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Template:Realworld This is a list of performers who were considered for roles in the Star Trek franchise, but ultimately did not appear in the role. Performers listed here have been verified as having been considered by Star Trek personnel for a particular role on Trek in which they ultimately did not appear.
The Original Series
John Drew Barrymore
John Drew Barrymore (1932 – 2004) was originally contracted to play Lazarus (and Anti-Lazarus) in "The Alternative Factor", but didn't show up to work when filming began on November 16, 1966. Robert Brown was cast as a last-minute replacement. The Star Trek production team filed a grievance against Barrymore with the Screen Actor's Guild over this, which led to Barrymore's SAG membership being suspended, effectively barring him from finding acting work, for six months.
Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman detail the incident in their book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story.
John Barrymore was a member of the noted Barrymore family of actors and was the father of actress Drew Barrymore.
Milton Berle
Milton Berle (1908 – 2002) was an American comedian and actor, and one of the major television stars of the classic era. In 1967, Berle expressed his interest in appearing on Star Trek, and a script titled "He Walked Among Us" was written by Norman Spinrad as a possible vehicle for him. However, after a re-write by producer Gene L. Coon, Spinrad asked Gene Roddenberry to discard the script, and it went unproduced. [1]
Born Milton Berlinger, Berle hosted the Texaco Star Theatre, later renamed as The Milton Berle Show between 1948 and 1956, during which he became known as America's "Uncle Miltie". After the show's cancellation, Berle appeared in numerous television and feature film roles, both as a comic and as a dramatic actor. These include Stanley Kramer's 1963 It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, which also featured Madlyn Rhue, The Muppet Movie (1979, with Orson Welles, Paul Williams and Bob Baker), and Jerry Lewis' 1983 film Smorgasbord, which he co-wrote, and which was photographed by Jerry Finnerman, and featured John Abbott and Paul Lambert. On television, Berle appeared in guest roles on series such as I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, Mannix, The Mod Squad (starring Tige Andrews and Clarence Williams III, produced by Harve Bennett), Fantasy Island (starring Ricardo Montalban) and Murder, She Wrote (starring William Windom). He also made several appearances as "Louie the Lilac" in the 1960s Batman television series, where he appeared alongside Yvonne Craig and Julie Newmar, and stuntmen Ron Burke, Vince Deadrick, Lou Elias, Eddie Hice, Hubie Kerns, Sr., Troy Melton, Gil Perkins, George Sawaya, Roy Sickner, and Al Wyatt.
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges (1913 – 1998) was an Emmy-nominated American actor who was approached by Gene Roddenberry in 1964 to play the lead in the pilot, "The Cage" for a proposed series. Bridges turned down the role, not wanting to be involved in another science fiction project following the failure of his 1950 film Rocketship X-M and feeling that doing a "space show" would hurt his career. Template:Brokenlink Template:Brokenlink He did, however, later appear as a guest star on Battlestar Galactica.
Bridges had previously acquired fame as the star of the action/adventure series Sea Hunt. In his later career, he became known for comic roles in films such as Airplane! (1980, with Gregory Itzin, Jason Wingreen, Kenneth Tobey and Paula Moody) and Hot Shots! (1991, with Christopher Doyle, co-produced by Steven McEveety) and earned an Emmy nomination for a guest appearance on Seinfeld. In the early 1990s, he also starred in a short-lived series Capital News, which was photographed by Jerry Finnerman.
Yvonne Craig
- Main article: Yvonne Craig
Yvonne Craig (born 1937) was one of the actresses considered for the role of Vina in "The Cage", before the role went to Susan Oliver. She was considered mostly because of her professional dancing background, required for the Orion courtyard scenes. Eventually, Craig went on to guest star as Marta in "Whom Gods Destroy", coincidentally wearing green Orion makeup. [2]
James Hong
James Hong (born 1929) is a Chinese-American actor, who auditioned for the role of Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu in the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". However, the role was given to George Takei instead. Hong remembered going into the audition just before Takei. [3]
Hong has a long and prolific career in both film and television, appearing in series such as I Spy, The Bill Cosby Show, I Dream of Jeannie, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Streets of San Francisco, Dynasty, MacGyver, Miami Vice, TJ Hooker (starring William Shatner, James Darren and Richard Herd) and later in JJ Abrams' Alias, Seinfeld, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Bones, The Big Bang Theory and Chuck. He also appeared in films like Robert Wise's The Sand Pebbles, Blade Runner and the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. He is also an established voice actor and can be heard in films such as Mulan, Kung Fu Panda and its sequel.
Martin Landau
Martin Landau (born 1928) was one of the actors considered for the role of Spock, but instead opted to take the role of Rollin Hand on Mission: Impossible, which was produced by Desilu at the same time. [4] [5] Leonard Nimoy went on to play Spock and, ironically, later joined the cast of Mission: Impossible after Landau left that show.
Landau stated "I turned down Star Trek. It would've been torturous. I would've probably died playing that role. I mean, even the thought of it now upsets me. It was the antithesis of why I became an actor. I mean, to play to play a character that Lenny (Nimoy) was better suited for, frankly, a guy who speaks in a monotone who never gets excited, never has any guilt, never has any fear, or was affected on a visceral level. Who wants to do that?" (Pioneers of Television: Science Fiction)
In addition to his Mission: Impossible role (for which he received several Emmy Award nominations), Landau is known for many film and television credits including the lead role of John Koenig in Space: 1999 (which co-starred Nick Tate and Clifton Jones, and was produced partly by Fred Freiberger), Oscar-nominated roles in Tucker: The Man and His Dream and Crimes and Misdemeanors, and his Oscar-winning performance as Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood.
Mark Lenard
- Main article: Mark Lenard
Mark Lenard (1924 – 1996) was slated to play the role of the recreation of Abraham Lincoln in "The Savage Curtain", but prior commitments prohibited him from taking the part. As Lenard explained it, "I was doing a series at the time called Here Come the Brides in which I played Aaron Stemple, the resident bad guy/rich man. The Lincoln segment came up about Christmas time when we had a slight hiatus, and I thought I could work it in. I had already played two roles on Star Trek and they were well received. But it turned out we just couldn't work it in. I think we went back to work on the other series too soon, and instead of having the six or seven days I would have needed to do the role, I only had three or four days." [6]
Lenard, of course, was best known for playing Spock's father, Ambassador Sarek.
Jack Lord
Jack Lord (1920 – 1998) was an American actor who was Roddenberry's first choice for the role of Captain James T. Kirk in 1965 after Jeffrey Hunter refused to reprise his role of Christopher Pike for the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". A deal with Lord fell through, however, when Lord demanded fifty percent ownership of the show. [7] [8] The role subsequently went to William Shatner.
Lord is best known for starring as Detective Steve McGarrett on the hit series Hawaii Five-O, which enjoyed a twelve-year run from 1968 to 1980 (Lord retired from acting after its cancellation). He is also known to James Bond fans for playing Felix Leiter in the first Bond film, Dr. No.
Arlene Martel
- Main article: Arlene Martel
Arlene Martel (born 1934) was originally considered for the role of Doctor Elizabeth Dehner in "Where No Man Has Gone Before". However, the role would have required her to wear silver contact lenses, which might have damaged her sensitive eyes. Sally Kellerman was cast instead.
Nearly two years later, Martel auditioned for the role of Sylvia in "Catspaw". She was not cast in the role, because the production staff saw her as an ideal candidate for T'Pring in the upcoming episode, "Amok Time". [9]
Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall (1928 – 1998) was casting director Joseph D'Agosta's choice for the role of Trelane in "The Squire of Gothos". However, he was overruled by producer Gene L. Coon's choice, William Campbell who seemed to be more suitable for the part. [10] McDowall was also a favorite of director Joseph L. Scanlan for voicing Armus in the Star Trek: The Next Generation first season episode "Skin of Evil". (Creating the Next Generation: The Conception and Creation of a Phenomenon, p.60)
McDowall was an acclaimed character actor, who began his career in Hollywood as a child, acting in countless films from 1938 onward. His big break came at the age of 15 with the starring role in Lassie Come Home (1943). He also appeared in Orson Welles' 1948 film version of Macbeth, which also featured Morgan Farley. Afterwards, he appeared in numerous film and television roles, including The Longest Day (1962, with Jeffrey Hunter and John Crawford), Cleopatra (1963, with John Hoyt), Pretty Maids All in the Row (1971, with James Doohan, William Campbell, Dawn Roddenberry and written by Gene Roddenberry), The Poseidon Adventure (1972, with John Crawford, Bill Catching, and George Sawaya), and Funny Lady (1975). However, McDowall is probably best known for his roles in four out of the five Planet of the Apes movies (which also featured James Daly, Lou Wagner, Paul Lambert, Billy Curtis, Jane Ross, Ricardo Montalban, William Windom, Jason Evers, Walker Edmiston, Janos Prohaska, James B. Sikking, Paul Comi, France Nuyen, Paul Williams, and David Gerrold), and the subsequent television series (which co-starred Mark Lenard).
On television, McDowall appeared in a famous 1960 episode of The Twilight Zone entitled "People Are Alike All Over", which co-starred Paul Comi, Susan Oliver, Byron Morrow, and Vic Perrin. He also appeared as "The Bookworm" in two 1966 episodes of Batman, which also featured John Crawford, and guest-starred in a 1972 episode of Columbo with James Gregory, William Windom, and George Sawaya.
David Opatoshu
- Main article: David Opatoshu
David Opatoshu (1918 – 1996) was considered by Gene Roddenberry for the role of Doctor Phillip Boyce in the first Star Trek pilot, "The Cage", before the role finally went to John Hoyt. However, Opatoshu appeared in a guest role as Anan 7 in "A Taste of Armageddon". [11]
Robert Ryan
Robert Ryan (1909 – 1973) was the American actor whom writer Norman Spinrad envisioned for the role of Commodore Matt Decker in TOS: "The Doomsday Machine". Ryan was approached for the role, but he was unavailable due to other commitments. William Windom was given the part, instead, and Spinrad has expressed disappointment that Ryan was not cast. [12]
Ryan was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the 1947 film Crossfire. He also received a BAFTA award nomination for his starring role in the 1962 film Billy Budd, which co-starred John Neville. He has also starred in such acclaimed films as The Set-Up (directed by Robert Wise), Clash by Night (co-starring Keith Andes), Bad Day at Black Rock, and The Professionals. He also appeared as John the Baptist in the 1961 film King of Kings, opposite Jeffrey Hunter. Ryan and Hunter again worked together as part of the Oscar-winning ensemble World War II film, The Longest Day.
Perhaps Ryan's best-known film role is that of Deke in Sam Peckinpah's 1969 action western, The Wild Bunch. Four years after this film's release, Ryan died of lung cancer at the age of 63. His last film, John Frankenheimer's 1973 drama The Iceman Cometh, earned Ryan posthumous awards from the National Board of Review and the National Society of Film Critics Awards.
Jon Voight
Jon Voight (born 1938) is an Academy Award-winning American actor, who was originally considered for the role of Apollo in "Who Mourns for Adonais?". However, he was hired for another project. [13]
Voight came to prominence two years later with his role in the Oscar-winning drama Midnight Cowboy. He later appeared in films such as Catch 22 (1970), Deliverance (1972, co-starring Ronny Cox), Coming Home (1978) for which he won an Academy Award, The Champ (1979), Runaway Train (1985), Heat (1995), Mission: Impossible (1996), Anaconda (1997), U Turn (1997), Enemy of the State (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Ali (2001, with LeVar Burton), The Manchurian Candidate (2004, with Dean Stockwell), National Treasure (2004, with Christopher Plummer), Transformers (2007, with Glenn Morshower) and several other projects. Voight is also the father of actress Angelina Jolie with whom he appeared in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and it's sequel.
Jessica Walter
Jessica Walter (born 1941) is an American actress who was approached to play Miranda Jones in TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?". However, she was unavailable, and the role went to Diana Muldaur. [14]
In the same year, Walter appeared in an episode of The Name of the Game, helmed by the "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" director, Ralph Senensky, which also featured David Opatoshu, Don Keefer, Lloyd Kino, and Jason Wingreen.
She is best known for appearing alongside Clint Eastwood in his directorial debut, Play Misty for Me (1971) and for playing the role of Lucille Bluth in the sitcom Arrested Development (2003-2006). She guest-starred in "Mind Over Mayhem", a 1974 episode of Columbo alongside Lou Wagner, Robert Walker, Jr., Arthur Batanides, and Charles Macaulay. In 1965, she co-starred with William Shatner in the short-lived television series, For the People. She also appeared as a regular in the first season of 90210 in 2008. Currently she stars in the TV Land sitcom, Retired at 35.
Star Trek: Planet of the Titans
Toshiro Mifune
Toshiro Mifune (1920 – 1997) was a legendary Japanese actor appearing in almost 170 movies, best known for his roles in director Akira Kurosawa's Samurai epics. Mifune was planned to play the main Klingon villain in the proposed Star Trek movie, Planet of the Titans in 1976. (The Star Trek Compendium)
Director/screenwriter Philip Kaufman said, "My version was really built around Leonard Nimoy as Spock and Toshiro Mifune as his Klingon nemesis... My idea was to make it less "cult-ish", and more of an adult movie, dealing with sexuality and wonders rather than oddness; a big science fiction movie, filled with all kinds of questions, particularly about the nature of Spock's [duality]-exploring his humanity and what humanness was. To have Spock and Mifune's character tripping out in outer space. I'm sure the fans would have been upset, but I felt it could really open up a new type of science fiction." [15]
Star Trek: Phase II
David Gautreaux
- Main article: David Gautreaux
David Gautreaux (born 1951) was set to play the role of Vulcan science officer Lieutenant Xon in the second Star Trek series, however the planned show was cancelled. Finally he played Commander Branch in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. (Phase II: The Lost Enterprise on Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition) DVD)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Jordan Clark
Jordan Clark auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He was interviewed by the film's director, Robert Wise, and his audition was scheduled for 11:20 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 104)
Frederic Forrest
Frederic Forrest auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 2:00 pm on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105)
Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:40 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105)
Arthur Hindle
Arthur Hindle auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in The Motion Picture His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for sometime between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105). Hindle had previously appeared in the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That film was directed by Philip Kaufman, and Leonard Nimoy had a prominent role.
