10 Star Trek One-Off Characters Who Never Left

These are the folks who were meant to leave as quick as they came, there was no hurry.

#StarTrek #OneOff #Characters

[crane]

DS9 didn't even feel like it had many "side characters", it was more like one really big list of main characters.

[johnchedsey]

DS9 transcended itself by finding and keeping all the recurring actors and actresses. Just an absolute gem of a supporting cast and characters.

[BodyMusicification]

Jeffrey Combs is soo good, no matter what character he's portraying

[TheWyldehart]

Andrew Robinson almost didn't play Garak, a job he took to pay the rent. The makeup triggered a claustrophobia-driven panic attack and it was only when he looked at himself in the mirror that he realized how badly he wanted to do the part. Garak remains a fan favorite to this day as a result. Thanks for making him #2.

[lovehawks]

Did you miss someone? Oh I don't know, maybe a certain Lieutenant Reginald Barkley? Pretty much a role created to give A-Team actor Dwight Schultz a cameo, but he did not go away. Made his way into 4 episodes of TNG, 5 of Voyager, and even into Star Trek: First Contact so he could fan boy over Zephrim Cochrane.

Speaking of the father of warp drive, Zephrim Cochrane could fit on this list... so long as you don't stipulate the same actor over all portrayals (which by not including Rainn Wilson's Harry Mudd from Discovery seems to be the case). Created as a one off character in the Original Series, he would later be portrayed in First Contact and in two episodes of Enterprise (both original and Mirror). If you thought he didn't like the idea of becoming a statue, imagine how he would react to learning he would become the husband of a cloud of gas.

One more mention, because "Trials and Tribble-ations" is an amazing episode and loving nod to the original series, Arne Darvin. Granted, he was brought back for what was pretty much the same episode, but his banter with Worf is priceless.

[laszlokaestner]

It's amazing how many of this list (Garak, Weyoun, Miles, Ross, Rom, Martok) are integral to DS9 and in particular the Dominion War. Now this could be writers bias but it also shows how many of those actors made an impact when given the change and how the story evolved around those actors/characters. DS9 really was a character actor driven show and it shows!

[jenniferbaldini]

"You got to sell it...Style baby, style". ~ Vic Fontaine, coolest hologram ever, 'Star Trek Deep Space Nine'.

[Foolish]

I had no idea that the clones of the Dominion were just so they could bring Weyoun back. That is so cool.

[maggiebrinkley]

I have to say, I absolutely adore Garak! I'm so glad his role was expanded in DS9!

[SnakeVenom]

Jeffrey Combs is a treasure and the best guest actor Star Trek ever had IMO

[danielduggan]

Decent list. Another character that would fit this list is Damar. He was only meant to be in one episode, but they realized Casey Biggs was too good to only use as a one-off. The fact that he eventually became a key character that they even gave a developed arc to is testament to Biggs' portrayal of Damar.

[Elthenar]

I am surprised that didn't even mention that Ensign Ro was supposed to be in DS9. When Michelle Forbes turned it down, Kira was created.

[jpwphoenix]

I've always had the feeling that Nurse Ogawa from TNG was only originally meant to be in "Future Imperfect", but she then kept coming back and being expanded upon (even being in two of the movies).

[SirZapdos]

I'm pretty sure Enabran Tain on DS9 was supposed to be a one-off. But his five minute scene with Bashir in "The Wire" was pretty darn good, so they used him as the lead villain in "Improbable Cause" and "The Die is Cast". Then they got to use him one last time in "In Purgatory's Shadow" for a send-off, simultaneously revealing the true nature of his relationship with Garak.

Both of those two-parters are fantastic all around, as is The Way of the Warrior.

[alm]

Version I once read: the NextGen auditions were on. One man alternately read lines as Picard, as Riker, AND THEN as Data. Everyone was impressed with the readings, but he kinda didn't have the look to play any of these characters.

They cast him as a recurring extra. It was some time before he even got a name; O'Brien.

[WakenerOne]

You incorrectly state that Ricardo Montalban and Roger C. Carmel are the only actors to play characters who went up against Kirk both inside and outside the original series. Stanley Adams also appeared as Cyrano Jones, the trader who introduced us to the Tribbles, in the original series' "The Trouble With Tribbles" and the original animated series' offering "More Tribbles, More Troubles."

[derekscanlan]

DS9 ensemble cast was easily the best trek has ever had... or ever will

[tonyjackson]

Good old Broccoli, I mean Barkley. They apparently liked him so much he was in First Contact, and popped up on Voyager a few times.

[GreyhawkGrognard]

I've always been a fan of Lt. Leslie (played by Eddie Paskey), the man of many positions and ranks, but usually a security guard in TOS. He started in The Cage. Neat fact; in one or two episodes, they use stock footage of him in the corridors in two different colored uniforms with different ranks. In my head-canon he has a twin brother who also serves on the ship.

There's also Chief or Lieutenant Kyle (played by John Winston), who had many appearances in TOS, and also cameoed in Wrath of Khan as a commander on the bridge of the Reliant.

Also, Bruce Hyde played Lt. Kevin Riley in "The Naked Time". When he was brought back for the episode "The Conscience of the King", they renamed the character's name (from "Robert Daiken") to match his first appearance, to establish a little continuity.

[Hawkeye]

This is actually one of the best lists I've EVER seen, not just on WhatCulture channels, BRAVO!!