star trek stars still alive

The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Star Trek: The Original Series

Gene Roddenberry's celebrated sci-fi TV series "Star Trek" debuted on September 8, 1966, and it recently celebrated its 57th anniversary. Initially, "Trek" wasn't terribly popular, and it only managed to make a third season thanks to a coordinated letter-writing campaign (a campaign that Roddenberry was accused of orchestrating and encouraging himself). It wouldn't be until after "Star Trek" was canceled in 1969 that its popularity would significantly begin to grow. 

Thanks to a sweet infinite syndication deal, "Star Trek" reruns were common, and a cult began to form. By the early 1970s, the first "Trek" conventions began to appear. Naturally, conventions were a great place for the show's stars and creators to congregate and share production stories with a rising tide of obsessives. Fans were able to talk to and get autographs from William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, Majel Barrett, Walter Koenig, George Takei, James Doohan, and Grace Lee Whitney, as well as many of the show's more supporting players. 

Many decades have passed, but the surviving "Star Trek" cast members, now in their 80s and 90s, still appear at conventions to share details of their now-long and storied careers. Over 57 years ago, they were at the start of a phenomenon; none of them could have likely predicted just what a massive impact "Star Trek" would have on the pop culture landscape. Three members of the original "Star Trek" cast appeared at Creation Entertainment's 57-Year Mission convention in Las Vegas, and one of them is already confirmed for the 2024 con  next August. 

If you're eager to get an autograph or merely to hear an amusing anecdote from across many decades of interaction with the "Trek" franchise at large, the following surviving actors will still happily oblige.

William Shatner

In March of 2023, Shatner, who played the resolute Captain Kirk on "Star Trek," turned 92, yet he still makes convention appearances. Stories have been told throughout Trekkie-dom that Shatner can occasionally be spiky at cons, but has clearly embraced them, even going so far as to say that fans are the future  of anything so deeply beloved as "Star Trek." Indeed, in many cases, fans care more about carrying on the legacy of a show than the studios; in many ways, Trekkies take the show more seriously than the people who make it.

Shatner has, of course, had a textured career. Some of his earlier films include adaptations of "The Brothers Karamozov" (in which he played Alexey) and "Oedipus the King" (in which he played a masked member of the chorus), as well as genre films like "The Intruder" and "Incubus." Although Shatner is best known for "Trek" — a common side-effect for most any actor who appeared on any "Star Trek" show — he forged an interesting acting career beyond ii. He appeared in the hit cop show "T.J. Hooker," and appeared in spoof films like "Airplane II: The Sequel" and "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1." He released several notorious albums of speak-singing, and directed several documentaries about "Star Trek," including "The Captains" and "Chaos on the Bridge." 

Shatner also authored several "Star Trek" novels and even launched his own modestly successful sci-fi book series with "TekWar" (ghost-written by Ron Goulart) in 1989. He won two Emmys in 2004 and 2005 for his role as Denny Crane in "The Practice" and "Boston Legal." He's also an equestrian enthusiast and has won a few horseback riding awards. Shatner is spry for 92.

George Takei

In 2019, George Takei , who played the practical and intelligent Hikaru Sulu on "Star Trek," authored a graphic novel all about his childhood experiences of being rounded up and imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Takei was born in Los Angeles in 1937 (he's the only main cast member from the original show who is an L.A. native), and recalls being held against his will by the U.S. government as a child. It may have been that experience that made Takei as political as he is. In the early 1970s, after "Star Trek," Takei ran for a set on the Los Angeles City Council, and served as an alternate delegate at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. At conventions, Takei has spoken at length about his beliefs in civic infrastructure, encouraging L.A. to improve its long-beleaguered public transportation.

Takei came out as gay in 2005, revealing that he had been with his long-term partner, Brad Altman, for the last 18 years. He and Altman married in 2008, one of the first same-sex couples to be granted a marriage license in West Hollywood, California. Takei has been an outspoken queer rights activist ever since, raising money for charities and speaking at charity events regularly. He makes appearances at fan conventions on the regular. 

As an actor, Takei began reading English-language dubs for imported Toho monster movies prior to "Star Trek." He also starred in movies like "The Green Berets" and "Mulan." On TV, Takei guest-starred on many, many programs, including a notable regular role on the hit show "Heroes." His deep voice also afforded him an opportunity to regularly contribute to dozens of animated programs, most recently in Max's "Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai."

Walter Koenig

There were rumors circulating through the Trekkie community for years that Walter Koenig was hired to appear on the second season of "Star Trek" because the then-30-year-old actor looked an awful lot like Davy Jones from "The Monkees." This wasn't the case, but Koenig provided a youthful, heartthrob quality with his character, Pavel Chekov. His character was Russian, a notable character decision to make in the mid-1960s as the U.S. was still embroiled deeply in the Cold War. Chekov was a symbol that peace would eventually come. Koenig was never anything less than 100% committed, and reacted to extreme sci-fi scenarios with fire and aplomb. 

In the early '60s, the actor worked his way through smaller roles in multiple well-known TV series like "Mr. Novak," "Gidget," and "I Spy" before joining "Star Trek" in its second season. After, he continued apace, working on TV regularly, eventually landing a recurring role on a second beloved sci-fi series  "Babylon 5." He has also stayed a part of "Star Trek" up until the present, having provided a voice cameo in the most recent season of "Star Trek: Picard," as well as reprising his role as Chekov in the semi-professional and well-respected fan series "Star Trek: New Voyages." He's also dabbled in many amusing B-movies like "Mad Cowgirl" and "Scream of the Bikini," as well as animated shows like "Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters."

Additionally, Koenig has served as an advocate for civil rights in Burma, having visited refugee camps there. Koenig still appears at conventions, happy to talk about his various projects and acting endeavors. Just please, whatever you do, don't ask him to say "nuclear wessels." The man just turned 87. He deserves a break from that. 

Star Trek Cast: Where Are They Now?

One of the most influential television shows ever made spawned the careers of many great actors.

Star Trek The Original Series debuted in 1966 and introducing the world to Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and a whole host of amazing characters. In the years that have gone by, an entire franchise has blossomed, picking up speed as it went. Only a slight respite of a few years has halted this juggernaught, with three live action series currently released or in production, along with two animated series and more on the way.

But the show that started it all is still one of the dearest parts of many fans' journeys. The stories that came from Gene Roddenberry and the creative team still resonate today, echoing through the years to remind contemporary audiences of what the meaning of Star Trek really is.

