Trek actors who do other work post-Trek?

[indolover]

It seems most Trek actors don't do other major work post-Trek (,i.e. being in a series). The exceptions are most of the Original Series, many of TNG, and Alexander Siddig from DS9.

Is it because Trek pays well, and they don't need to work again? or that Trek has burnt them out, and they don't feel a need to work again? Is it also based on how popular a series is? TOS and TNG are the most ingrained into popular culture, hence why Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart are world famous. And Alexander Siddig (whilst a good actor) lends well due to his Arab background (I feel it is a factor since most of his roles feature him playing an Arab).

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Tons of em do work after Trek.

They're actors. It's their trade.

IMDB it.

 

[BruntFCA]

It seems most Trek actors don't do other major work post-Trek (,i.e. being in a series). The exceptions are most of the Original Series, many of TNG, and Alexander Siddig from DS9.

Is it because Trek pays well, and they don't need to work again? or that Trek has burnt them out, and they don't feel a need to work again? Is it also based on how popular a series is? TOS and TNG are the most ingrained into popular culture, hence why Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart are world famous. And Alexander Siddig (whilst a good actor) lends well due to his Arab background (I feel it is a factor since most of his roles feature him playing an Arab).

How are TOS and TNG exceptions?

 

[T'Girl]

Most actors spend their lives trying to find work, even with a successful series behind them it's tough. In many cases they support themselves through employment other than acting to the point that acting is really more of a hobby than a occupation.

Arguable, Jonathan Frakes (to single someone out) has had more profession success behind the camera, than in front of it outside of Star Trek. Just saw a episode of Burn Notice he directed and it was noticeable superior to your average TV episode in the way it came together.

 

[Shanndee]

Tons of em do work after Trek.

They're actors. It's their trade.

IMDB it.

Agreed. Most of these actors are working. Maybe not in a regular TV series, but they are working: TV guest spots, small (or large) parts in movies, voice work in animation, theatre work, writing, producing, directing...

And yes, as T'Girl said...acting is a hard business. You have to continually audition, and you don't always get the job.

 

[MacLeod]

It seems most Trek actors don't do other major work post-Trek (,i.e. being in a series). The exceptions are most of the Original Series, many of TNG, and Alexander Siddig from DS9.

Is it because Trek pays well, and they don't need to work again? or that Trek has burnt them out, and they don't feel a need to work again? Is it also based on how popular a series is? TOS and TNG are the most ingrained into popular culture, hence why Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart are world famous. And Alexander Siddig (whilst a good actor) lends well due to his Arab background (I feel it is a factor since most of his roles feature him playing an Arab).

ST has certainly engrained itself into popular culture, so an actor from one of the ST shows might appear in another TV series but that show isn't as popular or buried away on a channel you don't watch etc..

Some go to theater work (or go back to theater)

Sometimes an actor can get typecast because of the character they played in a TV show which can make work harder to find.

The actor returns to their native country and appears in TV shows there, which never get transmitted in your country.

 

[David F. Weisma]

On the other hand,former Trek actors can sometimes leverage that into con appearances and or endorsements.

 

[MacLeod]

^or in the case of Star Trek, do both.

Appear in an ad, as character As William Shatner and James Doohan did for this Uk ad in the 80's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5wl3fN67lg

 

[Relayer1]

I had this direct from the mouth of Max Grodénchik when I asked him if in hindsight he was glad he didn't get the part of Quark, being as Rom was a much more sympathetic character.

'Put it this way' he said, 'Armin doesn't have to work again, and I do...'.

