Star Trek Actors Suffering From Multiple Personality Disorder

One of the many great things about watching Star Trek is the fun of squinting at the exotic aliens, muttering, “That voice...where have I heard that voice?” On Star Trek, unlike most shows, actors can often get away with annonimity—they can also play different characters on the same series. Usually, they have one major character and maybe a few others that appear only once. A couple of people have played both a main character and a reoccurring character on the same series (Brent Spiner, Denise Crosby, Robert Picardo), but so far, Jeffrey Combs has been the only actor to play two unconnected reoccurring characters on the same series* (in "The Dogs of War," he played them both in the same episode). But who knows? Maybe his example will give other actors and the writers some ideas. Whether it does or not, there are plenty of actors suffering from multiple personality disorder; here are a few. I’ve put main or reoccuring characters in bold. I try to list the episode (or movie) for the lesser characters, but a lot of the reoccurring characters appear in far too many episodes to list here.

*I'm not counting the computer voice as a reoccurring character

Marc Alaimo—An Antican (TNG: “Lonely Among Us”), Commander Tebok (TNG: “The Neutral Zone”), Gul Macet (TNG: “The Wounded”), a 19th century poker player (TNG: “Time’s Arrow”), Gul Dukat (DSN)

Jeffrey Combs—Tiron, the guy who fancied Kira Nerys (DSN: “Meridian”), Liquidator Brunt (DSN), Weyoun (DSN), Penk, a slimy master of the gladiators (VGR: “Tsunkatse”), Shran, a hot-tempered Andorian (ENT: "The Andorian Incident")

Tim Russ—Devor, a human terrorist (TNG: “Starship Mine”), a bridge officer on the Enterprise-B (STVII: Generations), T’Kar, a nasty Klingon (DSN: “Invasive Procedures”), Commander Tuvok (VGR)

Majel Barret—Number One (TOS: “The Cage”), Computer Voice (all series and some movies), Christine Chapel (TOS, STI: The Motion Picture, STIV: The Voyage Home), Lwaxana Troi (TNG, DSN)

J.G. Herzler—the Vulcan captain of the Saratoga (DSN: “Emissary”),General/Chancellor Martok (DSN), a Hirogen fighter (VGR: “Tsunkatse”)

Suzie Plakson—Ambassador K'Ehleyr (TNG: "The Emissary," "Reunion"), Dr. Selar (TNG: ""), the Female Q (VGR: "The Q and the Grey")

Robert Duncan MacNeil—Cadet Third Class Nicholas Locarno (TNG: “The First Duty”), Lt. Junior Grade Thomas Eugene Paris (VGR)

Armin Shimerman—Deanna Troi’s betrothal box (TNG: “Haven”), Letek (TNG: “The Last Outpost”), Bractor (TNG: "Peak Performance"), Quark (DSN and VGR: “Caretaker”)

Max Grondechik—Par Lenor (TNG: "The Perfect Mate"), Sovak (TNG: “Captain’s Holiday”) Rom (DSN), an ‘alien ensign’ (STIX: Insurrection)

Michelle Forbes—Dara (TNG: "Half a Life"), Ro Laren (TNG)

Christopher Shea—Keevan (DSN: “Rocks and Shoals,” “The Magnificent Ferengi"), a cute blue Voyager alien (VGR: “Think Tank”)

James Cromwell—A Yriddian (TNG: “Birthright”), an administrator (TNG: "The Masterpiece Society"), an unfortunate victum of Quark's business dealings (DSN: “Starship Down”), Zephram Cochrane (STVIII: First Contact and ENT: "Broken Bow")

Robin Curtis—Saavik (STIII: The Search for Spock, STIV: The Voyage Home), Tallera (TNG: “Gambit”)

Salome Jens—An ancient hologram with interesting news (TNG: “The Chase”), the female Founder (DSN)

Denise Crosby—Tasha Yar (TNG), Sela (TNG: "The Mind's Eye," TNG: "The Mind's Eye," “Redemption,” “Unification II”)

Brent Spiner—Data (TNG), Lore (TNG: “Datalore,” “Brothers,” “Descent”), Dr. Noonien Soong (TNG: "Brothers," "Birthright I")

Rene Auberjonois—Colonel West (STVI: The Undiscovered Country), Constable Odo (DSN)

Michael Dorn—Worf, Son of Mogh (TNG, DSN), Colonel Worf, Son of Someone Else (STVI: The Undiscovered Country)

Brock Peters—Admiral Cartwright (STIV: The Voyage Home, STVI: The Undiscovered Country), Joseph Sisko (DSN)

Merrit Butrick—David Marcus (STII: The Wrath of Khan, STIII: The Search for Spock), T’Jon, an Onarran drug addict (TNG: “Symbiosis”)

Judson Scott—Joachim, Khan's second in command (STII: The Wrath of Khan), Sobi, a Brekkian drug dealer (TNG: “Symbiosis”), Commander Rekar, a Romulan (VGR: “Message in a Bottle”)

Kurtwood Smith—the Federation president (STVI: The Undiscovered Country), Annorax, a maniac with a time machine (VGR: “Year of Hell”)

Diana Muldaur—Ann Muhall (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow"), Dr. Miranda Jones (TOS: "Is There in Truth no Beauty?"), Dr. Katherine Pulaski (TNG)

Robert Picardo—The Emergency Medical Hologram (VGR, STVIII: First Contact), Dr. Louis Zimmerman (VGR)

Mark Lenard—Romulan Commander #1 (TOS), Sarek of Vulcan (TOS: “Babel," STIII: The Search for Spock, STIV: The Voyage Home, STVI: The Undiscovered Country, TNG: "Sarek," "Unification I"), an unfortunate Klingon Commander (STI: The Motion Picture)

David Warner—Gul Madred (TNG: “Chain of Command”), St. John Talbot (STV: The Final Frontier), Chancellor Gorkon (STVI: The Undiscovered Country)

Martha Hackett—a Romulan (DSN: "The Search"), Seska (VGR)

Ethan Phillips—Dr. Farek, a rude Ferengi (TNG: “Menage a Troi”), Neelix (VGR), a holographic Dixon Hill character (STVIII: First Contact)

Paul Winfield—Captain Terrell (STII: The Wrath of Khan), Captain Dathon (TNG: “Darmok”)

Carolyn Seymour—Sub-Commander Taurus (TNG: “Contagion”), Mirasta Yale (TNG: “First Contact”), Commander Toreth (TNG: “Face of the Enemy”), Mrs. Templeton, the housekeeper in Janeway’s Jane Eyre holonovel (VGR)

John Crofoot—Trent (TNG: "Angel One"), Lal, the first incarnation (TNG: "The Offspring")

Jennifer Gatti—Ba'el (TNG: "Birthright"), Libby (VGR: "Non-Sequitor")

Susannah Thompson—Dr. Lenara Khan (DSN: "Rejoined"), The Borg Queen (VGR)



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