The characters were often larger than life, which is to say nothing of the actors who played them. Some would go on to mega-stardom while some would rest comfortably in typecasting. None, however, had anything like a boring life or journey after their time on the show wrapped up.

Collecting here the stories from the main cast and some of the notable guest stars, this list offers a look into the lives of the Star Trek crew in the years after the Enterprise's Five Year Mission.

13. Jane Wyatt

Jane Wyatt was born in 1910 (happy 110 year birthday!) and of course appeared in Journey To Babel and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home as Amanda Grayson, Spock's Human Mother. The character has returned in Star Trek: Discovery, played by Mia Kershner.

Wyatt was working in Hollywood during one of its most fascinating (and turbulent) periods. She appeared in the film Lost Horizon during the Second World War, though she spoke on the film's message as being gutted for being released at the wrong time.

Her career suffered as she was outspoken against Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was heading the HUAC investigations. She would become most well known for her roles in Father Knows Best (NBC) and, of course, Star Trek.

She would go on to appear in a recurring role in St. Elsewhere, alongside Norman Lloyd - who himself would appear as Professor Galen in Star Trek: The Next Generation. She passed away in 2006, four years short of her 100th birthday, at her home in Bel Air, California.

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of 'Star Trek: The Original Series'

Of the three main cast-members, William Shatner is the last one alive.CBS/Getty Images

• There has been some form of "Star Trek" in our lives since 1966, when "Star Trek" premiered its very first episode on September 8.
• Over the last 50-plus years, the stars of the original series have remained sci-fi icons, especially to all the Trekkies out there.
• Here's where all nine stars from "Star Trek: The Original Series" are up to now. Only four are still alive.

As Spock might've said, the cast of "Star Trek: The Original Series," all lived long and prospered. Four of the stars are still alive today, all in their eighties — William Shatner is pushing 90 — and those that died lived into their seventies and eighties as well.

We've taken a look back at the pivotal show, and the careers of these TV pioneers, and paid respects to those that aren't with us anymore.

Keep scrolling to see what the cast of "Star Trek" has accomplished in the last 54 years.

William Shatner led the crew of the USS Enterprise as Captain James T. Kirk.

"Star Trek" was originally going to be focused on a different captain, Captain Christopher Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter. A pilot was even filmed, but never aired. Gene Roddenberry, the creator, eventually retooled the show and cast Shatner as a new captain, Kirk.

Before "Star Trek," Shatner was famous for his role in an iconic "Twilight Zone" episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," in which he played a man recently released from a mental hospital who becomes convinced he can see a creature on the wing of the plane he's flying on. It aired in 1963, three years before "Star Trek."

Star Trek was originally going to be focused on a different captain, Captain Christopher Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter. A pilot was even filmed, but never aired. Gene Roddenberry, the creator, eventually retooled the show and cast Shatner as a new captain, Kirk.

Before Star Trek, Shatner was famous for his role in an iconic Twilight Zone episode, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, in which he played a man recently released from a mental hospital who becomes convinced he can see a creature on the wing of the plane he's flying on. It aired in 1963, three years before Star Trek.

In addition to his "Star Trek" roles, Shatner acted in "T.J. Hooker" and "Boston Legal," hosted "Rescue 911," and has written numerous books.

Though he's 89 years old, Shatner has shown no signs of slowing down. After "Star Trek" was canceled in 1969, he briefly returned to voice Kirk for the "Star Trek" animated series. In 1979, he again reprised his role as Kirk in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." He'd continue to do so regularly until 1994's "Star Trek Generations." He even directed one of the "Star Trek" movies: "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."

Besides "Star Trek," Shatner starred as the titular police officer on the '80s procedural "T.J. Hooker," and narrated "Rescue 911," a show that consisted of dramatic reenactments of real crimes.

Other roles that you might recognize Shatner from: a pageant host in "Miss Congeniality," attorney Dennis Crane in "The Practice" and its spin-off "Boston Legal" for which he won two Emmys , and in the 2016-2018 reality show "Better Late Than Never," in which Shatner, Henry Winkler, George Foreman, and Terry Bradshaw traveled around the world and experienced different cultures.

Shatner has written multiple books, both fiction and non-fiction over the course of his career. His 2016 book, " Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man ," was about his friendship with "Star Trek" co-star Leonard Nimoy, who played his on-screen better half, Commander Spock.

Though he's 89 years old, Shatner has shown no signs of slowing down. After Star Trek was canceled in 1969, he briefly returned to voice Kirk for the Star Trek animated series. In 1979, he again reprised his role as Kirk in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He'd continue to do so regularly until 1994's Star Trek Generations. He even directed one of the Star Trek movies: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

Besides Star Trek, Shatner starred as the titular police officer on the '80s procedural T.J. Hooker, and narrated Rescue 911, a show that consisted of dramatic reenactments of real crimes.

Other roles that you might recognize Shatner from: a pageant host in Miss Congeniality, attorney Dennis Crane in The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal for which he won two Emmys , and in the 2016-2018 reality show Better Late Than Never, in which Shatner, Henry Winkler, George Foreman, and Terry Bradshaw traveled around the world and experienced different cultures.

Shatner has written multiple books, both fiction and non-fiction over the course of his career. His 2016 book, Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man , was about his friendship with Star Trek co-star Leonard Nimoy, who played his on-screen better half, Commander Spock.

Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, a translator, communications officer, and linguistics expert.

Uhura was one of the first Black television characters that didn't have a menial job, but instead was in a position of power. She and Shatner were also involved in what is thought to be the first interracial kiss on American TV.

Nichols stayed with the show for all three seasons, but it wasn't without drama. She was tempted to leave during the first year, but none other than Martin Luther King Jr. convinced her to stay. She told the New York Post that when she told him that she wanted to leave, he told her, "You can't do that. You have the first non-stereotypical, non-menial role on television. You have created strength and beauty and intelligence. For the first time, the world sees us as we should be seen. It's what we're marching for. You're a role model and whether you like it or not, you belong to history now."

She also released an album in 1967, "Down to Earth." In between "Star Trek's" cancellation and its return on the big screen, Nichols starred in the 1974 blaxploitation film "Truck Turner," as Dorinda, a madam.

Nichols stayed with the show for all three seasons, but it wasn't without drama. She was tempted to leave during the first year, but none other than Martin Luther King Jr. convinced her to stay. She told the New York Post that when she told him that she wanted to leave, he told her, You can't do that. You have the first non-stereotypical, non-menial role on television. You have created strength and beauty and intelligence. For the first time, the world sees us as we should be seen. It's what we're marching for. You're a role model and whether you like it or not, you belong to history now.

