Star Trek Deep Space Nine Cast: Where Are They Now?
It's been over 20 years since DS9 wrapped: what have the cast been up to since?
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00:00 Deep Space Nine was the show that enjoyed one of the largest supporting casts out of
00:03 all of the Trek series to date.
00:06 Aside from the core characters, there were regulars in Quark's bar, looking at you,
00:10 Morn, and those Starfleet officers who dropped in from time to time.
00:13 Add to this the mighty Dominion, the Klingon Empire, and all sorts, and without a chart,
00:18 sometimes it's a little difficult to keep all of these characters in check.
00:21 One of the major positives are the directions that the actors' careers can take during
00:25 the show, and also afterwards.
00:26 Whilst many have remained on television, some of the cast of Star Trek DS9 have moved into
00:31 entirely new directions.
00:33 Some are teaching, some are writing, and others, well, they've run for office.
00:36 I'm Marcus Bronzi, this is Trek Culture, and this is the cast of Deep Space Nine, Where
00:41 Are They Now?
00:43 Number 19.
00:44 Admiral Ross, Barry Jenner
00:46 Admiral William Ross was an addition to the series in the sixth season, taking Sisko on
00:50 as his right-hand man.
00:52 Barry Jenner appeared in several more episodes up to the seventh season finale, and he passed
00:56 away in 2016.
00:58 He was a popular addition to the convention circuit and attended as often as possible.
01:02 He also made appearances in Knotts Landing, Dallas, Somerset, and Another World.
01:07 He was an avid fan of both tennis and golf, playing in many tournaments to raise money
01:11 for charity.
01:12 Unfortunately, he died in 2016 from acute myeloid leukemia.
01:16 He was 75.
01:17 Number 18.
01:18 Legate Damar, Casey Biggs
01:20 Legate Damar first appeared in a tiny guest spot back in Deep Space Nine's fourth season,
01:25 as an unnamed aide to Golda Katt.
01:27 This was a very small spot, which eventually evolved to Damar running the Cardassian Union
01:32 and finally instigating the insurrection against the Dominion, giving his life for the fight
01:37 in the process.
01:38 Not bad for a walk on pie.
01:40 Since Deep Space Nine, he's appeared in ER, The Good Wife, Elementary, Person of Interest,
01:45 and Unbelievable, a show which features many of his former co-stars along with other Trek
01:50 alumni.
01:51 Number 17.
01:52 Rom, Max Grodonchik
01:54 First appearing in The Next Generation as Sovak in Captain's Holiday and Parlanor in
01:59 The Perfect Mate, Max Grodonchik, like his on-screen brother Armin Shimmerman, has played
02:05 several different characters in Star Trek.
02:07 He is, of course, most well-known for playing the lovable buffoon Rom, Quark's brother in
02:12 Deep Space Nine.
02:13 Originally written as Ferengi Pitboss in Emissary, his character grew immeasurably over the seasons
02:18 until he was finally made the Grand Nagus in the series' penultimate episode.
02:23 He has also made guest appearances in ER, or like much of Hollywood during the show's
02:28 run, Crossing Jordan, Six Feet Under.
02:30 He's also an accomplished singer, writing and performing Rom's song, which he often
02:34 knocks out at conventions.
02:36 The song, of course, laments his wishes to take over Quark's bar and have Odo finally
02:40 leave the station.
02:41 Cute.
02:42 Like many of his co-stars, he's appeared in What We Left Behind, wherein he also sings,
02:46 this time with Jeffrey Coombs, Casey Biggs, and Armin Shimmerman.
02:50 Number 16.
02:51 Cassidy Yates, Penny Johnson
02:53 Cassidy Yates was introduced in the show's third season and was quickly established as
02:57 a love interest for Ben Sisco.
02:59 After a slightly rocky first year where she was, well, sent to prison for helping the
03:03 Marquis, she returned in the show's fifth season where she and Ben pick things up from
03:07 where they left off.
