Is 'Star Trek's Chief O'Brien 'The Most Important Person in Starfleet History'? Colm Meaney Reacts

If you’ve watched Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, you know how important Chief Miles O'Brien (played by Colm Meaney) was to keeping everyone alive. Whether it was fixing a turbolift or transporter, or solving any of the other many problems faced by his crewmates, O'Brien had his hands in everything technical on those shows.

Because he was so valuable to Starfleet in particular and the Trek universe as a whole, a recent episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks (the animated Star Trek series created by Mike McMahan now streaming on Paramount+) made a reference to Chief Miles O'Brien by calling him “the most important man in Starfleet history.” While it was a throwaway gag at the end of an episode, McMahan had previously explained why he thought O'Brien was an original Lower Decker and deserved the title:

“So why did we put that statue at the end of the episode? If you ask the common fan on the street to name the most important Star Trek character, they’ll probably say Picard or Kirk. Us Lower Deckers would like to offer a different answer... Chief O’Brien is the original Lower Decker, moving from an enlisted crewman all the way to professor of engineering at Starfleet Academy. We experienced his full life in Starfleet: his marriage and relationship with Keiko, being a dad and moving up in rank and location, the dynamic between enlisted crew and officers through his friendships with Bashir and Sisko, and the trauma he experienced being a veteran of the Federation-Cardassian War. One could argue Miles O’Brien is the most fully realized character in Star Trek, and we ask, no, demand he be given a statue. While a nod to Miles might be seen as slight by a casual fan, those of us who spent years watching him grow across two television series know he is, without a doubt, the most important person in Starfleet History.”

I can’t argue with anything Mike McMahan said.

The other day I got to speak with Colm Meaney for his new Ireland set crime story Pixie. While the interview covered numerous projects, and as I'm a huge fan of his work on Star Trek, we spent a good amount of time talking about his time on both series. One of the things I was curious about was whether he would ever be willing to play Chief O’Brien again on Picard or another Star Trek series. And the other thing I needed to bring up with him was the Lower Decks episode. While he didn’t know the reference, I think you’ll enjoy his response.

Check out what he said below and look for our full conversation very soon.

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[frthlvfchrt]

I feel like if they did revisit O'Brien, it should just be a cameo, and he's finally having a happy life. Retired and just drinking mojitos by the pool or something.

[davetoms]

Miles Edward "The Most Important Person in Starfleet History" O'Brien
Rolls of the tongue surprisingly well!

[badkittynomilktonight]

...also Montgomery Scott would like a word with Star Fleet about just who invented the "Boimler Effect" of padding your tasks so you look like a miracle worker.

[DinsRune]

I think the reason I like Lower Decks more than a lot of other parodies of scifi or Star Trek specifically, is that you can really tell the people making it _love_ Star Trek.

Yeah, they're poking fun at its world and tropes and such, but you can tell beneath that the show is just gushing with love for the franchise. There's no bitterness to its sarcasm.

[jessekoenig]

I would love to see Obrien come back IF they could do right by his character and family. Not as a full time cast member, but a cameo here and there, and a nice little epilogue on his family since last we saw them in DS9. No more tragedy; I don't want to see him divorced, molly dead, or his son bitter.

[charlestownsend]

I like these honest interviews, where the actor knows the importance of the character to others but also is clear about the fact that it was a role they played for a long time and a long time ago and they've moved on to other things. Actors don't like being in the same role all the time, he spent a decade playing one character (some do sometimes genuinely get attached to characters but that's not the norm), he's probably glad to be doing other things. He basically said if they offer him the money he'll do it but he's not going to go asking for it.

[theabe]

I hope Meaney at least does a voice spot on Lower Decks though. I miss that Irishman’s engineering sarcasm

[xedalpha]

Did Colm even AGE since the end of DS9? Dude is looking great.

[shannonbayley]

New O'Brien show - *O'Brien: Tortured Soul*

Each episode is some hellish experience that pushes him to his physical, mental and spiritual limits.

[zanderkeith]

He is the most important person in Starfleet, Colm Meaney seems like a very nice guy

[HexenzirkelZuluhed]

I love Miles O'Brien - I'd live to see him back.

[NobleProductions-nubn]

O’Brien used to be my least favorite character but then he became my favorite character after I got married. Glad to see he’s doing well and I hope he does reprise his part.

[noslack]

Colm was awesome in The Commitments, the best St. Patrick's Day movie ever!!!

[ScottydUK]

Fun fact, his character only got actually namad in S2 and a only got aFirst name in S4.

[sjoerd]

I also really liked him as Commander Cowen of the Geni, in Stargate Atlantis

[Otokichi]

I recall the best tribute to Star Fleet engineers, and possibly Chief Miles O'Brien: "A Starfleet engineer can craft a subspace radio from sticks and stones.";) (I think it was a Romulan, shipwrecked on a desert planet with "Chief O'Brien.")

[illumi]

Imagine if Lower Decks had an episode with the Changelings and we got to see Odo again

[FennecTECH]

I would love for him to do a few bits in Star Trek lower decks. If they could get him into the recording booth for a day or two to have some fun

[FennecTECH]

O’Brien was one of my favorite characters. He was just a big softie and the quinticential engineer

[ussvoyager]

I would like 2 see Colm Meany back as Miles O"Brien