Star Trek has brought many beloved characters to both the small and big screens over the years.
Since launching in 1966, the sci-fi phenomenon has spent decades winning the hearts of millions of space travel fans across the globe. The mega-successful Gene Roddenberry creation has expanded into films, television series, video games, novels, and comic books.
It has become one of the most recognizable and highest-grossing media franchises of all time, with references permeating far beyond the show’s confines. But while the likes of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Patrick Stewart may have become household names thanks to the series, others were already stars before they boarded the Starship Enterprise.
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The Daily Star has gathered a list of some well-known faces that appeared in the franchise over the years that you may not have spotted.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
The Rock went from being a WWE champion to playing a Tsunkatse champion in the Star Trek: Voyager sixth season episode titled “Tsunkatse”.
Johnson was just in his late 20s — and already a wrestling icon — when he delivered one of his very first acting performances, which pre-dated his 2001 Scorpion King role by a year.
(Image: CBS/GETTY)
The superstar has since gone on to become one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood, appearing in films including the Jumamji franchise, the Fast and Furious franchise, and Black Adam.
But his primary role saw him battling Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine, as the Pendari Champion.
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Iggy Pop
(Image: CBS/GETTY)
The Deep Space Nine writers had actually wanted Pop to play the role of Grady in the third season episode “Past Tense, Part II”, but he was unavailable due to a music tour he was undertaking in Spain.
As an Iggy Pop fan, executive producer and writer, Ira Steven Behr, pushed for the casting as Yelgrun three years later.
A few months before filming his Deep Space Nine role, he was injured in a mosh pit during one of his concerts, making him available during recovery.
The Godfather of Punk eventually appeared as Yelgrum the Vorta in the Deep Space Nine episode The Magnificent Ferengi.
Kelsey Grammer
(Image: STARTREK.COM/GETTY)
Despite being best known for his Emmy-award-winning role as Frasier Crane, Trekkies may recognize him as Captain Morgan Bateson, before his spin-off show even started.
During his final season on Cheers, Grammer appeared as the Bozeman’s captain in the fifth season of The Next Generation, in an episode called Cause and Effect.
Although he didn’t appear until late in the episode, Grammer’s character was central to the plot.
Thanks to sharing a studio, Paramount, Grammer wasn’t the only Cheers, Frasier and Star Trek actor to cross galaxies.
Patrick Stewart, Kirstie Alley and Bebe Neuwirth were among a whole host of stars who featured in the alternate universe.
Rebecca Romijn
(Image: Paramount/GETTY)
The actress already gets a lot of sci-fi cred for playing Mystique in the X-Men film series, so she knew Captain Picard himself before landing her the role of Una Chin-Riley, aka Number One, on Star Trek: Discovery.
She featured in several episodes of the second season, reprised her role in the Star Trek: Short Treks episodes Q&A and Ask Not, and as a series regular in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
The 51-year-old former model’s ties with Star Trek don’t end there either, as she is married to Star Trek: Lower Decks performer Jerry O’Connell.
Romijn and O’Connell have twin daughters called Dolly and Charlie.
Mick Fleetwood
(Image: CBS/GETTY)
Mick’s guest spot on The Next Generation might not be one that immediately springs to mind as writers had the Fleetwood Mac drummer covered up.
The veteran rock star was transformed into an Antedian Dignitary for the episode Manhunt, which saw him wearing a massive prosthetic head that rendered him unrecognizable
Not known for his acting chops, Fleetwood nevertheless stepped out of his comfort zone and played a role that didn’t take advantage of his celebrity.
If it wasn’t for his credit at the end of the episode, it would have been impossible to know that he even appeared.
Tom Morello
(Image: NETFLIX/GETTY)
When not playing guitar for Rage Against the Machine, Morello is lapping up episodes of Star Trek.
The self-confessed die-hard Trekkie appeared as Crewman Mitchell in the Voyager episode Good Shepherd.
In 1998, Morello contacted Star Trek producer Rick Berman and asked to have a cameo in Star Trek: Insurrection.
Luckily Berman agreed, as his son was a fan of Rage Against the Machine.
Despite four to five hours of make-up and the high temperature in the desert where they were working, Morello states that he “was on cloud nine because I got to talk to Jean-Luc Picard”.
Christopher Lloyd
(Image: REX/GETTY)
There have been numerous references flying between Star Trek and Back to the Future, including mentions of a flux capacitor and a character reminiscing about ‘good old Doc Brown’ in the former.
Likewise, Marty McFly claimed to be from the planet Vulcan when posing as an alien to his dad.
But what better way to pay homage than having one of the lead actors actually appear in the show?
In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Doc Brown actor, Christopher Lloyd, appeared as Klingon officer, Commander Kruge of the 23rd century Klingon Empire.
Christian Slater
(Image: CBS/PARAMOUNT//GETTY)
Having already starred in Heathers and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Slater was already a big deal when he made a cameo appearance in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Excelsior Communications Officer.
The Mr Robot star was a huge fan of the show, and his ability to fulfil a dream role was in no small part due to his mum being the film’s casting director.
And, if being on board the ship wasn’t enough, he took a memento of his time on the show away with him.
Speaking on Graham Norton’s Radio 2 show in 2017, the actor admitted to walking off-set with his costume. “I have it in a box somewhere. It was William Shatner’s costume from Star Trek II, actually.”
Ashley Judd
(Image: CBS/GETTY)
Judd appeared as Ensign Robin Lefler, a Starfleet officer, in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Darmok and The Game.
And she got a lot done in a short amount of time, including assisting during a fight against a Tamarian deep space cruiser, getting a promotion, and squeezing in a brief romantic relationship with Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton).
Ashley said that she only got the role by chance, having turned up to the studios to audition for something else.
She told Anderson Live: “They started whispering about me, which is usually a good sign that you’re like gonna go in and see the producers, the head of Studio, or something. And they said, ‘We know you didn’t come in for this, but may we cast you in ‘Star Trek’ right now?'”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
