dwayne johnson star trek voyager

He acquired fame for his accolades as a professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), but he has since retired from wrestling to focus on a full-time acting career. He is the first WWE superstar to make a guest appearance on Star Trek ; he was followed by Tommy 'Tiny' Lister, Jr. and The Big Show , both of whom guest-starred on Star Trek: Enterprise .

• 1 Pro wrestling career
• 2 Acting career
• 3 Television and voice acting
• 4 External links

Pro wrestling career

Born in Hayward, California, USA (although he was billed as being from Miami, Florida due to his having attended college at and played football for the University of Miami), Johnson is a third-generation professional wrestler who made his debut with WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF) in 1996 as "Rocky Maivia", a combination of his father Rocky Johnson's first name and his grandfather "High Chief" Peter Maivia's last name (both former WWF wrestlers).

With a later "attitude adjustment" to his character, he changed his ring name to "The Rock". He subsequently became famous not only for his wrestling but also for such trademark gestures as "The People's Eyebrow" (in which he raises his right eyebrow to the crowd or to his opponent - he can be seen doing this during his Voyager appearance) and his signature line " Do you smell what the Rock is cooking? " (with the word "smell" generally drawn out). He retired in 2004.

In 2011, The Rock made a surprise return to WWE, acting as the host of WrestleMania XXVII. In 2012, Johnson returned to the ring to compete in his first match in 8 years at WrestleMania XXVIII, held in his adopted hometown of Miami, which he won against John Cena. He then went on to compete at the 2013 Royal Rumble where he won the WWE Championship from defending champion CM Punk . He then lost the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania XXIX, in New York, to John Cena. He later made an appearance at the opening ceremony of Wrestlemania XXX in 2014.

Acting career

Johnson's appearance in Voyager predated the true launch of his acting career. He made his breakthrough film appearance in The Mummy Returns (2001, with Oded Fehr ) portraying Mathayus the Scorpion King. He reprised the role in the eponymous The Scorpion King (2002, with Branscombe Richmond and Joseph Ruskin ).

He continued his acting career with starring in films as The Rundown (2003, with Jeffrey Chase , William Lucking , and Todd Stashwick ), the remake of Walking Tall (2004, with Neal McDonough and Barbara J. Tarbuck ), Doom (2005, co-starring Karl Urban and featuring creature work by Doug Jones ), Southland Tales (2006, with John Larroquette , Holmes R. Osborne , and Wallace Shawn ), Gridiron Gang (2006, with Leon Rippy and Brett Cullen ), and The Game Plan (2007, with Gordon Clapp ). He also made an uncredited cameo appearance as an inept (and ill-fated) S.W.A.T. officer in Reno 911!: Miami (2007, with Carlos Alazraqui and Patton Oswalt ).

With the release of Get Smart (2008), in which he played Agent 23, Johnson dropped the use of the nickname "The Rock" from his acting credits, presumably to further disassociate his acting career from his former wrestling persona and to avoid any copyright claims the WWE may have on the moniker. He then starred in the remake of Race to Witch Mountain (2009, with Robert Clendenin , Ike Eisenmann , John Kassir , and Tom Woodruff, Jr. ).

In 2010, he co-starred with Ashley Judd in the family comedy film Tooth Fairy . The same year he made an appearance in the comedy Why Did I Get Married Too? , which was written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry . Perry also starred in the film, while K Callan had a supporting role. Johnson also appeared in The Other Guys and Faster the same year. Still the same year, he had an uncredited cameo as an air marshall in the romantic comedy You Again (with Victor Garber ).

In 2011, Johnson, now a household name in Hollywood, joined the Fast & Furious action film franchise, starring as Hobbs in Fast Five , directed by Justin Lin and featuring Geoff Meed in the cast. This was followed by Fast & Furious 7 (2015, with voice work by Hélène Cardona ), The Fate of the Furious (2017), and the spin-off Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019, co-starring Idris Elba ). Johnson also had an uncredited cameo as Hobbs in Fast X (2023).

Besides his Fast & Furious role, Johnson also starred in the fantasy adventure film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012, with Branscombe Richmond), the action sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013, with Marcelo Tubert ), the crime action film Empire State (2013, with Wayne Péré ), the crime drama Pain & Gain (2013, with Larry A. Hankin and Tony Plana ), the mythological adventure film Hercules (2014), the disaster movie San Andreas (2015), the action comedies Central Intelligence (2016) and Baywatch (2017), the monster movie Rampage (2018, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jason Liles ), and the action film Skyscraper (2018, with Adrian Holmes and Tzi Ma ). He made a cameo as himself in the musical comedy film Jem and the Holograms (2015).

Johnson also starred in the family adventure films Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017, with Missi Pyle and Stephen Dunlevy ) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019, with Bebe Neuwirth ). Most recently, he starred in the adventure film Jungle Cruise (2021, with Stephen Dunlevy), the Netflix spy movie Red Notice (2021), and played the titular superhero in the DC movie Black Adam (2022, co-starring Aldis Hodge , with Joseph Gatt ).

Television and voice acting

Albeit mainly a feature film star, Johnson starred in the HBO sport comedy series Ballers from 2015 to 2019. The series featured Steven Weber and Mason Gooding in recurring roles and Matt McCoy in a guest role.

From 2021 to 2023, Johnson starred as himself in the NBC biographical comedy series Young Rock based on his own life. Dawnn Lewis , Clyde Kusatsu , and Stephanie Czajkowski also appeared on this show.

Johnson also lent his voice to a number of animated projects. His best known voice work is perhaps his role as Maui in the Disney animated film Moana (2016). He also voiced the lead roles in Planet 51 (2009) and DC League of Super-Pets (2022, with Jameela Jamil and Daveed Diggs ).

Johnson voiced the Autobot Cliffjumper in the Roberto Orci / Alex Kurtzman -produced 2010 Transformers: Prime cartoon series. The character was killed in the very first episode, Johnson's appearance being a marketing ploy to fans. Frank Welker , who voiced Megatron, also provided the snarls of a zombified Cliffjumper in the second episode. Jeffrey Combs , Clancy Brown , and Tony Todd were among the voice actors for that series.

Johnson also voiced himself in a 2010 episode of Seth MacFarlane 's Family Guy and had a voice cameo role as a bankrobber in the 2021 action film Free Guy . He voiced The Foundation in the video games Fortnite: Chapter 2 (2019, with Troy Baker and Nolan North ) and Fortnite: Chapter 3 (2021, with Troy Baker).

External links

• WWE Roster Profile
• Dwayne Johnson at Wikipedia
• The Rock at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 2 Star Trek: Prodigy
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

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Jeri Ryan recalls fighting Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on Star Trek: Voyager

Dwayne Johnson's appearance in Star Trek: Voyager was one of his earliest acting roles. He wasn't yet the biggest star in the world but the Seven of Nine actress could definitely smell what was cooking...

Transport back in time to the year 2000. WWE was still called WWF, and fast becoming its biggest star was Dwayne Johnson, or as he was better known, The Rock. It was inevitable that his charm, charisma and acting chops would be tested in dramatic roles, and so The Rock beamed into the 15th episode of the sixth season of Star Trek: Voyager .

The plot saw ex-Borg crew member Seven of Nine kidnapped and forced to fight in an arena for entertainment. Her first opponent is a Pendari champion who looks good in silver spandex. Here’s what goes down:

In the hundreds of people Dwayne Johnson has battled with in film and TV over the years, Seven of Nine was the very first (leaving aside his exploits in the wrestling ring).

Seven of Nine actress Jeri Ryan, who reprises the role in Star Trek: Picard , remembers making the episode. Did she know who The Rock was at the time?

“No, I had no idea,” Ryan admits. “It was his first or maybe second acting job ever [The Rock’s only previous TV role was playing his father as a cameo in That ’70s Sho w].

“I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t watch wrestling. I wasn’t aware of his character of ‘The Rock’.

“So the first time I met him was a fight rehearsal and he came in and he was just a super sweet, unassuming gentle guy named Dwayne. We’re talking about our kids and he’s just lovely. We had a nice time working together.”

