Who was the best actor? Not the best character, but the most talented actor?
Avery Brooks was damn good if the role called for being passionate about something. He was certainly the best at being pissed off.
I’d argue Patrick Stewart was the best, though Leonard Nimoy was twice nominated for an Emmy and had a more challenging character to play.
Spiner got the most opportunity to stretch. He got to play many different characters.
Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner are probably the better actors to appear on the show (and Scott Bakula is good too, even if Enterprise isn’t).
But for me, nobody… can… touch… SHATNER.
Robert Picardo deserves an honorable mention for being, I think, the best of the Voyager actors. I’d also like to suggest Jeffery Coombs, as well as both Marc Alamo and Andrew Robinson.
Oooh, easy there, killer.
Patrick Stewart. A solid actor, with lots of background in theater acting. Associate of the Royal Shakespeare Company for 27 years too!
Leonard Nimoy, with Patrick Stewart running neck in neck.
Just to be different, I’ll nominate Alexander Siddig and/or Colm Meaney. They had trouble in their early years as Bashir and O’Brien but nailed them in the later seasons of DS9. I especially like the evolution of Julian from a naive frontier doctor to a genius that has to hide his intellect.
I have to agree with carnivorousplant, ** Avery Brook ** is a fantastic actor. His Oedipus still give me chills when I think about it.
Another vote for Patrick Stewart
I gotta go with Patrick Stewart, but I’ll second Captain Amazing’s recommendation for Robert Picardo.
I would nominate a regualr cast member and a guest star for each show (except Voyager and Enterprise):
TOS: Leonard Nimoy and Mark Lenard
TNG: Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner, but for different reasons and John DeLancie
DS9: Rene Auberjunois and Jeffrey Combs
VOY: Robert Picardo
ENT: Scott Bakula
Asking “Who was the best actor in the Star Trek franchise?” is like asking “What’s the prettiest-smelling cesspool you’ve ever discovered?”
Ricardo Montelban recieved high aclaim as Khan.
But then there was John Tesh, as the Klingon K’Tesh who was the best actor and muscian ever to live…ever. [/sarcasm]
Or, “the most annoying post?”
I have been watching William Shatner on The Practice and I must admit he is really funny.
I forgot to mention Andrew Robinson. He’s quite possibly a better actor than every other star of every show combined.
Okay, okay, the cesspool analogy was a little bit of an exaggeration. It’s more like asking “Who’s the best nuclear physicist in Junior High School?”
There was this guy…
http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html