The veteran Hollywood actor appeared in TNG, DS9, and Voyager.
Veteran Hollywood performer and Star Trek guest actor James Sloyan has passed away at the age of 86. Although the Legacy.com post revealing Sloyan’s death was published only yesterday (Sunday. Sept. 20), it turns out The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager fixture actually died back on Wednesday, July 22.
According to the Legacy.com obituary, the 86-year-old Sloyan died “in Sherman Oaks, California” and was “tended by his family.” However, no cause of death was revealed.
Sloyan made his first appearance in the Star Trek universe as the Romulan Admiral Alidar Jarok, who was denounced as a traitor by the Empire, which is why he assumed the identity of Sublieutenant Setal when he encountered the USS Enterprise-D in the must-see TNG episode, “The Defector.” Sloyan returned as a completely different character in The Next Generation season 7 episode “Firstborn,” but more on that in a moment.
In 1994, Sloyan made the first of two memorable appearances on The Next Generation spin-off series, Deep Space Nine. This time around Sloyan was cast as yet another character in the DS9 season 2 episode, “The Alternate,” as the Bajoran doctor Mora Pol.
Pol’s popularity, thanks to teaching and studying Odo (Rene Auberjonois), ensured the Bajoran would eventually return to the show, but fans had to wait until season 5’s “The Begotten” for Sloyan to reprise the role.
Three characters obviously weren’t enough for Sloyan, so the actor showed up playing yet another in Star Trek: Voyager’s inaugural season during the episode “Jetrel.” Sloyan portrayed Doctor Ma'Bor Jetrel, but he was virtually unrecognizable underneath his Haakonian makeup.
Now, back to the aforementioned second appearance of Sloyan on The Next Generation during the episode “Firstborn.” Personally, this is my favorite of Sloyan’s Star Trek episodes from the vaunted (Rick) Berman Era because he portrays Lt. Worf’s (Michael Dorn) grown-up son, Alexander, aka K'mtar, from the future, who has traveled back in time and is dealing with the burden of his father’s death.
“Firstborn” is one of The Next Generation’s hidden gems which is often looked over, but it shouldn’t be. TNG mainstay Michael Dorn and guest star James Sloyan shared some incredibly emotional moments on screen, as a guilt-ridden Alexander made the journey through time to try and save his father’s life.
I can’t recommend “Firstborn” enough. If you’re new to the Star Trek fandom, and you’d like to check out Sloyan’s contributions to the franchise, start with his unforgettable performance as Alexander. And then I’d recommend watching his earlier role as the Romulan admiral in The Next Generation’s “The Defector.”
Sloyan “is survived and deeply missed by Deirdre Lenihan his partner of six decades and their children Daniel, a musician and Samantha, an actor,” per the same obit published by Legacy.com.
The Redshirts Always Die and FanSided teams are deeply saddened to hear of Mr. Sloyan’s passing, and we all would like to pass on our condolences to those closest to the Star Trek guest actor, including his family and friends.
For more Star Trek content, and to remember James Sloyan’s contributions to the beloved sci-fi franchise, please visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Rest in peace, Mr. Sloyan.
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