She also released an album in 1967, Down to Earth. In between Star Trek's cancellation and its return on the big screen, Nichols starred in the 1974 blaxploitation film Truck Turner, as Dorinda, a madam.

Nichols retired from public appearances in 2018.

From 1977 until 2015, Nichols was involved with the program, Women in Motion. It was a recruiting program for NASA to help get more women involved in the space program. In July 2020, a documentary about the program finally secured distribution and will be released in 2021, Deadline reported.

"Nichelle Nichols not only was a trailblazer in Hollywood, she was a trailblazer for the future of our society. She took the fight for Civil Rights, diversity and inclusion and gender equality to new frontiers with NASA which continue to serve America's space program today. She was ahead of her time," said executive producer Ben Crump.

Nichols, 87, has also appeared in "The Young and the Restless," "Heroes," and "Futurama." She was diagnosed with dementia in 2018 , and subsequently retired from public appearances.

Nichelle Nichols not only was a trailblazer in Hollywood, she was a trailblazer for the future of our society. She took the fight for Civil Rights, diversity and inclusion and gender equality to new frontiers with NASA which continue to serve America's space program today. She was ahead of her time, said executive producer Ben Crump.

Nichols, 87, has also appeared in The Young and the Restless, Heroes, and Futurama. She was diagnosed with dementia in 2018 , and subsequently retired from public appearances.

Walter Koenig was cast as Ensign Pavel Chekov because of his resemblance to the Monkees' Davy Jones.

While Chekov was Russian, Koenig was born in America and based his accent on his parents' accents, who were Russian immigrants. Koenig was cast because, according to legend, he was supposed to help attract young girls as viewers due to his resemblance to teen idol Davy Jones. He even wore a Davy Jones-esque women's wig for the first seven or eight episodes, he told TV Insider in 2016.

Koenig's mainly recognized for his on-screen role as Chekov, though he became a pretty prolific screenwriter in the '70s. He wrote episodes for the "Star Trek" animated series, anthology series "What Really Happened to the Class of '65?" and children's series "Land of the Lost."

Koenig's mainly recognized for his on-screen role as Chekov, though he became a pretty prolific screenwriter in the '70s. He wrote episodes for the Star Trek animated series, anthology series What Really Happened to the Class of '65? and children's series Land of the Lost.

Koenig appeared in the 2018 film, "Diminuendo."

Koenig, 83, still makes frequent appearances on the "Star Trek" convention circuit, as well as acting in the occasional film. He appeared in 12 episodes of "Babylon 5" in the '90s, voiced himself in an episode of "Futuruma," and also voiced Mr. Savic on the Netflix animated series "Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters."

While not all of the "Star Trek" cast were on great terms, Koenig and his co-star George Takei remain close. Koenig was even the best man in Takei's wedding in 2008.

Koenig, 83, still makes frequent appearances on the Star Trek convention circuit, as well as acting in the occasional film. He appeared in 12 episodes of Babylon 5 in the '90s, voiced himself in an episode of Futuruma, and also voiced Mr. Savic on the Netflix animated series Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters.

While not all of the Star Trek cast were on great terms, Koenig and his co-star George Takei remain close. Koenig was even the best man in Takei's wedding in 2008.

George Takei played Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, a helmsman on the Enterprise.

Over the course of the show, Sulu was revealed to have many interests outside of Star Fleet — most famously, fencing. At the time, Sulu was one of the first Asian characters on TV that wasn't explicitly a villain, and instead a fully-formed hero.

"Up until the time I was cast in 'Star Trek,' the roles were pretty shallow — thin, stereotyped, one-dimensional roles. I knew this character was a breakthrough role, certainly for me as an individual actor but also for the image of an Asian character: no accent, a member of the elite leadership team," Takei told Mother Jones in 2012.

Takei originally was supposed to play Sulu as an astrophysicist, but the role was changed to helmsman. Before "Star Trek," Takei also appeared in "The Twilight Zone" like his co-star William Shatner, among other '50s and '60s procedurals.

Up until the time I was cast in 'Star Trek,' the roles were pretty shallow — thin, stereotyped, one-dimensional roles. I knew this character was a breakthrough role, certainly for me as an individual actor but also for the image of an Asian character: no accent, a member of the elite leadership team, Takei told Mother Jones in 2012.

Takei originally was supposed to play Sulu as an astrophysicist, but the role was changed to helmsman. Before Star Trek, Takei also appeared in The Twilight Zone like his co-star William Shatner, among other '50s and '60s procedurals.

Takei is still acting to this day, though many people know him now for his social media presence.

Who says an 83-year-old doesn't know how to use social media? Takei's Facebook page has 10 million likes to date, and he has 3 million followers on Twitter .

In addition to his continued acting in films like "Kubo and the Two Strings," and "Mulan," and TV shows like "Heroes," and "Supah Ninjas," Takei is an activist. He came out as gay in 2005 , and began working as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign.

Takei also starred in the 2012 musical "Allegiance," which was based on his and his family's experiences during Japanese internment in World War II.

In addition to his continued acting in films like Kubo and the Two Strings, and Mulan, and TV shows like Heroes, and Supah Ninjas, Takei is an activist. He came out as gay in 2005 , and began working as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign.

Takei also starred in the 2012 musical Allegiance, which was based on his and his family's experiences during Japanese internment in World War II.

Leonard Nimoy played Captain Kirk's first officer and close friend Commander Spock.

Spock was the only alien member of the original crew, as he was half-human, half-Vulcan — an alien race from the planet Vulcan whose residents operate solely from a point of logic, not feelings. Much of the show's comedy came from Spock and Kirk's differences and their amusement at each other. His frequent farewell, " Live Long and Prosper ," accompanied by the Vulcan Salute, are among the most recognizable pieces of the "Star Trek" canon.

Nimoy had multiple small parts in B movies and TV shows before booking "Star Trek," including an episode of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." alongside future co-star William Shatner, as well as an episode of "The Twilight Zone."

But once "Star Trek" premiered, Nimoy would be forever linked with his Vulcan counterpart, and mainly did voice work after the show ended. He also reunited with Shatner for an episode of his show, "T.J. Hooker."

Spock was the only alien member of the original crew, as he was half-human, half-Vulcan — an alien race from the planet Vulcan whose residents operate solely from a point of logic, not feelings. Much of the show's comedy came from Spock and Kirk's differences and their amusement at each other. His frequent farewell, Live Long and Prosper , accompanied by the Vulcan Salute, are among the most recognizable pieces of the Star Trek canon.

