good guest actors

I second Mark Lenard, both for his Romulan Commander and Sarek performances.

One of my favorites has always been David Opatoshu as Anan Seven in A Taste of Armageddon. Anan is the "bad guy" in the story, certainly, but Opatoshu gives him a core of decency.

 

I think Mark Lenard really ran the table in "Journey to Babel". That's not knocking his performance as the Romulan Commander, but there's nothing really groundbreaking in playing a ruthless, but honorable enemy who becomes sympathetic because of his inner conflicts over duty and morality. Again, that's not saying it was easy, just that it's not groundbreaking. Now consider Sarek, here's a guy who's supposed to be emotionless (we know that's crappola of course and we see the emotion in him) but is estranged from his son and yet as Amanda reminds him, he's secretly proud of his son's accomplishments. He also shows a wry sense of humor and deeply loves his wife. That's an awful lot of layers for one character and in my book it's a truly amazing performance.

 

Yeah, Mark Lenard, as Sarek, was the name that jumped into my mind when I first saw this thread. He's not just good, he's great.

I think that Michael Forest as Apollo, Robert Walker as Charlie Evans, William Marshall as Dr. Daystrom, and Susan Howard as Kang's wife Mara are also all very good.

 

I'm certainly not knocking anyone already mentioned, but I always thought the Squire of Gothos gave a very entertaining if somewhat campy performance. Sort of had a 60's/Batman vibe to it, he would have fit right in there with Adam West's rogue's gallery.

I just can't recall the actor's name off the top of my head but wasn't he in "Strangers on a Train"?

William Campbell ("campy" performance LOL)

Also liked the actor who played Flint (James Daly) in Requiem for Methuselah, don't know what else he's been in.

 

James Daly was very active in the 60s and 70's. Always delivered a fine performance.

 

Bruce Mars really chewed the scenery in his over the top performance as Finnegan in Shore Leave.

 

Gotta agree with Lenard as Sarek. Playing a man with emotions just below the surface. It also helps that he's the first full Vulcan we saw.

I also liked Townes in "Archons", however and would recommend his performance in a two-parter episode of "The Incredible Hulk" called "The First", in which he plays a man who was hulkified 30 years before Banner, cured, and wants the power back.

 

That distinction belongs to the other Vulcans in "Amok Time".

 

I remember Townes in "The First". Amazing performance. He starts out as this little nebbish, but once he regains the power, it becomes all too obvious why the man that gave it to him took it away. He was Evil. Not just evil, but Evil.

 

I will amend my earlier comment to say that Lenard's performance was the first full Vulcan we saw in depth as the characters in "Amok Time" were somewhat cursory, however iconic T'Pol and T'Pring have become over time.