Favorite Trek actor-turned-directors ?

[Emperor-Tiberius]

To help you vote, I'll include the episodes and/or movies they each directed.​

Ready? Go:​

William Shatner:​

• TOS:
  The Final Frontier

Leonad Nimoy:

• TOS:
  The Search for Spock
  The Voyage Home

Patrick Stewart:

• TNG:
  In Theory
  Hero Worship
  A Fistful of Datas
  Phantasms
  Preemptive Strike

Jonathan Frakes:

• TNG:
  "The Offspring"
  "Reunion"
  "The Drumhead"
  "Cause and Effect"
  "The Quality of Life"
  "The Chase"
  "Attached"
  "Sub Rosa"
• First Contact
• Insurrection
• DS9:
  "The Search, Part II"
  "Meridian"
  "Past Tense, Part II"
• VOY:
  "Projections"
  "Parturition"
  "Prototype"

LeVar Burton:

• TNG:
  "Second Chances"
  "The Pegasus"
• DS9:
  "Indiscretion"
  "The Sword of Kahless"
  "Bar Association"
  "Rules of Engagement"
  "To the Death"
  "Things Past"
  "Soldiers of the Empire"
  "Behind the Lines"
  "Resurrection"
  "The Emperor's New Cloak"
• VOY:
  "Ex Post Facto"
  "Dreadnought"
  "The Raven"
  "Timeless"
  "Live Fast and Prosper"
  "Nightingale"
  "Q2"
  "Homestead"
• ENT:
  "Terra Nova"
  "Fortunate Son"
  "Cogenitor"
  "First Flight"
  "Extinction"
  "Similitude"
  "The Forgotten"
  "The Augments"
  "Demons"

Gates McFadden:

• TNG:
  "Genesis"

Michael Dorn:

• DS9:
  "In the Cards"
  "Inquisition"
  "When It Rains..."
• ENT:
  "Two Days and Two Nights"

Avery Brooks:

• DS9:
  "Tribunal"
  "The Abandoned"
  "Fascination"
  "Improbable Cause"
  "Rejoined"
  "Body Parts"
  "Ties of Blood and Water"
  "Far Beyond the Stars"
  "The Dogs of War"

Rene Auberjonois:

• DS9:
  "Prophet Motive"
  "Family Business"
  "Hippocratic Oath"
  "Indiscretion"
  "The Quickening"
  "Let He Who Is Without Sin..."
  "Ferengi Love Songs"
  "Waltz"
  "Strange Bedfellows"

Alexander Siddig:

• DS9:
  "Business as Usual"
  "Profit and Lace"

Andrew J. Robinson:

• DS9:
  "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places"
• VOY:
  "Blood Fever"
  "Unforgettable"

Tim Russ:

• VOY:
  "Living Witness"

Robert Picardo:

• VOY:
  "Alter Ego"
  "One Small Step"

Robert Duncan McNeill:

• VOY:
  "Sacred Ground"
  "Unity"
  "Someone to Watch Over Me"
  "Body and Soul"
• ENT:
  "Cold Front"
  "The Breach"
  "Twilight"
  "Countdown"

Roxann Dawson:

• VOY:
  "Riddles"
  "Workforce, Part II"
• ENT:
  "The Andorian Incident"
  "Vox Sola"
  "Dead Stop"
  "Dawn"
  "Bounty"
  "Exile"
  "Chosen Realm"
  "Doctor's Orders"
  "E²"
  "Awakening"

Well? Which ones are your favorite, and which one of those is your top favorite?

And also... Why?

 

[judge alba]

i never knew Gates McFadden had directed anything blimey learn something every day

however my vote would go to Jonathan Frakes mainly cause first contact is my fave film

 

[Mr. Fergy]

There are some good directors in Trek, and a poor director or two, but guess who I voted for?

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

There are some good directors in Trek, and a poor director or two, but guess who I voted for?

Shatner?

 

[TrekNut87]

my votes went to:

Jonathan Frakes
Robert Duncan McNeill
Leonard Nimoy

 

[ZERO_of_ZERO]

i never knew Gates McFadden had directed anything blimey learn something every day

however my vote would go to Jonathan Frakes mainly cause first contact is my fave film

Yes about Gates, and almost about Frakes, FC is great, but:

Living Wittness always brings a tear to my eye, so even if its his one and only, Ive gone for Tim.

 

[ktanner3]

I'm very biased towards Frakes because of "The Offspring" and the movie First contact.

 

[ktanner3]

There are some good directors in Trek, and a poor director or two, but guess who I voted for?

Shatner?

Shatner would get my vote for worst. The Final Frontiere was just one silly mess that had the actors performing completely out of character and the whole enterprise meets god concept was stupid to begin with.

 

[ktanner3]

Nimoy should get honorable mention for directing a successful movie outside of Star Trek.(Three Men and a Baby).

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

How are we distinguishing between directing and script?
Most of my favourite stories are based on the script, not the directing, as everyone on the show has a similar style and really couldn't get TOO stylized or out there with technique.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I might go with Levar Burton because of my Reading Rainbow bias
Besides, he's certainly directed a lot of episodes.

I thought Robert Duncan McNiel did a great job directing in Countdown, though, so he's certainly high on my list as well.

 

[Dale]

Nimoy is a good director of Trek, so is Frakes.

I like Robbie McNeil's work on Chuck.

 

[Navaros]

Rene Auberjonois' episodes are all brilliant except for Let He Who Is Without Sin, whereas the rest of the names on the list are attached to some real stinkers IMO. But I don't think that is necessarily attributable to Auberjonois having superior directing skills. Probably has more to do with happenstance of him happening to have been attached to better scripts.

 

[KayArr]

McNeill and Dawson, only. Considering all of the stuff that you needed to list for those two alone other than Trek, it's no contest. This is one poll Voyager should win hands down if there's any fairness in the world (which naturally there is not).

 

[BigFoot]

Frakes
Dorn
Brooks
Auberjonois
Robinson
McNeill

 

[St0cker]

What about including their non-Trek work ?

 

[erastus25]

How are we distinguishing between directing and script?
Most of my favourite stories are based on the script, not the directing, as everyone on the show has a similar style and really couldn't get TOO stylized or out there with technique.

And most everyone has assumed we're judging them on their directing. Is that true or was this intended to be some kind of "who's the best all around Trek contributor" thread?