Star Trek actor Todd Stashwick spoke at ST: CHI Trek to Chicago last month, and he was asked a few questions about his Star Trek: Enterprise days. Stashwick, who played the Romulan spy Talok in Enterprise and the oh-so-hateable Liam Shaw in Picard, had some Enterprise memories to share, along with which other iconic TV actor he's often mistaken for. Of his days on Enterprise, Stashwick recalled, courtesy of TrekMovie.com, by saying:
"I loved it. I had a laugh. And my friend Kara Zediker played T’Pau. So I was hanging out with my friend all day. And I got to have pointed ears and be on Vulcan and fight with a lirpa. It was a great experience."
Role play aside, it's probably difficult to sit in a chair for hours as makeup artists use prosthetics and sometimes full-on body suits. Stashwick certainly didn't have any troubles with the makeup that transformed him into Talok, but another Enterprise guest star, who Stashwick often gets mistaken for, nearly quit acting because of the costume and makeup he had to wear.
Will the real Negan please stand up?
During the same panel, Stashwick revealed that he's often mistaken for Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the actor who played the iconic Negan on The Walking Dead and it's spin-off series, Dead City. Stashwick continued by saying:
"Oh, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, I get confused for him all the time in the wild. And so I once had an actor who I worked with on something else actually think he was talking to Jeffrey Dean Morgan."
Imagine the embarrassment? I wouldn't show my face anywhere afterward for at least eight to 10 business days.
Morgan has famously discussed his experience on Enterprise, saying it was awful, but only because the full makeup made him feel trapped. At one point, he nearly considered quitting acting over it! Check out JDM describing his Star Trek nightmare on Hot Ones below.
By the way, somewhere in the multiverse, Stashwick got the Negan role and JDM is looking for work at Marvel.
While I do see a resemblance between the two actors, Stashwick has his own acting identity, which is obvious when watching his scenes as Talok. If Paramount Skydance decides to greenlight Star Trek: United, bringing Talok back would be an amazing way to raise tensions for the Romulan-Federation war and make for a great callback to the original Enterprise series.
Stashwick's sense of humor shines through as he took these questions in stride. If Star Trek: United turns from a dream to reality, I know I wouldn't be the only fan who would appreciate the return of Talok!
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