Nimoy had multiple small parts in B movies and TV shows before booking Star Trek, including an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. alongside future co-star William Shatner, as well as an episode of The Twilight Zone.

But once Star Trek premiered, Nimoy would be forever linked with his Vulcan counterpart, and mainly did voice work after the show ended. He also reunited with Shatner for an episode of his show, T.J. Hooker.

Nimoy died in 2015 at the age of 83. He played Spock for the final time in 2013's "Star Trek Into Darkness," meaning he played Spock for almost 50 years.

Nimoy is the only actor from the original series to appear in JJ Abrams' rebooted films, as he appeared in 2009's "Star Trek" and its 2013 sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness" as an older version of Spock who was trapped in an alternate universe.

In addition to acting, Nimoy was a photographer, recording artist, author, and director. He directed two "Star Trek" movies ("The Search for Spock" and "The Journey Home"), and "Three Men and a Baby," which became the highest-grossing film of 1987 .

Nimoy died in 2015 at the age of 83 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Nimoy is the only actor from the original series to appear in JJ Abrams' rebooted films, as he appeared in 2009's Star Trek and its 2013 sequel Star Trek Into Darkness as an older version of Spock who was trapped in an alternate universe.

In addition to acting, Nimoy was a photographer, recording artist, author, and director. He directed two Star Trek movies (The Search for Spock and The Journey Home), and Three Men and a Baby, which became the highest-grossing film of 1987 .

DeForest Kelley played the ship's curmudgeonly chief medical officer, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy.

Bones, as he was affectionately called, was one of the oldest members of the crew, and thus got to be a bit more obnoxious than the rest of them. His frequent catchphrase, " I'm a doctor, not a ___, " is one of the most parodied lines of dialogue from the show.

Like his character, Kelley was older and a more established actor than the rest of the cast. Before the show, he had appeared in Westerns and historical films like "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," "Warlock," and "Raintree County" in the '50s.

Bones, as he was affectionately called, was one of the oldest members of the crew, and thus got to be a bit more obnoxious than the rest of them. His frequent catchphrase, I'm a doctor, not a ___, is one of the most parodied lines of dialogue from the show.

Like his character, Kelley was older and a more established actor than the rest of the cast. Before the show, he had appeared in Westerns and historical films like Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Warlock, and Raintree County in the '50s.

Kelley died in 1999 at the age of 79, nine years after playing McCoy for the last time.

Kelley essentially retired from acting, besides playing McCoy, after the success of "Star Trek." He appeared in all six films starring the original cast, and appeared in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as McCoy, as well.

While he wasn't much of a sci-fi fan, Kelley was proud of his "Star Trek" legacy. When asked what he thought his legacy would be, he explained that his character inspired people to enter the medical field. He told the New York Times , "These people [fans] are doctors now, all kinds of doctors who save lives. That's something that very few people can say they've done. I'm proud to say that I have.''

He died in 1999 at the age of 79 due to stomach cancer .

Kelley essentially retired from acting, besides playing McCoy, after the success of Star Trek. He appeared in all six films starring the original cast, and appeared in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as McCoy, as well.

While he wasn't much of a sci-fi fan, Kelley was proud of his Star Trek legacy. When asked what he thought his legacy would be, he explained that his character inspired people to enter the medical field. He told the New York Times , These people [fans] are doctors now, all kinds of doctors who save lives. That's something that very few people can say they've done. I'm proud to say that I have.''

Majel Barrett had a recurring role as Nurse Christine Chapel.

Barrett was originally cast in the first version of "Star Trek" as Pike's first officer, but when that episode was scratched, so was her character. However, due to her romantic relationship with "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry (who she later married), she was brought back as Nurse Chapel (a divisive character).

Before the show, Barrett was in various bit parts in '50s and '60s shows, but her big break was "Star Trek," which she stayed involved in for the rest of her life.

Barrett was originally cast in the first version of Star Trek as Pike's first officer, but when that episode was scratched, so was her character. However, due to her romantic relationship with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (who she later married), she was brought back as Nurse Chapel (a divisive character).

Before the show, Barrett was in various bit parts in '50s and '60s shows, but her big break was Star Trek, which she stayed involved in for the rest of her life.

Barrett died in 2008 when she was 76 years old. Up until her death, she had been involved with every "Star Trek" series in some way, leading fans to call her the First Lady of "Star Trek."

Barrett reprised her role as Chapel in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." She also appeared in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" as Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Deanna Troi, a main character in "Next Generation." Her other involvement in the series was the voice of the computer many of the other "Star Trek" films: "Generations," "First Contact," "Nemesis," and 2009's reboot.

She died in 2008 at the age of 76 due to leukemia .

Barrett reprised her role as Chapel in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. She also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Deanna Troi, a main character in Next Generation. Her other involvement in the series was the voice of the computer many of the other Star Trek films: Generations, First Contact, Nemesis, and 2009's reboot.

James Doohan played chief engineering officer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott.

Contrary to popular belief, the phrase " Beam me up, Scotty " is never actually uttered in the original series. The man on the other end of that command, Scotty, was played by Doohan, who was Canadian in real life, not Scottish.

Before "Star Trek," Doohan served in the Canadian military and was even on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day, and was a pilot as well. After the war, he began acting and became a successful radio actor. Like his co-stars, he also appeared in an episode of "The Twilight Zone," and other popular procedurals.

In the animated series, Doohan proved to be indispensable, with his talent for voice acting and accents. He voiced over 50 characters during the show's run.

Contrary to popular belief, the phrase Beam me up, Scotty is never actually uttered in the original series. The man on the other end of that command, Scotty, was played by Doohan, who was Canadian in real life, not Scottish.

Before Star Trek, Doohan served in the Canadian military and was even on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day, and was a pilot as well. After the war, he began acting and became a successful radio actor. Like his co-stars, he also appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone, and other popular procedurals.

James Doohan died at the age of 85 in 2005.

Doohan didn't find much success outside of the world of "Star Trek," and thus embraced his role as Scotty. He appeared in "Generations," as well as an episode of "The Next Generation."

However, his impact on the field of engineering cannot be overstated. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Milwaukee School of Engineering "after half the students there said that Scotty had inspired them to take up the subject," according to the BBC .

Towards the end of his life, Doohan suffered from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and retired from public life in 2004. He died the next year, at 85, due to complications from pneumonia .

Doohan didn't find much success outside of the world of Star Trek, and thus embraced his role as Scotty. He appeared in Generations, as well as an episode of The Next Generation.

However, his impact on the field of engineering cannot be overstated. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Milwaukee School of Engineering after half the students there said that Scotty had inspired them to take up the subject, according to the BBC .

