Ten Obscure Star Trek Guest Stars Who Weren’t Actors – Listverse
Star Trek is one of the two most important science fiction franchises in history. What started in 1966 as a campy space western has spawned countless adventures in films, television, novels, comic books and cartoons. Created by Gene Roddenberry and brought to life by Lucille Ball, Star Trek has been the stage for some of the best actors of recent generations.
Some of the most famous actors, from Kirsten Dunst to Ashley Judd, started out as guest stars Star Trek. Over the past half century, this franchise has produced seven live-action TV series, three animated series, and thirteen major motion pictures. Everyone from Christopher Lloyd to F. Murray Abraham has appeared in the film Star Trek canon. In addition to countless talented actors, Star Trek is graced with cameos and supporting roles by non-actors. From singers to politicians, let’s take a look at the ten most obscure Star Trek guest stars.
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10 James Worthy–The Next Generation, “Gambit, Part II”
James Worthy, a former professional basketball player, had a hall of fame career. He played with Michael Jordan at the University of North Carolina and won an NCAA championship with Coach Dean Smith in 1982. Later that year, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. There he and teammate Magic Johnson won NBA championships in ’85, ’87 and ’88. Worthy then went on to do something no other NBA player has ever done. He played a Klingon, the tallest (6 feet 6 inches) and perhaps the most intimidating Klingon in the world. Star Trek canon.
In the second of a two-part episode, “Gambit, Part II,” the crew of the Enterprise is under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Data due to unforeseen circumstances. In an elaborate plan to rescue the ship’s two high-ranking officers, the crew must stop a Klingon shuttle. Enter Coral. Worthy’s character has little to say and prefers to stare people down as an intimidation tactic, and he is very good at it. Worthy has made several cameos in TV and movies since retiring from basketball in 1994.[1]
9 Tom Morello–Voyager, ‘Good Shepherd’
Tom Morello made his name in the 1990s as a guitarist, singer and songwriter for the politically critical hard rock band Rage Against the Machine and later Audio Slave. Morello played for a long time with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, and between 2016 and 2019 he was a founding member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage. Morello, an old Trekkie, reached out through his agent in the late 1990s.
If Traveler approaching his final season, things had become complacent. Captain Janeway becomes aware of three delinquent officers on her ship who need some guidance from their captain. While passing through Deck 15 to visit one of these wayward crew members, Janeway becomes lost on her own ship. She is forced to ask for directions from Crewmen Mitchell, played by the talented Tom Morello.
The rock star had a quick back and forth with the captain and continued his daily routine. Mitchell’s crew members have not been seen Star Trek since then, but there’s no reason why he couldn’t pop up again somewhere down the line in another series.[2]
8 Iggy Pop – Deep Space Nine, “The Magnificent Ferengi”
Most of the Deep space nine series was about the growing threat and inevitable war with the Dominion, a shape-shifting species from the Delta Quadrant. The Dominion, known as the Founders, had two alien races who acted as their envoys. The Jem’ Hadar (the soldiers) and the Vorta functioned as middle management and bureaucrats.
In one of the most beloved episodes of the series, ‘The Magnificent Ferengi’. DS9 executive producer and writer Ira Steven Behr, a lifelong punk rock fan, had reached out several years earlier in the hope that Iggy Pop would appear in Season 3, Episode 12, a time-travel episode set in the early 21st century.
Unfortunately, the rock star was unavailable at the time. However, Behr realized his dream three years later when Pop agreed to play the Vorta, Yelgrun, for a Ferengi-focused episode. Throughout the episode, Yelgrun is seen nursing his left arm because Pop injured himself the night before filming by stage diving during his show.[3]
7 Mick Fleetwood – The Next Generation, “Manhunt”
Fleetwood Mac is one of the most famous rock bands of all time. Legendary for the interpersonal relationships within the band. Mick Fleetwood, one of the critical components of the band, has been in the spotlight for decades. He and frontwoman Stevie Nicks had a torrid love affair, broke up and remained band members. Mick plays drums while Stevie sings about the heartbreaking love affair they once had. Fleetwood is an experienced and world-famous drummer. However, his acting skills are not exactly legendary.