Richard Kelton
Richard Kelton auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:30 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105) Kelton also played Ficus Pandorata on the NBC sci-fi comedy television series Quark, which included numerous references to Star Trek throughout its short run. (For more information, see the series' entry at Star Trek parodies and pop culture references.)
Stephen Macht
Stephen Macht auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in The Motion Picture. In common with Arthur Hindle, Macht's audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for sometime between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105) He also auditioned for both the roles of Jean-Luc Picard and William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Years later, Macht played General Krim in DS9: "The Circle" and "The Siege".
Andrew Robinson
Andrew Robinson auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:10 am on 25 July 1978, only ten minutes after Stephen Collins, who was ultimately cast in the part, auditioned for the role. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 104) Years later, Robinson played the recurring character Elim Garak on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Tim Thomerson
Tim Thomerson auditioned for the role of Willard Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:50 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105) As with Richard Kelton, Thomerson also appeared on the television series Quark.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Madlyn Rhue
- Main article: Madlyn Rhue
Madlyn Rhue (1935 – 2003) was originally planned to reprise her role as Lieutenant Marla McGivers in the film, having established that part in TOS: "Space Seed". However, Harve Bennett wrote the character out of the film's story, after learning that Rhue suffered from multiple sclerosis which bound her to a wheelchair. Bennett felt it would be unfair to recast the role.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos (born 1947) is an Emmy-winning, Academy Award-nominated actor. Leonard Nimoy wanted Olmos to play Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, but the role ultimately went to Christopher Lloyd. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) special features)
A few years later, Olmos was offered the role of Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, he had to turn it down as he was busy with other projects. [16]
On film, Olmos is known for playing Gaff in the 1982 sci-fi thriller Blade Runner and for his Oscar-nominated role in 1988's Stand and Deliver. He received two Emmy nominations – winning his first – for his supporting role as Lt. Martin Castillo on Miami Vice. Now, however, he has acquired new fame for his portrayal of Admiral Adama in Ronald D. Moore's hit re-imagining of the sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica, airing on the Sci-Fi Channel.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy (born 1961), a popular actor and comedian who rose to stardom as a regular on Saturday Night Live (with co-stars Joe Piscopo and Charles Rocket) and as the star of the films 48 Hrs and Beverly Hills Cop (both for Paramount Pictures), was initially offered the role of a major character, an eccentric professor who believed that aliens exist, in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home who ultimately became Doctor Gillian Taylor. Murphy, a reported Star Trek fan, had expressed interest in the part and early scripts were written with Murphy in mind for the role. Ultimately, however, a negative writing campaign coupled with story issues prompted the writers to drop the idea, and Murphy moved on to other projects. "I'm a Trekkie. I've always loved Star Trek and have wanted to do one of the films," says Murphy. "The script was developed, but we eventually dropped the idea. [The] Golden Child came along and I decided to do that film instead ... In retrospect, I might have been better off doing Star Trek IV." The character was ultimately rewritten as a woman and the part went to Catherine Hicks. (The Trek 25th Anniversary Celebration, Trekworld, June 1999)
Since then, Murphy has continued a successful career in film, starring in such hits as Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Doctor Dolittle, Daddy Day Care, and the Shrek films. In 2006 he received his first Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Dreamgirls.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Kim Cattrall
- Main article: Kim Cattrall
Cattrall (born 1956) was one of the final thirteen women who auditioned for the part of Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, but the role went to Spice Williams-Crosby. (Source: Spice Williams-Crosby)
Cattrall went on to play the role of Valeris in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Sean Connery
Sean Connery (born 1930) is a widely-popular Scottish actor who is perhaps best known for being the first to play James Bond in feature films. He portrayed Bond in seven films, beginning with Dr. No in 1962 and ending with Never Say Never Again in 1983. He has also acquired great fame as a movie star for his roles in films such as Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964, with Meg Wyllie), The Longest Day (1962, with Jeffrey Hunter, Richard Beymer, and John Crawford), The Man Who Would Be King (1975, co-starring Christopher Plummer), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Highlander (1986, with Clancy Brown), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, with John Rhys-Davies), The Hunt for Red October (1990, with Gates McFadden and music by Basil Poledouris), The Rock (1996, with Tony Todd), Entrapment (1999), and Finding Forrester (2000, with F. Murray Abraham and Michael Nouri). He also won an Academy Award for his supporting role in 1987's The Untouchables.
William Shatner originally wanted Sean Connery to play the role of Sybok in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Shatner had tremendous respect for Connery's acting talents, and knew that his presence would be a great bonus in that the film would draw a foreign box office business. Before Paramount could close the deal with him, Connery accepted a role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which was scheduled to film at the same time Star Trek V. Shatner was deeply disappointed to learn of Connery's unavailability. Despite this, the writers kept the reference to Connery – Sha Ka Ree – in the film.
In Shatner's search for Connery's replacement, he looked at other foreign actors which might bring in overseas business. "We considered several people," he said, "and were especially intrigued by one well-known Swedish actor (Max von Sydow) who I consider very talented. But when we found out how expensive he was, that idea quickly flew out the window."
Shatner and Harve Bennett went back to the drawing board, and drew up a list of possible candidates for the role and began looking at the roles each had portrayed. One actor on the list, Laurence Luckinbill, caught Shatner's eye from his role as LBJ in the PBS presentation "Lyndon Johnson", and he eventually cast in Connery's place. (Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek Encyclopedia)
Rachel McLish
Rachel McLish (born 1952) was one of the final thirteen women who auditioned for the role of Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, but the role went to Spice Williams-Crosby. (Source: Spice Williams-Crosby)
McLish is a famous female bodybuilder and former Ms. Olympia who retired in 1984. She has acted in several movies such as Getting Physical (1984) alongside Spice Williams-Crosby and TNG guest actor Earl Boen and Raven Hawk (1996) with John de Lancie, Michael Champion, Ed Lauter, John Fleck, and Nicholas Guest, and published several books as well as many fitness instruction videos.
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow (born 1929) is a well-known Swedish actor who was considered for the role of Sybok when Sean Connery proved unavailable. According to William Shatner, the idea of using von Sydow "quickly flew out the window" when he discovered how high his expected salary was compared to the remaining production budget. (Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; Charting the Undiscovered Country: The Making of Trek VI)
Max von Sydow is known for his many collaborations with famed writer/director Ingmar Bergman during his early career, which included the acclaimed films Wild Strawberries (1957), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Magician (1958), The Virgin Spring (1960), and Through a Glass Darkly (1961). Perhaps von Sydow's best-known American film role is that of Father Merrin in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist. He was received Golden Globe nominations for his work on both The Exorcist and the 1966 film Hawaii, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the 1987 Danish film Pelle the Conqueror.
By 1989, when he was being considered for a role in Star Trek V, von Sydow was no stranger to science fiction, having played Ming the Merciless in the 1980 film Flash Gordon. He also co-starred with Christopher Plummer in the 1984 sci-fi film Dreamscape and appeared as Dr. Kynes in David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation of Dune, which featured a number of future Star Trek alumni (Brad Dourif, Virginia Madsen, Dean Stockwell, and, most notably, Patrick Stewart). Since then, von Sydow's science fiction credits have included Judge Dredd (1995) and Steven Spielberg's Minority Report (2002). He has also ventured into the fantasy genre, including the role of King Osric in 1982's Conan the Barbarian.
His many other, non-genre film credits include the 1975 thriller Three Days of the Condor, the 1986 comedy Hannah and Her Sisters, the 1993 horror film Needful Things, and the dramas Awakenings (1990) and Snow Falling on Cedars (1999). More recent credits include Rush Hour 3 (2007) and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007).
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Kirstie Alley
- Main article: Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley (born 1951) was originally asked by director Nicholas Meyer to reprise her role as Saavik in the film. However, her price was deemed to be too high. Other sources (most notably Meyer himself) say that she refused Meyer's requests because of weight problems, feeling she would look fat in a tight-fitting uniform. Finally Kim Cattrall was cast in the role, which was eventually reworked into the character of Valeris. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition) DVD audio commentary)
Whoopi Goldberg
- Main article: Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg, eager to make a cameo appearance in the film, met with Nick Meyer to discuss the possibility of her appearing as a Klingon princess in Star Trek VI. However, this idea was vetoed by Leonard Nimoy, who feared that too many well known performers in the film's supporting cast might detract from the movie being the last to feature the regular TOS cast. Goldberg was also making recurring appearances as Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation. (The View from the Bridge - Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood, hardcover ed., p. 211)
Jack Palance
- Main article: Jack Palance
Jack Palance (1919 – 2006) was an American actor, originally approached to play Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. However, he was scheduled to appear in the film City Slickers, which earned him an Academy Award, and David Warner was cast in the role instead. Palance appeared in many classic Hollywood films, including Shane (1953), which was briefly featured in DS9: "It's Only a Paper Moon". Elisha Cook, Jr. also appeared in the film. Other films of Palance include Austerlitz (1960, with Orson Welles), Le mépris (1963), Chato's Land (1972), Batman (1989), and Tango and Cash (1989, with Teri Hatcher, Marc Alaimo, and Michael J. Pollard).
Star Trek Generations
DeForest Kelley
- Main article: DeForest Kelley
DeForest Kelley (1920 – 1999) was approached to appear as Leonard McCoy in the prologue sequence of Generations. However, he felt the part was rather just a cameo, and that the original characters made their exit well in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The script was re-written to feature Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) instead.
Leonard Nimoy
- Main article: Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy (born 1931) was approached to appear as Spock in the prologue sequence of Star Trek Generations but declined the offer. As Nimoy explained, "There were five or six lines attributed to Spock [...] but it had nothing to do with Spock. They were not Spock-like in any way. I said to Rick Berman, 'You could distribute these lines to any one of the other characters and it wouldn't make any difference.' And that is exactly what he did. There was no Spock function in the script. I have always tried to make a contribution to these movies. There was no contribution to be made in that movie. It was just sort of 'let's get Nimoy in here too.' I said there is nothing here I can do so I said 'thanks, but I'll pass'." [17] He was replaced by Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) in the scene.
Star Trek: First Contact
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks (born 1956) is the two-time Academy Award-winner American actor, who was originally approached to play Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact. Hanks, a self-admitted Trekkie had to turn down the offer, as he was busy working on his directorial debut, That Thing You Do! (which featured Clint Howard).
Hanks built a long and successful career in film, working as an actor, producer, writer and director. He started out in comedies, such as Splash (1984, with Charles Macaulay, Clint Howard, Bill Smitrovich and cinematography by Don Peterman), The Money Pit (1986, with Tzi Ma) and Big (1988, with Josh Clark), and also starred in Trek director Nicholas Meyer's 1985 film, Volunteers (with Clyde Kusatsu and music by James Horner). He turned to more serious roles in the early 1990s with such films as The Bonfire of Vanities (1990, with Kim Cattrall, Saul Rubinek, Kirsten Dunst, Jon Rashad Kamal, F. Murray Abraham, and Terry Farrell) and Sleepless in Seattle (1993).
His big break came with two roles which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in two consequent years: Philadelphia (1993, with Charles Napier) and Forrest Gump (1994). Since then, Hanks appeared in a variety of well-received movies, including Apollo 13 (1995, with Clint Howard, Max Grodénchik, Steve Rankin, and John Wheeler, and music by James Horner), Saving Private Ryan (1998, with Leland Orser and John de Lancie), You've Got Mail (1998), The Green Mile (1999, with James Cromwell and William Sadler), Cast Away (2000, with Michael Forest), Road to Perdition (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002, with Thomas Kopache and Malachi Throne), The Terminal (2004, with Zoe Saldana), The Da Vinci Code (2006), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007). He also lent his voice to a number of animated productions, including Toy Story (1995) and it's two sequels, which also featured Wallace Shawn and Kelsey Grammer, The Polar Express (2004), and Cars (2006, with Paul Dooley).
Star Trek Nemesis
James Marsters
James Marsters (born 1962) auditioned for the role of Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis, but the role ultimately went to Tom Hardy. However, actress Marina Sirtis believes Marsters would have been more suitable in the role. [18] [19]
Marsters is best known for playing Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and Captain John Hart on the Doctor Who spinoff Torchwood. He co-starred with Star Trek: Enterprise actress Jolene Blalock and TNG/DS9/VOY guest actor Tony Todd in the film Shadow Puppets and had a supporting role in the 2007 drama P.S. I Love You. He also had a recurring role as Professor Fine/Brainiac in the CW series Smallville and also played the villain Piccolo in the live-action film adaptation of the popular anime series Dragonball.
Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks (born 1970) auditioned for the role of Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis, but the role ultimately went to Tom Hardy.
Shanks is best known for playing Dr. Daniel Jackson on the long-running series Stargate SG-1, its direct-to-video spinoff films and television spin-off series. Shanks has also appeared on such shows as Smallville, Andromeda, and Burn Notice. [20]
Star Trek (2009)
Adrien Brody
Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody (born 1973) was in talks to play Spock in Star Trek, the eleventh Trek film set for release in 2009. At first, his connection to the project was merely a rumor, [21] but Brody himself later confirmed that he had discussed playing Spock with the film's director, J.J. Abrams. [22] The role of Spock ultimately went to Zachary Quinto.
Brody had supporting roles in several popular films throughout the 1990s, including Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill, Disney's baseball fantasy Angels in the Outfield (working with Christopher Lloyd and Neal McDonough), Terence Malick's The Thin Red Line, and Spike Lee's Summer of Sam (with Bebe Neuwirth and Mike Starr). He also played the leads in a number of smaller films, including 1998's Restaurant, 1999's Liberty Heights, and 2002's Dummy.
Brody won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Polish Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman in Roman Polanski's The Pianist. He has since starred in such films as M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, Peter Jackson's King Kong, Allen Coulter's Hollywoodland, Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, the adventure comedy The Brothers Bloom, and the biographical drama Cadillac Records (with Gabrielle Union).