 

[Christopher]

As others have said, most actors are lucky to get a regular series gig, so there's no guarantee of getting a second one. But a number of Trek actors have managed to get other regular gigs post-Trek. Nimoy was the first, going directly from ST to a two-year stint on its sister production Mission: Impossible, and later having a several-year gig as the host of the (more or less) nonfiction series In Search Of.... Shatner had TJ Hooker and Boston Legal. Frakes and Sirtis were semi-regular voice actors on Gargoyles; Michael Dorn has done many, many voice roles, and overall has probably done more work in animation than live action by now. Brent Spiner was one of the leads in the short-lived Threshold. Rene Auberjonois was also a Boston Legal regular for a while. Terry Farrell was a regular on the sitcom Becker for several years after leaving DS9; Nicole de Boer co-starred in The Dead Zone for six seasons after just one on DS9. Colm Meaney has had a pretty active movie career, but recently co-starred in an AMC series called Hell on Wheels. Armin Shimerman had a frequent recurring role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer for three seasons. Cirroc Lofton went directly from DS9 to a Showtime series called The Hoop Life, but it was cancelled quickly. Jeri Ryan has had a prolific post-Trek career, with regular roles in Boston Public, Shark, and Body of Proof and a temporary regular gig on Leverage for half a season (filling in for a cast member on maternity leave). Robert Picardo had a recurring role in the Stargate franchise that included a season as a regular on Stargate Atlantis. Jennifer Lien was a regular voice actor on Men in Black: The Series for three years. There may be others.

And of course that's not counting all the guest-star roles, movie and miniseries roles, and the like that make up the majority of a typical actor's filmography. Or the success that people like Jonathan Frakes, Roxann Dawson, and LeVar Burton have had as directors.

 

[jespah]

Scott Bakula was in Men of a Certain Age and is slotted to be in I believe a sitcom, I believe this fall. Steven Culp (Major Hayes) is pretty much always working, doing a guest spot here, there and, seemingly, everywhere. He's like the Kevin Bacon of Trek. Linda Park was in a series (she was a cop) that didn't last more than a season. Dominic Keating was in Prison Break and also has tried out for films (he isn't in the Hobbit films, despite the rumors). Connor Trinneer has been on TV again recently. Jolene Blalock has made some lousy films.

And that's just ENT.

 

[Christopher]

Ahh, turns out Linda Park's actually had three short-lived series-regular gigs since ENT: The Jeff Goldblum series Raines, which lasted 7 episodes; the Angie Harmon vehicle Women's Murder Club, which ran 13 episodes (and which I actually watched a few times but had forgotten); and the second season of the Starz series Crash.

I'm aware that Trinneer has had a number of guest roles, as have others such as John Billingsley and Jolene Blalock (indeed, all three had significant Stargate franchise guest roles), but I was focusing on regular or heavily recurring series roles, since that was what the original question was about.

 

[jespah]

Thanks for the info on Park.

 

[Greg Cox]

And, of course, Walter Koenig had a recurring role on Babylon-5. And the guy who played Dr. Phlox has been a recurring character on True Blood, up to and including the orgy scenes in Season Two. (Forgive me for putting those images back in in your head.)

And, as has been noted in another thread, Warehouse 13 has guested more Trek alumni than some conventions, often in recurring roles: Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Brent Spiner, Rene Auberjonois . . . .

And Wil Wheaton is all over the place: Big Bang Theory, Leverage, Eureka.

 

[Christopher]

^Yeah, there's no shortage of work for Trek veterans, since most TV acting is guest roles rather than regular roles. Shatner certainly did a fair amount of guest star gigs in '70s TV, notably in The Six Million Dollar Man and Columbo.

 

[Greg Cox]

Speaking of which, I notice that Ethan Phillips is in "Arachnoquake" on Syfy this coming weekend . . ..

 

[Trek Survivor]

^Yeah, there's no shortage of work for Trek veterans, since most TV acting is guest roles rather than regular roles. Shatner certainly did a fair amount of guest star gigs in '70s TV, notably in The Six Million Dollar Man and Columbo.

I loved Shatner's Columbo stints.

 

[Christopher]

I loved Shatner's first Columbo stint in "Fade In to Murder" -- one of the all-time classics. His role in the revival series's "Butterfly in Shades of Grey" wasn't as impressive.

 

[trash80]

Nimoy has also been in Columbo, one of my favourite episodes.

 

[T'Girl]

Nimoy did a TJ Hooker too.