Every Original Star Trek Actor Who Appeared In The Next Generation

The success of "Star Trek" helped launch a franchise that continues to expand to this day. It didn't start out nearly as big as it has become, and it took time for series creator Gene Roddenberry to expand his dream into something more. After the cancellation of "Star Trek" in 1969, he produced "Star Trek: The Animated Series" in the 1970s, and a handful of feature films before Paramount tasked him with creating a new show in the 1980s.

Roddenberry came up with "Star Trek: The Next Generation," set one century after the events of "Star Trek," and the success of that series is what helped the franchise blossom into the multimedia beast it is today. Because "The Next Generation" is set so long after the first series, it wasn't necessarily easy to bring in the franchise's original actors, save for those who played characters with long lifespans.

Only a few managed to pop up in various episodes or the crossover film "Star Trek: Generations" in this capacity. Additionally, a small number of actors from the early days of "Star Trek" made it onto "The Next Generation" as new characters. These are all of the actors who appeared first in "Star Trek" who eventually returned to the franchise in "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

The first time "Star Trek" fans saw Michael Pataki on screen, it was in what is arguably the series' most feel-good episode: "The Trouble with Tribbles." Pataki plays Korax, the Klingon executive officer of the Gr'oth, a vessel docked at Deep Space Station K-7 alongside the USS Enterprise. This was when Klingons were essentially surly humans with smooth foreheads, but Korax's attitude is all Klingon. He and some crewmates taunt members of the Enterprise crew, leading to a massive brawl. The character returned in "More Tribbles, More Troubles," in "The Animated Series," and thanks to some time travel shenanigans, archival footage of him appeared in the "Deep Space Nine" episode, "Trials and Tribble-ations." 

While Pataki didn't reprise Korax in "The Next Generation," he played a new character: Karnas. In Season 1, Episode 16, "Too Short A Season," Karnas is the Moranite Governor following a 40-year civil war that a Starfleet admiral prolonged by giving weapons to both sides of the conflict. Just as he did four decades earlier, he takes a Federation ambassador and his staff hostage, demanding the return of the officer who instigated the war. The episode was Pataki's last time in the "Star Trek" universe, and he spent the remainder of his career primarily voice acting.

Malachi Throne played several characters in "Star Trek," including voicing the Talosian Keeper in the unaired original pilot "The Cage." He finally got his chance to appear on screen in Season 1, Episodes 15 to 16, "The Menagerie." Commodore José I. Mendez commands Starbase II and the Talosians project his illusion aboard the Enterprise alongside some mental trickery to force the starship to come to Talos IV. Traveling to the planet is strictly forbidden, and the two-part episode features many callbacks to the unaired pilot. 

Throne returned to the franchise in another two-part episode in "The Next Generation," Season 5, Episodes 7 and 8, "Unification." This time, the actor donned some makeup to play the Romulan politician, Senator Pardek. The Senator is renowned for forging peace treaties, but becomes an unwitting participant in a plot against Vulcan.

Pardek, through a co-conspirator, works to take over Vulcan, luring an old friend to Romulus for reunification talks. The Enterprise-D crew thwarts the plan, but despite the manner in which it began, the act serves as the impetus for real reunification efforts to begin. The Federation ambassador remains on Romulus to work with the people to try to change Romulan opinions, hoping to forge a lasting peace between Romulus and Vulcan.

The so-called "First Lady of Star Trek," Majel Barrett, was associated with the franchise for much of her life. As the wife of the series' creator, Barrett influenced the franchise after marrying Gene Roddenberry in 1969, and she played and voiced several characters. She's probably best known for playing Nurse Christine Chapel in "Star Trek" and "The Animated Series," though she also played Number One in "The Cage" (pictured left).

Barrett reprised her role as Nurse Chapel in two feature films, but modern fans likely know her best for her two roles in "The Next Generation." She voices the Enterprise-D's computer, which continued after her death in 2008, as Barrett pre-recorded the phonetic sounds necessary to keep the computer's voice alive. This had a broader impact on popular culture, as Google named its initial voice technology "Majel" in honor of Barrett. While her voice permeates the franchise, it wasn't Barrett's favorite role to play.

That distinction goes to her other prominent on-screen persona, Lwaxana Troi, the Betazoid mother of the Enterprise's counselor, Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Lwaxana is a wealthy ambassador whose larger-than-life persona puts most people around her at ill ease. Barrett reprised the role numerous times throughout "The Next Generation," and she also appeared in a handful of "Deep Space Nine" episodes.

Mark Lenard was involved with the franchise in several significant ways, as his first role was as an unnamed Romulan commander in "Star Trek," Season 1, Episode 8, "Balance of Terror." This was notable, as it was the first major Romulan character in franchise history, and despite his name remaining a mystery, he made an impact. After this, he was cast in the role he's best known for: Sarek.