Matt Damon
Matt Damon (born 1970) is an American Academy Award-nominated actor and Academy Award-winning screenwriter who was approached to play James T. Kirk's father, George Kirk in Star Trek. [23] According to Abrams, Damon turned down the role for "most gracious and understandable and logical of reasons." [24] The role ultimately went to Chris Hemsworth.
Before this, Damon had long been rumored to be in the running for the role of James T. Kirk in the film. It was even rumored that he solicited William Shatner's aid in getting him signed up. Template:Brokenlink Damon himself denied having been approached for the role, although he later told Sci-fi Wire that he would be interested in playing a young Captain Kirk if the script met with his satisfaction. Template:Brokenlink In March 2007, Kurtzman, although not confirming that Damon would play Kirk, stated that he was "the hugest Matt Damon fan. If he became [Kirk], great." [25] In a subsequent interview with IGN, Damon stated that the filmmakers were looking for someone younger than him. [26] Chris Pine was ultimately cast in the role.
Damon began acquiring fame in the 1990s with major roles in such films as School Ties (1992), Courage Under Fire (1996), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). He and best friend Ben Affleck won an Academy Award for their screenplay to the 1997 drama Good Will Hunting, for which Damon also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Damon and Affleck later became executive producers on Project Greenlight, for which they received three Emmy Award nominations. Damon and Affleck have also worked together on several projects for director Kevin Smith, most notably the 1998 film Dogma.
In addition, Damon is known for his roles in two film franchises: he plays young thief Linus Caldwell in the Ocean's films (Ocean's Eleven in 2001, Ocean's Twelve in 2004, and Ocean's Thirteen in 2007), and also stars as amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne in the Bourne films (The Bourne Identity in 2002, The Bourne Supremacy in 2005, and The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007). He is currently signed up to star in a fourth Bourne film for a target release of 2011. Had he been cast in Star Trek, it would have marked his second film with Karl Urban, whom he worked with on The Bourne Supremacy. It also would have been his second movie photographed by Daniel Mindel, after the 2003 comedy, Stuck on You.
Damon's other film credits include The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), The Brothers Grimm (2005), Syriana (2005, in which he acted alongside Star Trek: Deep Space Nine regular Alexander Siddig), Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning The Departed (2006, with Mark Rolston), and Robert De Niro's The Good Shepherd (2006). He also lent his voice to such films as Titan A.E. (2000, along with Ron Perlman and Charles Rocket), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002, with James Cromwell), and the English version of the Hayao Miyazaki film Ponyo. He most recently starred in The Informant, in which he worked alongside Scott Bakula.
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais (born 1961) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and director who turned down an unspecified role in Star Trek. He was approached by the film's director and producer, J.J. Abrams, whom Gervais previously worked with on an episode of Alias, but Gervais rejected a part in the film. He explained his reasons for doing so: "I was never a big fan, so I would've felt guilty taking the part just to be in a blockbuster. To what? Boost my profile?" [27]
Gervais is known for his work on two popular British comedy series: he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the original series of The Office (making two cameo appearances on its American remake as well – coincidentally, Spencer Daniels, who plays Johnny in the film, is the son of Greg Daniels, the executive producer of the American version), and then went on to do the same for Extras. These shows have earned Gervais two Emmy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe, and a British Comedy Award, among many other honors. Gervais has also starred in such films as Night at the Museum, For Your Consideration, Stardust, and Ghost Town. He even wrote and lent his voice to an episode of The Simpsons.
Greg Haines
- Main article: Greg Haines
Greg Haines is an actor who was originally cast and scheduled to portray an instructor at Starfleet Academy in 2009's Star Trek but was chosen to be the stand-in for actor Ben Cross. Haines had a wardrobe fitting but did not appear on screen. (Source: Greg Haines)
Jeffery Hauser
Jeffery Hauser is an actor who was cast to have a supporting role as a Kelvin crewmember in 2009's Star Trek. He was cast in October 2007 and was on set to shoot his scenes a month later. [28] [29] During the day of shooting he was asked to step down by the first AD and told that they had another scene in mind for him. But Hauser got no call back and saw a different actor saying his lines when he saw the film on DVD two years later. [30]
Hauser moved to Los Angeles in 2003 and appeared in a few stage productions. He got featured parts in Forest Whitaker's First Daughter (2004) and Steven Spielberg's The Terminal (2004), alongside Star Trek actress Zoe Saldana. He performed in several commercials, including one with Samuel L. Jackson, which was shown during the Super Bowl in 2004. [31]
Also in 2004 he was featured in the MTV show Your Face or Mine?, appeared in the music video "I'm not ready" from My Chemical Romance, and was featured in Wes Craven's thriller Red Eye, which also featured Angela Paton, Suzie Plakson, Dey Young, Beth Toussaint, and Scott Leva. [32]
Hauser has started to write his own scripts and to produce short films. He served as photo double for the drama Little Miss Sunshine (2006), was featured in three episodes of the daytime television series Days of Our Lives (2004-2005), and played a lead role in the independent film Broken Concrete (2006). JefferyHauser.com
After his experience in the new Star Trek film he called himself a "Star Trek freak". [33]
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson (born 1978) auditioned for two roles in Star Trek, including James T. Kirk. Although he was not cast, the audition won him a role in J.J. Abrams' subsequent science fiction series, Fringe. [34] [35]
Jackson is best known for playing Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek from 1998 through 2003. He is also known for playing Charlie Conway in the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks and its sequels, D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) and D3: The Might Ducks (1996, with Jeffrey Nordling). He has worked with Louise Fletcher in two films: 1999's Cruel Intentions and 2005's Aurora Borealis. His other film credits include Apt Pupil (directed by Bryan Singer and co-starring Bruce Davison), Urban Legend (with John Neville), The Skulls (with Christopher McDonald), Gossip (with Sharon Lawrence), The Laramie Project (with Clancy Brown), and Bobby (with Christian Slater).
Dominic Keating
- Main article: Dominic Keating
Dominic Keating, best known for his role as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed on Star Trek: Enterprise, auditioned for the role of James T. Kirk's uncle in 2009's Star Trek. He did not get the part, however. [36]
Josh Lucas
Josh Lucas (born 1971) was considered for the role of Christopher Pike in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, but the role ultimately went to Bruce Greenwood. [37] [38] [39]
Lucas had supporting roles in several acclaimed films, including American Psycho, A Beautiful Mind, and Secondhand Lions. He played the lead male role in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama and played the villain in 2003's Hulk, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and starring Eric Bana. He has since had lead roles in such films as Stealth, Glory Road, and Poseidon.
Paul McGillion
- Main article: Paul McGillion
Paul McGillion (born 1969) auditioned for the role of Montgomery Scott in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. [40] The role ultimately went to Simon Pegg, but McGillion was cast in another role in the film.
Derek Mears
- Main article: Derek Mears
Derek Mears is a stuntman and actor who was was the first choice for playing the long faced bar alien in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek but was unable to shoot his part because of his time schedule. He recommended Douglas Tait who got this part. [41]
Sydney Tamiia Poitier
Sydney Tamiia Poitier (born 1973) is an American actress who auditioned for a role on Star Trek, possibly Nyota Uhura. [42] [43]
She is the daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Sidney Poitier and actress Joanna Shimkus (ironically, Zoë Saldana, who would eventually play Uhura, had starred in 2005's Guess Who, a comic remake, with the racial roles reversed, of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, the groundbreaking 1967 film starring Poitier's father). She has been seen in such films as True Crime (with Michael McKean and Anthony Zerbe), MacArthur Park (co-starring Lori Petty), and Nine Lives (with K Callan and Lawrence Pressman) and had recurring roles on Joan of Arcadia and Veronica Mars. She is best known for playing Jungle Julia in the Quentin Tarantino film Death Proof, one of the two films released as the 2007 anthology Grindhouse.
Chris Prangley
Chris Prangley auditioned for the role of James T. Kirk on Star Trek, but the role went to Chris Pine. He auditioned on 24 August 2007. [44]
Prangley has appeared in several stage plays, commercials, and independent films and had a recurring role on the daytime series As the World Turns. [45]
Keri Russell
Keri Russell (born 1976) was in talks to appear in 2009's Star Trek, but she and director/producer J.J. Abrams decided it was not for the best. [46]
Russell was the star of Abrams' series Felicity, for which she won a Golden Globe. She also appeared in Abrams' first film, Paramount's Mission: Impossible III. More recently, she starred in the acclaimed independent film Waitress and in the 2007 drama August Rush. Other film credits include the films We Were Soldiers, The Upside of Anger, and The Girl in the Park.
Mike Vogel
Mike Vogel (born 1979) is the American actor and former fashion model who was a leading candidate for the role of James T. Kirk in 2009's Star Trek. [47] He had already worked with that film's producer and director, J.J. Abrams, on the film Cloverfield. The role of Kirk ultimately went to Chris Pine.
Vogel was modeling for Levi's jeans that he won a recurring role in the FOX (and later WB) series Grounded for Life, whose regular cast included Richard Riehle. He made his film debut in the 2003 skateboarding comedy Grind which was followed by the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre later that year. Since then, Vogel has starred in such films as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Rumor Has It..., and Poseidon. Vogel also appeared in the comedy She's Out of My League, along with Alice Eve, and a regular role in the ABC series Pan Am.
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg (born 1971) is an American actor and former rapper who was offered the role of George Kirk. He said "I remember [J.J. Abrams] asking me to play Captain Kirk's father in Star Trek. I tried to read the script, but I couldn't even, I didn't understand the words or dialogue or anything, and I said, 'I couldn't do this. I think you're really talented but I couldn't do it.' Then I saw the movie and I was like, 'Holy shit, he did a great job.'"[48]
Star Trek Into Darkness
Benicio del Toro
Benicio del Toro (born 1967) was expected to have been offered the role of the villian in the Star Trek Into Darkness. [49] Latino Review reported that del Toro would play Khan Noonien Singh, a report which J.J. Abrams said was "not true." [50] Soon thereafter, it was revealed that del Toro's deal fell through and that he would not be appearing in the film. [51] He was replaced by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. [52]
Michael Dorn
- Main article: Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn (born 1952), played Worf and his grandfather in the previous films and television series, and was offered the part of "an officer – a soldier." He and his agent expressed interest, but "then time went by and we finally talked to them at maybe the end of January or February [2012] and they said they had changed their mind." Dorn was unclear why speculating "It could have been the casting people going 'Hey this would be a good idea' and they shot it up the road to JJ and he said 'No, we aren't going to do that.' But I don't know. It is nothing nefarious. Nothing mean. They changed their mind, so I don't worry about it."[53]
The Next Generation
Vaughn Armstrong
- Main article: Vaughn Armstrong
Vaughn Armstrong (born 7 July 1950; age 69) was one of several actors who auditioned for the role of Commander William T. Riker, according to an interview with Armstrong in Star Trek: The Magazine in 2002. Late in the first season, Armstrong would finally win a role as the renegade Klingon Korris, the first of numerous alien roles, finally culminating in the recurring role of Admiral Maxwell Forrest in Star Trek: Enterprise. Armstrong also mentions in the interview he read for a number of other guest roles before getting his first appearance.
Jenny Agutter
Jennifer Ann Agutter (born 20 December 1952) is a British stage and movie actress who was the second choice for the role of Doctor Beverly Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but was beaten out by Gates McFadden. [54]
Agutter made her acting debut at the age of twelve in the drama East of Sudan. She continued and has played in films such as the Golden Globe winning A Man Could get Killed (1966), The Railway Children (1970), Walkabout (1971), Logan's Run (1976, with stunts by Bill Couch, Sr., music by Jerry Goldsmith, and adapted from the novel by George Clayton Johnson), Equus (1977), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Amazon Women on the Moon (1987, with Robert Picardo and Ed Begley, Jr.), Darkman (1990, with Larry Drake), Child's Play 2 (1990, starring Brad Dourif), the television remake The Railway Children (2000), and the thriller Act of God (2007).
In 1972 she won an Emmy Award for her outstanding performance by an actress in a supporting role in drama for The Snow Goose. Agutter has also guest-starred in a number of television series, including The Six Million Dollar Man (1977), Magnum, P.I. (1985), Murder She Wrote (1986), The Twilight Zone (1986 and 1987, with Richard Kiley and Norman Lloyd), TECX (1990), Red Dwarf (1993), and Spooks (2002-2003).
James Avery
- Main article: James Avery
James Avery (born 27 November 1948; age 71) was alongside Michael Dorn and James Louis Watkins among the three finalists for the role of Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation. (citation needed • edit) Michael Dorn won the part and Avery, having gone on to a successful stint as Phillip Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, returned nineteen years later as General K'Vagh in the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes "Affliction" and "Divergence".
Leah Ayres
Leah Ayres (born 28 May 1957) is a retired actress who was among the contenders to play Tasha Yar. [55] The role ultimately went to Denise Crosby.
Ayres made her screen acting debut in the Academy Award-winning 1979 film All That Jazz, in which she and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock actress Cathie Shirriff played nurses. (The film also featured Ben Vereen and Wallace Shawn.) Ayres is perhaps best known for her supporting role opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 1988 action film Bloodsport. Her other film credits include 1981's The Burning (with Jason Alexander), Eddie Macon's Run (1987, photographed by James A. Contner), and Robert Altman's The Player (1992, with Whoopi Goldberg, Dean Stockwell, Brian Brophy, Rene Auberjonois, Paul Dooley, Louise Fletcher, Teri Garr, Joel Grey, Sally Kellerman, Malcolm McDowell, Bert Remsen, Brian Tochi, and Ray Walston).
