The Star Trek franchise boasts a huge array of guest stars, from those who appeared only once or twice to those who appeared multiple times and across multiple series. John de Lancie, for example, made Q a household name (at least in the homes of Trekkies) but there are several other guest stars from across the franchise that created some of the most fascinating and memorable moments of all time.
3. Majel Barrett (Lwaxana Troi)
As Star Trek's First Lady, Majel Barrett played multiple roles throughout Star Trek: The Original Series and into Star Trek: The Next Generation, most notably as Lwaxana Troi, (Daughter of the 5th House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, and heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, thank you very much!)
As Deanna Troi's mother, Barrett took this role and made it into something so memorable that the writers spun entire episodes about her throughout the series. Barrett also appeared as Troi in several episodes of Deep Space Nine, and her relationship with Odo is both amusing and touching. We lost this great lady in 2008, but her memory lives on with us Trek fans.
2. Jeffrey Combs (Shran)
Jeffrey Combs is a true acting chameleon! From starring in iconic horror franchises like Re-Animator to appearing in multiple Star Trek series, he's a very familiar face. When Enterprise began to air in 2001, Combs stepped into the guest role of Thy'lek Shran, a gruff and suspicious Andorian commander from his homeworld's imperial guard. Showrunners brought Combs back multiple times, giving him a story arc that hints at what the show might have been if not for the network shakeup and falling ratings that caused its cancellation.
Combs and the show's star, Scott Bakula, are close friends behind the scenes, which is likely what gave Captain Archer and Shran such great chemistry on screen. There were rumors after the series' cancellation that Combs might have joined the show full time as an Enterprise crewman had the show continued for a fifth season. Oh, what might have been.
For those who are new to the Star Trek fandom, it's also worth noting that Combs portrayed a slew of different characters in those multiple appearances within the franchise. In addition to Enterprise, he also guest starred in Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Combs even lent his voice talents to Lower Decks.
1. Ricardo Montalban (Khan Noonien Singh)
The name and the man are both Star Trek legends that have wormed their way into pop culture like Ceti eels. Admiral Kirk crying his name in fury and frustration in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan has been widely parodied (mostly with veiled affection) on comedy and skit shows, but the actor behind Khan's superior intellect was already a screen legend when he reprise his "Space Seed" role from the first season of The Original Series.
Khan is such an iconic Star Trek character that it's easy to forget that Montalban was already a star in movies and on television well before The Wrath of Khan. In fact, he'd won a supporting actor Emmy in 1978 for the television series, How the West Was Won, and he starred in ABC's Fantasy Island for seven seasons, making it a ratings powerhouse for the network.
Bringing Khan back as a villain from The Original Series was ingenious, as was the plot of Khan wanting nothing but revenge for the death of his wife. This Khan, bitter but unbroken, is willing to murder anyone who gets in his way. It's an iconic performance from Montalban, who we lost in 2009 at the age of 88. While other actors have played Khan since, no one else compares to Montalban.
Which of these guest stars do you think is most important to the franchise? Do you believe someone else deserved to make the list? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.