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After filming had finished for the day, it turned out that Johnson had left a present for his co-star, one that she found very confusing.

“When I got to my trailer he had left a signed picture in character as The Rock – and it said ‘The Rock smells what you’re cooking’. Like, what?! It’s the weirdest thing I’d ever seen somebody write.”

Luckily others on set could explain his famous catchphrase.

“The makeup guys in the prosthetic trailer were like, ‘Dude, it’s The Rock, that’s his thing! He smells what you’re cooking!'” she laughs.

“He was very sweet and lovely. And the few times over the years I’ve run into him since, he’s been just as lovely, just as sweet and just as down to earth. I couldn’t be happier for him.”

To read more from Jeri Ryan, and whether she thinks the Borg on Star Trek predicted the way the internet and social media would end up connecting all of our minds together, with less than positive results, click here !

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Star Trek: Voyager Is Still the Rock’s Finest Hour as an Actor

As 2022 ends, it’s hard to say that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had a more influential year in his acting career , even if that influence was his long-in-the-making Black Adam movie almost singlehandedly tearing apart the DC cinema slate for years. But was it his year as an actor? Absolutely not, because that is, was, and forever will be, 2000.

Because that’s when “Tsunkatse,” the 15th episode of Star Trek: Voyager ’s penultimate sixth season aired, marking the debut of Johnson’s acting career before he would truly explode onto the scene a year later in The Mummy Returns. Born of an absurd idea for broadcaster UPN to cross over two of its biggest shows—Voyager and WWF nee WWE Smackdown—Johnson plays a major role in the episode as the Pendari Champion, a hulking combatant in the melee bloodsport Tsunkatse that goes toe-to-toe with a captured Seven of Nine.

It’s deeply silly, if only because for Star Trek fans The Rock is perhaps only the third most notable guest star—Deep Space Nine legends J.G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Combs, best known for playing General Martok and Weyoun (among many other roles !) respectively, on Voyager’s predecessor have guest turns too. Hertzler plays a fellow combatant in the ring of this wildly popular deathmatch, a Hirogen—a race of Predator-esque hunters Voyager had previously encountered—who trains the captive Seven in the arts of Tsunkatse so she can survive long enough to be rescued by the crew, while Combs dazzles as Penk, the slimy overlord of the Tsunkatse tournaments that captured Seven as his new ultimate warrior.

But we’re to expect delight from Star Trek legends like these stars. The Rock, for Star Trek and for the world at large beyond his turn as one of the most iconic wrestlers of his age, was an untested, unproven acting chameleon, at this point just starting out a journey that would lead to box office dominance and, well, Johnson just kind of playing a heightened approximation of himself across a sea of action movies. Sometimes, that’s all you need, and it’s all well and good, but outside of a few specific roles, it’s hard to particularly argue that Johnson has forged an acting career for himself that challenges him dramatically, instead largely challenging him by how many stunts he can do, how many tight button up shirts he can fit his giant arms into the rolled sleeves of, how many times he can blur the line between the character he’s meant to be playing and the persona of the Rock in the audience’s head.

The Pendari Champion is the predecessor to what Johnson’s career would become literally and and spiritually, because they are literally just the Rock with some Star Trek alien forehead makeup applied. Perhaps then, it is the ideal form of Johnson’s highly specific niche. The idea at its purest, when the Rock being the Rock, But Askance, was a novel thing. You could even say that Johnson has spent almost two and a half decade long acting career chasing the same high as “Tsunkatse,” but finds himself unable replicate the joy of the first time he could turn the Rock into a trans-medium performance.

Everything that Dwayne Johnson is—at the height of his wrestling career then, at the height of his acting one now—is in the Pendari Champion. The taciturn nature, breaking ever so slightly for a trademark People’s Eyebrow. The canonization of the Rock Bottom as the second greatest act of martial combat in Star Trek, just behind the double-fisted punch . The fact that he barely has dialogue, the fact that his costume had to have a very cheap harness put in so he actually looked slightly different than he does on any regular episode of Smackdown. It is the embrace of Johnson entirely into a bizarro Star Trek plot about trying to escape a dangerous alien fight club: he is there to be Johnson, and yet not Johnson. Is Dwayne Johnson the Pendari Champion, or is the Rock the Pendari Champion?

We have Star Trek: Voyager to thank for this timeless question, the humble, ridiculous episode of television that launched the only career capable of tanking an entire superhero movie universe in one go. At least Seven of Nine survived a Rock Bottom the DCEU couldn’t.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

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Chosen One of the Day: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as the Pendari champion on Star Trek: Voyager

Credit: Paramount

All beloved genre series contain at least one episode almost unilaterally reviled by fans. In Star Trek: Voyager , it's the Season 6 episode "Tsunkatse," a sweeps-week episode that featured a crossover with WWF Smackdown . "But...why?" you ask. Because it was 2000, is the only answer I can give you. It was a very weird time. After Y2K everyone was all, "WE HAVE CHEATED DEATH AND ARE NOW INVINCIBLE" and spent that sense of invincibility doing stuff like crossing over Voyager with Smackdown . 

But the episode did give us one precious thing: a very, very early performance from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, only his third onscreen acting role and a year before his first film, The Mummy Returns . In the episode, Seven of Nine gets blackmailed into fighting in an arena match. Her opponent? A Pendari man who does the eyebrow thing and throws Seven down with the "Rock Bottom." So essentially, he's The Rock but with a bigger forehead. Also, he's dressed like this:

I mean those suspenders don't seem to be especially useful for anything beyond preventing one's opponent from engaging in "purple nurples" but the pants are definitely from Buffy Summers' wardrobe (maybe that's what inspired UPN to pick up Buffy the Vampire Slayer — leather pant synergy) and his cuff bracelets are very on-trend with the then-dawning emo-pop-punk aesthetic.

Dwayne Johnson: Actor. Trendsetter. Nipple coverer.

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PHOTOS: Birthday Boy, Dwayne Johnson, in 'Tsunkatse'

As The Rock turns 47, we're looking back at his voyage to the Star Trek ring.

Ready to feel young and old at the same time? Dwayne Johnson was just in his late 20's — and a WWE icon — when he delivered one of his very first acting performances, battling Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine, as the Pendari Champion in the Star Trek: Voyager episode, "Tsunkatse." Today, the man once known as The Rock turns all of 47, though it seems like forever that he's been one of Hollywood's busiest, highest-earning and most popular superstars. And he's not slowing down at all, as his upcoming projects include Hobbs & Shaw, Jumanji 3, Jungle Cruise , and a fifth season of his HBO series, Ballers . To celebrate Johnson's big day, StarTrek.com takes a look back at Johnson's visit to the Final Frontier with a gallery of photos from "Tsunkatse."

The Untold Truth Of Star Trek: Voyager

Part of the problem with exploring the final frontier? There's just  so much  of it. That's the challenge the crew of the USS  Voyager  had to contend with in  Star Trek: Voyager 's two-part premiere "Caretaker," when the ship was tossed so deep into the distant Delta Quadrant that the crew believed it would take them the better part of a century to get home. Cut off from Starfleet and the Federation, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) — the first female captain to lead a  Trek  series — struggled to get her crew home while at the same time upholding the Federation's values and even using the opportunity to expand their knowledge of unexplored space.

Voyager  followed the adventures of its crew for seven seasons until they finally made their way home in the two-part finale "Endgame." And through all the space battles, the romance, and the debates between  Voyager 's principled officers, there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than you know. Resentments ran high between certain cast members, some characters were created to pay tribute to fallen heroes, and other characters were revealed to have surprising connections to other series.  Voyager also   helped to launch the blockbuster career of one actor while proving a singular triumph for a young network. 

To learn about all these things and more, keep reading for the untold truth of  Star Trek: Voyager .

Star Trek: Voyager was the jewel of UPN's crown

Paramount used  Star Trek: Voyager  to help launch its new mini-network UPN (United Paramount Network) in January 1995. UPN only had a small number of shows when it launched and only aired programming Monday and Tuesday nights between 8 PM and 10 PM. That same month,  Voyager  was joined by the sitcom  Pig Sty , comedian Richard Jeni's  Platypus Man , the Richard Grieco-led drama  Marker , and the sci-fi/Western series  Legend . 