On television, Ayres portrayed Valerie Byson on the daytime serial The Edge of Night from 1981 through 1983. In 1983, she joined the cast of the 9 to 5 series, but it was canceled shortly thereafter. In the mid-1980s, she had a recurring role on the medical drama St. Elsewhere, on which she worked with Ed Begley, Jr., Norman Lloyd, Deborah May, Brian McNamara, Jennifer Savidge, and William Schallert. She then played Marcia Brady in the short-lived Brady Bunch spin-off, The Bradys. In addition, she has guest-starred on such shows as Fantasy Island (with Ricardo Montalban and Leigh McCloskey), The A-Team (starring Dwight Schultz), 21 Jump Street (with Geoffrey Blake), Freddy's Nightmare (with Dey Young), and Sliders (with Kelly Connell, Rae Norman, and Reiner Schöne).
Bunty Bailey
Bunty Bailey is an English model, dancer, and actress who was among the contenders to play Tasha Yar. [56] The role ultimately went to Denise Crosby. Bailey began her career as part of the dance troupe Hot Gossip in the early 1980s. She is best known for appearing in two music videos from Norwegian pop band a-ha, "Take on Me" and "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." Her film acting credits include Dolls (1987), Rock and the Money-Hungry Party Girls (1988, with Judi M. Durand), Glitch! (1988, with Julia Nickson), and Spellcaster (1992).
Adrienne Barbeau
- Main article: Adrienne Barbeau
Adrienne Barbeau (born 11 June 1945) is an actress who was considered for the role of Ardra in early stages of production for the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode "Devil's Due". Finally, Marta Dubois was cast. (The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 19, p. 10)
Barbeau later portrayed Senator Cretak in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges".
Patrick Bauchau
Patrick Bauchau (born 6 December 1938) is a Belgian actor who was considered for the role on Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He read for Gene Roddenberry for the role of Picard on 13 April 1987. Bauchau and Patrick Stewart were believed to be the favorites for the part; it was ultimately given to Stewart. [57]
Bauchau started his career in the French New Wave, playing the lead role in two films by Éric Rohmer, The Career of Suzanne (1963) and The Collector (1967). Later, he had roles in numerous films, including Wim Wenders' The State of Things (1982), A View to a Kill (1985, with Daniel Benzali), Clear and Present Danger (1994, with Vaughn Armstrong, Reg E. Cathey, Raymond Cruz, Elizabeth Dennehy, Ellen Geer, Aaron Lustig, John Putch, Cameron Thor, Harley Venton, and Harris Yulin), The Cell (2000, with Musetta Vander), Panic Room (2002), Secretary (2002, with Stephen McHattie), Ray (2004), and 2012 (2009, with John Billingsley and Stephen McHattie).
In 2003, he appeared in the semi-documentary The Five Obstructions by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth. He is also known for playing Sydney on the NBC series The Pretender and for his role as Professor Lodz on the HBO series Carnivàle. The latter also featured such performers as Adrienne Barbeau, Clancy Brown, John Fleck, Robert Knepper, John Carroll Lynch, Scott MacDonald, Diane Salinger, and John Savage.
Fran Bennett
- Main article: Fran Bennett
Fran Bennett (born 14 August 1937) is the actress who portrayed Fleet Admiral Shanthi in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fifth season episode "Redemption II" in 1991. Bennett was scheduled to reprise this role for the fifth season episode "Unification I" and was up to film her scene with Patrick Stewart on Monday 16 September 1991 on Paramount Stage 8. Because of unknown reasons, Bennett was replaced by Karen Hensel as Admiral Brackett and the scene was filmed several days later. Joyce Robinson would again work as Bennett's stand-in. (Source: Call sheet)
William O. Campbell
- Main article: William O. Campbell
William O. Campbell (born 7 July 1959; age 60) auditioned for the role of Commander William T. Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Jonathan Frakes got the part and Campbell was the second choice. Both were among the five finalists for the role. According to the studio executives, Campbell was considered to be "too soft" for role of Riker. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
Campbell later played Thadiun Okona in the TNG episode "The Outrageous Okona".
Rosalind Chao
- Main article: Rosalind Chao
Rosalind Chao (born 1957) was among the actresses auditioned for the role of Natasha Yar, but the role was eventually given to Denise Crosby. At one point, Chao was considered "the favorite for Tasha". [58] However, she later appeared on the series (and also on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as a semi-regular, playing Keiko O'Brien.
Mark Lindsay Chapman
Mark Lindsay Chapman (born 8 September 1954) is an English actor who was considered for the role of Data. [59] The role ultimately went to Brent Spiner.
Chapman is best known for starring as Dr. Anton Arcane in the 1990-1993 television series Swamp Thing, with Dick Durock playing the title role. He also appeared as Chief Officer Henry Tingle Wilde in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic (with Shay Duffin, Greg Ellis, Michael Ensign, Victor Garber, Jenette Goldstein, and David Warner) and played John Lennon in the 2007 film Chapter 27.
Chapman had recurring roles on the primetime soap operas Dallas (working with James Avery, Joseph Campanella, Glenn Corbett, and Leigh Taylor-Young) and Falcon Crest (with Steven Anderson, Sierra Pecheur, Tony Plana, Richard Riehle, Jimmie F. Skaggs, and David Spielberg). Several of his episodes in the latter series were directed by Reza Badiyi; one was directed by Robert Scheerer. More recently, Chapman played the recurring role of Agent Spector on NBC's daytime soap Days of Our Lives.
His other television credits have included guest spots on Max Headroom (with Matt Frewer, George Coe, Ron Fassler, and Jenette Goldstein), Silk Stalkings (with Charlie Brill and Harley Venton), Weird Science (directed by Les Landau), UPN's The Burning Zone (starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Nash Bridges (with Leslie Jordan, Caroline Lagerfelt, and Cress Williams), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (with Teri Hatcher, K Callan, and J.G. Hertzler), and multiple episodes of Murder, She Wrote (with Ian Abercrombie, Shay Duffin, George Hearn, Thomas Kopache, Dakin Matthews, Christopher Neame, Richard Riehle, Mark Rolston, and Wendy Schaal). He also starred in the 1986 science fiction made-for-TV movie Annihilator (with Earl Boen) and co-starred with Dean Stockwell in the 1995 TV movie The Langoliers.
Jeffrey Combs
- Main article: Jeffrey Combs
Jeffrey Combs (born 9 September 1954; age 65) was also one of several actors who auditioned for the role of Commander William T. Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Though he lost to Jonathan Frakes, Frakes would remember him years later when he cast Combs in the role of Tiron in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Meridian", a role that lead to numerous other roles, most notably Brunt, Weyoun, and Shran. (DS9 Season 5 DVD, Special "Hidden File 10")
Denise Crosby
- Main article: Denise Crosby
Denise Crosby (born 1957) was the main candidate for the role of Deanna Troi before the producers switched her roles with Marina Sirtis, and she eventually got to play Natasha Yar. A casting memo dated 13 April, 1987 claims that Crosby "seems to be the only possibility for the role of Troi at this point". [60]
Robin Curtis
- Main article: Robin Curtis
Robin Curtis (born 1956) was originally offered the role of K'Ehleyr in the second season episode, "The Emissary". Curtis would have very much liked to take the part, but she was making another film at the time, and her schedule conflicted with the filming of the episode, so she had to turn the offer down. [61]
Previously, Curtis appeared as Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and later indeed made a guest spot on The Next Generation, as Tallera in "Gambit, Part I" and "Gambit, Part II".
Jonathan Del Arco
- Main article: Jonathan Del Arco
Jonathan Del Arco (born 7 March 1966) auditioned for the part of Wesley Crusher at the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation but the part went to Wil Wheaton. ("Intergalactic Guest Stars" ("Profile: "Hugh" Borg"), TNG Season 5 DVD special feature)
Del Arco later appeared as the Borg Hugh in the TNG episodes "I Borg" and "Descent, Part II" and as Fantome in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "The Void".
Marta DuBois
- Main article: Marta DuBois
Marta DuBois (born 15 December 1952; age 67) was among the finalists for the roles of Natasha Yar and Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the parts went to Denise Crosby and Marina Sirtis. (citation needed • edit)
DuBois later guest starred in the TNG episode "Devil's Due" as Ardra.
Robert Englund
Robert Englund (born 6 June 1947) is an actor who is best known for playing Freddy Krueger in the first seven A Nightmare on Elm Street films (1984-1994) and in the crossover Freddy vs. Jason (2003). Back in October 1986, Englund was one of David Gerrold's recommendations for the role of Data in The Next Generation, a part which ultimatly went to Brent Spiner. (Creating the Next Generation: The Conception and Creation of a Phenomenon)
Born as Rober Barton Englund in Glendale, California, the Saturn Award nominated actor started his career in the early 1970s and landed the role of Willie in the science fiction television movie V (1983) and its following spin-offs V: The Final Battle (1984, with Michael Durrell, Richard Herd, and Andrew Prine) and the television series V (1984-1985). Beside guest roles in episodes of Charlie's Angels (1980, with Michael Cavanaugh), CHiPs (1981, with Robert Pine, Lou Wagner, and Michael Dorn), Hunter (1985, with Bruce Davison), and Knight Rider (1986, with Patricia McPherson) and the lead role in the horror film The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Englund resprised his role as Freddy Krueger in the television series Freddy's Nightmares (1988-1990).
Englund's further credits include the short lived horror series Nightmare Cafe (1992), the horror film Night Terrors (1995), guest roles in Walker, Texas Ranger (1996, with Noble Willingham), Babylon 5 (1996, with Bill Mumy, Katherine Moffat, and John Vickery), and Sliders (1996, with John Rhys-Davies, Jeff, and Jerry Rector), the horror films Wishmaster (1997, with Tony Todd and Kane Hodder), Urban Legend (1998, with John Neville), and Hatchet (2006, starring Kane Hodder), guest roles in The Simpsons (1999), Charmed (2001), Justice League (2002), Masters of Horror (2005), The Batman (2005-2007), and The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009).
In 2009 he portrayed Dr. Andover in the horror series Fear Clinic, with Kane Hodder and Lisa Wilcox. He then guest starred in Bones (2010), Chuck (2010, with Bonita Friedericy), Supernatural (2010, with Jim Beaver), Hawaii Five-0 (2011, with Daniel Dae Kim and Autumn Reeser), and Criminal Minds (2012) and appeared in the horror films Inkubus (2011), Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012), and Zombie Mutation (2012).
Genie Francis
Genie Francis (born 26 May 1962) is the wife of The Next Generation star Jonathan Frakes. The couple married on 28 May 1988 and has two children. During the production of the second season it was in talks that Francis could have a guest spot on the series and this was welcomed by Frakes. He also calls his wife a "longtime Star Trek fan". ("Jonathan Frakes - Commander William Riker", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 5, p. 11)
Born as Eugenie Ann Francis in Englewood, New Jersey, USA, Francis is probably best known for her starring and recurring roles as Laura Spencer in General Hospital (1977-2008), Brett Maine Hazard in North & South (1985, 1986, and 1994), and as Genevieve Atkinson in The Young and the Restless (2011-2012). For these appearances she received several award nominations and won a few including a Soap Opera Digest Award in 1997 and a Daytime Emmy Award in 2007. Beside a starring role in the television drama series Bare Essence (1983) on which she first worked with her future husband Frakes, Francis also appeared in episodes of Family (1976, with Kenneth Mars and Jerry Hardin), Fantasy Island (1982, with Ricardo Montalban), Hotel (1984 and 1987, with Michael Spound and Melinda Culea), Mike Hammer (1987, with William Frankfather), and Murder, She Wrote (1984, 1986, and 1990, with James Sloyan, David Ogden Stiers, and Ken Olandt).
Francis portrayed Ceara Connor Hunter in the television drama series Loving (1991) and All My Children (1990-1992) and voiced Betty Ross in several episodes of the animated television series The Incredible Hulk (1996). Other appearances beside her husband include episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1995, with Teri Hatcher, K Callan, and Michael Harris), 3rd Rock from the Sun (2000), and Roswell (2000, with William Sadler), the comedy Camp Nowhere (1994, with John Putch, Christopher Lloyd, and Kate Mulgrew) and the live-action remake Thunderbirds (2004).
In the more recent years, Francis portrayed Peyton McGruder in the television movies The Note (2007), Taking a Chance on Love (2009), and Notes from the Heart Healer (2012) and Dr. Kate in the comedy series Pretty the Series (2011-2012).
Clarence Gilyard, Jr.
Clarence Gilyard, Jr. (born 24 December 1955) was among the actors considered for the role of Geordi La Forge before the part went to LeVar Burton. [62] He is best known for his roles as Conrad McMasters on Matlock and as James Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger. The latter series also starred Noble Willingham, who guest-starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Gilyard was a also regular on CHiPs during the show's final season, playing Officer Benjamin Webster. His co-stars on this series included Robert Pine, who played his character's boss. In addition, Gilyard had supporting roles in the hit 1980s films Top Gun (as Sundown) and Die Hard (as Theo). More recently, he was seen as Pastor Bruce Barnes in the 2001 Christian film Left Behind and its 2002 direct-to-video sequel, Tribulation Force.
Kevin Peter Hall
- Main article: Kevin Peter Hall
Kevin Peter Hall (9 May 1955 – 10 April 1991; age 35) was considered for the roles of two TNG characters: Data and Geordi La Forge. [63] The former went to Brent Spiner, while the latter was given to LeVar Burton. Hall did eventually appear on TNG, playing Leyor in the third season's "The Price". Best known for playing The Predator in 20th Century Fox's hit Predator films, and as Harry in Harry and the Hendersons, Hall died in April 1991, while TNG was in its fourth season.
Gregory Itzin
- Main article: Gregory Itzin
Gregory Itzin (born 20 April 1948; age 71) successfully auditioned for an unspecified guest role in "The Big Goodbye" (possibly McNary or Whalen), but elected to accept a guest role on L.A. Law instead. Years later, Itzin acknowledged that "The Big Goodbye" is now considered a "classic" episode and regretted turning it down. [64]
Itzin later appeared in five different guest roles on various Star Trek series, but is best known as the disgraced President Charles Logan on 24.
Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson (born 18 May 1946) is a former Major League Baseball right fielder who, in 1987, was under consideration for the role of Geordi La Forge. In a memo to Paramount Television President John Pike, Director of Programming and Development John Ferraro believed Jackson was a favorite to play La Forge. [65] The role ultimately went to LeVar Burton.
