Well, the OP asked who the best actors were, among "both regulars and guests", and started off by naming Patrick Stewart, so I'm pretty sure we are not supposed to list just people whose names don't crop up often.
Best Actors Associated with Trek
- Thread starter siskokid888
- Start date
I have to agree with this. I think he's good actor and I really like some of his non-Star Trek work, but I really don't think he was the right fit for Archer.
As far as my own choices are concerned (In no particular order)
Leonard Nimoy
Jeffrey Combs
Kate Mulgrew
John Billingsley (Billingsley and Trinneer were, IMO, the only watchable actors in ENT)
Connor Trinneer
Armin Shimmerman
Mark Lenard
Gregory Itzin
Robert Picardo
Nana Visitor
There are 2 big ones I forgot. Fletcher was an oscar winner, and Langella is effing amazing, especially on stage.
By series (except Enterprise), in no particular order, and entirely IMO (acting ability being very much in the eye of the beholder):
TOS: DeForest Kelley
TNG: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner
DS9: Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Colm Meaney, Andrew Robinson (practically a regular)
Voyager: Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Tim Russ, Robert Picardo, Roxann Dawson
Guest stars: Mark Lenard, Jane Wyatt, Joel Grey, Tricia O'Neil (the Rachel Garrett performance), Jean Simmons and David Ogden Stiers (whom I'm generally indifferent to but thought was brilliant in "Half a Life") are the names that come to mind at the moment.
TOS: DeForest Kelley
TNG: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner
DS9: Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Colm Meaney, Andrew Robinson (practically a regular)
Voyager: Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Tim Russ, Robert Picardo, Roxann Dawson
Guest stars: Mark Lenard, Jane Wyatt, Joel Grey, Tricia O'Neil (the Rachel Garrett performance), Jean Simmons and David Ogden Stiers (whom I'm generally indifferent to but thought was brilliant in "Half a Life") are the names that come to mind at the moment.
Iggy Pop
Kurtwood Smith hasn't been mentioned yet.
I love Iggy Pop, but do you really think he's a better actor than all the professional actors in various Treks?
I think the list needs to be divided into Trek regulars and guest stars. Indeed, you could even argue about sub-dividing the latter from one-offs and recurring actors so I think I will.
Regulars:
1. Patrick Stewart
2. Colm Meaney
3. Leonard Nimoy
4. William Shatner
5. Alexander Siddig (roles in the likes of Syriana, Spooks and 24 have really lifted his profile in the last decade)
6. Robert Picardo (already something of a cult actor before his role in VOY)
7. Brent Spiner
8. Rene Auberjonois.
9. Scott Bakula (I really didn't like him in ENT but he's been Emmy nominated for Qantum Leap and I thought his guest turn in Boston Legal was perfectly pitched)
10. John Billingsley - roles in 24, Prison Break and various movies before and since ENT
Recurring Actors:
1. Louise Fletcher. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. End of story.
2. James Cromwell. LA Confidential, Babe and many others.
3. Brock Peters. To Kill a Mockingbird. Eulogised at Gregory Peck's funeral. Nuff said.
4. Alice Krige.
5. Wallace Shawn (Grand Negus Zek, also renowned as a playwright. The actor, not the character).
6. David Warner - technically a guest star, as has never played the same character twice (apart from Gul Madred in a 2 parter) but has been in Trek 3 different times, so I'll put him in here)
7.Tony Todd
8. Jeffrey Combs
9. Kurtwood Smith (the Fed Pres in a couple of movies)
10. Ricardo Montalban (possibly the only one who's best known for his Trek appearances?)
Guest Stars:
1 F. Murray Abraham. Like Fletcher, an Oscar winner for a leading role (Amadeus), even if his career since has hardly matched it.
2. Stephen Berkoff (DS9)
3. Kelsey Grammer
4. Frank Langella (DS9)
5. Eric Bana (I assume we don't just mean Trek-prime?)
6. Christopher LLoyd
7. Jason Alexander (VOY)
8. Saul Rubinek (TNG)
9. Chris Sarandon (DS9)
10. Kirsten Dunst.
The latter list could have included Kirstey Alley (TWOK), Alfre Woodard FC), Virgina Madsen (VOY), Kim Cattrall (TUC) and Teri Hatcher (TNG).
