The Best Star Trek Actor From Each State
By Jeremy Dick
Thei – courtesy of CBS
South Carolina – Anthony James
Myrtle Beach actor Anthony James is primarily known for all of the villainous roles he plays. Particularly, he has been a bad guy in numerous Westerns. But the wild west isn’t the only place where James was able to ply his trade. Soaring through the galaxy was also in the cards for James, as he appears on Star Trek: The Next Generation as well.
In the season one episode “The Neutral Zone”, James plays the Romulan Sub-Commander Thei. He is the first officer to Commander Tebok on a Romulan Warbird. Thei is part of a crew of Romulans investigating the destruction of multiple Romulan outposts. As the Federation had some outposts destroyed as well, Picard realizes they have some common ground. It’s a moment that sees Starfleet and the Romulans actually coming together to work toward the same goal.
Anthony James is a fine actor, and he could have done a lot more with Thei if only given the opportunity. And James may have kept himself plenty busy with other acting roles in his career, but playing a Romulan is definitely a standout moment for him. I like to think that eventually Thei became Commander after Tebok steps down.