Jackson, nicknamed "Mr. October," played for four different teams over his twenty year career in the MLB. Jackson debuted with the Kansas City Athletics in June 1967, helping the team defeat the Cleveland Indians 6-0. The Athletics moved to Oakland the following season, but Jackson remained with the team until 1975, helping them win three consecutive World Series titles. He briefly played for the Baltimore Orioles in 1976, after which he was signed to the New York Yankees. He helped the Yankees win two consecutive World Series titles (1977 and 1978) before joining the California Angels in 1982. He briefly rejoined the Oakland Athletics in 1987, after which he retired from the game at the age of 41.
Jackson's achievements include winning both the regular-season and World Series Most Valuable Player awards in 1973 and winning a second World Series MVP award in 1977. He was the first player to receive the World Series MVP on two different teams. He and Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley hold the record for most home runs in a single world series (five). Jackson's crowning achievement was the three home runs he hit in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, the most home runs ever by a player in a single World Series game. Over twenty years, Jackson had 563 home runs, 2,584 hits, and 1,702 runs batted in, with a batting average of .262. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Jackson has appeared in several films and television series over the years, especially after his retirement. He has guest-starred on such television shows as Diff'rent Strokes, The Love Boat, Archie Bunker's Place (working with Barry Gordon, Bill Quinn, and Jason Wingreen), The Jeffersons, MacGyver, and Malcolm in the Middle. In film, he appeared as a right fielder for the California Angels in the 1988 comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, in which Ricardo Montalban played the villain. (Lawrence Tierney appeared as the manager of the Angels.) Jackson later played a baseball coach in the 1994 family comedy Ri¢hie Ri¢h, which also featured a Star Trek film actor as the villain, John Larroquette.
Yaphet Kotto
Yaphet Kotto (born 15 November 1939) was among those considered to play Captain Jean-Luc Picard before the role went to Patrick Stewart. [66] He is known for his numerous film roles, including Mr. Big in Live and Let Die, Parker in Alien (1979), William Laughlin in The Running Man (1987, with Mick Fleetwood), and FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely in Midnight Run (1988). He is also known for his role as Lt. Al Giardello on the NBC drama series Homicide: Life on the Street.
In addition, Kotto co-starred with TOS actress Nichelle Nichols in the film Truck Turner. Kotto's other film credits include 1968's The Thomas Crown Affair, 1970's The Liberation of L.B. Jones (with Anthony Zerbe), 1978's Blue Collar (with Ed Begley, Jr.), 1983's The Star Chamber (with Larry Hankin and James B. Sikking), and 1994's The Puppet Masters (with Julie Warner, Sam Anderson, J. Patrick McCormack, Andrew Robinson, and Michael Shamus Wiles). He has also guest-starred on such TV shows as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O (with Jeff Corey), Fantasy Island (starring Ricardo Montalban), and The A-Team (starring Dwight Schultz). In 1977, he received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the TV special Raid on Entebbe, which co-starred Tige Andrews, Robin Gammell, Stephen Macht, and David Opatoshu.
Liane Langland
Liane Langland (born 1957) is an actress who was among the contenders to play Tasha Yar. [67] The role ultimately went to Denise Crosby.
Langland performed on Broadway in the play A Talent for Murder in 1981, working with Shelly Desai and Leon Russom. She has appeared in several TV movies, including 1983's Living Proof: The Hank Williams, Jr. Story (with Christian Slater and Noble Willingham), 1987's Desperate (starring John Savage, Meg Foster, and Andrew Robinson), Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake (1988, with David Ogden Stiers and Jim Beaver), and 1991's Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (with Don Keefer and Alan Oppenheimer). She also appeared in the 1984 mini-series Master of the Game with Cliff de Young and Mark Rolston). Her only feature film credit is 1987's The Squeeze, with Leslie Bevis.
John Lone
John Lone (born 13 October 1952) was one of the early candidates for the role of Data in October 1986. (Creating the Next Generation: The Conception and Creation of a Phenomenon) The part ultimatly went to Brent Spiner.
Born as Leung Kwok Ng in Hong Kong, Lone became well-known for his roles in the 1984 science fiction drama Iceman and the 1985 crime drama Year of the Dragon (with Caroline Kava and Jack Kehler). Further film credits include the drama The Last Emperor (1987, with Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa), the drama Echoes of Paradise (1989, with Wendy Hughes), the romance M. Butterfly (1993), the comic adaptation The Shadow (1994, with Aaron Lustig, Ethan Phillips, Larry Hankin, and Patrick Fischler), the comedy sequel Rush Hour 2 (2001, with Harris Yulin an Lisa LoCicero), and the crime thriller War (2007, with Saul Rubinek).
Victor Love
Victor Love (born 4 August 1957) was among the actors considered for the role of Geordi La Forge before the part went to LeVar Burton. [68] He is perhaps best known for starring as Bigger Thomas in the 1986 film Native Son, an adaptation of the novel by Richard Wright. This film also featured appearances by Arell Blanton, William Boyett, Chuck Hicks, and George D. Wallace.
Love's other film credits include It's My Party (with Dennis Christopher, Bruce Davison, Ron Glass, Sally Kellerman, and Joel Polis), Gang Related (with Brad Greenquist, Tommy "Tiny" Lister, Jr., Jimmie F. Skaggs), A Gun, a Car, a Blonde (with Jim Metzler and Time Winters), Shadow of Doubt (with Tony Plana), and Velocity Trap (with Ken Olandt and Craig Wasson). He also co-starred with Christopher Lloyd and Bruce McGill in the 1995 interactive short film Mr. Payback.
Love appeared as a telepath in two episodes of the science fiction series Babylon 5, working with Robin Atkin Downes, Andreas Katsulas, Leigh J. McCloskey, Tracy Scoggins, Patricia Tallman, and Walter Koenig. He also played the recurring role of Mike the reporter on The West Wing and voiced Bobby Fitzgerald and Bobby on the HBO animated series Spawn. His other television appearances include Spenser: For Hire (starring Avery Brooks), L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake), JAG (with Steven Culp, Claudette Nevins, and Leon Russom), Seven Days (with Alan Scarfe), and 7th Heaven (starring Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks).
Keye Luke
- Main article: Keye Luke
Keye Luke (1904 – 1991) was considered for the role of Dr. Noonian Soong in "Brothers", when it was thought having Brent Spiner play three different characters in the episode would not be feasible. Two decades prior Luke played Donald Cory in the original series episode "Whom Gods Destroy". (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
Gregg Marx
Gregg Marx (born 3 April 1955) was considered for the role of William T. Riker before it went to Jonathan Frakes. [69] Marx is best known for his work on daytime soap operas, notably David Banning on Days of Our Lives from 1981 through 1983 and Tom Hughes on As the World Turns from 1984 through 1987. He received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for the latter, of which he won the second.
In addition, Marx guest-starred in a 1984 episode of Hotel (along with Mary Crosby), appeared in the 1991 TV movie Daughter of the Streets (starring Harris Yulin), and made several appearances on Doogie Howser, M.D. (on which Lawrence Pressman and James B. Sikking were regulars). His latest on-screen appearance was in the 1993 mini-series The Secrets of Lake Success, which also featured Lanei Chapman, Samantha Eggar, Stan Ivar, Brian Keith, Jeff Rector, Liz Vassey, and Ray Wise.
Chip McAllister
Phillip "Chip" McAllister (born 2 October 1957) was among the actors considered for the role of Geordi La Forge before the part went to LeVar Burton. [70]
McAllister acted in several films and television shows during the 1970s and 1980s. He made his screen acting debut as a young Muhammad Ali in the 1977 film The Greatest, which also featured David Clennon, Malachi Throne, and Paul Winfield. His only other film credits were two comedies in the 1980s: he starred in 1984's Weekend Pass and then appeared in the 1985's Hamburger: The Motion Picture, the latter of which starred Leigh J. McCloskey.
On television, McAllister co-starred opposite Raphael Sbarge on the short-lived CBS sitcom Better Days. He also appeared on such shows as Police Woman (with Theodore Bikel, Richard Hale, and series regular Charles Dierkop), The Facts of Life, and Tour of Duty (with Dan Gauthier).
McAllister is best known not for his acting but for winning the fifth installment of the reality television series The Amazing Race. On the show, he and his wife, Kim, competed against ten other teams of two in a race around the world. They became the first African American contestants to win the race.
Patrick McGoohan
Patrick McGoohan (1928 – 2009) was approached to play the role of Ira Graves in TNG: "The Schizoid Man", but turned down the role, which was ultimately played by W. Morgan Sheppard. The episode took its name from an episode of McGoohan's TV series, The Prisoner. (Star Trek Encyclopedia)
Born in the US, McGoohan is best remembered for his British television work, starring as John Drake in the spy drama Danger Man (broadcast in the US as Secret Agent) and as mysterious Number 6 in the SF series The Prisoner, which he co-created with George Markstein. McGoohan is also remembered for his work in various 1960s-era projects for Walt Disney, including Three Lives of Thomasina. In the 1970s, he won an Emmy for his guest-starring role in Columbo, though an attempt at a new series with Rafferty failed, as did a Prisoner-esque film called Kings and Desperate Men. Later appearances included The Phantom, Treasure Planet, Braveheart, and one of his final acting roles was parodying Number 6 for an episode of The Simpsons.
Eric Menyuk
- Main article: Eric Menyuk
Eric Menyuk was the second choice for the role of Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but was beaten out by Brent Spiner. [71]
Menyuk guest-starred in three episodes of The Next Generation as The Traveler.
Kim Miyori
Kim Miyori (born 4 January 1951) is an actress who was one of David Gerrold's early recommendations for the role of Data in The Next Generation in October 1986. (Creating the Next Generation: The Conception and Creation of a Phenomenon) The part ultimately went to Brent Spiner. Miyori is the only known female actor considered for the role of Data.
Miyori was born Cheryl Jane Utsunomiya in Santa Barbara, California and is well known for her leading role as Dr. Wendy Armstrong in the first two seasons of the drama series St. Elsewhere (1982-1984). She appeared in a number of television series including Cagney & Lacey (1982, starring Meg Foster), Magnum, P.I. (1982 and 1984), Airwolf (1985, with Robert Ito, Branscombe Richmond, and Irene Tsu), T.J. Hooker (1985 and 1986, starring William Shatner, James Darren, and Richard Herd), Murder, She Wrote (1987, with Fionnula Flanagan, Lenore Kasdorf, and Gail Strickland), L.A. Law (1988, starring Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake), MacGyver (1989, with Nick Dimitri), Melrose Place (1992, with Malachi Throne), Babylon 5 (1996, with Bill Mumy, Andreas Katsulas, and Phil Morris), 24 (2001, with Leslie Hope, Jude Ciccolella, and Penny Johnson), Crossing Jordan (2002, with Miguel Ferrer and Hilary Shepard), JAG (2004, with Steven Culp, Scott Lawrence, Zoe McLellan, and Claudette Nevins), and Cold Case (2007, with Patti Yasutake).
Miyori's film credits include the musical Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), the leading role in the television drama John and Yoko: A Love Story (1985), the comedy The Big Picture (1989, with Michael McKean and Teri Hatcher), the comedy Loverboy (1989, with Robert Picardo and Kirstie Alley), the thriller Body Shot (1994, with Ray Wise, Jonathan Banks, Charles Napier, and Kenneth Tobey), the action comedy Metro (1997), and the horror sequel The Grudge 2 (2006, with Joanna Cassidy).
Richard Mulligan
Richard Mulligan (1932 – 2000) was the actor sought by Maurice Hurley for the antagonist role in TNG: "Where Silence Has Lease". The role was instead taken by Earl Boen, but the character's name, Nagilum, remained as an homage to the actor: Mulligan in reverse, minus an "l". (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) However, Mulligan did voice Xenti in the video game Star Trek: Judgment Rites.
Mulligan was perhaps best known for his Emmy Award-winning roles on the sitcom series Soap and Empty Nest. He has also starred in such films as Little Big Man (1970), The Big Bus (1976), Scavenger Hunt (1979), S.O.B. (1981), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Teachers (1984), Micki + Maude (1984), Meatballs, Part II (1984), The Heavenly Kid (1985), and A Fine Mess (1986) and voiced Einstein in the 1988 Disney film Oliver & Company.
Ben Murphy
Ben Murphy (born 6 March 1942) was among the actors considered for the role of William T. Riker before it went to Jonathan Frakes. [72] Murphy is perhaps best known for starring in the 1971-1973 western series Alias Smith and Jones, in which he played Jed "Kid" Curry, alias Thaddeus Jones.
Murphy has starred in several other television series, including Griff (with Vic Tayback), the short-lived Gemini Man, and the primetime soap opera Berrenger's (with Leslie Hope). He also made frequent appearances on The Love Boat (working with Ellen Bry, Teri Hatcher, Leigh McCloskey, and Diana Muldaur) and had a recurring role on JAG (his episode of which featured Corbin Bernsen, Scott Lawrence, Zoe McLellan, Jennifer Parsons, and Ned Vaughn), in addition to guest-starring on many other television series.
In addition, Murphy had roles in such mini-series as The Chisholms (working with Brett Cullen, Brian Keith, Mitchell Ryan, and Anthony Zerbe) and The Winds of War (with Michael Ensign, Stefan Gierasch, Jeremy Kemp, George Murdock, Lawrence Pressman, and Logan Ramsey). His TV movie credits include 1976's Riding with Death (co-directed by Don McDougall and co-starring Alan Oppenheimer and Andrew Prine; his feature film credits include 1968's Yours, Mine and Ours (photographed by Charles F. Wheeler) and 1982's Time Walker (with Antoinette Bower).
Julia Nickson
- Main article: Julia Nickson
Julia Nickson (born 1958) was among the actresses considered for the role of Natasha Yar. The role finally went to Denise Crosby. [73] Nickson later guest-starred on Star Trek as Ensign Lian T'Su in TNG: "The Arsenal of Freedom" and as Cassandra in DS9: "Paradise".