03:08 Penny Johnson wasn't originally a Star Trek fan, so when she told her other half that
03:12 she got the job, he was over the moon because he was the big Trekkie in their relationship.
03:17 Since the show ended, she is probably best known for her role in Seth MacFarlane's The
03:21 Orville, where she plays Dr. Claire Finn.
03:23 The show is very obviously a loving tribute to Star Trek, the original series, and of
03:28 course, the Next Generation eras.
03:30 Before this, she appeared in a starring role on Castle, where she shared several episodes
03:34 with both Michael Dorn and Robert Picardo.
03:36 She has also appeared with Michael Dorn back in The Next Generation in the seventh season
03:41 episode "Homeward".
03:42 Cassidy Yates was recently teased in the first season of Star Trek's Picard, where her shipping
03:46 company has an office in Boston.
03:48 A precursor to an appearance, maybe?
03:51 Well, hopefully.
03:52 Number 15.
03:53 Weyoun/Brunt - Jeffrey Coombs
03:55 Jeffrey Coombs is an actor with a vast body of work to his name.
03:59 Before he joined the cast of Deep Space Nine in the dual role of Weyoun and Brunt, he was
04:03 most famous for portraying Dr. Herbert West in the films Reanimator and Bride of Reanimator.
04:09 He has a special love for these films and appeared in the direct-to-DVD third film Beyond
04:13 Reanimator in 2003.
04:15 He also gave his voice to the role of the redesigned Scarecrow in the animated series
04:20 of Batman, picked primarily for the deep sense of dread he could instill with his voice.
04:24 He appeared in both Star Trek Voyager and Star Trek Enterprise as well as several other
04:29 roles.
04:30 He has appeared in many horror films, including a large amount based on Lovecraft's literature,
04:34 starting back in the '80s but continuing on up until quite recently.
04:38 In 2018, he played Lovecraft himself in Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness.
04:43 He can also be seen in Unbelievable alongside many other great Star Trek actors.
04:49 Number 14.
04:50 Gul D'Cotte - Mark Alimo
04:52 Mark Alimo is most recognizable to most Star Trek fans as Gul D'Cotte, the evil leader
04:58 of the Cardassian Union and then later the Parwraith Acolyte.
05:02 His slow manner of speaking hooked audiences from the beginning, though D'Cotte was not
05:07 his first role on Trek.
05:08 In the years since Deep Space Nine has finished, Alimo has stayed away from the spotlight somewhat.
05:13 He has continued to work on stage using his role as Gul D'Cotte as an inspiration for
05:18 much of his work since then.
05:19 Alimo has the distinction of being probably the most developed villain in all of Star
05:24 Trek, as D'Cotte appeared in 33 separate episodes, where his story went from shady
05:29 Cardassian soldier to the harbinger of doom in the show's finale.
05:34 Be that as it may, D'Cotte remains a firm fan favorite character.
05:38 Number 13.
05:39 Garak - Andrew Robinson
05:40 Garak remains one of the most interesting recurring characters on any of the Star Trek
05:45 series, thanks in large to the wonderful performance by Andrew Robinson himself.
05:50 Introduced early in the series, he appeared in many episodes throughout the show's run.
05:54 He originally auditioned for Odo, but secured Garak instead.
05:57 He kept a character bible throughout the series, using it to frame and then fully compose the
06:02 novel A Stitch in Time once the show was finished.
06:05 The novel chronicles not just the aftermath of the Dominion War, but expands on Garak's
06:09 early life as well.
06:10 He and Alexander Sedig collaborated on a stage play entitled The Dream Box, which they often
06:16 performed together at conventions.
06:18 He was recently interviewed for the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the '80s horror film
06:22 Hellraiser, wherein he played the father of the original lead character.
06:26 Prior to Deep Space Nine, he would have been widely recognized as the Scorpio Killer from
06:30 1971's Dirty Harry.
06:32 He was one of the first backers of What We Left Behind, and provides a narration thread
06:35 throughout, using his instantly recognizable voice to both chill and intrigue.