Voyager 's "Caretaker" was UPN's first telecast on January 16, 1995, and it had 21.3 million viewers tuning in. Of the network's five inaugural series,  Voyager was the only program to survive its first year . Yes, believe it or not, even a show with a name like Platypus Man  got the ax. Voyager  went on to outlive other early UPN series like  The Sentinel , the sci-fi drama  Nowhere Man , and the hit teen sitcom  Moesha . Although, to be fair, its final episode aired only a week after  Moesha 's . However, Voyager  was the only of UPN's early series to last as long as seven seasons. 

Kate Mulgrew almost wasn't Janeway

When it came time to cast Janeway,  Voyager 's casting team looked at a lot of actresses. Among the candidates was Linda Hamilton of the  Terminator  films , Susan Gibney who'd played the recurring role of Dr. Leah Brahms on  Star Trek: The Next Generation  ( TNG ), and the  Buck Rogers  alum Erin Gray. Of course, as we all know, eventually Kate Mulgrew auditioned for the role, and the part went to ... Canadian actress Geneviève Bujold .

That's right. In her 2015 memoir  Born with Teeth , Mulgrew wrote that her first audition for the role went so poorly that she actually apologized for her subpar performance. She explained that she was distracted by having just fallen in love with a man — Tim Hagan, who she married in 1999 — and that she was meeting him later. Instead of Mulgrew, Bujold was cast in the role of the character who was then named Elizabeth Janeway. 

However, Bujold didn't last much of the voyage. She quit after a day and a half of filming.  Voyager  co-creator Rick Berman said of Bujold's departure, "This was a woman who, in no way, was going to be able to deal with the rigors of episodic television." Considering  Star Trek  documentaries like What We Left Behind  and  The Captains  include cast and crew talking about 16-hour work days, it's tough to blame Bujold too much for leaving the crew to deal with the Delta Quadrant without her.

Star Trek: Voyager helped launch Dwayne Johnson's acting career

Star Trek  has helped launch plenty of acting careers, and  Voyager  gave an early role to someone known today for leading blockbuster action flicks. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson  — still mostly known as a WWF wrestler in those days — made one of his first non-wrestling television appearances in the  Voyager  season six episode "Tsunkatse."

While the rest of the crew is enjoying shore leave, Tuvok (Tim Russ) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) take a shuttle to examine a nearby nebula. While out on their own, they're attacked and captured by aliens running a popular fighting arena. Tuvok is badly injured, and the arena's owner uses the injured Vulcan as leverage to make Seven fight for him. Her first opponent is the Rock, who plays an unnamed Pendari champion. In a fun fourth wall-breaking moment, the Rock gives his signature eyebrow raise to the crowd before defeating Seven in the ring. 

Speaking to  StarTrek.com  in 2018, Rick Berman expressed a lot of pride for his part in building the foundation for Johnson's acting career, saying, "It makes me feel terrific ... that there are some actors that we gave a first job to that have become successful. People like Dwayne Johnson, whose first acting job I think was on Voyager , and he's a world-renowned movie star now." Technically, Berman wasn't right about that. Johnson showed up on  That '70s Show  a year before "Tsunkatse," but we're guessing the appearance on  Voyager  didn't hurt his resume.

On Netflix, Voyager is the Trek champion

Most  Trek  fans have their own pick for their favorite  Trek  series. So if a  Trek  fan ever tells you "everyone hates this series" or "everyone loves this one," never believe them. For every fan who loves  Deep Space Nine , there are plenty who can't stand it. For every Trekkie   who wishes  Discovery  had never been made, there are old school fans and new who love it. So we're not trying to tell you  Voyager  is the best  Star Trek  show, but some numbers have revealed something interesting about the series' 21st-century popularity. 

In 2017, Netflix reviewed data (via Business Insider ) from over 100 million subscribers in close to 200 countries to figure which episodes of  Star Trek were watched more than any others. At the time, Netflix carried all the franchise's series produced between  Star Trek: The Original Series  and the 2005 finale of  Star Trek: Enterprise . And during its research, Netflix didn't count first or second episodes of series, because those generally have more views than others. 

Voyager  and  The Next Generation  were the only two series with episodes in the top ten most watched, and of those ten episodes,  six  belong to  Voyager . Those six episodes help to prove the enduring popularity of both the Borg and  Voyager 's season four newcomer, Seven of Nine . Most of the six episodes are very Seven and Borg-centric. They include the series finale "Endgame," the two-parters "Scorpion" and "Dark Frontiers," and "The Gift," which is the episode immediately following Seven's first appearance.

Behind the camera, Janeway and Seven didn't assimilate well

Behind the scenes of Voyager , Mulgrew resented the addition of Seven of Nine, whose sex appeal helped to boost Voyager 's ratings. And on 2013's Girl on Gu y podcast (via TrekCore ), Ryan talked about feeling physically ill at the thought of doing scenes with a particular Voyager  co-star. She didn't name Mulgrew, but she mentioned details making it clear it could be no one other than the lead actress.

While researching his book  The Fifty-Year Mission , co-writer Ed Gross looked into the feud and got more answers than he expected. One unnamed cast member claimed Mulgrew tried to enforce a rule that Ryan wouldn't be allowed to use the bathroom during work because it took "too much time" to get her in and out of costume. Harry Kim actor Garrett Wang said Mulgrew's anger wasn't initially directed toward Ryan, but once it was, "it became horrible." Chakotay actor Robert Beltran told Gross, "If ... it was me being insulted and Kate was a man, I probably would have taken a swipe at the guy." 

To her credit, the  Voyager  captain owned up her behavior toward Ryan. Mulgrew told Gross, "This is on me , not Jeri [Ryan]. . ..  I'd hoped against hope that Janeway would be sufficient. That we didn't have to bring a beautiful, sexy girl in." She went on to say she regretted her treatment of Ryan. "I probably should have comported myself better. I should have been more philosophical about it, but in the moment, it was difficult."

Ensign Wildman paid tribute to a young hero

One of the more prominent recurring characters on  Voyager  was Ensign Samantha Wildman (Nancy Hower).  Voyager 's unexpected journey to the Delta Quadrant separated the pregnant Ensign Wildman from her husband by about 70,000 light years. But on the bright side, her half-alien daughter, Naomi, eventually turned into another favorite recurring figure on  Voyager , becoming close friends with Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and even the usually socially resistant Seven of Nine. 

Interestingly, Samantha Wildman's name has a special meaning. Wildman first appeared in the second season episode "Elogium," co-written by Jimmy Diggs. The same year he sold the script, Diggs' wife almost died. A kidney transplant saved her life, and Diggs learned the donor was a seven-year-old girl. He wrote a letter to  Voyager 's producers, asking them to name the episode's new character "Samantha" after the little girl whose kidney saved his wife. "The ancient Greeks believed the gods would reward heroic mortals by placing them in the stars," Diggs wrote. "By honoring the memory of this child, the producers of Star Trek  will accomplish the same thing."   Because the young girl adored animals, Ensign Wildman was not only given her name but made part of the ship's xenobiology department. 

The Doctor channeled Bones without knowing it

One of the more popular characters on  Voyager  was also its best source of comic relief — the Doctor played by Robert Picardo. The Doctor is an Emergency Medical Hologram meant only for short-term use, but his job gets much more involved when  Voyager 's human doctor dies after the ship is thrown into the Delta Quadrant. Often cranky and arrogant, the Doctor also told some powerful stories in his attempts to be recognized as deserving equal rights with the rest of the crew. 

Speaking to  StarTrek.com  in January 2020, Picardo said he used a unique tactic in his audition for the role of the Doctor without even knowing he was using it. After reading the last scripted line, "I believe someone has failed to terminate my program," Picardo improvised with, "I'm a doctor, not a nightlight." Picardo said the line "got a big laugh, and [he] was hired the next day."