John Nowak
- Main article: John Nowak
John Nowak was scheduled to work as stunt double for Patrick Stewart as Locutus of Borg, but the moment was ultimately never shot. Nowak recalls, "In "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", they had a big stunt planned where they would capture Picard/Locutus, but at the last minute they ran out of time, so I was there, got my four hours of makeup and sat around another 12 hours in the stuff, but never got filmed as the Borg." (Starlog Science-Fiction Explorer, issue #8)
Michael O'Gorman
Michael O'Gorman was a candidate for the role of William T. Riker. John Ferraro, the Director of Programming and Development at Paramount Television, believed O'Gorman was the favorite to play Riker before the part went to Jonathan Frakes. According to Ferraro, O'Gorman was "sort of an atypical choice, however, a good one." [74]
O'Gorman has few film and television credits. His only known film work was in the 1987 drama Ironweed (with Jake Dengel). On television, he appeared on Miami Vice in 1987, in an episode directed by Gabrielle Beaumont. He also appeared in a 1989 Winrich Kolbe-directed episode of A Man Called Hawk, which starred Avery Brooks. He later had a supporting role in the 1991 mini-series A Woman Named Jackie, which featured Stephen Collins and Bob Gunton. [75]
O'Gorman has also performed on Broadway. He was part of the original cast of the Tony Award-winning musical Woman of the Year in 1983. He then acted with Jeff McCarthy and Ruth Williamson in the musical Smile from November 1986 through January 1987. For his performance in this production, O'Gorgan was nominated for a Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. In 1992, he was Tim Curry's understudy on My Favorite Year, which also featured Andrea Martin and Ethan Phillips. [76]
Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles (born 17 February 1935) is the actress who auditioned for the role of Doctor Katherine Pulaski on the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The role ultimately was given to Diana Muldaur. [77] [78]
Born as Christine Pickles in Yorkshire, England, she is best known for her recurring roles as Nurse Helen Rosenthal in 137 episodes of St. Elsewhere (1982-1988) and as Courteney Cox' mother Judy Geller on Friends (1994-2003). In 1987 she portrayed the Sorceress in the popular comic adaptation Masters of the Universe, along trek performers Meg Foster, Robert Duncan McNeill, Anthony De Longis, and Frank Langella.
As a six time Emmy Award nominee, Pickles has appeared in dozens of television series, including The Guiding Light (1970-1972), Another World (1977-1979), Roseanne (1988), Family Ties (1988), Matlock (1992), Sisters (1994), The Nanny (1995), Murder She Wrote (1995), The Pretender (1998), Party of Five (1998), JAG (1998-2000), The Division (2004), and Medium (2006). Among her acting credits are also several television movies and films such as Legends of the Fall (1994), Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996), the comedy The Wedding Singer (1998), and more recently the animated movie Immigrants (L.A. Dolce Vita) (2008).
David Rappaport
David Rappaport (1951 – 1990) was a popular British actor who was cast as Kivas Fajo in the episode "The Most Toys" but he attempted suicide over the weekend after a few days of filming were completed. Director Timothy Bond stated, "There was a story going around that they had found him in his car with a tube running from the exhaust." ("Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages") Saul Rubinek was recast in the part and all the scenes that featured Rappaport were refilmed. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
David Rappaport continued to suffer from acute depression and successfully committed suicide two months later, dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a Los Angeles park on 2 May 1990. [79] His death occurred just five days before "The Most Toys" premiered. Footage of David Rappaport as Kivas Fajo is included on the TNG Season 3 Blu-ray release.
Rappaport is perhaps best remembered for playing bandit leader Randall in Terry Gilliam's 1981 film Time Bandits, which co-starred David Warner. He also co-starred opposite Clancy Brown in 1985's The Bride and starred as Simon McKay on the short-lived CBS series The Wizard – ironically "The Wizard" was a former weapons designer who designed fantastic toys that helped him defeat villains. He also made appearances on shows such as Hardcastle and McCormick, Mr. Belvedere, and L.A. Law. Soon before his death, he lent his voice to a few episodes of Captain Planet and the Planeteers, which also featured the voices of LeVar Burton and Whoopi Goldberg.
J.D. Roth
J.D. Roth (born 20 April 1968) is an actor and TV host who was considered for the role of Wesley Crusher. [80] The role ultimately went to Wil Wheaton.
As an actor, Roth has appeared on such television series as The Equalizer (with Robert Joy and Robert Lansing) and Melrose Place (acting with Stanley Kamel and Gail Strickland and directed by Chip Chalmers). He also voiced the title character on the 1996-1997 animated series The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (which also featured the voices of John de Lancie, Robert Foxworth, and Frank Welker). His few film credits include the 1984 drama Firstborn, starring Teri Garr and Peter Weller.
Roth is best known for his work as a host and producer of reality programming. He hosted the children's game show Fox's Fun House from 1988 through 1990. He later received three Daytime Emmy Award nominations as executive producer of the Endurance series of children's reality programs, which he also hosted. Most notably, he is the co-creator, executive producer, and narrator of the hit NBC reality show The Biggest Loser.
Tim Russ
- Main article: Tim Russ
Tim Russ (born 22 June 1956; age 63) was the runner-up for the role of Geordi La Forge, according to Rick Berman in an interview in the 1995 special Star Trek Voyager: Inside the New Adventure. Russ went on to play the mercenary characters Devor and T'Kar and a lieutenant aboard the USS Enterprise-B before finally winning the regular role of Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager. The would-be casting of Russ was almost indirectly referenced on-screen; in some very early drafts of "Death Wish" – in which the TNG character affected by Quinn was La Forge instead of Riker – Q would have revealed that, were it not for Quinn's actions, the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise-D would've been Tuvok, not La Forge.
Mitchell Ryan
- Main article: Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan (born 1934) was among the candidates considered for the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, before it eventually went to Patrick Stewart. [81] However, Ryan guest-starred as Kyle Riker in the second season episode "The Icarus Factor".
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes (born 31 July 1962) was among the actors considered for the role of Geordi La Forge. [82] The part ultimately went to LeVar Burton.
Snipes made his film acting debut in the 1986 sports comedy Wildcats (working with Bruce McGill). He acquired fame with his role as Willie Mays Hayes in the hit 1989 baseball comedy Major League, acting alongside Corbin Bernsen.
Major League marked the first in a succession of box office hits for Snipes, which included the 1991 crime thriller New Jack City (co-starring Bill Cobbs), Spike Lee's 1991 drama Jungle Fever, the 1992 basketball comedy White Men Can't Jump, the 1992 action-thriller Passenger 57 (co-starring Bruce Greenwood and Robert Hooks), 1993's Rising Sun (opposite Sean Connery, with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Ray Wise), the 1993 science fiction actioner Demolition Man (with Bill Cobbs and Bob Gunton), the 1995 comedy To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, and 1998's U.S. Marshals (directed by Stuart Baird).
Snipes is perhaps best known for his role as vampire hunter Blade in the Blade film franchise, based on the Marvel Comics character. The second film in the series, 2002's Blade II, co-starred Ron Perlman. Snipes' other recent films have included 2000's The Art of War (with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), 2010's Brooklyn's Finest, and several direct-to-video releases.
Stella Stevens
Stella Stevens (born 1 October 1938) is an actress who was considered for the role of Ardra for the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode "Devil's Due". Like fellow candidate Adrienne Barbeau she was beaten out by Marta Dubois. (The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 19, p. 10)
Born as Estelle Caro Eggleston in Yazoo City, Mississippi, USA, she started her acting career in the late 1950s with a contract with 20th Century Fox. The contract was dropped after her first two supporting roles in the musical Say One for Me (1959, with Ray Walston) and in the drama The Blue Angel (1959, with Theodore Bikel). She then received a contract for Paramount Pictures. In 1960 she won a Golden Globe in the category Most Promising Newcomer - Female, shared with Tuesday Weld, Angie Dickinson and Janet Munro. She was also the January 1960 Playmate of the Month for Playboy.
From the early 1960s on Stevens worked both, as model and actress with appearances in television series such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960), Bonanza (1960), Ben Casey (1964, with John Anderson), Banacek (1973, with Ted Cassidy), Police Story (1975), Wonder Woman (1975, with Henry Gibson and Kenneth Mars), and Hart to Hart (1979, with Eugene Roche) and films such as the musical comedy Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962, with Laurel Goodwin), the comedy The Nutty Professor (1963), the comedy Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! (1968), the action film The Poseidon Adventure (1972), and the action film Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975).
Between 1980 and 1982 she portrayed Lute-Mae Sanders in the drama series Flamingo Road where she worked with John Beck and Bob Bralver. Further television work includes episodes of The Love Boat (1983, with Joan Collins and Monte Markham), Fantasy Island (1983, with Ricardo Montalban), Highway to Heaven (1984), Murder, She Wrote (1985, with William Windom), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1988, with Clive Revill), Santa Barbara (1989-1990), The Commish (1993), Highlander (1995), Silk Stalkings (1996, with Charlie Brill and Robert Pine), General Hospital (1996 and 1999), Viper (1998, with J. Downing), and Twenty Good Years (2006) and films such as the television thriller Amazons (1984), the action comedy The Longshot (1986), the comedy Down the Drain (1990), the comedy The Nutt House (1992), the thriller Illicit Dreams (1994) on which she worked with her son, actor and director Andrew Stevens, the science fiction film Star Hunter (1996), the western The Long Ride Home (2003), the horror film Glass Trap (2005, with Andrew Prine), and the comedy Popstar (2005).
Roy Thinnes
Roy Thinnes (born 6 April 1938) is an American actor who was considered for the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. [83] The role ultimately went to Patrick Stewart.
Thinnes is perhaps best known for starring in the science fiction series The Invaders, which aired from 1967 through 1968. He reprised his role from this series in the 1995 TV movie follow-up, which starred Scott Bakula.
Thinnes also starred in the 1965-1966 series The Long Hot Summer and the 1971 NBC series The Psychiatrist. He later played the recurring role of Nick Hogan on Falcon Crest, where he worked with Robert Foxworth. More recently, he played Roger Collins in the 1990s revival of Dark Shadows and appeared as Jeremiah Smith in three episodes of The X-Files (working with Brian Thompson and director Kim Manners).
In addition to his television work, Thinnes has acted in such films as Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969), Airport 1975 (1974), and The Hindenburg (1975). The latter also featured Rene Auberjonois and Alan Oppenheimer. Thinnes appears in the 2001 Academy Award-winning A Beautiful Mind, as well, as does Christopher Plummer.
Anne Twomey
Anne Twomey (born 7 June) 1951) is an American actress who was up for the role of Doctor Beverly Crusher, but she lost out to Gates McFadden. [84] Twomey received a Tony Award nomination and won a Theatre World Award for her performance in the 1980 play Nuts. She made her film debut co-starring opposite Michael Nouri in the 1986 thriller The Imagemaker. Her subsequent film credits have included Wes Craven's 1986 horror film Deadly Friend (featuring stunt work by Tony Cecere and Leslie Hoffman), the 1988 thriller Last Rites (with Paul Dooley), the 1994 comedy The Scout, the 1997 romantic comedy Picture Perfect (with Ivar Brogger and Faran Tahir), and the 1999 drama The Confession (with Kevin Conway).
On television, Twomey has had recurring roles on the NBC dramas L.A. Law (as Linda Salerno) and Third Watch (as Catherine Zambrano). On the former, she worked with the likes of Edward Laurence Albert, Sam Anderson, Susan Bay, Corbin Bernsen, Robert Curtis Brown, Tony Cecere, Larry Drake, Samantha Eggar, Marva Hicks, Robert Hooks, Salome Jens, Stephen McHattie, Richard Riehle, Don Stark, Lawrence Tierney, Kenneth Tigar, and Tom Wright. Twomey also played Rita Kearson in two episodes of NBC's hit sitcom Seinfeld (starring Jason Alexander) and guest-starred in three episodes of NBC's Law & Order.
Twomey's other television credits include guest appearances on The Cosby Show, Magnum, P.I. (in an episode directed by Russ Mayberry), The Equalizer (with Susan Gibney, Robert Lansing, and Keith Szarabajka), Spin City (starring Alan Ruck), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (opposite Robert Foxworth), and Wonderland (starring Michelle Forbes) and such TV movies as 1989's Day One (directed by Joseph Sargent and co-starring David Ogden Stiers), and 1992's The Secret (with Brock Peters). In 2003, she reunited with Michael Nouri for an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
James Louis Watkins
- Main article: James Louis Watkins
James Louis Watkins was alongside Michael Dorn and James Avery among the three finalists for the role of Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was beaten out by Michael Dorn and guest-starred as Hagon in the TNG first season episode "Code of Honor". Template:Brokenlink
Robin Williams
Robin Williams (born 1951) is a popular American actor and comedian for whom the character of Berlinghoff Rasmussen from the TNG episode "A Matter of Time" was originally written. Williams, however, had to decline the role to play Peter Pan in Steven Spielberg's film, Hook. (Star Trek 30 Years; TNG Season 5 DVD special features)
Williams, while working on Mork & Mindy, rode his bicycle over to the soundstage during the filming of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He explained to the Star Trek cast that he was a big fan of the show and was invited in onto the bridge of the Enterprise. According to Walter Koenig, "his wide-eyed admiration not withstanding, his squeaky-voiced reaction to all the buttons and panels is, "Hmmmm, microwave!"" (Chekov's Enterprise)
First acquiring fame for his Emmy-nominated role as Mork on the television sitcom Mork & Mindy, Williams has since moved on to a highly successful career in feature films. He made his film debut in 1980's Popeye, working with Paul Dooley, Richard Libertini, and Ray Walston. He has earned Academy Award nominations for his leading roles in Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, and The Fisher King, and won his first Academy Award for his supporting role in Good Will Hunting. He has also received acclaim for performances in such films as The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson, Awakenings, Mrs. Doubtfire, Patch Adams, Insomnia, and One Hour Photo.
