Before Picard season 3, let's take stock which actors have appeared in the most shows....
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00:00 Whether you're doing sci-fi or horror, comedy or tragedy, casting is a vital part of any
00:05 work of film or television.
00:08 Star Trek is no different.
00:09 Across nearly 56 years of television history, countless hundreds, maybe even thousands of
00:14 actors have crossed the bridges of the various titular ships, and rubbed shoulders with some
00:19 of the most recognisable faces in all of sci-fi.
00:22 Finding somebody to sit through the often arduous process of make-up, particularly for
00:27 Rengi, as many of this list have experienced, before delivering monologues of Technobabble
00:31 and unpronounceable Klingon is going to be a tall order for any actor.
00:36 It's no surprise then that the makers of all things Trek will occasionally have a flick
00:40 through the pages of their phone books to find the names of Star Trek stalwarts who
00:44 have reliably given great performances for years and in some cases decades.
00:50 These then are the names of those that casting directors can always rely on in times of need.
00:55 Whether main cast, recurring characters or explosive cameos, the actors on this list
01:00 have returned to the bridge time and time again, and their names truly are a part of
01:05 Trek history.
01:06 So with that in mind then, I'm Ellie with Trek Culture and here are 10 Star Trek actors
01:10 who have appeared in the most shows.
01:13 Before we begin, just to let you know, we will not be including the recent announcement
01:17 that the Next Generation cast will be returning to season 3 of Picard, because technically
01:22 it hasn't happened yet.
01:24 Or maybe this article was written a while ago.
01:26 10.
01:27 Tim Russ
01:28 Many actors have appeared in at least three incarnations of Trek, but none have the honour
01:32 of sharing the screen with four separate series captains.
01:36 For that honour, we must go to Tim Russ.
01:39 Audiences' first encounter with Russ would be in the Next Generation episode "Starship
01:43 Mine", as a member of a group of mercenaries attempting to steal trilithium resin from
01:48 the Enterprise-D during a baryon sweep.
01:51 After coming to a well-placed Vulcan nerve pinch by Picard, this would be a one-and-done
01:55 deal for the character.
01:57 In a weird display of typecasting, Russ would pop up again in Deep Space Nine under heavy
02:02 Klingon makeup as somewhat of a rongan.
02:04 Employed by the Tril'Varad, Klingon mercenary Takkar arrives on the station to help his
02:09 employer forcibly extract the Dax symbiont from Jadzia as part of a tense hostage situation
02:14 with Captain Sisko.
02:16 Russ would share the screen with Captain Kirk in the movie Generations, but his most iconic
02:20 role would be that of Voyager's resident Vulcan and Hursute security officer Tuvok.
02:25 A loyal confidant of Captain Janeway, Tuvok's would be the first Vulcan presence on board
02:30 a ship since Spock, and his frequent frustrations with the emotions of his illogical crewmates
02:36 - looking at you, Neelix - would give the writers plenty to play with.
02:40 9.
02:41 Randy Oglesby
02:42 Whilst many actors have appeared on multiple shows, there are only a handful who have portrayed
02:47 as many different characters as Randy Oglesby.
02:51 Originally appearing in The Next Generation as an unnamed artist in the chorus of Ramatizian
02:56 mediator Reva, whose genetic deafness forced him to communicate to others through his telepathic
03:01 retinue, Oglesby would catch up on the name character front by portraying twins Arkel
03:06 and Rokel in Deep Space Nine.
03:08 The actor would memorably return to Deep Space Nine as the menacing Silurin Prynne, a Cardassian
03:13 who murders members of Kira's Shakar resistance cell, who were responsible for his disfiguring
03:18 during an attack before attempting to steal Kira's unborn baby.
03:22 Oglesby would return in a couple of one-and-done deals as refugee Kira in Voyager and space
03:27 scavenger Tren'nal in Enterprise, before sinking his teeth into the recurring role
03:31 of Zindi scientist Degra in Enterprise.
03:35 Responsible for the superweapon that first brought the Zindi to Earth's attention, Degra
03:39 and his people are manipulated by the time-travelling sphere-builders into trying to wipe out humanity.
03:44 It is only by the intervention of Archer and the Enterprise that Degra could convince his
03:48 species of this existential threat, and at the expense of his own life, prevent all-out
03:53 intergalactic war.
03:54 8.
03:55 J.G.
03:56 Hertzler
03:57 The gravel-voiced John Garman Hertzler is one of only five actors to play seven or more
04:02 roles in Trek.
04:04 Originally appearing in the Deep Space Nine premiere Emissary, Hertzler portrayed the
04:08 Vulcan captain of the USS Saratoga, one of many ships which would fall at the hands of
04:13 the Borg at Wolf 359, a loss which would also cause the death of then-commander Sisko's
04:19 wife Jennifer.
04:20 It would be later in Deep Space Nine that Hertzler would shine as the Klingon General
04:24 Martok and his changeling Doppelganger.
04:26 The latter of these connected, but separate roles would put into motion the Klingon invasion
04:31 of Cardassia, before the former is rescued and plays a pivotal role in the all-out Dominion
04:36 War, later ascending to the role of Chancellor.