Of course, what makes the ad-libbed line funny is the play on Dr. McCoy's (DeForest Kelley) penchant for saying, "I'm a doctor, not a _____." But apparently, Picardo had no idea about Kelley's famous catchphrase. He said, "I faked my way through the audition and ad-libbed a DeForest Kelley joke without knowing it was a DeForest Kelley joke." Apparently, the gods of cranky  Star Trek  physicians were with him that day.

Tuvok came close to being a TNG regular

Tim Russ actually had a few  Trek one-off   gigs before landing the role of Security Chief Tuvok on  Voyager . On  DS9 , he was a Klingon mercenary who helps take the station hostage in "Invasive Procedures," and in  TNG 's "Starship Mine," he's one of a group of criminals trying to steal trilithium resin from the  Enterprise . In 1994's  Star Trek: Generations , Russ plays a lieutenant on the bridge of the  Enterprise- B in the film's opening. 

But before he did any of that work, he auditioned for the part of Geordi La Forge on  TNG . Speaking to  TrekMovie.com  in 2018, Russ said he was ultimately relieved to have lost the Geordi role to Levar Burton. Why? The dialogue. "The role [of Tuvok] was somewhat more organic and much easier in terms of dialogue," Russ said . "I am glad I didn't get stuck with all that engineering tech talk. ... That kind of dialogue doesn't do anything for me."

Russ also had the distinction of getting to appear in one of the few episodes in which  Voyager  characters could cross over into other series. Tuvok shows up in the  DS9  season three episode "Through the Looking Glass," though it's not quite the same Tuvok. The episode takes place in the mirror universe first made famous by  Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror." That universe's version of Tuvok appears as a member of the Terran resistance fighting against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

Vorik may have a brother on the Enterprise

One of  Voyager 's recurring characters was Ensign Vorik, played by Alexander Enberg. Vorik is a Vulcan engineer who often worked closely with B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson). And Vorik developed a romantic interest in B'Elanna with violent consequences. In perhaps Vorik's most memorable appearance — in season three's "Blood Fever" — Vorik experiences the Vulcan mating period of pon farr and chooses B'Elanna as his mate. He forms a telepathic connection with B'Elanna, causing her violent Klingon mating instincts to emerge. The situation ends in a duel between B'Elanna and Vorik, which both thankfully survive. 

Between 1997 and 2001, Enberg appears in nine episodes of  Voyager as Vorik, but it wasn't the first time he appeared in a  Trek  show or even the first time he appeared as a Vulcan. Enberg was cast as a Vulcan named Taurik in "The Lower Decks," an episode in the middle of  TNG 's final season focusing on the rank and file aboard the  Enterprise . 

With Enberg not only playing Vulcans on both shows but with both Vulcans sharing rhyming names, some fans have wondered if there could be a connection between Vorik and Taurik. According to  Voyager  co-creator Jeri Taylor — who also happens to be Enberg's mother — there could be. In the 2012 book  Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , Taylor implies Taurik and Vorik may very well be twin brothers. And since she's their mother, we guess she would know.

Chakotay spoke his mind both on and off Star Trek: Voyager

As  Voyager 's first officer, Commander Chakotay is often forced to tell Captain Janeway things she doesn't want to hear. Fittingly, actor Robert Beltran is known for speaking his mind on what he likes and doesn't like about  Voyager , regardless of the consequences, even when the show was still on the air. By 2000, Beltran had aired enough dirty laundry in public that producer Kenneth Biller told  SFX Magazine  (via  TrekToday ) that he thought the actor "should stop whining and do his job."

Speaking to  StarTrek.com  in 2012, Beltran talked about not feeling fulfilled on  Voyager . "You're doing the same thing every week, with a new variation," the actor said , later adding, "I didn't like some of the things that were going towards the last three years, and I risked being fired because I wasn't happy creatively."   According to Beltran , Chakotay didn't have a lot of interesting relationships after the departure of Seska (Martha Hackett), his former lover who's eventually revealed to be a Cardassian. "After Seska left, it was only that relationship with the captain that had depth to it. ... Chakotay and the other characters, there wasn't much of a relationship there."

And Beltran has one problem with  Trek  a lot of fans may consider downright sacrilegious. Beltran hates the Prime Directive. In 2016, he told CNET , "The idea of leaving any species to die in its own filth when you have the ability to help them ... it's a bunch of fascist crap."

All these years after Star Trek: Voyager, Janeway is still making an impact

Decades after Captain Janeway was sent to the Delta Quadrant with the rest of  Voyager 's crew, it can be easy to forget how big of a deal it was in 1995 for a woman to be leading a  Star Trek  series as its ship's captain. While there's sadly still resistance to the idea, we're getting used to female-led action films and series , including  Star Wars  epics and superhero blockbusters. But in the mid-90's, for a woman to not only be the lead in a science fiction adventure series but playing a character regularly giving men orders, it was a big deal. Mulgrew left an important mark on our culture, and it's felt far beyond the world of television.

Speaking to  TrekMovie  in 2019 about the 25th anniversary of  Voyager , Mulgrew was asked about highly visible female politicians like Stacey Abrams and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who'd named Captain Janeway as an early influence. Mulgrew said she made a surprise appearance at one of Ocasio-Cortez's rallies, and that when they announced Mulgrew, "[Ocasio-Cortez] gasped, she turned. And when I approached her, I think she kind of fell." Mulgrew said Ocasio-Cortez related stories of watching  Voyager  as a child and that "when they lost their screen — they had bad reception in their house, and often the television was just black and white — she'd listen to it, like a radio show. "

The Rock Was In Star Trek? Dwayne Johnson's Voyager Role Explained

WWE superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had a guest role in Star Trek: Voyager in the early years of his acting career. Dwayne Johnson is now one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, appearing in the Fast and Furious franchise, the DC movie Black Adam, and his biographical sitcom Young Rock. In the years before the Rock's stratospheric rise through Hollywood's ranks, the WWE legend joined the cast of Star Trek: Voyager in the wrestling-themed epis…

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Introduction

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic sci-fi show take a look at some of the guest stars the show brought in who ended up being household names.

Long before Tom Hardy starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in films like “Inception” and “The Revenant,” he played Shinzon, the villain in “Star Trek: Nemesis.” Shinzon was a clone of Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

An appearance on “Star Trek: Voyager” was one of the first non-wrestling roles that Dwayne Johnson took. He played the Pendari Champion who defeated Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine in combat.

Kim Cattrall

Before playing the fabulous Samantha Jones on “Sex and the City,” Kim Cattrall donned prosthetic ears to play the Vulcan helmsman Valeris in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.”

Kirsten Dunst

“Spider-Man” and “Fargo” star Kirsten Dunst appeared in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” at the age of 11. She played Hedril, a young member of a telepathic alien race known as the Cairn.

Christopher Lloyd

Most well-known for his role as Emmett “Doc” Brown in the “Back to the Future” trilogy, Christopher Lloyd also played the Klingon Commander Kruge in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.”

Christian Slater

Christian Slater played an unnamed officer in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.” Slater is known for “Interview with a Vampire,” “True Romance,” and most recently “Mr. Robot.”

Sarah Silverman

Comedian Sarah Silverman appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager” where the crew was sent back in time on Earth. Silverman played a scientist based in Los Angeles.

Jason Alexander

“Seinfeld’s” Jason Alexander also appeared on “Star Trek: Voyager” as Kurros, a member of a group of scholars who traversed the galaxy looking for employment in solving problems.

Teri Hatcher

“Desperate Housewives” and “Lois and Clark” star Teri Hatcher appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as a Starfleet lieutenant.

Kelsey Grammer

Frasier himself, Kelsey Grammer, appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as the captain of ship caught in a time loop and on a collision course with the Enterprise.

Bebe Neuwirth

Kelsey Grammer’s TV wife — Bebe Neuwirth — also appeared on “The Next Generation.” She played an alien nurse who promised to help Commander Riker escape confinement in exchange for sexual favors.