Williams is also known for his voice-over roles in such films as Aladdin, FernGully: The Last Rainforest, and Happy Feet. He has starred in many family-oriented live-action films, as well. He worked with Kirsten Dunst in Jumanji and with Clancy Brown and Wil Wheaton in Flubber. More recently, he played Theodore Roosevelt in Night at the Museum and its sequel, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. His many other film credits include The Best of Times (with Tony Plana), Club Paradise (with Joanna Cassidy and Andrea Martin), Cadillac Man (with Lori Petty), The Birdcage (with Tim Kelleher), Fathers' Day (with Bruce Greenwood), What Dreams May Come (with Rosalind Chao), Bicentennial Man (with Stephen Root), Death to Smoochy (with Vincent Schiavelli), RV (with Rob LaBelle and Brian Markinson), and August Rush (with William Sadler).
Kelvin Han Yee
Kelvin Han Yee is an actor who was considered for the role of Data before it went to Brent Spiner. [85] Yee made his screen acting debut in the 1986 film A Great Wall, which was the first American film shot in China. He has since appeared in such films as Patch Adams (1998, starring Robin Williams and featuring Harry Groener, Bob Gunton, Richard Kiley, Randy Oglesby, and Harve Presnell), True Life (1999, with Jack Kehler, Michael McKean, William Windom, and Anthony Zerbe), Sweet November (2001, with Robert Joy and Frank Langella), The Island (co-written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and featuring Ethan Phillips, Kevin McCorkle, Tim Halligan, Glenn Morshower, Noa Tishby, Katy Boyer, and Randy Oglesby), Lucky You (2007, starring Eric Bana), and Milk (2008, with Cully Fredricksen, Victor Garber, and Kelvin Yu).
On television, Yee has made recurring appearances on the soap operas The Bold and the Beautiful (as Dr. Ying) and The Young and the Restless (as Dr. Jun). He also had a recurring role on the Starz series Crash, working with Seymour Cassel, Boris Lee Krutonog, Tom Wright, Keone Young, and directors David Barrett and Terrence O'Hara. In addition, Yee has guest-starred on such shows as 24 (with Michael Bofshever, Roger Cross, and Lawrence Monoson), Chuck (with Tony Todd), The Mentalist (with Steven Culp and Jeffrey Nordling), Entourage (with Alan Dale), and Criminal Minds (with Jason Brooks).
Deep Space Nine
Jeff Conaway
Jeff Conaway (1950 – 2011) was reportedly approached for an unspecified guest role on either Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or Star Trek: Voyager, but declined. Conaway mentions the offer in the DVD audio commentary for the Babylon 5 TV movie Thirdspace. Conaway was a series regular as Security Chief Zack Allan on the Babylon 5 series, along with Andreas Katsulas, Bill Mumy, Patricia Tallman, Robert Rusler, and Tracy Scoggins. He also reprised the role in the aforementioned Thirdspace (which co-starred Clyde Kusatsu), River of Souls (with Joel Brooks), and A Call to Arms (with Tony Todd). Conaway is best known, however, for his role as Kenicke in the 1978 film adaptation of the musical Grease and as taxi-driver/struggling actor Bobby Wheeler on the sitcom Taxi (with Christopher Lloyd).
Michael Dorn
- Main article: Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn (born 1952) was to appear as the mirror universe counterpart of his Next Generation character, Worf in "Crossover". However, the schedule conflicted with the filming of TNG. [86]
Less than two years later, Dorn became a regular on the series and he finally played the mirror universe Worf in "Shattered Mirror" and "The Emperor's New Cloak".
Michelle Forbes
- Main article: Michelle Forbes
Michelle Forbes (born 1965) was originally planned to reprise her role as Ro Laren in the series, turning the character into a regular (possibly the first officer of Deep Space 9). However, Forbes turned down the offer, and the character became the basis for Major Kira Nerys. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)
As Forbes explained: "It was, again, about wanting variety in my career. If I'd gone on to do DS9, I might not have had the variety I've been lucky to have in my career. That's not to say I wasn't grateful for the opportunity; I genuinely was. However, I had to make a choice that felt right for me, which was a difficult one, especially as a young actor being offered a steady job." (TV Zone Magazine, January 2005)
Whoopi Goldberg
- Main article: Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg (born 1955) was approached to do a cameo as Guinan in "Rivals" (where Martus Mazur would be revealed to be the wayward son of her), but had to turn it down as it conflicted with the filming of other projects (Goldberg also did not appear in any Next Generation episodes in the 1993-94 season). All references to Guinan were then removed from the episode's script. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Robert Goulet
Robert Goulet (1933 – 2007) was an American singer and actor, who was approached to play Vic Fontaine after Frank Sinatra, Jr. turned down the role. However, he also passed the offer. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Goulet played a variety roles in film and television, including the TV-movie version of the musicals Brigadoon (1966), Carousel (1967), and Kiss Me Kate (1968), and appearances on such series as Mission: Impossible, Fantasy Island (starring Ricardo Montalban), The Love Boat, and Murder, She Wrote (starring William Windom). He also appeared in movies like Beetle Juice (1988, with Winona Ryder) and The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear (1991, with Peter Mark Richman, Tim O'Connor, and John Fleck). Goulet provided his singing voice for the animated film Toy Story 2 (2000), which also featured the voices of Wallace Shawn and Kelsey Grammer.
Martha Hackett
- Main article: Martha Hackett
Martha Hackett (born 1961) auditioned for the role of Jadzia Dax, but lost out to Terry Farrell. She was subsequently cast as the Terrellian pilot Androna in the final Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "All Good Things...", only to have her scene cut from the episode. Nevertheless, she was cast on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, months later as the Romulan T'Rul in "The Search, Part I" and "The Search, Part II". Soon after, she was approached for yet another role, this time on Star Trek: Voyager, in the role of the treacherous Seska.
Charles Hallahan
Charles Hallahan (1943 – 1997) was a veteran character actor who was cast to play Liam Bilby in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Honor Among Thieves". He and actor Nick Tate were both up for the role, but director Allan Eastman (who had suggested Tate for the role) and producer Ira Steven Behr (who suggested Hallahan) chose Hallahan due to his resemblance to Miles O'Brien actor Colm Meaney, which they believed would give the characters a father-son quality to them. Sadly, Hallahan died of a heart attack before production began, and Tate assumed the role in Hallahan's memory. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Hallahan is best known for his role in John Carpenter's The Thing. His other film credits include Silkwood (1983), Pale Rider (1985), Fatal Beauty (1987, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Harris Yulin), True Believer (1989), Stuart Baird's Executive Decision (1996), and Dante's Peak (1997). He also made guest appearances on shows like Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, Hill Street Blues, Law & Order, Murder, She Wrote, and NYPD Blue and had recurring roles on Hunter, The Paper Chase, and Grace Under Fire.
Famke Janssen
- Main article: Famke Janssen
Famke Janssen (born 1964) is believed to have been offered the role of Jadzia Dax but she turned it down, wanting to focus on a film career rather than television. She had previously played Kamala in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Perfect Mate". The role of Jadzia Dax eventually went to Terry Farrell. Interestingly, however the forehead ridges seen on Trill in "The Host" were discarded in favor of spots similar ones seen on Kamala. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born 1931) was among the final few actors considered for the role of Benjamin Sisko, but eventually the role went to Avery Brooks. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
During a career, which spans nearly fifty years, Jones appeared in numerous film and television projects. He is probably most famous for voicing the character of Darth Vader (played by David Prowse) in the original Star Wars trilogy and subsequent films and video games – a role which in the radio dramatizations of the films was handled by Brock Peters, who, in fact, played Sisko's father during DS9's run. He also lent his voice to the acclaimed animated feature The Lion King (1994), which also featured the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Madge Sinclair, Frank Welker, and Brian Tochi. In live-action, Jones played the first African-American president in The Man (1972), which was directed by Joseph Sargent and also featured William Windom, Barry Russo, Garry Walberg, Vince Howard, and music by Jerry Goldsmith. His other feature film credits include Swashbuckler (1976, with Sid Haig and directed by James Goldstone), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977, with Louise Fletcher), Coming to America (1988, with Madge Sinclair), Three Fugitives (1989, with Alan Ruck, Bruce McGill, and Brian Thompson), The Hunt for Red October (1990, with Gates McFadden and Daniel Davis), Patriot Games (1992, with music by James Horner) and Sommersby (1993, with William Windom). His television credits include guest roles in series such as L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen), Stargate SG-1 and Homicide: Life on the Streets (starring Michelle Forbes). He also appeared in miniseries such as Jesus of Nazareth (1977, with Christopher Plummer) and Roots: The Next Generations (with Percy Rodrigues, Jason Wingreen, Brock Peters, Paul Winfield, Logan Ramsey, Bill Quinn, Patricia Smith, music by Gerald Fried, and partially directed by John Erman).
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle (born 1962) was also among the final group of actors considered for the role of Benjamin Sisko before the role ultimately went to Avery Brooks. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
La Salle is best known for his role as Dr. Peter Benton on the highly acclaimed medical drama ER, which he played from 1994 to 2002. Outside ER he appeared in guest roles in series such as Spenser: For Hire (starring Avery Brooks), Quantum Leap (starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell), The System, Without a Trace and 24. He also made appearances in feature films, including Coming to America (1988, with Madge Sinclair), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Color of the Night (1994, with Scott Bakula, Brad Dourif, and Jeff Corey), and One Hour Photo (2002).
Malcolm McDowell
- Main article: Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell (born 1943) wanted to play a role on Deep Space Nine. However, he only wanted to appear in an episode directed by his nephew, Alexander Siddig, and after his appearance as Doctor Tolian Soran in Star Trek Generations, he would have to play an alien, which he did not want to do. Therefore, he never made it into the series.
Tim Blake Nelson
Tim Blake Nelson (born 1964) is the American actor, writer and director who auditioned for the role of Quark. Nelson thought the role was a natural fit for him, asserting that he "basically [is] a Ferengi." The part went to Armin Shimerman, however, which Nelson claimed left him "heartbroken." He began finding steady film work years later with directors such as Joel and Ethan Coen who, according to Nelson, were looking for "Human Ferengis." As Nelson stated, his "Ferengi career came, it just came later." [87]
Nelson first achieved recognition for his role as Delmar in the Coen brothers' acclaimed 2000 comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? He has since had supporting roles in such films Steven Spielberg's Minority Report (with Patrick Kilpatrick, Neal McDonough, and George D. Wallace), Holes (with Eric Pierpoint, Jeff Ricketts, and Rick Worthy), Syriana (with Alexander Siddig, Christopher Plummer, Robert Foxworth, and David Clennon), The Astronaut Farmer (starring Virginia Madsen), and 2008's The Incredible Hulk. He has also written and directed such films as 2001's The Grey Zone (based on his own play) and Leaves of Grass (for which he cast Josh Pais).
Iggy Pop
- Main article: Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop (born 1947) was approached to play Grady in "Past Tense, Part II", but he was unavailable due to a music tour in Spain. However, Ira Steven Behr, a fan of his work, pushed Iggy Pop to be cast for a role in the series, which resulted in him getting to play Yelgrun in "The Magnificent Ferengi" three years later.
Andrew Robinson
- Main article: Andrew Robinson
Andrew J. Robinson (born 1942) originally auditioned for the role of Odo, and was briefly considered for the role of Laas in "Chimera", before they ultimately decided on J.G. Hertzler for the part. The creative staff thought Robinson's voice was unmistakable, and fans of Garak were very protective of the character, and wouldn't allow Robinson to play another role. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen (born 1940) is the multiple award-winning American actor, who was originally considered for the role of Section 31 operative Luther Sloan in "Inquisition" and consequent episodes. However, producers finally chose William Sadler for the part. As Ira Steven Behr explained, "We needed someone who had real power as an actor, who could keep you from jumping to a final conclusion about his character." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Since the early 1960s, Sheen has established himself as a successful actor in both film and television. One of his earliest credits is "Nightmare", a 1963 episode of The Outer Limits, directed by John Erman, written and produced by Joseph Stefano and featuring Willard Sage, Whit Bissell, David Frankham, Bernard Kates, John Anderson, and Vic Perrin as the Control Voice. Also, Fred B. Phillips provided make-ups for the series, while Robert Justman served as first assistant director. His other television credits include episodes of Mission: Impossible ("Live Bait", with Dick Dial and John Crawford), Hawaii Five-O (including "Time and Memories", with Diana Muldaur), The F.B.I. (including "A Second Life", directed by Ralph Senensky and featuring George Sawaya, "Condemned" with James B. Sikking and "The Dynasty" with Ian Wolfe), Medical Center (starring James Daly, including "A Duel with Doom", with Marj Dusay), Columbo, and Two and a Half Men. In 1998 Sheen starred in the television film, Babylon 5: The River of Souls, based on the popular science fiction series running concurrent with Deep Space Nine. This telefilm also featured Tracy Scoggins. However, Sheen's most famous television role is that of President Josiah Bartlet in the popular series The West Wing, which ran from 1999 to 2006.
In feature films, Sheen has appeared in numerous well-acclaimed projects, including Francis Ford Coppola's classic Vietnam drama Apocalypse Now (1979), The Final Countdown (1980), Gandhi (1982), The Dead Zone (1983, with Anthony Zerbe), Wall Street (1987, with Saul Rubinek), Gettysburg (1993, with W. Morgan Sheppard), Dilinger and Capone (1995, with F. Murray Abraham, Stephen Davies, Catherine Hicks, Jeffrey Combs, Clint Howard, and Bert Remsen), Catch Me If You Can (2002, with Thomas Kopache and Malachi Throne), and The Departed (2006, with Mark Rolston).
Frank Sinatra, Jr.
Frank Sinatra, Jr. (born 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, conductor and occasional actor, the son of Frank Sinatra. He was originally approached to play Vic Fontaine during the fourth season, after he turned out to be a fan of the show. Despite finding the role interesting, Sinatra turned it down, saying he only wanted to play an alien character. Finally the role went to James Darren. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Sinatra is best known as a vocalist and composer, who worked as his father's musical director and conductor from 1988. He also performed successfully with his own acts, touring thirty countries as early as 1968. Alongside his musical career, he occasionally appeared in film and television, including A Man Called Adam (1966, directed by Leo Penn), Zebra Force (1976, featuring Charles Dierkop and Anthony Caruso) and episodes of The Dean Martin Comedy Hour, Mercus Welby M.D., and The Love Boat. He also voiced himself in two episodes of Seth MacFarlane's animated series, Family Guy.
