Star Trek's Frank Langella has something in common with the late-great Raul Julia

Sometimes you see a name attached to a project and you just say "How?" Frank Langella is one of those names when it comes to Star Trek. The man's been everywhere and done everything. Excelling as a theater actor, Langella spun out of the theater and started doing major budget films like the 1979 remake of Dracula, the 1998 cult classic Small Soldiers, and more modern films like Frost/Nixon.

He's also the first man to portray Skeletor on the big screen, so the man has range. Yet, for a short spell in 1993, Langella played the Bajoran politician, Jaro Essa. A key figure during the first half of the season. It was a big get for the show, as the man had already won a Tony, an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award. Not bad for a show that was airing on syndication.

It was a nice little three-episode run and a sign that Star Trek could pull in big guest stars still. For Langgeglla though, there was no overwhelming desire to do the show. He wasn't some big-time fan who was aching to be part of the universe. Nor was he someone who needed the money.

No, he did the show for the same reason Raul Julia would do Street Fighter the following year; for his kids.

Series director Winrich Kolbe was quoted in the book, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion" by Paula M Block and Terry J. Erdmann (via Slashfilms), with Langella having done the show for his kids, saying;

""He wanted to do the show. He did it for his children, because they loved the show. It was not done for money or exposure.""

Julia, despite battling a serious and life-ending illness, also did Street Fighter due to his children's love of the video game it was based on. The two icons on the screen proved that they're willing to do projects that don't typically interest them just so their children can have some beautiful memories.

And we love to see such things.

We'd also like to take the moment to say out loud and proudly that Street Fighter the film is fantastic and Julia should've won an Academy Award for that film.