Kirstie Alley

Another “Cheers” star — Kirstie Alley — played Saavik in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is familiar with playing the villian. Before he was cast as baseball bat-wielding Negan in “The Walking Dead,” Morgan played a Xindi-Reptillian tasked with destroying Earth in “Star Trek: Enterprise.”

Iggy Pop, the punk legend who created “The Passenger,” “Search and Destroy” and more, appeared in “Star Trek: Deep Space 9” as a Vorta negotiator named Yelgrun.

Famke Janssen

Eight years before Famke Janssen and Patrick Stewart would star together in “X-Men” the actress appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” where she seduced Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard.

Seth Macfarlane

Based on the sheer number of references in his shows “Family Guy,” “American Dad” and films “Ted” and “Ted 2,” it’s evident that Seth Macfarlane is a Trekkie. Happily, Macfarlane was able to appear in two episodes of “Star Trek: Enterprise” as a Starfleet engineer.

“NewsRadio” alum Andy Dick was in an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager” as a holographic ship doctor.

Ashley Judd

“Heat” and “Divergent” star Ashley Judd guest starred in two episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Judd also had her first on-screen kiss on the show with Wil Wheaton’s Wesley Crusher.

Terry O’Quinn

Before Terry O’Quinn headed to the island in “Lost” as John Locke, he appeared in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as an admiral and friend of William Riker.

Daniel Dae Kim

Another “Lost” alum appeared in “Star Trek.” Daniel Dae Kim, who would go on to play Jin in “Lost,” appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager” and later as a different character in three episodes of “Star Trek: Enterprise.”

Vanessa Williams

“Eraser” and “Shaft” star Vanessa Williams guest starred on “Star Trek: Deep Space 9” as Arandis, an inhabitant of a pleasure planet.

Stephen Hawking

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as a holographic version of himself playing poker with Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.

“Parks and Recreation” and “Step Brothers” star Adam Scott had a blink and you’ll miss it role in “Star Trek: First Contact” as a crew member.

Kurtwood Smith

“That 70s Show’s” Kurtwood Smith has appeared in numerous Star Trek projects. He was an Efrosian Federation president in “Star Trek VI: Undiscovered Country,” as the predecessor to Odo in an episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space 9,” and as Annorax in two episodes of “Star Trek: Voyager.”

Mick Fleetwood

Mick Fleetwood, of Fleetwood Mac fame, underwent heavy make-up for a role in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as an Antedean dignitary.

Tom Bergeron

Tom Bergeron, host of both “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” appeared in two separate episodes of “Star Trek: Enterprise.”

Jane Wiedlin

“Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” featured a cameo from Trekkie and The Go-Go’s vocalist Jane Wiedlin.

The former “Entertainment Tonight” host and musician played a Klingon hologram who helped Worf complete his second right of ascension ceremony.

Tom Morello

Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave fame, appeared twice in the “Star Trek” universe. He had a small cameo in the “Star Trek: Insurrection” and then appeared in an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager.”

Corbin Bernsen

“L.A. Law” and “Psych” alum Corbin Bernsen played a member of the omnipotent Q Continuum in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

James Avery

“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s” Uncle Phil, James Avery, played a Klingon general in an episode of “Star Trek: Enterprise.”

Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino, who starred in “Goodfellas,” “Romeo + Juliet” and the father of Mira Sorvino, played Worf’s foster brother in an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

Billy Burke

“Twilight” star and “Revolution” alum Billy Burke made his first TV appearance on an episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space 9” as a Cardassian soldier.

Abdullah II ibn al Hussein

Perhaps the most powerful guest star to appear in the show, King of Jordan Abdullah II ibn al Hussein had a non-speaking role in “Star Trek: Voyager” while he was still a prince.

John Larroquette

Best known for playing a lecherous lawyer on “Night Court,” John Larroquette played the Klingon Maltz in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.”

Neal McDonough

Before “Arrow” and “Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” Neal McDonough played Lt. Hawk in “Star Trek: First Contact.”

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'Star Trek' Turns 55: Remembering Dwayne Johnson, Vanessa Williams and Other Celebrity Guest Stars (Flashback)

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What do Dwayne Johnson , Whoopi Goldberg and Stephen Hawking have in common? They’ve all taken part in the phenomenon that is Star Trek . While their names were never featured in any of the iconic opening credits sequences, even passing appearances are enough to be considered an important figure in Gene Roddenberry’s universe. 

Since the franchise’s debut in 1966, celebrities from every quadrant of pop culture have continued to stop by the Star Trek TV shows. These notable names include professional wrestlers, theoretical physicists, iconic movie stars and future EGOT achievers. Special guest stars are a Star Trek trademark right up there with techno-babble dialogue and non-linear hallways. Most recently, the tradition has continued with legendary director David Cronenberg and comedian Tig Notaro taking up recurring roles on Star Trek: Discovery . 

Sept. 8 was designated Star Trek Day on account of the original series' premiere date -- 55 years ago this week! To celebrate this milestone, ET is looking back at some of the guest stars who brushed shoulders with our favorite Starfleet crews.

JOAN COLLINS - STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES , “THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER”

Before she portrayed one of the most popular TV characters of all time on Dynasty , one of Star Trek ’s earliest guest stars was English actress Joan Collins in a memorable episode from the first season of the original series. Transported back to 1930s New York City, Captain Kirk ( William Shatner ) is devastated upon discovering he must let kind-hearted woman Edith Keeler (Collins) die in a traffic accident in order to maintain the universe’s timeline. Her role as Keeler was miles apart from do-no-gooder Alexis Colby, which made the character’s fate that much more tragic. 

ET spoke with the TV icon at the “Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond” event in 1996. In response to what was the most fun part of the experience for her, Collins replied, “I think watching my stand-in get hit by the truck.”

“It was supposed to be me, but she did it very well,” she recalled.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG - STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION , VARIOUS

Just about everywhere Whoopi Goldberg appears, she’s in a category all of her own -- and the Star Trek universe was no exception. This EGOT recipient was no mere guest star during her stint aboard the Enterprise-D, nor was her character, Guinan, merely a bartender at Ten Forward in nearly 30 episodes of The Next Generation . A guru. An ombudsman. A listener. And most importantly: a friend. Following the original series, Goldberg appreciated how the spinoff was carrying on the franchise’s positive vision of the future.

“This is one of the few shows that take place in the future that I saw as a kid where there were any Black people. Lieutenant Uhura was there. That gave me a lot of hope,” Goldberg told ET on the set in between filming scenes for “The Measure of a Man,” one of the franchise's most cherished episodes. 

She added, “It's very important that the future be hopeful and that's what this is.”

Guinan’s alien origins and special abilities were never fully expanded upon, but fans may get a clearer picture if she once again shares the screen with Patrick Stewart  on Star Trek: Picard . Her casting hasn’t been made official yet, but Stewart has formally extended an invitation for his old pal to return to the 24th century.

STEPHEN HAWKING - STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION , “DESCENT”

In perhaps the only instance of someone portraying themselves onscreen in the Star Trek canon, Professor Stephen Hawking appeared in The Next Generation via the holodeck. The episode’s cold open sees Data (Brent Spiner) in the middle of a game night with holographic projections of history’s greatest minds. Speaking with ET on the set in 1993, the late theoretical physicist explained that he had made his desire to be on the series known to producers. 

“I said I would enjoy being in Star Trek ,” Hawking said. “Obviously, I live in a different time frame to the Enterprise, but they got around that difficulty with this idea of a poker game with [Isaac] Newton and [Albert] Einstein. I think it works rather well.”

If given a real-life opportunity to attend this poker game, Hawking revealed he could do without one of these famous brains at the table. 

“I would very much liked to have met and talked with Einstein. I'm not so sure about Newton. By all accounts, he was a bad tempered and unpleasant man,” he shared. “As for Data, I'm sure he would be interesting.”

Data himself, Brent Spiner, could hardly believe he was acting alongside the world-renowned academic. “I don't even know how to describe what it's like working with him. I feel incredibly fortunate to be here, and [to be] in a scene with him of all things,” Spiner told ET on the set.