04:39 He would also appear as the changeling Lars, who comes into direct conflict with Martok
04:44 after murdering a Klingon on the promenade.
04:47 Hertzler returns as a Hirogen fighter in Voyager, before again donning the Klingon makeup as
04:51 both an unnamed captain and the jaded advocate Kolos, whose time defending Archer against
04:56 the bloodthirsty High Council inspires him to stand up for the Klingon's forgotten
05:01 sense of honour.
05:02 Finally, lending his voice to a Drukmani scavenger in Lower Decks, Hertzler has joined the coveted
05:07 Seven Role Club and rightly takes his place in Trek history.
05:11 7.
05:12 Clint Howard
05:13 Actors have appeared in more roles and across more series than Clint Howard, but none can
05:18 claim to have played roles at such different times of their lives.
05:22 The brother of acclaimed film director Ron Howard first appeared in Trek as far back
05:27 as 1966 in the episode 'The Corbomite Maneuver' at only seven years of age.
05:33 Following an accidental foray in First Federation space, the Enterprise finds themselves in
05:37 a diplomatic deadlock with a remarkably fake-looking alien, which later transpires to be a front
05:42 for the diminutive Bailock testing the human's ethics.
05:46 Twenty-nine years later, Howard would return to Trek in the Deep Space Nine two-parter
05:51 Past Tense, playing a paranoid dim by the name of Grady, who steals Jadzia's comm
05:56 badge believing her to be a brain-sucking alien.
05:59 Fast forward another seven years and Howard would reappear as Muke, one of three Ferengi
06:04 who board the Enterprise after knocking the crew unconscious in order to loot their resources.
06:09 Sixteen years later, Howard would make his last Trek appearance in the Discovery Season
06:14 One finale as an Orion of Qo'nos who drugs Ensign Tilly.
06:18 With a Star Trek CV now spanning 51 years, it's fair to say nobody's coming for this
06:23 record any time soon.
06:25 Number 6.
06:26 Jeffrey Combs
06:27 One of Star Trek's most reliable recurring actors, to the point where it's basically
06:31 a meme within the community, Jeffrey Combs appears in relatively few series, but he makes
06:37 a huge impact in those that he does.
06:39 After losing out on the role of William Riker to Jonathan Frakes, the successful auditionee
06:44 kept Combs in mind when casting Quark's associate Tyron in a Deep Space Nine episode
06:49 that he directed.
06:50 Combs clearly made quite an impression as he would go on to play the recurring characters
06:54 of slimy Ferengi Brunt and the various clones of Dominion representative Weyoun.
06:59 Combs would play the characters in 31 separate Deep Space Nine episodes, including pulling
07:04 double duty as Weyoun and Brunt in the episode "The Dogs of War".
07:09 Following the end of Deep Space Nine, Combs would return to the franchise as the kidnapper
07:13 Penk in Voyager and Ferengi Krem in Enterprise, before bagging another recurring character
07:19 as Jonathan Archer's frenemy and kind of racist Andorian commander, Thylac Shran.
07:25 After a long time absent from the franchise, Combs has recently lent his voice to the supercomputer
07:30 Agimus in Lower Decks.
07:32 Although other actors may have appeared in more shows, with 44 appearances across the
07:37 franchise, Combs will always be a favourite.
07:40 5.
07:41 Vaughn Armstrong
07:42 12 characters, 8 species, 4 series and 28 episodes.
07:47 Few people can be considered as much of a Star Trek mainstay as Vaughn Armstrong.
07:52 Armstrong first appears in the Next Generation episode "Hearts of Glory" as the Klingon
07:56 Captain Korus, who is attempting to fulfil his destiny as a warrior by stealing a freighter
08:01 before coming into conflict with both the Klingons and the Enterprise.
08:05 He would then don the Cardassian Neck Ridges twice on Deep Space Nine as the terrorist
08:09 hunting Goldanar and, ironically, the key Cardassian resistance member Seskal.
08:15 Most of Armstrong's key roles would be with the crew of Voyager, including a Vidian Captain,
08:19 a Hirogen Hunter, a former Borg from Seven of Nine's Unimatrix, a Romulan scientist
08:24 from the past who contacts the crew through a temporal displacement, and Korath, the Klingon
08:29 who gives Admiral Janeway technology allowing her to travel to the past and return Voyager
08:34 home.
08:35 It wouldn't be until Enterprise's debut in 2001 that Armstrong would get a recurring
08:39 role within the franchise as Admiral Forrest, head of the NX Project who worked closely
08:44 with the Vulcans in the gestation and oversight of the Enterprise's first mission, as well
08:49 as an unnamed Klingon and two stints as the fussy Cretacens.
08:53 Take it as a given, you've seen Vaughn Armstrong.
08:56 4.
08:57 Marina Sirtis
08:58 For Deanna Troi, what started as a slightly fluffy role serving as the Enterprise D's
09:03 eye candy would go on to be one of the most enduring and well-loved characters of the
09:08 whole franchise.