06:40 Number 12.
06:41 General Martok J.G.
06:43 Hertzler Hertzler actually appeared as far back as the
06:45 pilot Emissary, as the Vulcan captain of the USS Saratoga.
06:49 He would of course become best known for his role as General Martok, with two of his many
06:54 appearances being as a changeling imposter.
06:57 Hertzler has a long and distinguished career on stage and screen.
07:00 He has a vast Shakespearean credit, something he feels adds to his ability to play a Klingon.
07:05 After Deep Space Nine wrapped, he appeared on the series Charmed and Roswell, the latter
07:08 of which had an episode written by Ronald D. Moore.
07:11 However, it is in the political arena that Hertzler has been busy for the last few years.
07:16 In 2013, he was elected as a Democrat of the board to Ulysses, New York, close to a town
07:22 called Romulus.
07:23 In 2016, he and James Cromwell were arrested for civil disobedience, protesting the greenlighting
07:29 of underground gas storage in Seneca Lake over public opposition.
07:33 In 2017, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, planning to run in 2018, advancing
07:38 to the primary but withdrawing his candidacy a little later.
07:41 Number 11.
07:42 Nog - Aaron Eisenberg
07:43 Forever known to Star Trek fans as Nog, Quark's nephew, best friend of Jake Sisko and Ensign
07:49 aboard Deep Space Nine and the USS Defiant, Aaron Eisenberg sadly passed away in September
07:54 2019.
07:56 He had suffered ill health for many years, beginning with a kidney transplant in his
07:59 teens that stunted his growth, and eventually a second kidney transplant in 2015.
08:04 He had two sons and a loving wife, whom he married in 2018.
08:08 He was a professional photographer with his own gallery.
08:10 He appeared on other shows like The Secret World of Alex Mack in the 90s and was also
08:14 a theatre director up to the time of his death.
08:17 He played Nog for all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine.
08:20 Of the role, he had this to say, "I'll always carry love for the show with me, wherever
08:24 I go.
08:25 So when you ask me what I've left behind, I can't think I've left anything behind,
08:29 because it's still here with me every day."
08:32 A consummate professional, a devoted father and friend, he was a co-host with Ciroc Lofton
08:37 on the podcast The 7th Rule, keeping their friendship going in the years after the show
08:41 wrapped.
08:42 Taken far too young by heart failure at the age of 50, he's sorely missed.
08:46 Number 10.
08:47 Colonel Kira, Nana Visitor
08:49 Nana Visitor had one of the hardest roles to play in Star Trek.
08:52 As a Major, and later a Colonel, Kira, she was tasked with making an admitted terrorist
08:57 a sympathetic character, something she not only achieved, but did so in such a way that
09:01 it cemented her character as one of the best across all entries in the franchise.
09:06 Since the show wrapped, she has kept very busy in terms of work.
09:09 She went from space to dancing, appearing in Las Vegas and Washington as Roxy Hart in
09:14 Chicago before joining the Broadway version.
09:16 She appeared in Dark Angel, Frasier, CSI, and in Wildfire, in which she had the starring
09:21 role for four seasons.
09:23 She then went on to appear in Battlestar Galactica for one episode of its fourth season, where
09:27 she plays a woman dying from cancer who strongly believes in the message of God, tying back
09:31 to her days as the devout Kira.
09:33 She appeared in the BBC sci-fi series Torchwood, Miracle Day for two episodes, and then in
09:38 Castle with former co-star Penny Johnson.
09:41 Like many other Trek actors, she has done voice work in Family Guy, appearing in 12
09:45 episodes to date.
09:46 She's also appeared in the remake of Friday the 13th.
09:48 She's a frequent guest at Star Trek conventions, and it's safe to say that she's kept busy
09:52 since the show wrapped.
09:54 Number 9.
09:55 Julian Bashir, Alexander Siddiq
09:57 Introduced to the show in Emissary, the cocky young recruit Julian Bashir would rise through
10:01 the show to become one of the most beloved characters in the series.