“I'm not sure I would attempt to describe him other than to say I'm not particularly used to working with this intelligent of human. Not to put my other castmates down. They're all very bright,” Spiner said with a laugh. “But this is something quite exceptional.”

VANESSA WILLIAMS - STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE , “LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN…”

Come to Risa for the tropical paradise, but stay for elite concierge Arandis, played by Vanessa Williams . First appearing in “Captain’s Holiday” on The Next Generation , Risa was presented as the place where everyone goes to unwind and escape their day-to-day, quadrant-to-quadrant worries. Williams described the spa-like planet as “a Club Med in space.”

“When I actually saw the script it was quite provocative and alluring,” Williams told ET on the Deep Space Nine set in 1996. Once they started filming, the “Dreamin’” singer discovered just how talented Star Trek actors must be to recite the franchise’s trademark science jargon. “It looked relatively easy, but then once you actually have to say the dialogue and the techno-babble -- and [make it] sound responsible and clear -- that's when you have to take your hats off to these cast members.”

She added, “Luckily, my theater training is kicking in.”

JASON ALEXANDER - STAR TREK: VOYAGER , “THINK TANK”

“[This cast is] a wonderful group. They really have a lot of fun. This is a very goofy set,” Jason Alexander told ET behind the scenes while sitting in the makeup chair in 1999.  

Following the series finale of Seinfeld , Alexander transformed into one of the many aliens the Star Trek: Voyager crew encountered while traversing the Delta Quadrant. “I'm a die-hard Star Trek fan. Have been since I was 12,” Alexander said.

The cast provided him with some words of wisdom in regard to the famously lengthy prosthetic makeup sessions for the franchise’s extraterrestrials. 

“Kate Mulgrew advised me to run for the hills as fast as I can,” Alexander joked. “And poor Ethan Phillips, who goes through this for three hours every day, he said, ‘Well, a good book will do.'" 

DWAYNE JOHNSON - STAR TREK: VOYAGER , “TSUNKATSE”

When Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared on Star Trek: Voyager , the writers made him feel right at home. The WWE (previously known as WWF) superstar was dropped into a Delta Quadrant fight arena to face off against Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ).

“[I’ve] beaten Stone Cold Steve Austin on numerous occasions. The Undertaker. Mankind. The list goes on and on and on,” Johnson explained to ET on the Voyager set in 1999. “But [Ryan,] she's probably one of the toughest, if not, dare I say, the toughest The Rock has ever faced.”

Johnson even got to plant Ryan with his signature move, “The Rock Bottom,” during their fight sequence. While he wasn’t familiar with Star Trek before stepping onto the set, dedicated fan bases were certainly among his areas of expertise at the time. 

“The following is tremendous,” Johnson said. “ Star Trek fans are very, very passionate. Very similar to the World Wrestling Federation fans, so I can appreciate that passion.”

RAINN WILSON - STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS & STAR TREK: DISCOVERY , VARIOUS

After originating his own unforgettable TV character, Rainn Wilson followed up The Office by stepping into the well-established role of Harry Mudd for Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Short Treks . The merchant con-man plagued the Enterprise crew more than once across the original series and the animated series. 

“A little bit charming. A little bit over the top. Kind of crazy,” Wilson described Mudd to ET at the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. “He's totally unpredictable. You never know what Harry Mudd is gonna get into next.”

Like Alexander, Wilson had some Trekkie credentials before he was cast as one of Star Trek ’s most notorious antagonists. 

“I had an Enterprise model that [I hand-painted.] I spent hours gazing at it longingly,” Wilson said. “So, to get to be part of the show is really super awesome.”

Every Star Trek series is available to stream on Paramount+. 

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Star Trek: Prodigy Cast Guide & All Returning Voyager Characters In Seasons 1 & 2

Admiral janeway’s ready room has a deep cut star trek: voyager callback, admiral janeway & dr. beverly crusher’s first ever star trek meeting finally happens after 29 years.

• John Noble voices the villainous Diviner in Star Trek: Prodigy, a show with teenage protagonists and a complex time travel plot.
• The show features two versions of Noble's character, the future Diviner and his past self, astronomer Ilthuran.
• Noble's extensive career includes roles in Fringe, Lord of the Rings films, and various TV shows and video games.

With his distinctive and sometimes menacing voice, Australian actor John Noble lends his considerable talents to Star Trek: Prodigy , providing the voice for the villainous Diviner. Following the ragtag crew of the USS Protostar, Star Trek: Prodigy is the first Star Trek to be centered on teenage protagonists and geared toward a younger audience. Still, Prodigy has a lot for adult Trek fans to love, too. With a complex time travel plotline that incorporates several elements and characters from Star Trek: Voyager and other Trek shows, Star Trek : Prodigy tells an incredibly fun and compelling story.

With an ensemble cast composed of Dal R'El (Brett Gray), Gywndala (Ella Purnell) , Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), Zero (Angus Imrie), Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas), and Murf (Dee Bradley Baker), Star Trek: Prodigy has sent its young explorers on some truly incredible adventures. As Gwyn grows closer to her new friends, she begins to question the beliefs of her father, the Diviner. A member of the Vau N'Akat species, the time-traveling Diviner has spent years searching for the USS Protostar as a means to save his people. John Noble not only adds gravitas to everything the Diviner says but also makes his emotions regarding his daughter believable.

Because of time travel, two versions of John Noble's character exist in Star Trek: Prodigy's present — the Diviner from the future and the man he was before the civil war that destroyed his civilization, an astronomer named Ilthuran​​​​​.

Star Trek: Prodigy's cast of young alien heroes and Star Trek: Voyager's legacy characters led by Admiral Janeway return in season 2.

John Noble's Career Before Star Trek: Prodigy

Australian actor john noble has had what some might call a noble career..

Perhaps best known for portraying Walter Bishop on Fringe and Denethor in the Lord of the Rings films, John Noble has appeared in films and television shows since the late 1980s. Like many Star Trek actors, Noble's career began on the stage, and he made his film debut in the 1988 horror film The Dreaming . From there, Noble went on to star in numerous films and television series, including a recurring stint on the Australian medical drama All Saints . Noble also popped up in episodes of Stargate SG-1, 24, The Good Wife , and DC's Legends of Tomorrow .

Fringe has several connections to the Star Trek franchise. The show was created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci, who have all worked on various Trek projects. Leonard Nimoy even appeared in Fringe as Walter Bishop's former lab partner, Dr. William Bell.

After starring in all 100 episodes of Fringe , John Noble had significant roles as Henry Parrish on Sleepy Hollow and Morland Holmes on Elementary . Noble also appeared as Sam Butcher, the father of Karl Urban's Billy Butcher, in one episode of Amazon Prime's The Boys. Noble voiced the Scarecrow in Batman: Arkham Knight and has had numerous voice-over roles in other video games and animated series. Noble has several projects currently in the works, including an unknown role in season 2 of Apple TV+'s Severance.

Star Trek: Prodigy's Different Versions of Ilthuran / The Diviner Explained

John noble voiced both the young ilthuran of the present and the diviner of the future..

In Star Trek: Prodigy season 1 , the Diviner was set up as the show's main villain, the cruel overlord of the Tars Lamora prison colony. A member of the Vau N'Akat species, the Diviner had traveled back in time to search for the USS Protostar, which he believed was the key to saving his people. Unsure if he would be able to complete his mission before he died, the Diviner created a clone daughter named Gwyndala. When Dal and his fellow prisoners discovered the Protostar, they held Gwyn hostage on the ship. She eventually learned that her father had lied to her and Gwyn became an integral member of the Protostar's ragtag young crew.

Although another Vau N'Akat known as the Vindicator, aka Asencia (Jameela Jamil), killed the Diviner, the younger version of him was still alive on the Vau N'Akat's home planet of Solum. In Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, Gwyn encountered this younger version of her father, who was a wide-eyed astronomer named Ilthuran. Ilthuran dreamed of life on other planets, and he eventually became a unifying voice for the people of Solum, rising up against Asencia . Ilthuran and the Diviner are essentially two different characters, showing how much a person can change depending on their circumstances.