Tony Todd
- Main article: Tony Todd
Tony Todd (born 1954) was one of the original actors considered for the role of Benjamin Sisko, however he was beat out by Avery Brooks. Besides appearing as Worf's brother Kurn in episodes of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, Todd ironically played Sisko's son, Jake in "The Visitor". He also appeared later as a Hirogen in VOY: "Prey". He also provided his voice for a number of Star Trek video games.
Robert Walker, Jr.
- Main article: Robert Walker, Jr.
Robert Walker, Jr. (born 1940) was approached in 1997 by the producers for a role on the sixth season of Deep Space Nine. However, he turned down the offer, as he was "not interested in renewing his acting career". (AOL chat, 1997)
David Warner
- Main article: David Warner
David Warner (born 1941) was approached by the producers for the role of Akorem Laan in "Accession". According to Ira Steven Behr, Warner wanted to do the role, but his wife talked him out of it, as they were on a vacation. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages)
Previously Warner played three roles in Star Trek: St. John Talbot in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Gul Madred in TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I" and "Part II".
Kathryn Janeway
According to a January 1995 article by Daniel Howard Cerone of the LA Times, many actresses were considered for the role of Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager. Three of those actresses were Karen Austin, Chelsea Field and Helen Shaver. According to Voyager co-creator and executive producer Jeri Taylor, Kate Mulgrew was finally chosen for the role because she "simply had an ineffable quality that put her ahead of the pack".
In addition, the TV Guide issue dated October 8-14, 1994, revealed that other actresses approached or considered for the role of Captain Janeway included Geneviève Bujold, Joanna Cassidy, Lindsay Crouse, Patty Duke, Linda Hamilton, Kate Jackson, Patsy Kensit, Tracy Scoggins, and Lindsay Wagner.
Karen Austin
- Main article: Karen Austin
Karen Austin (born 1955) ultimately went on to play Miral, the mother of B'Elanna Torres, in the Voyager episode "Barge of the Dead" as well as Kalandra in DS9: "Nor the Battle to the Strong".
Geneviève Bujold
- Main article: Geneviève Bujold
Geneviève Bujold (born 1942) was the first choice of the producers of Voyager to play Captain Janeway but left shortly after filming began.
Joanna Cassidy
- Main article: Joanna Cassidy
Joanna Cassidy (born 1945) went on to play T'Pol's mother, T'Les, in two fourth season episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise: "Home" and "Awakening".
Lindsay Crouse
Lindsay Crouse (born 1948) was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress in a Supporting role for the 1984 drama Places in the Heart. Her other film credits have included All the President's Men (1976), Slap Shot (1977), The Verdict (1982), House of Games (1987), Desperate Hours (1990), Bye Bye Love (1995), The Juror (1996), The Insider (1999), and Mr. Brooks (2007). She is also known for her recurring role as Professor Maggie Walsh on the cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Patty Duke
Patty Duke (born 1946) is best known for her Academy Award-winning role as Helen Keller in 1962's The Miracle Worker, reprising her role from the original Broadway production. From 1963 through 1966 she was given her own sitcom series, The Patty Duke Show, co-starring William Schallert. She earned an Emmy Award nomination for her performance in this series. She has since won three Emmy Awards and has received an additional four Emmy nominations. She has also starred in such films as Valley of the Dolls (1967), Me, Natalie (1969), The Swarm (1978), Prelude to a Kiss (1992), and Bigger Than the Sky (2005), in addition to a respectable career in television and on the stage.
Chelsea Field
Chelsea Field (born 1957) has had supporting roles in such films as Masters of the Universe (with Robert Duncan McNeill and Frank Langella, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, and The Last Boy Scout with Bruce McGill. Although she was not given the role of Captain Janeway on Voyager, she did marry Scott Bakula, the man who took over the captain's chair on the next Star Trek series, Enterprise. The two met while working on the 1994 film A Passion to Kill; they married in 1996 and have two sons.
Susan Gibney
- Main article: Susan Gibney
Susan Gibney (born 1961) was an early favorite of Rick Berman for the role of Kathryn Janeway, and is best known for playing Dr. Leah Brahms in TNG: "Booby Trap" and "Galaxy's Child" and Erika Benteen in DS9: "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost". She filmed test scenes in full uniform on the mostly completed bridge set with some of the main cast members who had already been hired. However, even with make up to give her an older appearance Paramount felt she was too young for the part. However, Berman tried a second time when he brought her back for another screen test after Geneviève Bujold didn't work out. But, she was rejected again by Paramount on the same grounds. She also tested for Seven of Nine and the Borg Queen. Before and after her appearances in TNG and DS9 she has had (and continues to have) a respectable career in TV and film.
Gary Graham
Gary Graham (born 7 June 1950) was considered for the role of Captain Janeway before the decision was made that the character was to be a woman.
Graham, who is best known for his role as Detective Matthew Sikes in Alien Nation, was previously considered for the role of Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He later played Tanis in VOY: "Cold Fire" and the recurring character Ambassador Soval in all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Erin Gray
Erin Gray (born 7 January 1950) has stated at science fiction convention appearances and in interviews that she read for the part of Janeway. Gray is best known for her roles as Colonel Wilma Deering in the 1970s series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Kate Summers in the 1980s sitcom Silver Spoons. In 2009, she and her onetime co-star Gil Gerard participated in a test film for a James Cawley-produced reimagining of Buck Rogers.
Linda Hamilton
Linda Hamilton (born 1956) is best known for her Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated role as Catherine Chandler opposite Ron Perlman on the TV series Beauty and the Beast and for her role as Sarah Connor in the first two Terminator films. She also starred in such films as Children of the Corn (1984), Black Moon Rising (1986), King Kong Lives (1986), Mr. Destiny (1990), Silent Fall (1994), Separate Lives (1995), Dante's Peak (1997), Wholey Moses (2003), and The Kid & I (2005).
Kate Jackson
Kate Jackson (born 1948) is the American actress, director and producer best known for her Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated role as Sabrina Duncan in the action TV series Charlie's Angels. She later starred as Mrs. Amanda King on the CBS series The Scarecrow & Mrs. King, earning another Golden Globe nomination. Her film credits include the 1989 comedy Loverboy with Kirstie Alley, Robert Picardo, and Vic Tayback.
Patsy Kensit
Patsy Kensit (born 1968) is an English actress and singer. She has starred in such films as Absolute Beginners (1986), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Twenty-One (1991), Blame It On the Bellboy (1992), Angels and Insects (1995), and The One and Only (2002). She was also the lead singer of the 1980s British pop band Eighth Wonder. She more recently starred in the long-running British TV series Emmerdale and is currently a regular on the popular medical drama Holby City.
Tracy Scoggins
- Main article: Tracy Scoggins.
Tracy Scoggins (born 1953) previously played Gilora Rejal in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Destiny". She went on to play another captain, Elizabeth Lochley, on the final season of the sci-fi series Babylon 5 as well as in two TV movies and the spin-off series Crusade. She is also well known for her role as Cat Grant during the first season of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Helen Shaver
Helen Shaver (born 1951) is an award-winning actress and director. As the former, she starred in the 1985 romantic drama Desert Hearts, co-starring TNG actress Denise Crosby, and had supporting roles in films such as The Amityville Horror (1979), The Color of Money (1986), and The Craft (1996). She also starred in the series Poltergeist: The Legacy. In addition, she has directed several episodes of the 1990s version of The Outer Limits and the 2001-05 series Judging Amy, which she also produced. Other shows she directed include The O.C., The 4400, Close to Home, Medium, and The Unit.
Lindsay Wagner
Lindsay Wagner (born 1949) is the American actress best known for her Emmy Award-winning role as Jamie Sommers in the 1970s TV series The Bionic Woman. She also received two Golden Globe nominations for the role, which she originated on The Six Million Dollar Man. Her other credits include the films The Paper Chase (1973), Two People (1974, directed by Robert Wise), Nighthawks (1981), and Ricochet (1991) and appearances on such TV shows as Marcus Welby, M.D., The Fall Guy, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She was once married to stuntman Henry Kingi, Sr. and was thus the stepmother of Henry Kingi, Jr.
Unknown actor
This unknown actor auditioned for the role of Captain Janeway in 1994, when the producers were irresolute about the gender of the next starship captain. The actor was briefly seen in the Voyager Season 1 DVD special "The First Captain: Bujold".
Jennifer Gatti
- Main article: Jennifer Gatti
Jennifer Gatti (born 1968) was a runner up for the role of Kes, before it was won by Jennifer Lien. (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 156) Gatti previously appeared as Ba'el in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Birthright, Part I" and "Birthright, Part II", and later played Libby, Harry Kim's girlfriend in the Voyager episode "Non Sequitur".
Seven of Nine
Claudia Christian
Claudia Christian (born 1965) auditioned for the role of Seven of Nine. (Beyond the Final Frontier, p. 308)
Christian's best known role is Commander Susan Ivanova in the science fiction series Babylon 5, which she played alongside Andreas Katsulas, Bill Mumy, and Patricia Tallman. She also appeared in guest roles on numerous TV series, including Quantum Leap (starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell), Murder, She Wrote (co-starring William Windom), L.A. Law (starring Corbin Bernsen), Family Law, Relic Hunter, and NYPD Blue.
Hudson Leick
Hudson Leick (born 1969) auditioned for the role of Seven of Nine. (Beyond the Final Frontier, p. 308)
Leick is best known for her performance as Callisto in the television series Xena, Warrior Princess (1996-2000) and The Legendary Journeys of Hercules (1997-1999). She has also performed in television series such as Law & Order, University Hospital, Melrose Place, Tru Calling, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and has played in films such as Knight Rider 2010 (1994), Hijacked: Flight 285 (1996, with David Graf), Denial (1998, with Jason Alexander), Chill Factor (1999, where she was doubled by Patricia Tallman), and A.I. Assault (2006, starring several Star Trek performers such as George Takei, Michael Dorn, Robert Picardo, Bill Mumy, and Joe Lando).
Guest roles
Dominic Keating
- Main article: Dominic Keating.
Dominic Keating (born 1962) auditioned for a guest role on Star Trek: Voyager but was never called back. Eighteen months later he auditioned for the regular part of Malcolm Reed on Star Trek: Enterprise and was cast. (ENT Season 1 DVD)
Vaughn Armstrong
- Main article: Vaughn Armstrong.
Vaughn Armstrong (born 1950) originally auditioned for the role of Vulcan Ambassador Soval on Star Trek: Enterprise but was instead considered as the best choice to play Admiral Maxwell Forrest in Rick Berman's opinion.
Armstrong later filled in for an unknown actor to play the Klingon captain in the episode "Sleeping Dogs". The original actor was either unavailable to do the re-shots or to fullfill his contract. (ENT Season 1 DVD)
Brett Baker
Brett Baker [88] is an actor who was cast for the role as Crewman #1 in the Enterprise episode "Fight or Flight". Together with fellow actor Max Williams he had costume fittings and was in his uniform on set when the director decided that the scene involving Baker and Williams should be filmed the next day. On the next day of shooting the scene was completely removed and Baker did not appear in this episode.
Baker performed stunts in the 1991 thriller Edge of Honor, worked as a photo double for Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron's Academy Award-winning Titanic (1997, with David Warner and Michael Ensign), and as stand-in for actor Billy Crudup on the drama Without Limits (1998).
He had supporting roles in the comedy The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson (1997, with Keely Sims, Guy Siner, Richard Beymer, and Rachael Harris), The Day Maggie Blew Her Head Off (1998), Return to Sender (1999), the thriller Avalanche (1999, with Hilary Shepard), the short comedy The Catch (2001), the comedy Memphis Bound... and Gagged (2002), and a guest role in the television soap Sunset Beach (1999).
Kelly Connell
- Main article: Kelly Connell
Kelly Connel (born 1956) was the first actor who was cast to portray the Vulcan Kov in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Fusion" but was unable to fullfill this part. After he filmed his scenes on 7 December 2001 the part was recast with actor John Harrington Bland. ("Fusion" call sheet)
Joseph Will
- Main article: Joseph Will.
Joseph Will (born 1970) auditioned for the part of chief engineer Charles Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise and was beside Connor Trinneer among the two finalists. The part went to Trinneer and Will received the role of Michael Rostov in three episodes. [89]
Will had also been previously considered for several unspecified guest roles on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager before finally getting his first Trek role in VOY: "Muse". [90]
Max Williams
Max Williams [91] is an actor who was cast for the role as Crewman #2 in the Enterprise episode "Fight or Flight". Together with fellow actor Brett Baker he had costume fittings and was in his uniform on set when the director decided that the scene involving Baker and Williams should be filmed the next day. On the next day of shooting the scene was completely removed and Williams did not appear in this episode.
Williams attended the Deerfield Academy and the University of Wisconsin, where he earned his BA in Journalism. Beside leading and supporting roles in dozens of stage plays, Williams had guest roles in the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, Arli$$ (2000), The District (2003, with Roger Aaron Brown and Jim Fitzpatrick), and Serious Business.
Among his feature and independent film resume are Citation of Merit (1999), the horror film Night of the Living Dead 3D (2006), the television documentary Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl (2006), the mystery thriller The Shadows (2007), the drama The Great Buck Howard (2008, with Patrick Fischler, Wallace Langham, Adam Scott, George Takei, and Amy Jo Traicoff), the short science fiction film The Lucky 7 (2008, with Kerrie Keane), and more recently the drama Talking to Strangers (2008).
Peter Weller
- Main article: Peter Weller
Peter Weller was considered by Manny Coto as Phillip Green in an early incarnation of what would become the Augment arc. When Arik Soong (Brent Spiner) was written into the episode instead, Weller went on to play John Frederick Paxton in "Demons" and "Terra Prime" instead. He was later cast in Star Trek Into Darkness.