Michelle Forbes doesn't regret turning down Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Michelle Forbes took what could have been a relatively minor roler on Star Trek: The Next Generation and turned her into a hugely popular character, and it wasn't just because of the good writing she was given. (And she was given plenty of that!) There was just something about the way Forbes brought Ro Laren to life that made her extremely watchable. So much so that she was offered a full-time role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which she turned down.

And Forbes, according to an interview she gave Star Trek: The Next Generation All Good Things: Companion, she knew that people didn't take her decision very well. But she still contended she made the right choice because she didn't want to seven years on a series.

"Many people took it the wrong way. It's very hard for me to make a seven-year commitment to anything, work-wise or otherwise. I want variety in my life, and I want to play as many things as possible. I simply made a decision to hold out for variety, and I hope people understand that."

- Michelle Forbes

Though she didn't take the regular role on Deep Space Nine, The Next Generation wasn't the last time we saw Forbes' Ro Laren. She returned as the character in season three of Star Trek: Picard, giving some closure to the heartbreaking events at the end of The Next Generation episode "Preemptive Strike" in which Ro left Starfleet to join the Maquis in its fight against Cardassia.

Forbes did what she thought was right for herself, and her career didn't suffer because of it. She went on to appear in several popular series such as 24, True Blood, Grey's Anatomy, The Killing, The Walking Dead, Prison Break, and New Amsterdam. And though, technically, Commander Ro Laren died in the Picard episode "Imposters," that's still up for debate as we didn't see a body. So there's still a chance Ro will return in future series or even in one of the upcoming Star Trek movies.