The Visitor was Tony Todd’s way back to life

Tony Todd had a bittersweet connection to “The Visitor”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “The Visitor” has long been hailed as one of the best episodes of the series. It highlighted the relationship between Captain Sisko and his son, Jake, and really cemented the bond for the viewers. Guest star Tony Todd played a grown Jake Sisko who had never given up searching for his father. The role was an emotional one, and it came on the heels of a devastating loss.

The Fifty-Year Mission The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross included a quote by Todd which detailed why the episode was so important to him. According to Todd, his aunt, who had raised him, had passed away three months before he shot “The Visitor.” He was heartbroken and depressed as his aunt was his best friend, the woman who helped him become the man he was. So when he received the script, he believed it came from her.

“The Visitor” helped Tony Todd bounce back

After being so inconsolable for months, Todd saw the script as a present from his aunt. He said it was like she had reached down and said “Turn the page, turn the page…now fill the page.” He felt like the script was his opportunity to get back to life, to go back to work, and try to imbue his character with her and who she was.

And the actor admits to borrowing a lot of mannerisms from his aunt, including the way the older Jake’s hands shook, his laugh, and the way his shoulders were hunched. All of that came directly from her. It was a beautiful way of honoring the woman who’d raised him. Todd and his aunt used to watch Star Trek together so it’s bittersweet that it was a Star Trek series that brought him back to life after her death.