# Best Trek actor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878 "2004-04-25T03:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/21 "2004-04-25T23:23:42Z")
The guy who played the local head Cardassian, Gul Dukat in DS9. Very nuanced performance at times. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/22 "2004-04-25T23:26:09Z")
> [@astro](#): > > The guy who played the local head Cardassian, Gul Dukat in DS9. Very nuanced performance at times. Mark “The Neck” Alaimo. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/23 "2004-04-26T00:45:14Z")
Brent Spiner. Absolutely phenomenal. I also loved Andrew J. Robinson as Garak on DS9. I was fascinated with that character, and thought it was played well. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/24 "2004-04-26T01:02:17Z")
> [@Phase42](#): > > I was fascinated with that character, and thought it was played well. And I. Anyone know how much of the character was due to writers and how much to Robinson? I would ask the same question about Shimmerman. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/25 "2004-04-26T01:06:55Z")
Brent Spiner. Though FTR, I think DeForest Kelley was a bit underrated. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/26 "2004-04-26T01:09:14Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Brent Spiner. Though FTR, I think DeForest Kelley was a bit underrated. Did you catch Spiner when he made a couple of appearances on _Night Court_? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/27 "2004-04-26T01:10:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > And I. > > Anyone know how much of the character was due to writers and how much to Robinson? > I would ask the same question about Shimmerman. I’ve seen Robinson in other stuff. I would say most of the credit goes to him. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/28 "2004-04-26T01:28:42Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Did you catch Spiner when he made a couple of appearances on _Night Court_? Sadly, no. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/29 "2004-04-26T02:24:53Z")
I’d go with Colm Meany. He may not have shown much on ST (though he did managed to turn his role from a one-scene walk-on to a recurring character), but his movie work (“The Commitments,” “The Snapper,” “The Englishman who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain”) is quite good. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/30 "2004-04-26T02:28:13Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Sadly, no. > ☹ He played an outrageous hick character from Oklahoma. The character appeared 2-3 times right before he got Trek. In fact, the episode recently repeated on the Biography Channel, of all places. He also made a very brief appearance on _Cheers_ (the episode where Diane had jury duty). ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/31 "2004-04-26T05:10:26Z")
Will Wheaton. no, not really ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/32 "2004-04-26T06:47:24Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’d go with Colm Meany. He may not have shown much on ST (though he did managed to turn his role from a one-scene walk-on to a recurring character), but his movie work (“The Commitments,” “The Snapper,” “The Englishman who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain”) is quite good. He had a pretty big role in DS9, and I think he did a great job. He played the “everyman” role perfectly. In fact, I think the whole cast of DS9 was fantastic, especially the villains. There were so many bad guys on that show that you just loved to hate. ---
**Author:** ![mallocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mallocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallocks)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/33 "2004-04-26T12:54:25Z")
I was going to third(?) Avery Brooks, but then I actually read the question, and as you were asking for the most talented actor I’ll instead fifth (or thereabouts) Patrick Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/34 "2004-04-26T16:21:06Z")
I’d have to go with the two actors who’ve had the most substantial careers outside of the Trek-verse: Stewart and Auberjunois. Honorable mention to Meaney, who’s a much better (and more prolific) actor outside of Trekdom than he ever was in it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/35 "2004-04-26T20:52:00Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > He played an outrageous hick character from Oklahoma. That character (Bob Wheeler) and his wife, June (played by Annie O’Donnell) were originally described as being from West Virginia, but it turned out they were actually from (and the accents should have made it obvious) Yugoslavia. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/36 "2004-04-26T22:32:37Z")
A partial list of TOS guest stars who were either outstanding actors on their own merits or shone brightly on TOS: Rhodes Reason Logan Ramsey William Marshall Kathryn Hays Steve Ihnat Frank Gorshin James Daly Sandra Smith William Windom John Fiedler Warren Stevens Barbara Bouchet Robert Walker Jr Sally Kellerman Gary Lockwood Clint Howard Marc Adams Joan Collins John Harmon This isn’t even a complete list. I could do the same for each series and movie. This franchise has drawn and/or made some incredible talent. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/37 "2004-04-27T01:11:47Z")
No love for Frank Langella? All things considered, he’s probably the best all-around actor to appear on modern Trek. Just an occasional guest, though. Among cast members, I’m going with Auberjonois. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/38 "2004-04-27T02:24:52Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Robert Picardo deserves an honorable mention for being, I think, the best of the Voyager actors. That’s like nominating a turd for being the least smelly in a pile of turds. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/39 "2004-04-27T02:29:39Z")
> [@The Long Road](#): > > That’s like nominating Thanks for sharing that erudite thought. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878/40 "2004-04-27T02:35:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Thanks for sharing that erudite thought. You are most welcome. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-trek-actor/241878.md?page=3)