Grace Lee Whitney appeared in the first season of the show as Yeoman Janice Rand.

Rand appeared in eight episodes of the show's first 15-episode season as a clerical and administrative worker aboard the ship, before Whitney was released from her contract. At the time, the story was that the show didn't have enough money to keep everyone, but years later in her autobiography, Rand accused an unnamed executive producer , who she called "The Executive," of sexually assaulting her.

"I tried to do what he wanted me to, so I could get it over with. I knew, deep down inside, that I was finished on 'Star Trek.' At that moment, however, I didn't care about that. Nothing else mattered — not my tarnished virtue, not my career, not my role on 'Star Trek.' The only thing that mattered was getting out of that room alive," she wrote.

Rand appeared in eight episodes of the show's first 15-episode season as a clerical and administrative worker aboard the ship, before Whitney was released from her contract. At the time, the story was that the show didn't have enough money to keep everyone, but years later in her autobiography, Rand accused an unnamed executive producer , who she called The Executive, of sexually assaulting her.

I tried to do what he wanted me to, so I could get it over with. I knew, deep down inside, that I was finished on 'Star Trek.' At that moment, however, I didn't care about that. Nothing else mattered — not my tarnished virtue, not my career, not my role on 'Star Trek.' The only thing that mattered was getting out of that room alive, she wrote.

Whitney died in 2015 at the age of 85.

After getting written off the show, Whitney struggled with her career, and alcoholism. She credited co-star Leonard Nimoy with helping her get back on her feet and involved with "Star Trek" once again. She reprised her role in four of the original "Star Trek" films, and in an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" alongside George Takei.

She died in 2015 due to natural causes at the age of 85.

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After getting written off the show, Whitney struggled with her career, and alcoholism. She credited co-star Leonard Nimoy with helping her get back on her feet and involved with Star Trek once again. She reprised her role in four of the original Star Trek films, and in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager alongside George Takei.

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The Original 'Star Trek' Cast: Where Are They Now?

For the last four decades, the original Enterprise crew has lived long and prospered

On the heels of the hit film rebooting the classic Star Trek story, PEOPLE opens hailing frequencies with the classic cast of the original Trek : where they’ve boldly gone, what the Trek phenomenon means to them – and what they think of their new counterparts.

William Shatner (Capt. James T. Kirk) RECENT WORK: An Emmy-winning turn as Denny Crane on ABC’s Boston Legal ; hosts Shatner’s Raw Nerve talk show on Bio; 2008 memoir Up Til Now ; Priceline.com commercials.

NEXT UP: The documentary Gonzo Ballet , dance performances of six songs written with musician Ben Folds.

Shatner, 78, had one of the most the most visible post- Trek careers, but he still held out hope he’d play Kirk one more time in the new film, awaiting a call from director J.J. Abrams down to the last minute of editing. “I had my cell phone with me all the time,” he laughs. “But no. They opened the film without me.” He’s still open to reprising the role one day, but says wryly, “it’s in other people’s hands. It’s such an awkward and humiliating position be in!”

“I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity that it gave me, the doors that it opened and the career that I was able to have – and am able to have – as a result,” he says. “I don’t know where I would’ve been had it not been for Star Trek , but I certainly know where I am because it did happen. It’s been a very meaningful and joyful thing for me in my life.”

ON THE NEWBIE: “My impression of Chris Pine is that it’s perfect casting. He’s young and he’s handsome and he will be rich.”

Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) RECENT WORK: 2008’s The Full Body Project , a book of his nude photography; the new Star Trek film.

NEXT UP: A recurring role on J.J. Abrams’ Fox series Fringe ; a photo exhibit at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts in 2010.

BACK IN THE ACT: Nimoy announced his retirement from acting in 2003, but returned to Star Trek after J.J. Abrams reawakened his passion and “reminded me what it really could be.” Still, the 78-year-old actor admits that even after putting the ears back on, “it took a little while for me to get my bearings. What I enjoyed hearing later was that the young people were all intimidated by me. I said to them, ‘Look, when I was your age and at your stage in the business, and the older guy came on the set that had been around for 30 or 40 or 50 years, I was intimidated. Now it’s their turn!'”

He remains very close with co-star Shatner (“We finish each other’s sentences”) but despite their past, oft-maligned musical efforts, don’t expect a duet. “I don’t think I’d record an album with him,” he says. “I don’t think that either of us should record any more albums!”

ON THE NEWBIE: “Zachary Quinto and I watched some episodes. We wanted to get a sense of the flavor of what it was we were doing in the ’60s. But he’s found his own way to play Spock. I think he does it extremely well.”

Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) RECENT WORK: 2005’s Are We There Yet? ; recurring role on NBC’s Heroes .

NEXT UP: This Bitter Earth with Billy Dee Williams and Richard Roundtree.

Nichols, 76, recalls that the weekend after she resigned from Star Trek to pursue her singing career, Dr. Martin Luther King convinced her – as the only black woman in a command position on television at the time – to stay. “He said ‘You have established dreams for us and you cannot take that away. This is your destiny.’ I was nearly in tears.”

Her presence inspired future achievers like Whoopi Goldberg that black people had a place in the future, and reversed others’ racist beliefs. “I had young white men and women come to me and say, ‘Your being on Star Trek broke the binds that tied me to hatred – thinking I was superior, and knowing within I was not. I wanted to be something better.’ When that comes at you, it changes your heart.”

ON THE NEWBIE: When Abrams sneaked her onto the set, Nichols says Zoe Saldana “just lost it. We sat there for about two hours and talked and talked. She said ‘I knew I could be anything I wanted to be when I saw you.’ I said ‘No one else could have been cast but you.'”

George Takei (Sulu) RECENT WORK: Recurring role as Masi Oka’s father on Heroes ; Howard Stern’s SIRIUS Radio announcer.

NEXT UP: Narration for symphony orchestra recordings; lobbying for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Along with steady roles, Takei’s been in the public eye since announcing in 2005 that he’s gay and marrying longtime partner Brad Altman last year – just before California banned same-sex marriage. “Our marriage is [legally] solid,” he says. “But we’re concerned about others and the basic idea of equality. I’m absolutely confident that our Supreme Court will throw out Proposition 8.”

Takei, 72, says Star Trek has endured because “the core values are still pertinent and relevant. It tantalizes you to imagine what else is going to come about in the future. To be inventive, to be innovative and to boldly go where no one has gone before – that phrase really sums up the point.”