09:09 It's no understatement that this is down to the talents and tenacity of actress Marina
09:13 Sirtis.
09:14 Originally auditioning for the role of Lieutenant Hernandez, who would later be renamed Tasha
09:19 Yar, Sirtis and Yar actress Denise Crosby swapped roles at the behest of Roddenberry.
09:24 The rest, of course, is history, and the idea of the two actresses in each other's roles
09:28 after all this time is just baffling.
09:30 After her run on The Next Generation, Sirtis would reprise the role of Deanna for the four
09:34 movies, as well as appearing in Voyager as part of the Pathfinder project to contact
09:39 the stranded Starfleet vessel and alongside Jonathan Frakes in the disastrously misjudged
09:44 Enterprise series finale.
09:46 After some time off from the franchise, Sirtis would lend her voice to the character for
09:50 the season one finale of Lower Decks, serving as a commander on board the USS Titan.
09:56 Returning to live action in Star Trek Picard, Sirtis gave one of Troi's best performances
10:00 in season one's Nepenthe.
10:02 3.
10:03 John De Lancie Of the recurring actors who have never made
10:07 it to the opening credits, few have become as outstandingly memorable as John De Lancie
10:12 in his time as the mischievous Q.
10:14 Debuting in The Next Generation's opening encounter at Farpoint, De Lancie chewed all
10:19 the scenery that was afforded to him as the omnipotent arbiter of humanity's place in
10:24 the cosmos.
10:25 Ultimately deciding to allow Starfleet out further into space as a trial for their species,
10:30 Q would return multiple times over the series' run, turning from antagonist to arrogant and
10:35 playful anti-hero.
10:36 After getting punched in the face by Commander Sisko at a time when Deep Space Nine was still
10:40 languishing in The Next Generation's shadow, Q would move to the Delta Quadrant and begin
10:45 tormenting Catherine Janeway, giving De Lancie a chance to spice up his performance with
10:50 some lethargy.
10:51 De Lancie later lent his voice to Lower Decks, poking fun at this godlike being's obsession
10:55 with banal human games, before a much more serious and nefarious Q appears in Picard's
11:00 mirror during the Captain's eponymous series, continuing the trial he started all those
11:05 decades ago.
11:07 2.
11:08 Jonathan Frakes If in doubt, add some Riker.
11:11 So goes the seemingly unwritten motto of the Star Trek canon, as since his debut in 1987,
11:17 Jonathan Frakes has played the bearded commander in six separate series and four films, making
11:22 him one of the most reliable appearances in Trek history.
11:26 Originally chosen from a deluge of potential candidates, Frakes' youthful energy in The
11:31 Next Generation created an immensely watchable dynamic alongside his more stern captain,
11:36 and with the growing of the iconic beard in Season 2, a true icon was born.
11:41 Frakes would reprise the role of Thomas Riker, a transporter accident-created clone, in the
11:46 Deep Space Nine episode "Defiant", as well as appearing as O.G.
11:49 Riker in "Voyager" as part of the trial of the rogue Q.
11:53 When it was time for Enterprise to call it a day, the writers decided to completely torpedo
11:58 the franchise and draft Frakes in again, turning the series finale into a holodeck simulation
12:02 that not even the actor can bring himself to justify.
12:05 Frakes' dulcet tones would appear in three-episode arc as Captain of the USS Titan in Lower Decks,
12:11 before coming to the rescue of Picard in the latter's own series, proving that the actor
12:15 the character and the beard can still be relied upon to this day.
12:20 1.
12:21 Majel Barrett-Roddenberry
12:22 The first lady of Star Trek and wife to series creator Gene Roddenberry, it's no wonder
12:27 that one of Trek's most beloved voices would top this list.
12:31 First appearing as Number One in the original Star Trek pilot, The Cage, Barrett would unfortunately
12:35 not make it to the full series in this role due to studios disliking the idea of a female
12:40 second in command, but would return as recurring character Christine Chappell aboard the Enterprise
12:45 Bridge, a role she would resume in the animated series alongside many other voices.
12:50 Barrett would return in live-action Trek as the bombastic Lwaxana Troi, mother to Deanna
12:55 Troi and effervescent nuisance to the crews of the Enterprise D and Deep Space Nine.
13:00 Taking a particular romantic liking to both Jean-Luc Picard and Odo, Lwaxana's episodes
13:05 were always marked with hilarious pageantry and occasional forays into some truly touching
13:10 emotion.
13:11 Although they may not realise, many people will know Barrett due to her time as the voice
13:14 of the ship's computer across the original and animated series, The Next Generation,
13:19 Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise and several movies.
13:23 With footage from The Cage reappearing in Discovery episode "If Memory Serves",
13:27 even after her passing, Barrett continues to be a Star Trek institution.
13:31 And that concludes our list.
13:33 If you can think of any that we missed, then do let us know in the comments below.
13:36 And while you're there, don't forget to like and subscribe and tap that notification bell.
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13:56 I've been Ellie with Trek Culture, I hope you have a wonderful day and remember to boldly
14:01 go where no one has gone before.