Sarek is one of the most important characters in the wider scope of the Federation, as he's an ambassador, a representative of the Federation Council, and Spock's father. This latter aspect of the character has kept Sarek's importance going through numerous episodes in which Lenard appeared. He first played Sarek in "Star Trek" Season 2, Episode 15, "Journey to Babel," and continued in three feature films.

Lenard went on to play a significantly older Sarek in "The Next Generation," first in Season 3, Episode 23, "Sarek," and then again in Season 5, Episode 7, "Unification I." It was in this final appearance that Sarek dies, succumbing to Bendii Syndrome, which had plagued him for years. Before passing, he mind-melded with Captain Picard so he could briefly continue his work before dying at the age of 203.

As one of the principal members of the cast of "Star Trek," DeForest Kelley made the character of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy unforgettable. Bones serves as the chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A, amounting to a career spanning three decades. As a close friend to Captain Kirk and Spock, despite decrying the latter as "green-blooded" much of the time, Bones is often a leading character in the series.

Kelley continued playing Bones in the first six "Star Trek" films with varying levels of importance. In his final "Star Trek" film role as Bones in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," he's imprisoned alongside Kirk on the desolate asteroid Rura Penthe, serving a life sentence. Of course, this isn't something they're keen on finishing, so with the help of some friends, they escape.

While he spent most of his time in the 23rd century, Bones returned once more in "The Next Generation's" pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," though at this point, he's an admiral and is 137 years old. He speaks with Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner), explaining the importance of the ship's name, telling him, "You treat her like a lady ... and she'll always bring you home."

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is another core character from "Star Trek" that had a lasting impact on the franchise, thanks largely to the actor who brought him to life, James Doohan. Scotty always has a knack for working miracles in engineering, so no matter how many times he tells Captain Kirk that something can't be done, he goes ahead and does it anyway — often in less time than he says is possible.

Scotty serves as the chief engineer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A, amassing a 30-year career in that role. Doohan reprised the role in "The Animated Series" and the first six feature films in the franchise, and he also popped up in "Star Trek: Generations," where Scotty and some of his fellow crew members join the maiden voyage, a shakedown cruise, of the USS Enterprise-B.

Many years later, long after he was lost in space, Scotty is found by the USS Enterprise-D in "The Next Generation," Season 6, Episode 4, "Relics." The episode is a fan favorite and focuses on Scotty, whom the Enterprise crew rescues from a Dyson sphere, where he'd been trapped for over 75 years in a transporter buffer. The episode is very much a fish-out-of-water story for Scotty, and it's a lovely sendoff for the character.

It's not uncommon for an actor to become associated with one role in particular, and for Leonard Nimoy, he'll forever be connected to Spock. Nimoy introduced many of the aspects of Vulcan culture while bringing Spock to life in "Star Trek," and he's beloved for his time on the USS Enterprise. Spock is a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer who joined Starfleet as the first Vulcan, though others served before its official founding.

Nimoy played the role in the unaired pilot and throughout "Star Trek," reprising Spock in the first six feature films. As a close, personal friend to Captain Kirk, Spock functions as an advisor, helping guide the captain through various dangerous situations with his unwavering logic. There's no denying that Spock is a fan-favorite character, so it wasn't surprising to see him return in "The Next Generation."

Spock is featured in Season 5, Episodes 7 and 8, "Unification," where he's caught up in a plot to take over Vulcan by Romulus, though he flips the script with the help of the crew of the USS Enterprise-D and continues working to reunify the two worlds. Nimoy played Spock once more in the same timeline, though in the past, in 2009's "Star Trek" and its sequel, "Star Trek: Into Darkness."

William Shatner is the actor who's probably more intertwined with "Star Trek" than anyone else. This is despite his dozens of acting credits outside of the franchise, but to many, he is and will always be Captain Kirk. Shatner wasn't in the failed pilot and was cast when NBC gave Gene Roddenberry the rare chance of another shot. The aired pilot, "The Man Trap," introduces Kirk to the world, making him a science fiction icon.

Shatner remained closely associated with the franchise for decades, appearing in the first six feature films. When "The Next Generation" took off, fans around the world debated which captain was better: Kirk or Picard — a debate that continues to this day. While the two never conflicted on screen, they did have the opportunity to share it in "Star Trek: Generations." Kirk is among the honorees aboard the Enterprise-B for its maiden voyage, and when trouble erupts, he jumps in like the Captain Kirk of old.

Things don't go well, and Kirk is lost when the ship is damaged. Unbeknownst to Scotty and Chekov, he was taken in by the Nexus. This allows him to jump forward in time alongside Picard, and the two captains work together to fight their common enemy in the 24th century. In the end, Kirk has his final moment, dying on screen 28 years after his first appearance, saying only, "Oh my" before taking his final breath.

It's well known that Captain Kirk is a ladies' man, but it was a surprise to many fans to learn that he had an adult son, Dr. David Marcus (Merritt Butrick), who first appears in "The Wrath of Khan." Butrick reprised the role in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," where Marcus is killed by a Klingon on the Genesis planet. This event has a lasting impact on Kirk, who comes to loathe all Klingons for the death of his son, which is a significant story element in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country."