ON THE NEWBIE: “John Cho had heard many exaggerated stories about fans. I assured him ‘Yes, we have very intense and very loyal fans, but they are just as diverse as the cast of Star Trek . So enjoy it. You’re going to have a great time. I’m absolutely confident that Sulu’s in good hands.’ ”

Walter Koenig (Chekov) RECENT WORK: Recurring role as Bester on Babylon Five ; voice actor in Star Trek video games.

NEXT UP: Wrote, produced and co-stars in the indie sci-fi film InAlienable .

“I was very lucky to be awarded that role,” says Koenig, 72. “With Star Trek you could always find something to respect and feel good about in the stories that we were telling. I’m pleased that if I had to be identified so thoroughly with anything, Star Trek certainly would be one of my top choices.”

Not everyone fell under Trek ‘s sway. Koenig recalls when he and James Doohan appeared at a video store opening in North Carolina: “We had been talked into appearing in our uniforms – the ONLY time that I allowed myself to get talked into doing that. We were waiting in the hotel lobby and a woman who had just checked in came over and said, ‘Y’all mind taking my bags to the room now?’ ”

ON THE NEWBIE: “I just told Anton Yelchin to do it his way. And to invest his personal experience and the way he feels about life into the character. Make it his interpretation. These characters are not historical figures, they’re fictional concoctions.”

Deforest Kelley (Dr. McCoy) and James Doohan (Scotty) Kelley was the first of the classic cast to pass away, in 1999 at age 79, followed by Doohan, in 2005, at 85. Kelley was “the epitome of a Southern gentleman,” recalls Shatner, “a good friend upon whom you could count at any time.” Doohan, says Takei, “was a great buddy. He wore his emotions on his sleeves – plural – and was a great, embracing guy.”

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Who From The Cast Of 'Star Trek: The Original Series' Is Still Alive In 2021?

Sadly, a lot of the people that made the success of the original series possible are no longer on this Earth.

Star Trek might have come out over fifty years ago, but with the many movies and spin-offs, the franchise is still relevant, and its impact on popular culture cannot be ignored. The original series came out in 1966 and lasted for three seasons, winning several accolades and getting nominated to many important awards.

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Sadly, a lot of the people that made the success of the original series possible are no longer on this Earth. Most of them led remarkable lives, and their characters and their incredible talent will forever be in the hearts and minds of all the Star Trek fans. However, four of those outstanding actors are still with us, keeping the series' legacy alive.

7 William Shatner

William Shatner is most well-known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series . He was one of the few members of the cast who already had been building a successful career as an actor before Star Trek blew up. He worked in a few important films in the fifties, did some theatre as a student, and even participated in a Broadway production.

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6 Shatner Continues To Be Successful

After the staggering success of the series, he continued to prove his talent with many other amazing projects, such as the 1974 movie Big Bad Mama and the series Barbary Coast . He also had a career as a writer and producer, so he's undoubtedly a man of many talents. Earlier this year, this incredible icon celebrated his 90th birthday. No matter how much time passes, fans will always remember him fondly as Captain Kirk.

5 Nichelle Nichols

Nyota Uhura was a translator and communications officer in Star Trek , portrayed by the great Nichelle Nichols, and she was quite a groundbreaking character in the 1960s since she was one of the first black women with lead roles in American TV. Nichelle was always aware of the impact her participation in Star Trek made, so she had made good use of her influence.

4 Nichols Fought To Make NASA More Inclusive Of Minorities

For many years, she volunteered at NASA to help the agency become more inclusive of minorities.

"There were no women, and there were no minorities in the space program -- and that's supposed to represent the whole country?" Nichelle said about it . "Not in this day and age. We just absolutely cannot have that. I can't be a part of that." Her strategy to change that was foolproof. "I am going to bring you so many qualified women and minority astronaut applicants for this position that if you don't choose one ... everybody in the newspapers across the country will know about it. Science is not a boy's game, it's not a girl's game. It's everyone's game. It's about where we are and where we're going."

In 1994, she released her autobiography, Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories , where she shared her experiences on the show and stories about her career in general.

3 George Takei

Most people will remember George Takei for his unforgettable portrayal of Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise. He started his career in the '50s as a voiceover actor, and some of his credits include Rodan and Godzilla Raids Again , but Star Trek was what made him into the superstar that he is right now. While acting was always a passion of his, he prefers using his platform for his activism. In the early 2000s, he came out as gay, and has since become a spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ community. He wishes he could have spoken out sooner, especially having experienced the Stonewall riots.

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2 Takei Has Also Made A Huge Impact On Hollywood

"I saw these young men and women campaigning for what was called gay liberation, and giving up everything — their jobs, careers and families — to campaign for equality for us. It was very difficult for me," he shared . "Here I was campaigning for civil rights or the peace movement during the Vietnam War, but I was silent on the one issue that was organic to me, that was very personal. During that period I was weighted down by that sense of guilt and not participating."

Of course, his wishes to have done more are understandable, but it was a very different time, and coming out was a big risk for him at the time. Even so, he has managed to make a difference, and his legacy will include so much more than just his accomplishments as an actor.

1 Walter Koenig

Walter Koenig rose to fame with his role as Pavel Chekov, but he had known for a long time that he was going to be a movie star. Even though it wasn't his initial career choice. He attended UCLA and graduated with a degree in Psychology, but he soon realized that wasn't what he wanted to do.

"I did finish with a degree in psychology at UCLA and took one drama course at the school simply as a diversion,” Walter explained . “As it turned out, I had a professor who was very enthusiastic about what he thought I might be able to contribute as an actor. It was really with his support and enthusiasm that … I went back to drama school as opposed to going to grad school, and when I did that, I sort of sealed my fate. I didn’t know that would be the case, but being in a school which was exclusively devoted to the arts was the best time I’ve ever had in an academic environment. Once I started on that path it was pretty much determined, sink or swim, that’s what was going to happen in my life."

After Star Trek, he appeared in the series Babylon 5 , did some theater work, and even went back to college , but this time as a professor, to teach acting and directing.

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The Cast Of Star Trek: Then And Now

Over 50 years since it first aired, Star Trek remains a cultural juggernaut – from the J.J. Abrams -driven big-screen saga, to the forthcoming return of The Next Generation , and the continuation of Star Trek Discovery on Netflix (where you can also find every episode of every Trek show, including the animated series). In salute to Gene Roddenberry's groundbreaking, iconic show, we take stock of those original actors who paved the way for everything that followed.