Star Trek: Prodigy

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Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's Best Episodes

"The Best of Both Worlds" is routinely cited not just as the best Star Trek: The Next Generation episode but as one of the greatest pieces of science fiction programming ever created. Who are we to argue? That two parter probably is Next Generation's best episode. We'll concede that right here and now. So when we came together to discuss our favorite episodes, we agreed that one is entirely off limits.

The other contender? "The Inner Light." Absolutely an amazing episode. It won a Hugo, for crying out loud, and it's fondly remembered by pretty much everybody. Which means it, too, is  too easy a pick. So out it goes, we tossed it right out of contention, just to make things interesting.

So to celebrate the arrival of Star Trek: Picard we've put together a a guide to the best Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, aside from the one where Picard gets turned into Locutus the Borg or the one where Picard plays a flute. Make it so…

Encounter at Farpoint | S1 EPISODES 1&2

"Encounter at Farpoint" is the only episode on our list which actually made it on to the Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Next Level Blu-ray set. It's worth it. This was the premiere episode and while in the beginning fans were a little unsure of how to react to this bold new vision, over time this two-parter has aged like a fine wine.

It introduces the crew and then sends them on a complicated mission, in which they're put on trial for the crimes of humanity by an omnipotent being named "Q" and then must unravel the mysteries of a far off outpost which in the end turns out to be two imprisoned aliens who leap up into the stars like stunningly beautiful space-faring jellyfish.

It manages to weave in all the elements which made Star Trek: The Next Generation so great into a single, nearly cinematic storyline with huge special effects. Even though the characters are still getting to know each other, the chemistry is almost instantaneous. Plus it has Q. You can't go wrong with Q.

Skin of Evil | S1 EPISODE 23

Counselor Troi's shuttlecraft crashes on a remote world, and the Enterprise swoops in to the rescue. Unfortunately, they discover they can't beam Troi or her pilot up, so they send down the requisite away team. On the ground, they discover the craft being guarded by a living pool of black liquid, an entity that calls itself Armus. When the creature refuses to let the team past, security chief Tasha Yar tries to move past him. Instead Armus blasts her with a wave of psychic energy…killing her instantly.

Trek gave us one of the best known onscreen deaths with Spock's demise in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , but the death of Yar was a shocking and unforgettable moment in a series that at that point still felt fairly safe and predictable. For many younger fans in the eighties it was one of their first exposures to the death of a major character on a TV show, and it was all the more shocking in that pre-internet era. Yar's death was so sudden, Armus' actions so offhanded, that it is to this day one of the most memorable TV deaths ever.

The Measure of a Man | S2 EPISODE 9

After the Enterprise puts into spacedock for maintenance, Data is confronted by a Starfleet cyberneticist named Maddox who wants to study Data's positronic brain. Unfortunately, they soon learn that by "study," he actually means "disassemble." Data, quite understandably, refuses to submit to the procedure, and threatens to resign. Maddox counters by suggesting that Data is not a sentient being, but rather a machine, and furthermore property of Starfleet, therefore, he can't resign…and can't refuse. Picard demands a hearing be held in order to determine Data's legal status, with Picard acting for the defense and Riker forced against his will to serve as prosecutor.

The very best Star Trek episodes delve into the Big Questions, and there are few bigger than the simple question "What does it mean to be alive?" "Measure of a Man" is one of the very best Data stories Star Trek: The Next Generation ever told, and even gave Riker something interesting to do.

Q Who | S2 EPISODE 16

Nearly every episode involving Q is worth watching but this one combines the best Star Trek guest star in John De Lancie as Q, with the best Star Trek villain: The Borg.

It was Q who first introduced the crew of the Enterprise to their cube-shaped foes, as part of one of his cruel jokes to teach humanity its insignificance. Q shows up on the bridge and flings the Enterprise beyond the borders of known space, where they encounter a race of impassive and seemingly unstoppable cyborgs who immediately set to work carving out portions of the Enterprise's hull.

The best thing about "Q Who" is that in the end, Picard and his crew don't win. They only survive because Q snatches them up and takes them back to the Federation, leaving them with dead crewmen, a hole in their hull, and a haunting warning: The Borg are coming.

Yesterday's Enterprise | S3 EPISODE 15

If "Best of Both Worlds" is the episode most often cited as TNG's best, then "Yesterday's Enterprise" is a close runner up for the title of Star Trek: The Next Generation's best episode.

It involves time travel and the creation of an alternate universe, when the Enterprise-D's predecessor, the Enterprise-C suddenly appears out of a time rift badly damaged and on its last leg. The ship's emergence changes the timeline and transformers Enterprise-D from a ship of exploration to a ship of war as part of a Federation in the midst of a losing battle with the Klingons. The crew of the Enterprise-C was supposed to give its life defending a Klingon outpost, but by escaping through the rift they destroyed decades of peace. Picard must choose between sending the crew of the Enterprise-C back through the rift to face certain death, or fighting a battle that the Federation cannot win.

This Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ends with Picard on the Enterprise bridge, surrounded by flames, firing phasers in a hopeless bid to distract their enemy while Enterprise-C returns to her death in the past.

Hollow Pursuits | S3 EPISODE 21

Not everyone on the Enterprise is a born hero. "Hollow Pursuits" was our first introduction to a recurring character named Reginald Barclay, given the unfortunate nickname of Broccoli by the snickering Enterprise crew.

Barclay is everything everyone else in the Star Trek universe is not. He's awkward and shy, he stutters, he's easily intimidated and even more easily convinced he has some fatal disease. Barclay has no idea how to deal with the real world, he retreats into the holodeck, creating fantasy worlds where he's a confident hero and the crew of the Enterprise are his admirers or even servants. LaForge tries to work with him, to no avail. Troi tries to treat him, with only limited success.

Yet for all his psychosis Barclay is utterly brilliant and "Hollow Pursuits" offered our first look at what the world of the Enterprise might be like for someone who isn't part of the ship's heroic bridge crew. In the end Barclay overcomes his anxieties long enough to save the ship, and after being commended by Geordi swears off the fantasy world of the holodeck. Don't worry, he's addicted. It won't last.

Data's Day | S4 EPISODE 11

Like "The Measure of a Man", this episode is about Data, his identity, and his relationship with humanity. Instead of handling the topic in an overtly philosophical or legalistic way, however, ‘Data's Day' takes a somewhat lighter approach.

The episode is framed as a "day in the life" recorded for Commander Maddox, which includes a wedding, a birth, and the application of Sherlockian principles to solve a political mystery. There are many reasons for ‘Data's Day' to be included in this list, but it's greatest merit lies in the wedding subplot.

Data has difficulty with the complex matrix of emotions that go along with weddings – the pressure, cold feet, etc – and we get to see his interactions with various crew members as he works through them. There is even a moment when Troi and Data discuss what it would mean for Data to ever marry someone. The wedding subplot also gives us one of the most enjoyable scenes in all of The Next Generatio n: Data dancing.

Darmok | S5 EPISODE 2

Everyone in the Trek verse may be able to understand each other's words, but that doesn't mean they necessarily understand each other. In ‘Darmok', the crew interacts with a race who communicates entirely in metaphors and mythological allusions.

Universal translators can convey the words the Tamarians say, but not what they mean. After a frustrating initial attempt at communication, the Tamarian captain and Picard are transported to and temporarily stranded on a nearby planet. There they bond and face off against a murderous foe, while the crew tries to make sense of the language and whether the Tamarians are a threat.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation episode is wonderful for a number of reasons. It interrogates a basic part of the Trek ‘verse – universal translator – and makes you really think about the nature of language and how complicated communication is. Also, the metaphor-based Tamarian language is just so damn evocative. Who wouldn't rather grumble "the beast at Tenagra" instead of "this is a problem"?

Relics | S6 EPISODE 4

Like every Star Trek series since the original, Star Trek: The Next Generation often struggled with the balance between acknowledging previous incarnations and striking out on its own. Sometimes the result was far from stellar ("The Naked Now"), but other times you get episodes like "Relics".