10:04 Siddiq was only 25 when he landed the role of Dr. Bashir, after being passed over for
10:09 the role of Commander Sisko.
10:11 That was a great idea, guys.
10:12 During the show's run, he fell in love with and had a child with co-star Nana Visitor,
10:16 with whom he married and subsequently divorced, although they remain on good terms.
10:20 His later credits include Spooks, Family Guy, 24, Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, and Gotham.
10:26 He has appeared in many films since the show finished as well.
10:29 He appeared in Reign of Fire, Kingdom of Heaven, Doomsday, with his uncle Malcolm McDowell,
10:34 and Syriana, to name a few.
10:36 He has also been one of the few actors to both work in Star Trek and Doctor Who, so
10:41 it's safe to say that he's been busy.
10:43 Number 8.
10:44 Quark, Armin Schimmermann
10:45 Armin Schimmermann has enjoyed a very long association with Star Trek.
10:49 He made his first appearance on screen all the way back in The Next Generation's first
10:53 season.
10:54 He appeared as the face of Lwaxana Troi's jewelry box in Haven, and then appeared in
10:58 the flesh, so to speak, in The Last Outpost, portraying one of the first Ferengi ever seen
11:03 in Star Trek.
11:04 While that episode was mixed in terms of reception, his turn as Quark undeniably was one of the
11:09 highlights of Deep Space Nine.
11:11 Through him, the Ferengi were given a greater depth and breadth, evolving from something
11:15 of a joke to a well-rounded species.
11:18 He also appeared as the horrible Principal Snyder on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
11:22 There were few fans who didn't have a smug smile when that giant snake chomped down on
11:26 him.
11:27 Since then, he's appeared in Nip/Tuck, an ER, and has lent his voice to video games
11:31 including 2007's Bioshock and Mass Effect.
11:35 He's married to actress Kitty Swink, who guest-starred in Deep Space Nine as well.
11:39 Bonus fact!
11:40 He was actually present on set as Quark when the Paramount lot was hit by an earthquake
11:43 in 1994.
11:45 He quickly rushed home to check on his family, forgetting that he was in full makeup, and
11:49 in his own words, "scared the s*** out of several onlookers."
11:52 Number 7.
11:53 Jake Sisko, Siroc Lofton
11:55 Siroc Lofton was the youngest lead actor in the Star Trek series when he was cast as Jake
12:00 all the way back in 1992.
12:02 It was just a few weeks after his 14th birthday at the time, but it wasn't his first appearance
12:06 on TV, he'd already appeared in several other productions.
12:09 Throughout the run of the show, Lofton grew very close to his on-screen father, Avery
12:12 Brooks.
12:13 A relationship that he has recently revealed has survived to this day.
12:17 Both Brooks and Lofton cite that this relationship was one of their favorite takeaways from their
12:21 time on the show.
12:22 Lofton is currently the host of the podcast The Seventh Rule, which he previously hosted
12:26 with Aaron Eisenberg.
12:28 Although Eisenberg was several years his senior, on the show they developed a firm friendship
12:31 that lasted up until his death in 2019.
12:35 Though his current acting credits are sparse, Lofton continues to attend Star Trek conventions
12:39 and appeared in What We Left Behind, the documentary chronicling both the making of Deep Space
12:44 Nine and celebrating the anniversary of the show.
12:46 He remains involved in the Star Trek universe and has appeared in some Star Trek web series
12:50 that have unfortunately had their Trek overtones dulled due to the lawsuit on fan productions.
12:56 He now resides in California and has one daughter.
12:58 Number 6.
12:59 Miles O'Brien/Colum Meany
13:01 The long-suffering Chief of Operations on Deep Space Nine, or to others, the most important
13:05 man on Starfleet, Miles O'Brien was a role that Colum Meany landed back in The Next Generation,
13:11 appearing in the pilot, Encounter at Farpoint.