In the second season of TNG, Mick appears in full prosthetic costume as an Antedean ambassador. The Antedeans are a tall, lanky, fish-like species, and Mick’s build was perfect for the role. He had no speaking lines, and the role went largely unnoticed for decades, but Fleetwood was happy to get in on the ground floor of what would become a Golden Age of history. Star Trek.[4]
6 Jeff Bezos – Star Trek Beyond
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has multiple connections to the Star Trek franchise. On October 13, 2021, Bezos put none other than William Shatner on his Blue Origin spacecraft and shot Captain Kirk into space. But before that, in 2016, he made his first cameo appearance.
The 2010s saw the birth of JJ Abrams’ ‘Kelvin-Verse’, an alternate timeline within the Star Trek universe where things are slightly different from the main timeline that started with TOS.
In the third part of this film series, Jeff Bezos dons full prosthetic makeup to appear as an alien member of Starfleet. His character is stationed at the Yorktown Starbase, which is about to be attacked. Bezos’ role became central to the plot. The cameo lasted just eight seconds, during which he advised a rescued spaceman to “talk normally” before her translated interview with Chris Pine’s Kirk. After finishing his line, Bezos walked off-screen.[5]
5 Melvin Belli – Star Trek TOS, ‘And the Children Shall Lead’
Melvin Belli was known as a lawyer to the stars in the 1960s and was involved in one of the most famous murder cases in American history. He defended Jack Ruby for the murder of presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Before that case, Belli was already highly respected in his field and was nicknamed ‘The King of Torts’.
In the third and final season of The original series, this lawyer plays Gorgan, the evil embodiment of an ancient group of space-warring plunderers set free by a recent archaeological investigation. Belli, a skilled negotiator, convinced the studio to let his son Caesar play one of the children in the episode. Belli may be the only career lawyer to appear on the show, and certainly one of the most obscure guest spots in TV history.[6]
4 Stacey Abrams – Discovery, ‘Homecoming’
For those who don’t know, Star Trek has always been politically conscious. So whether you agree with her politics or not, there’s no denying that Abrams is a force to be reckoned with. Discovery In season four, Michael Burnham begins her reign as captain of the titular ship as they lead the Federation into a post-Burn era.
The season begins with the introduction of Federation President Laira Rillak, a female hybrid of Human, Bajoran and Cardassian. Earth is not a member of the Federation during this time, and it is not until the season finale that Earth’s president appears. Albeit in a small role, Abrams delivers her lines with the calm yet convincing demeanor that can only come with years of real political work.
Abrams is the only active state representative to appear in the sci-fi drama. Although she was only given the character name ‘Madame President’, many Trekkies felt she was the perfect person to fill this role.[7]
3 Mae Jemison–The Next Generation, “Second Chances”
The first African-American woman in space, Mae Carol Jemison, was the first real astronaut to appear Star Trek. Jemison is one Star Trek fan and specifically mentioned Uhura (Nichelle Nichols, who was on set for the shoot) as a role model and why she became an astronaut. Jemison got the cameo role after LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge) heard she was a fan and asked if she wanted to guest star in an episode. She agreed.
Jensen only has a few lines and the episode focuses on Commander Riker’s transporter accident clone, aka Thomas Riker. While Mae won’t go down in history for her acting skills, she will go down in history and be one of it forever The one from Star Trek most obscure guest stars.[8]
2 Abdullah bin al-Hussein-Voyager, “Researches”
Prince Abdullah bin al-Hussein is now king of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He is a certified Trekkie and in early 1996 he planned to visit the set Traveler. As a surprise, his American advisor arranged for him to appear as a background character. He appears at the beginning of the episode as a lieutenant science officer.
He saw Kim with Harry, but no words are heard (at 2:00 in the clip above). He was not given any speaking notes because he is not a member of SAG-AFTRA. After his scene, Robert Picardo (the Doctor) presented the Prince with an autographed photo of the Voyager crew. Abdullah returned the favor by throwing a party for everyone on set that day. He is still the King of Jordan and the only real prince to ever appear on the show.[9]
1 Stephen Hawking – The Next Generation, “Descent”
Stephen Hawking was by far the brightest mind of his generation, which makes him his own Star Trek appearance completely appropriate. When Data decides to take advantage of the holodeck and play poker against the brightest scientific minds in human history, his opponents are Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Hawking.
In this scene, Hawking becomes the first and still the only person to play himself in an episode Star Trek (Einstein and Newton were not available at the time). In season 4, episode 23, it is revealed that one of the USS Enterprise’s shuttles was named Hawking in his honor. Still, this episode officially made Hawking part of it Star Trek canon and the most obscure cameo in Star Trek history.[10]