Regulars:
1. Patrick Stewart
2. Colm Meaney
3. Leonard Nimoy
4. William Shatner
5. Alexander Siddig (roles in the likes of Syriana, Spooks and 24 have really lifted his profile in the last decade)
6. Robert Picardo (already something of a cult actor before his role in VOY)
7. Brent Spiner
8. Rene Auberjonois.
9. Scott Bakula (I really didn't like him in ENT but he's been Emmy nominated for Qantum Leap and I thought his guest turn in Boston Legal was perfectly pitched)
10. John Billingsley - roles in 24, Prison Break and various movies before and since ENT
Recurring Actors:
1. Louise Fletcher. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. End of story.
2. James Cromwell. LA Confidential, Babe and many others.
3. Brock Peters. To Kill a Mockingbird. Eulogised at Gregory Peck's funeral. Nuff said.
4. Alice Krige.
5. Wallace Shawn (Grand Negus Zek, also renowned as a playwright. The actor, not the character).
6. David Warner - technically a guest star, as has never played the same character twice (apart from Gul Madred in a 2 parter) but has been in Trek 3 different times, so I'll put him in here)
7.Tony Todd
8. Jeffrey Combs
9. Kurtwood Smith (the Fed Pres in a couple of movies)
10. Ricardo Montalban (possibly the only one who's best known for his Trek appearances?)
Guest Stars:
1 F. Murray Abraham. Like Fletcher, an Oscar winner for a leading role (Amadeus), even if his career since has hardly matched it.
2. Stephen Berkoff (DS9)
3. Kelsey Grammer
4. Frank Langella (DS9)
5. Eric Bana (I assume we don't just mean Trek-prime?)
6. Christopher LLoyd
7. Jason Alexander (VOY)
8. Saul Rubinek (TNG)
9. Chris Sarandon (DS9)
10. Kirsten Dunst.
The latter list could have included Kirstey Alley (TWOK), Alfre Woodard FC), Virgina Madsen (VOY), Kim Cattrall (TUC) and Teri Hatcher (TNG).
Well he may have gotten better since, but he was far from being one of the best actors in DS9, let alone all Trek. He was very bad early on, got better later, but was always downright awful whenever he was required to play anyone other than regular Bashir (whether it was Vantika in season 1 "The Passanger", or Mirror Bashir in later seasons MU episodes).
And if we are to go by high profile rather than acting ability, then I'd have to agree with Black Lodge than Iggy Pop was the best, since he is a bigger star than any of the actual pro actors in Trek, apart from maybe Malcolm McDowell.
S
sarah09
Guest
my favorite actor is James Cromwell
Hmm, I thought Siddig did a great job in portraying how a callow and arrogant young man grew into a decent, compassionate and slightly world-weary doctor. And he was superb in Syriana, rightly getting great reviews (even if Clooney got the Oscar nom)
McDowell is bigger than James Cromwell, Stewart, Meaney or Eric Bana? Hardly.
BTW, I should have included Ron Perlman in my list of guest stars.
As far as I am aware, he is. Most people I know who aren't film buffs wouldn't recognize any of the others just by name.* (Now if you said "Captain Picard", that might be different...)
*In fact, I got a proof of that as far as Bana is concerned, after I watched the new movie with two of my friends who are Trek fans, butnot to the extent of going to forums or getting to know the names of actors, writers etc.; we were talking about actors, and I said "Do you know who played Nero?" "Who?" "Eric Bana" I said and was met with blank looks...
(Maybe he is really huge in USA or Australia, but apparently it doesn't translate all over the world...)
On the other hand, I forgot that Whoopi Goldberg was associated with Trek; most people would probably recognize her...
I don't think you can call two people's knowledge or lack thereof 'proof' of anything. I;ve know way of knowing how representative your friends are. All either of us are doing is giving opinions. Mine is that Bana, having been in Hulk, Troy, Black Hawk Down and others has a much higher profile among contemporary cinemagoers than McDowell, whose best days were in the 1960s and 70s but who has mostly appeared in low-budget and forgettable stuff since.
Stewart is probably as well known for Prof X as Picard now.
Whoopi I'd agree with you on.
Stewart is probably as well known for Prof X as Picard now.
Whoopi I'd agree with you on.
Some good ones have been mentioned - Brock Peters, definetly. Bana looks to be having a solid career. Ron Perleman is always great - too bad they wasted him in Nemesis. Krige and Warner for sure. Jeff Combs was great in DS9, but outside of that I don't know if you could put him in the league with some of the others listed here. The same with Andy Robinson. Wallace Shawn is a really good playwright, and a hell of an intellectual, but kind of a one note actor. Rubinek and Sarandon are good, underated, performers.
^How did I forget Andy Robinson? Too much Christmas good cheer obviously ...
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