13:14 He is one of the few guest stars to appear in both of the pilot's and final episodes
13:18 for The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
13:20 Meany was perhaps best known to audiences for his roles in the Barrytown trilogy outside
13:24 of Star Trek, but he has also appeared in a vast array of both Irish, UK and American
13:28 productions.
13:29 He appeared in Die Hard 2, Into the West and The War of the Buttons.
13:33 After the show, he went on to appear in The Simpsons and Stargate Atlantis.
13:36 He had a starring role in AMC's Hell on Wheels from 2011 to 2016, as well as a role in The
13:42 Adaption of Childhood's End.
13:45 Number 5.
13:46 Ezri Dax/Nicole DeBoer
13:47 Nicole DeBoer joined Deep Space Nine in the role of Ezri Dax and appeared in all episodes
13:52 of the seventh and final season.
13:53 She was actually given quite a few episodes revolving entirely around her character, which
13:57 gave her a short amount of time, but the opportunity to really establish herself on the show.
14:01 Ezri was a very different character from Judsea, something that fans were quick to point out
14:05 even though Star Trek painfully goes through the effort to explain why symbiotes are different
14:10 when they are in different bodies.
14:11 Um, do you not know how Trill work?
14:13 Opinion has softened a bit in the intervening years.
14:16 The introduction of her character allowed writers to better resolve the Dax/Worf storyline,
14:20 which by necessity was cut brutally short.
14:22 I'll explain why that happened in just a minute.
14:24 She eventually ended up in a relationship with Julian, which sort of brings his arc
14:28 with Dax in a full circle.
14:30 Following the end of the show's run, DeBoer then took a starring role in The Dead Zone,
14:34 based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.
14:36 She appeared in Stargate Atlantis, which also starred Robert Picardo, although their characters
14:41 were never seen on screen at the same time.
14:43 DeBoer was also a part of What We Left Behind, expressing her fond memories of her relatively
14:48 short time on the show.
14:49 She currently has a recurring role on the Canadian series Private Eyes, and she has
14:52 one daughter named Summer.
14:54 Number 4.
14:55 Judsea Dax/Terry Farrell
14:57 Terry Farrell of course played Judsea Dax for Deep Space Nine's first six series, being
15:01 memorably killed off in the sixth season finale, Tears of the Prophet.
15:04 She also remains one of the few main actors to be killed on screen and not have her character
15:08 come back in some form or another.
15:10 The reason for this was due to behind-the-scenes strife.
15:13 Farrell's contract had ended, and she wanted to renegotiate a contract where she had less
15:17 episode appearances.
15:19 This had the unfortunate effect of angering producers to the point where they decided
15:22 they would give her all the time off she wants, by killing Judsea Dax.
15:26 Though this relationship has since been mended, it had not been fixed in time for the series
15:29 finale What You Leave Behind, which features no tribute to Judsea in the closing minutes.
15:34 Since then, Farrell went on to star in shows like Becca, where she remained for four seasons.
15:38 At various conventions, she has expressed her regret at how the situation ended between
15:42 her and, in particular, Rick Berman, who she cites as the main reason Dax was killed off.
15:47 Officially, though, it's stated she did not give her permission to use her likeness
15:51 for the show's finale.
15:52 She's, in fact, stated that she was never approached about it.
15:54 In 2018, she married Adam Nimoy, yep, Leonard's son, and had a son named Max from a previous
16:00 marriage.
16:01 She's appeared in Renegades and continues to tour the convention circuits.
16:05 Number 3.
16:06 Worf - Michael Dorn
16:07 Like Colin Meany, Michael Dorn was an alumni of The Next Generation, where he played Worf
16:12 for seven seasons.
16:13 Once that show finished and Generations had been released in theaters, the producers decided
16:17 to bring Worf over onto Deep Space Nine, making him the first Trek actor to play a leading
16:22 role on two of the different spin-offs.
16:24 He remained with the show until completion in 1999.
