime drama Peaky Blinders, and HBO epic fantasy Game of Thrones.
#40 Armin Shimerman
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Quark
Age: 71
Shimerman was a main cast member in all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine. He played the role of Quark, a Ferengi bar owner who was a constant thorn in the side ― sometime adversary, sometime confidante ― of station Security Chief Odo. Aside from starring in Deep Space Nine, Shimerman also appeared as Quark in The Next Generation and Voyager, making him one of only seven Star Trek actors to appear in three different live-action Star Trek series.
After his Star Trek stint, Shimmerman went on to appear in several TV series. He most notably played Principal Snyder in the supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as Judge Brian Hooper in the ABC legal drama Boston Legal.
#41 Cirroc Lofton
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Jake Sisko
Age: 42
Though credited as a regular cast member throughout all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine, Lofton only appeared in 71 of 173 episodes of the Star Trek series. Lofton played Jake Sisko, son of the famous Starfleet Captain Benjamin Sisko. However, Jake chose not to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Starfleet officer, and instead pursued a career in journalism.
After Deep Space Nine ended, Lofton played the series regular role of professional basketball player Curtis Thorpe on the Showtime drama series The Hoop Life from 1999 to 2000. A year after, he recurred as law student Anthony Carter on Showtime’s family drama Soul Food.
#42 Marc Alaimo
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Dukat
Age: 78
Appearing as one of the supporting cast members in all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine, Alaimo portrayed the role of Dukat, a Cardassian military officer who later became the leader of the Cardassian Union and an emissary of the Pah-Wraiths.
After his last Deep Space Nine appearance, Alaimo disappeared from the limelight. Although he mentioned during a Q&A panel at the Star Trek Las Vegas Convention in 2015 that he was still willing to work as an actor, he said at the time that he was out of touch with the entertainment industry and had no agency representing him.
#43 Aron Eisenberg
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Nog
Date deceased: September 21st, 2019 (aged 50)
A supporting cast member in all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine, Eisenberg played the role of Nog, the first Ferengi to enter Starfleet and served aboard the titular space station after a recommendation from Captain Benjamin Sisko.
Almost two decades after his Deep Space Nine stint, Eisenberg landed the recurring role of Raejin Tektonopolis in the sci-fi series Blade of Honor.
In September 2019, Eisenberg died of heart failure at the age of 50.
#44 Andrew Robinson
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Elim Garak
Age: 78
Robinson played the supporting role of Garak in all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine. A former agent of the Cardassian intelligence agency, Garak was a tailor and promenade shopkeeper who lived on the titular space station.
After working on Deep Space Nine, Robinson started a career in television directing. He directed two episodes of Voyager and seven episodes of the CBS courtroom drama Judging Amy.
#45 Jeffrey Combs
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise,
Character name: Brunt, Andorian Thy’lek Shran, and various Weyouns
Age: 66
Combs guest-starred in 31 episodes of Deep Space Nine, one episode of Voyager, and 11 episodes of Enterprise. He is one of only five Star Trek actors to play seven or more different characters in the sci-fi franchise, the others being Randy Oglesby, J.G. Hertzler, Vaughn Armstrong, and Thomas Kopache. Combs’ various Star Trek roles include Brunt, Tiron, Penk, Shran, and various Weyouns.
Since his last Star Trek appearance, Combs has been cast as a voice actor in several animated TV series, including Cartoon Network’s Justice League Unlimited, Hub Network’s Transformers: Prime, and Adult Swim’s Tigtone.
#46 Nicole de Boer
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Character name: Ezri Dax
Age: 50
De Boer appeared in the seventh and final season Deep Space Nine. She played the role of Ezri Dax, a counselor aboard the titular Bajoran space station. A joined Trill and the ninth host of the Dax symbiont, Ezri was introduced to the series following the death of the previous Dax host, Jadzia, at the end of season 6.
After her Deep Space Nine stint, De Boer landed a role in Sci-Fi Channel’s five-part miniseries Five Days and went on to play the series regular role of Sarah Bracknell Bannerman in USA Network’s The Dead Zone. De Boer currently recurs as Becca D’Orsay in the Canadian comedy-drama series Private Eyes.
#47 Jolene Blalock
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Enterprise
Character name: T’Pol
Age: 45
Appearing as a series regular throughout four seasons of Enterprise, Blalock played T’Pol, a Vulcan science officer aboard the titular starship. The actress also portrayed T’Pol’s second great-grandmother T’Mir in the Enterprise episode Carbon Creek.
After the cancellation of Enterprise, Blalock appeared in several movies, including 2007’s Shadow Puppets, 2010’s Sinners and Saints, 2011’s One Kine Day, and 2014’s Sex Tape, which starred Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz. Blalock was last seen in 2017 TV movie A Man for Every Month.
#48 Dominic Keating
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Enterprise
Character name: Malcolm Reed
Age: 58
Keating played Reed in all four seasons of Enterprise. Reed served as armory officer aboard Enterprise NX-01 under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer. Though he came from a long line of Royal Navy men, he chose to join Starfleet because of his fear of drowning.
In 2007, two years after Enterprise’s abrupt ending, Keating was cast to play the recurring role of Will in the NBC superhero drama Heroes. He also appeared as Andrew Tyge in two episodes of Fox’s Prison Break in the same year, and as Luther Barwill in two episodes of FX’s Sons of Anarchy in 2010.
The British actor has also been cast as a voice actor in several video games, including World of Warcraft, Destiny, and Diablo III.
#49 Scott Bakula
Star Trek series: Star Trek: Enterprise
Character name: Jonathan Archer
Age: 66
The lead star of Enterprise, Bakula played Archer, the commanding officer of the starship Enterprise NX-01 from 2151 to 2161 and later became the President of the United Federation of Planets from 2184 to 2192.
After Enterprise came to an end, Bakula played the series regular role of Terry Elliot in TNT’s comedy drama Men of a Certain Age from 2009 to 2011. Three years later, he started portraying Dwayne Pride, the main character of CBS’ police procedural NCIS: New Orleans, which is currently in its seventh season.