William Shatner

Cast as captain of the starship Enterprise, it was Shatner who set the standard as James T. Kirk. Born in 1931 in Canada, and having a career that has spanned television, stage, screen, novels, video games, comic books, music and lord knows what else, this is a an 85-year-old who will not stop until he drops, and even then he’d probably argue, “What does God need with a starship…captain?”

Leonard Nimoy

Mr. Spock was far from the first television sidekick to equal if not eclipse a TV show’s main star. Given what Shatner brought to Kirk, it’s says a lot about Leonard Nimoy’s ability that he could make a character in complete control (most of the time) of his emotions come across as more than a cardboard cut-out. He never allowed Spock’s quiet dignity to fade away, even when reprising the role as recently as in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness . Born in 1931, Nimoy enjoyed a working life in theatre, on TV and film (as both actor and director), and as an author, recording artist and photographer. He died on February 27, 2015, and received a touching tribute in Star Trek Beyond .

DeForest Kelley

If there was one actor who brought the most humanity to Star Trek , it had to be the late DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. Born in 1920, he had built a career playing TV bad guys, usually in Westerns, which is what made it so surprising when Roddenberry cast him as The Enterprise's chief medical officer and Kirk’s conscience. After Star Trek finished its run, Kelley took on a couple of roles, but pretty much retired except for conventions, the first six big screen Star Trek adventures and a guest spot on the premiere episode of The Next Generation . He died on June 11, 1999.

James Doohan

He gave the engines all they had…and then some. It’s why James Doohan’s chief engineer, Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott,” was the best in the fleet. Born in in Canada in 1920, Doohan enjoyed a career in Canadian radio and television before making the shift to America. Like many of his co-stars, following the end of Star Trek he found himself typecast and other acting opportunities difficult to come by. He scored character roles here and there, and, of course, reprised the role of Scotty in the feature films based on the show. He died on July 20, 2005.

Nichelle Nichols

She opened those hailing frequencies like a boss, making communications officer Uhura an essential member of the Enterprise bridge crew. Born in 1932, Nichols took on the laudable challenge of being an African American actress on television at a time when America was struggling with civil rights. As such, she became a symbol and an inspiration for many African-American women. Early in her career she enjoyed some success as a dancer and singer, eventually making her way to television, where she met Gene Roddenberry on The Lieutenant . When he was casting Trek , he knew he wanted her to be a part of it. For some years following the series acting roles were sparse, but she did parlay the growing popularity of Trek into a job at NASA, where she recruited minority and female personnel to the space agency.

George Takei

Like his co-stars, George Takei , born in 1937, spent many years trying to shake off the persona of Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu. But after embracing all of what Star Trek represented, Takei enjoyed something of a career renaissance. He acted in mostly small roles before Trek , co-starred in John Wayne’s The Green Berets . Besides reprising the role of Sulu in six feature films, he immersed himself in California politics, became an author, and in recent years seems to be almost everywhere , appearing on a wide variety of TV shows and most recently on stage in the musical Allegiance , set during the Japanese American interment of World War II, which Takei himself experienced as a child.

Walter Koenig

He joined Star Trek in its second season and, as navigator Pavel Chekov, was supposed to be the 23rd Century’s answer to the youth-appealing Monkees or The Beatles. Koenig was another actor who had come to Roddenberry’s attention through The Lieutenant , and was brought aboard the Enterprise in 1967, where he served through the remainder of the series and seven feature films (he joined Shatner and Doohan in 1994’s Star Trek: Generations ). In between he worked as a television writer, gained popularity for his portrayal of Alfred Bester in the series Babylon 5 and appeared in a number of films. He also wrote a number of books – both fiction and non-fiction – and worked in comics as well.

Notable Movie Guest Stars

Stephen collins.

He portrayed Commander Willard Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Born in 1947, Collins is best known for roles in in TV shows such as Tales of the Gold Monkey , No Ordinary Family and Revolution , as well as the films The First Wives Club and Because I Said So . He also spent eleven seasons as the patriarch on 7th Heaven .

Kirstie Alley

Born in 1951, Alley portrayed Vulcan/Romulan hybrid Lt. Saavik in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan . Following the film she co-starred in the long-running Cheers , and went on to such shows as Veronica’s Closet and Kirstie , a number of guest star appearances and starring roles in films Look Who’s Talking, It Takes Two, For Richer or Poorer and Accidental Love .

Ricardo Montalban

Montalban guest-starred on the original Star Trek in the 1967 episode “Space Seed,” portraying 20th Century genetic superman Khan Noonien Singh. Revived from suspended animation, Khan attempted to take control of the Enterprise and, instead of being sent to prison, was given a planet to tame by Kirk. After that, Montalban (born in 1920 in Mexico), just as he had before that show, appeared in a wide variety of TV series, television movies and feature films, but is largely remembered for playing Mr. Roarke in Fantasy Island and Zach Powers in Dynasty and The Colbys . In 1982 he reprised the role of Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , in which, as the title suggests, his genetic superman and his people escape the planet they had been left on, seeking vengeance against Kirk. Montalban died on January 14, 2009.

Christopher Lloyd

As the Klingon Kruge, Christopher Lloyd looked to be having a grand old time chewing the soundstage scenery with Shatner in 1984’s Star Trek III: The Search For Spock . Lloyd’s long list of credits include the TV series Taxi , as well as Who Framed Roger Rabbit? . He is undoubtedly most beloved for his role as Dr. Emmett Brown in the Back To The Future trilogy.

Robin Curtis

When contractual issues came up between Kirstie Alley and Paramount following Wrath Of Khan , Robin Curtis stepped in to play Lt. Saavik for Star Trek III: The Search For Spock and, briefly, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Prior to her tour of duty on the Enterprise, she guest starred on some TV shows, appeared in several films and amassed an impressive number of regional and national theatre stage roles. Between acting gigs, she's also worked as a real estate agent.

Catherine Hicks

In the years prior to endearing herself to Star Trek fans as marine biologist Gillian Taylor in Star Trek IV , Catherine Hicks (born in 1951) had spent three years on the soap opera Ryan's Hope , starred in several short-lived series, was Emmy-nominated for her role as Marilyn Monroe in the TV movie Marilyn: The Untold Story and would go on to star in Child's Play . Most notably she co-starred with Commander Decker (actually Stephen Collins) in 7th Heaven , which ran for eleven seasons beginning in 1996.

Laurence Luckinbill

Did you know Spock had a half-brother named Sybok? Nope, neither did we. Even Kirk had no idea, but that was one of the revelations of 1989's Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , and it was Sybok who hi-jacked the Enterprise so everyone could meet (not) God. Laurence Luckinbill, born in 1934, has a long history of roles on television, stage and in film. He also happens to be married to Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball (who gave the green light for the original Star Trek in the first place) and Desi Arnaz.