16:28 Following Star Trek, he appeared as a pilot in the biography film of Arlie.
16:31 Dorn is actually an experienced pilot in real life and owns several jets.
16:35 He appeared in the Disney movies The Santa Claus 2 and 3, playing the Sandman.
16:39 He's continued to work on television and film, occasionally with his Star Trek castmates.
16:43 He was also one of many Star Trek actors who provided their voice on the Disney animated
16:47 series Gargoyles, wherein he played the role of Coldstone and Taurus.
16:52 He has appeared in many video games and joined the rest of The Next Generation castmates
16:55 in the Family Guy episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven."
16:58 Word on the street is that Dorn has pitched a Worf spin-off series, but nothing has come
17:03 of that yet, and he was allegedly offered a role in Star Trek Discovery, but apparently
17:07 was offered so little money, he had to turn it down.
17:09 He's gone on the record to say how much he hated the makeup required for the role
17:12 of Worf, but still.
17:14 When this article was first written, we did say that we hoped that he would be making
17:17 a cameo appearance in the new season of Picard.
17:19 I better buy myself a lottery ticket, because it's happening.
17:23 Number 2.
17:24 Odo René Auberginois.
17:25 Auberginois starred as Odo for the entirety of Deep Space Nine's run, but appeared
17:31 in Star Trek before as Colonel West in Star Trek Undiscovered Country.
17:35 He would later appear in a guest role on Enterprise.
17:37 Sadly, he passed away from lung cancer in 2019, but not before leaving a significant
17:43 body of work behind.
17:44 Prior to his work in Star Trek, he appeared in Benson from 1980 to 1986, and appeared
17:49 in several theater productions, earning him a Tony Award along the way.
17:53 Following Star Trek, he went on to star in Boston Legal, which also featured William
17:57 Shatner and his longtime friend Armin Schimmermann.
18:00 Auberginois was an accomplished voice actor as well.
18:03 Perhaps his best-known voice role was Disney's The Little Mermaid, where he played Louis
18:07 the Chef, a role he reprised in the animated television series that followed.
18:11 Speaking of animated series, he also lent his voice to Batman the Animated Series, and
18:16 he's one of the few actors to appear both in the animated Batman series and the live-action
18:20 films.
18:21 He appeared in Stargate SG-1, took part in the comedy roast of William Shatner, along
18:25 with appearing in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
18:28 He directed several episodes of Deep Space Nine and took part in several of the video
18:31 games.
18:32 More recently, a lovely tribute to Odo is made in an episode of Prodigy.
18:36 It's the episode titled Kobayashi, and it uses existing dialogue from DS9.
18:40 It's fair to say that the face of Odo, and Auberginois, will be remembered forever.
18:45 Number 1.
18:46 Captain Sisko - Avery Brooks
18:48 Avery Brooks is an actor, of course, but also an activist and a highly talented musician.
18:53 He was already a well-known actor before taking on the role of Commander Sisko.
18:56 He was the first African-American lead actor in any of the Star Trek series, and throughout
19:00 his time on the show, was involved in several of the franchise's most well-known takes
19:05 on civil rights.
19:06 He actually directs the episode "Far Beyond the Stars", in which he stars as a science
19:10 fiction writer, Benny Russell.
19:12 Whilst there are currently no plans for Brooks to return to the franchise, I mean, who wouldn't
19:16 love a Star Trek Sisko series, his work on Deep Space Nine serves among the most inspirational
19:21 acting across the franchise.
19:22 The fact that he juggled all seven seasons, whilst retaining a professorship at a university,
19:27 occasionally conducting lectures in costume, is no mean feat.
19:30 One of the best actors that the franchise brought on board, Brooks is truly a credit
19:34 to Star Trek.
19:35 So there you have it, I've been Marcus Bronzey and this is Trek Culture, and that was…
19:39 The cast of Deep Space Nine, where are they now?
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19:56 Until next time, see ya around, bless.
19:58 [MUSIC PLAYING]