In the sixth season episode, the Enterprise crew finds Scotty's bio signature trapped in a transporter and, essentially, brings him back to life. The former chief engineering officer is eager to get back to work and, initially, excited about the technological leaps that have been made while he was away. As he realizes how far he has fallen behind (and that Ten Forward no longer serves real alcohol), though, Scotty finds that it is difficult living as an anachronism.

The episode's strength is largely drawn from the viewer's nostalgia for the original series cast and James Doohan's performance – a performance that is sweet and sad despite being full of Scotty's characteristic charm. Whether you think this is one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's best episodes will largely depend on how you feel about the original series' Chief Engineer.

Chain of Command | S6 EPISODES 10&11

Captain Picard, Lt. Worf, and Dr. Crusher are deployed on a covert mission to destroy a weapons factory on a Cardassian planet. Unfortunately, the mission goes wrong and they learn that the entire thing was a Cardassian ruse to lure in and capture Picard. While Worf and Crusher escape, the Captain is taken prisoner. Over the entire second episode of this Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter, Picard is tortured and interrogated by Gul Madred (David Warner).

While Trek had plenty of conflict and even death throughout its history, "Chain of Command" dipped into dark territory that was rare for the franchise until Deep Space Nine shook things up. Appropriately enough, "Chain" also set up the Cardassians as a major nemesis, a thread that would be played out over the course of DS9 . Best of all, Patrick Stewart gets the chance to really show his acting chops as the tortured Picard, playing off an equally masterful actor in David Warner. Picard's defiant cries of "There are four lights!" remain one of the best moments in all of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

More Of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Best Episodes

We've just scratched the surface. Delve deep into the mind of Captain Jean-Luc Picard with our list of The Best Picard Episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

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Star Trek: Prodigy Has Doubled Down On Being The Voyager Sequel You've Always Wanted

The first season of "Star Trek: Prodigy" was tantalizing for fans of "Star Trek: Voyager." The central cast of teen characters — led by the plucky and overconfident Dal R'El (Brett Gray) — discovered a lost and abandoned Starfleet vessel called the U.S.S. Protostar, a ship that was equipped with a holographic version of the Voyager's Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). It would be up to Janeway and the teens to return the Protostar to Federation space.

"Prodigy" marked Mulgrew's first return to canonical "Star Trek" in 19 years, her last appearance being a cameo in 2002's "Star Trek: Nemesis." Later in "Prodigy," Mulgrew would also appear as the real-life Admiral Janeway, letting the actress pull double duty.

Hologram Janeway was quite a bit different from the flesh-and-blood version, however. The artificial Janeway was a gentle, teacher-like figure who came to embrace the younger characters in a near-matronly way. Admiral Janeway was bitter and curmudgeonly, angry that she was medically forced to switch from her beloved coffee to tea. The Admiral was on a quest to rescue the Protostar from its very distant location, knowing that her old colleague, Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran) was on board when it disappeared. 

This wasn't quite the grand "Voyager" reunion that many Trekkies might have wanted, but "Voyager" was clearly the most immediate predecessor to "Prodigy." In both cases, Janeway served as a central authority figure, serving with what she considered to be an ersatz family. 

But "Voyager" fans might want to note that they're closer than ever to a follow-up series. The second and final season of "Prodigy" dropped on Netflix on July 1, 2024, and the new season not only incorporates two additional "Voyager" characters into the mix, but also the new-and-improved Voyager-A as one of the show's central starships. 

The Voyager-A

At the end of the first season of "Prodigy," Dal and his friends managed to return to Federation space, and meet the real Admiral Janeway face-to-face. This was after a time-travel-based crisis had been averted, a battle was fought, and the Protostar destroyed. Janeway, however, was impressed that a ragtag group of teenagers, instructed only by a hologram, could not only learn to fly the ship, but operate it with responsibility. They were offered a chance to join Starfleet Academy, and Janeway was gearing up to take command of a brand new ship, the Voyager-A. 

The Voyager-A will serve as a central setting in the second season of "Prodigy." Indeed, although Janeway is an admiral, she's still permitted to take command and lead the new ship on its first mission. She quips, "I promised Admiral Picard I wouldn't get this one lost in the Delta Quadrant."

The Voyager-A is a science vessel just like its original namesake, has a cetacean ops department, as well as two full-functional schools. It's a much larger ship than the original "Voyager" as well, sporting 29 decks (the original only had 15) and a crew complement of over 800 (the Voyager only had 141), and can travel much faster. We also see that there are many Starfleet cadets on board — including the notorious Nova Squadron — implying that the Voyager-A is meant to be an educational vessel. 

This is the kind of legacy stuff that Trekkies love. We're not back on board the old-fashioned U.S.S. Voyager, but the next step in its evolution. As explained in both "Star Trek: Lower Decks" and "Star Trek: Picard," the original Voyager is mothballed in a museum. The adventures of a new Voyager is exciting to ponder. This is progress, and not (wholly) nostalgia.

(A brief aside: the idea of a high-tech school in space is a cooler "Star Trek" premise than both the pitches for "Star Trek: Legacy" and "Starfleet Academy" shows)

Not only are Trekkies treated to a U.S.S. Voyager with Janeway in the captain's chair, but her chief medical officer appears to be the Doctor (Robert Picardo) , the emergency medical hologram that served as the head doctor on board the original Voyager. Because he is a hologram, the Doctor has not aged (even though Picardo, now 70, does sound older than he did in 1995). His uniform has been updated, but he's the same Doctor. He even still wears the same mobile holographic emitter on his arm, allowing him, as a hologram, to go anywhere he pleases. The Doctor will be the one to show Dal and his friends around the Voyager-A. Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) was excited to work in cetacean ops (whales and dolphins are intelligent members of the crew, and live in the underwater cetacean tanks). Zero (Angus Imrie) will work in the medical department. Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas) will be an engineer. Dal will merely study. 

The Doctor will also be on the bridge of the Voyager-A often, giving Admiral Janeway advice. The current mission of the Voyager-A is to locate Chakotay. It seems that Chakotay, while testing out the Protostar last season, accidentally flew into a wormhole that threw him 52 years into the future. Janeway has located the hole, and is secretly planning a mission through it using a specialized time-proof runabout called the Infinity. 

We have the ship and three crew members already. We're well on our way to a proper "Voyager" reunion.

Where are the other Voyager crew members?

"Star Trek: Prodigy" takes place before the events of "Star Trek: Picard," and we learned from the latter show that Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) was still working as a violent bounty hunter. She would later rejoin Starfleet (at Janeway's encouragement), and even become the captain of the Titan-A, rechristened the Enterprise-G, but at this point, she was still murdering people for money. It's possible, however, that Janeway and Seven were still in contact at this time. 

Janeway would certainly be in touch with Tuvok (Tim Russ), her old Vulcan security officer. In "Picard," we learned that Tuvok had attained a high position at Starfleet Command. 

Kes (Jennifer Lien) would sadly have died of old age by the events of "Prodigy" (her species only lives nine years), and no one has bothered to catch up with the Tallaxian Neelix (Ethan Phillips). Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and his wife B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) had just had a daughter named Miral at the end of "Voyager," but we never learned their fates. Give Tom's gadabout nature, it's unlikely he stayed in Starfleet. Their daughter would be grown by now. 

Given that poor Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) was never given a promotion on the U.S.S. Voyager, it would be edifying to see him as a Fleet Admiral, or even the Commander in Chief of Starfleet Command. That would make him Janeway's boss, which is wholly possible. 

The second season of "Prodigy" is embroiled in a time travel plot more closely related to its own main characters of course, but there's no reason the new series couldn't have reached out to a few old friends. As it stands, it's as close to a "Voyager" sequel as we may ever see. 

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series)

Tsunkatse (2000), dwayne johnson: the champion, photos .

Quotes 

The Champion : You're no bigger than a Tarkanian field mouse. Penk's insulting me by putting you in the Pit to face me.

Seven of Nine : I must warn you: I possess superior strength.

The Champion : I'm trembling.

[Seven has to fight against the Pendari Champion] 

Seven of Nine : I assure you, resistance is futile.

The Champion : So is all your talk.

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