Butrick returned to the Final Frontier in "The Next Generation," Season 1, Episode 22, "Symbiosis," as T'Jon, an Ornaran captain of the Sanction. The ship was used to transport supplies in exchange for a drug to treat victims of a plague. The so-called "medicine" is highly addictive, and this is evident in T'Jon's inability to pilot his own vessel.

Captain Picard realizes that the plague has already been wiped out, and the Omarans are being taken advantage of, leaving them to overcome withdrawal and get on with their lives. Butrick died from complications from AIDS in March 1989, but he returned to "The Next Generation" once after his death via archival footage in Season 2, Episode 22's clip-show, "Shades of Gray."

Walter Koenig played Pavel Chekov, the navigator of the USS Enterprise and later the USS Enterprise-E, throughout much of his time in Starfleet. While he didn't appear in every episode of the original series, he remained attached to the franchise for longer than most of his co-stars. He played Chekov in the first six feature films and had a viral moment in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," asking a police officer directions to "the nuclear vessels" in his Russian accent.

He also voiced the character in several video games while continuing to play Chekov on-screen. In "Star Trek: Generations," then-Commander Chekov is one of the guests of honor invited on the USS Enterprise-B's maiden voyage. When the situation goes awry, he takes command after more senior officers rush to make hasty repairs and rescues.

This was the final time Chekov appeared live-action in a "Star Trek" movie. That said, it wasn't his last time playing the role because Koenig is a rare example of a professional actor who's appeared in fan projects as their character. These include several television series and fan films. Koenig also lent his voice to a descendant, Anton Chekov, in "Star Trek: Picard," Season 3, Episode 10, "The Last Generation."

While he didn't appear in "Star Trek," Paul Winfield served the Federation in the 23rd century. Winfield played Captain Clark Terrell, the commander of the USS Reliant, in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Captain Terrell is captured by Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) on Ceti Alpha V, where he's subjected to a Ceti eel, allowing Khan to control him alongside another unfortunate crew member. When he's picked up by the USS Enterprise, Khan attempts to have Terrell assassinate Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner), but he overcomes the eel long enough to turn his phaser on himself instead of killing Kirk. 

Winfield returned to the franchise in "The Next Generation," Season 5, Episode 2, "Darmok." The fan-favorite episode introduces Winfield as Dathon, a Tamarian whom Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) meets on the planet's surface.

The Tamarian language consists entirely of metaphors, making communication difficult. Picard and Dathon work together against a threat, helping to overcome their communication issues, but at the cost of Dathon's life. Later, Picard addresses a Tamarian warship, easing tensions between the two vessels while simultaneously immortalizing their moment in time as he sends a pad to the other ship, detailing the story of "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel."

Judson Scott began his "Star Trek" career in "The Wrath of Khan," playing Khan's number one, Joachim, though he was uncredited in the role. This was the result of an error made by his agent, but Scott is nonetheless well known for playing Joachim, who stands by Khan's side throughout the film until he dies aboard the USS Reliant at the Battle of the Mutara Nebula. When he dies, Khan swears to avenge his death... but he fails.

Scott returned to the franchise twice, both in the 23rd-century timeline. He first played Sobi, a Brekkian responsible for selling the addictive drug to the Omarans in "Symbiosis." He, alongside his people, was fully aware that the plague had ended long ago, but was happy to supply the narcotic to the Omarans to exploit their resources.

It was a relatively small role compared to his time in what many consider to be the Star Trek franchise's best film. The next time Scott played a "Star Trek" role, it wasn't in "The Next Generation." Instead, he temporarily joined the cast of "Voyager," playing Romulan Commander Rekar in Season 4, Episode 14, "Message in a Bottle." It's a memorable episode, but it's difficult to place Scott as Rekar, thanks to the makeup and significant alteration to his hairstyle.

Initially, the Vulcan character, Lieutenant junior grade Saavik, was played by Kirstie Alley in "The Wrath of Khan." Alley didn't reprise Saavik in the sequel, "The Search For Spock," leaving the door open for Robin Curtis to play the character instead. While serving aboard the USS Grissom, Saavik studies the Genesis planet and finds a resurrected Spock in the form of a child (Carl Steven). She's later captured by the Klingons and is present when Dr. Marcus is killed.

Saavik explains to Captain Kirk how his son died bravely, saving her life. She remains on Vulcan in the sequel, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," spending little time in the film's opening act. Curtis came back to "Star Trek" in "The Next Generation," Season 7, Episodes 4 to 5, "Gambit." She plays T'Paal, a Vulcan V'Shar agent tasked with finding the Stone of Gol.

Despite this, she presents as a Romulan who calls herself Tallera and reveals the truth of her mission and identity to Captain Picard. Both infiltrate a mercenary vessel in search of the device, but T'Paal isn't on a mission of peace. After finding and assembling the Stone of Gol, she uses it to kill the mercs. Picard survives the attack, disarms T'Paal, and arrests her.