Favorite Special Guest Stars

[CorporalCaptain]

Yeah, I love Steve Ihnat as Garth.

I'm very fond of Mark Lenard as Sarek and Jane Wyatt as Amanda. While we're on Vulcans, also Celia Lovsky as T'Pau. Mark Lenard as the Romulan Commander, too.

Michael Forest as Apollo.

William Windom as Commodore Decker.

Morgan Woodward as both Dr. van Gelder and Captain Tracey.

France Nuyen as Elaan.

Robert Walker as Charlie Evans.

That's just off the top of my head, and just covering TOS, so I may be back with more.

 

[mythme]

Jean Simmons in "The Drumhead" comes to mind.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I think Harris Yulin qualifies for "special guest star."

He certainly gave one of the best Trek performances ever.

 

[maneth]

Brad Dourif and Majel Barrett are certainly memorable. I also liked Andreas Katsulas as Tomalak and Brent Spiner as Soong. I count that one because Soong was a very different character from Data.

 

[VST]

David Warner as Gul Madred in TNG 'Chain of Command' - fantastic performance.

 

[wulfio]

Jean Simmons and Wallace Shawn were my favourite. Does Nimoy, Kelley, and Doohan count?

 

[Captain Kathryn]

I have a few favorites for odd reasons that have nothing to do with Trek.

Ed Begley Jr.
Sarah Silverman
Michael McKean
Andy Dick
Kirsten Dunst
Majel Barrett
Jeffrey Combs (ok he's not really guest haha)

 

[maneth]

Jean Simmons and Wallace Shawn were my favourite. Does Nimoy, Kelley, and Doohan count?

I would count Nimoy, Kelley and Doohan on TNG, I was certainly very happy too see each of them there.

 

[Chairslinger]

David Ogden Stiers was excellent in Half a Life.

 

[Drone]

Sarah Silverman, who Guest Starred on VOYAGER. Although her comedy's always been very "Hit-or-Miss," her hand is often intelligently played. When she's good, she's outrageously funny. On STAR TREK, her performance was very charming and adorable and her presence is missed, when she's not onscreen. Just everything that part required. And, at the time, too, she was an exceptional beauty - truly exquisite, in many ways.

While not necessarily disagreeing, you really seem to have quite the jones for this vintage of Ms. Silverman!!! You've waxed on her virtues a number of times, even more rhapsodically than here. Quel obsession!!!!

 

[2takesfrakes]

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Vaughn Armstrong.

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Off the top of my head:

*Iggy Pop in "The Magnificent Ferengi" (DS9)was hilarious.

*Barbara Anderson in "The Conscience of the King" (TOS). She wasn't considered a 'very special guest star' but I think she was gorgeous, and sold me as Lenore.

*Robert Foxworth as Admiral Leyton in "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost"(both DS9) was cool.

*Peter Weller and Peter Mensah in "Demons" and "Terra Prime" (both ENT). Looking back at those episodes, they're pretty good and combine good writing/action/acting - and this is from someone who isn't a fan of ENT and has found the show to be sorely lacking in good writing and characterization.

Both Weller and Mensah are good villains because they really believe they're protecting Earth and doing no wrong; those are the best villains.

*Leonard Nimoy in "Star Trek." It makes sense that his character would bridge the two universes. His character has been through so much and has grown in interesting ways.

I recall smiling when he sees Chris Pine's Kirk and says "Fascinating!" with a twinkle in his eye and an air of familiarity.

*Christian Slater in "Star Trek VI." I saw this film a few days ago, and still smiled when Slater showed up.

*Eddie Murphy in "Star Trek IV." Hilarious...and really showed what Murphy can do with the right script.*









*Wait for it...

...Wait for it..

 

[Drone]

Though I found the the character's intent somewhat telegraphed, I think James Sloyan had an affecting performance as Jetrel, playing feelingly off of Neelix's incipient bitterness, transformed at the end to recognition, awareness, and understanding.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Though I found the the character's intent somewhat telegraphed,

He was trying to sell Janeway a Lexus?

 

[Drone]

Though I found the the character's intent somewhat telegraphed,

He was trying to sell Janeway a Lexus?

Punchiness sometimes leads me to insight, but in this instance I'm sorry to have to say, HUH??

 

[CorporalClegg]

Sloyan did the voice work for Lexus in the US for over twenty years.

 

[Drone]

Sloyan did the voice work for Lexus in the US for over twenty years.

Thanks from the commercially deprived and ignorant everywhere!!!!

 

[Drone]

It's a shame that the exemplar of Special Guest Stars, the actor that embodied the very term, never appeared on any of the series. Jonathan Harris. I think circumstances made it highly unlikely, if not impossible, for a spot on TOS to have been offered to him. Makes one wonder though what episode or kind of one, would have best showcased his special talents.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Would it have been possible for Jonathan Harris to tone it down, so to speak? We're all familiar with his "over the top" style of Lost in Space acting...you know, THE PAIN, THE PAIN and all that. I'm not sure that would have been appropriate for Trek.