Christopher Plummer

Not that we didn't already know that Canadian-born Christopher Plummer could perform Shakespeare, but that point was really driven home in 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , for which he portrayed Klingon general Chang and which should have provided the Bard co-writing credit, given the number of quotes utilised. Born in 1929, Plummer's extensive film credits (not to mention his acclaimed stage work) includes The Sound Of Music , Battle Of Britain , Waterloo, Inside Man , Up , The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo .

Kim Cattrall

Admittedly it wasn't Sex In The Starship , but the Liverpool-born Kim Cattrall definitely brought a lot of sexual energy to her role as the Vulcan Valeris in Star Trek VI , serving as part of a conspiracy to destroy a newly brokered peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Born in 1956, her film career began in 1975 with Rosebud and went on to include such efforts as Ticket To Heaven, Porky's , Police Academy , Big Trouble In Little China , and Midnight Crossing . She is, of course, most famous for portraying Samantha Jones in the TV series Sex And The City and the two feature films spun off from it.

Head to Empire's 10 Essential Star Trek Articles

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' 36 years later

• "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ("TNG") aired from 1987 to 1994.
• It was the first live-action "Star Trek" show since the original series ended in 1969.
• The cast will reunite for the final season of "Star Trek: Picard," which premieres February 16.

The captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, was played by Sir Patrick Stewart for all seven seasons.

Stewart got his start as a theater actor and was a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1966 to 1982. He then had various roles on British TV series until he was cast as the newest captain of the USS Enterprise in 1987 for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," kicking off decades of debates on who the superior captain is .

Arguably, "TNG" would never have been as successful as it was without the grounding presence of Stewart and his Shakespearean sensibilities. Some of the best episodes and arcs in "Trek" history come down to Stewart's performance, such as the iconic Locutus storyline and its aftermath in "Family," or classic episodes like "The Measure of a Man" and "The Inner Light."

He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in 1995. He won a Grammy in 1996 for best spoken word album for children for his reading of "Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf."

Stewart, 82, will conclude Picard's story in 2023 after three seasons of "Star Trek: Picard" on Paramount+.

By the time "TNG" wrapped up in 1994, Stewart had already  solidified his place in the hearts of nerds everywhere. He'd go on to star in four more "Trek" movies — "Generations" in 1994, "First Contact" in 1996, "Insurrection" in 1998, and "Nemesis" in 2002 — but that wasn't his last iconic role.

In 2000, he starred as the iconic Professor Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, in "X-Men." He reprised the role in 2003's "X2," 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," 2013's "The Wolverine," 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and 2017's "Logan" — the latter of which got him some Oscar buzz . He reprised the role in 2022's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for services to drama.

He's played various other roles throughout his decades-long career, returned to the stage many times, and secured a Tony nomination in 2008 for his performance in "Macbeth." But Picard wasn't done with him yet.

In 2018, it was announced that Stewart would be returning to the role of Jean-Luc Picard for a series on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) following the former captain 30 years after the events of "Nemesis." "Star Trek: Picard" premiered in 2020. The third and final season will premiere on February 16.

Commander William T. Riker, Picard's right-hand man and first officer, was played by Jonathan Frakes.

Riker was more of the classic "Trek" rogue, similar in some ways to William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk, namely, his penchant for getting into trouble and getting women across the galaxy to fall in love with him. But he was also a trusted colleague and friend to Picard across seven seasons and four movies. Picking up Riker from Farpoint Station is actually one of the crew's first missions in the pilot.

Before "TNG," Frakes had appeared in various episodes of '70s and '80s shows like "Charlie's Angels," "The Twilight Zone," "Hill Street Blues," and more. But he quickly became best known for "Trek."

Like Shatner and Leonard Nimoy before him, Frakes also became interested in directing, and he was behind the camera for eight episodes of "TNG," as well as episodes of spin-offs "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager." He also directed films "First Contact" and "Insurrection."

Frakes, 70, has appeared in "Picard" and "Lower Decks." He's also a successful director.

Soon after "TNG" wrapped up, Frakes began hosting the series "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?" from 1998 to 2002. A compilation clip of him saying things are false/fiction has since become a meme .

Frakes reprised his role as Riker in episodes of "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" in the '90s, the series finale of "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005, two episodes of "Star Trek: Picard" in 2020, and three episodes of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" in 2020 and 2021.

Over the last two decades, he's directed over 70 episodes of television, including shows like "Roswell," "Castle," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "The Librarians," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Seth MacFarlane's loving "Trek" homage "The Orville," and, of course, the new "Trek" shows like "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Picard."

Like the rest of the original "TNG" crew, Frakes has joined the cast of "Picard" for season three.

Marina Sirtis played Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor and an empath.

In some ways, Troi was like the exact opposite of Spock, a character from the original "Trek" who operated solely from a place of logic. Instead, Troi was a half-human, half-betazoid, which made her an empath (able to telepathically sense people's feelings and emotions). Her place on the ship was to counsel the captain and other members of the crew.

Notably, Troi and Riker were in a relationship before the events of the show, and they eventually get married during the movie "Nemesis," before moving to the USS Titan, where Riker would finally become captain.

Her mother, Lwaxana Troi, was a beloved "Trek" side character played by Majel Barrett, "Trek" creator Gene Rodenberry's wife and "Original Series" cast member. Barrett also played Christine Chapel.

Before "TNG," Sirtis had appeared in bit parts in films and was mainly doing theater in her native UK.

Sirtis, 67, reprised the role for one episode of "Picard" with her on-screen husband, Riker.

Sirtis appeared in all four "TNG" films," and she also reprised her role as Troi in "Voyager," "Enterprise," "Picard," and "Lower Decks." She also appeared in an episode of "The Orville."

She's steadily worked in TV over the last two decades, appearing in shows like "Without a Trace," "Make It or Break It," "Grey's Anatomy," "NCIS," and "Scandal."

Sirtis has also had a steady voice-acting career, lending her voice to "Gargoyles," "Adventure Time," and perhaps most famously, as Queen Bee in "Young Justice."

Sirtis will don her Starfleet uniform yet again in 2023 for the final season of "Picard."

LeVar Burton played the engineering genius Geordi La Forge.

Besides Stewart, Burton was easily the most well-known member of the cast. Ten years prior, he had played Kunta Kinte in the 1977 ABC miniseries "Roots," which was nominated for 37 Emmy Awards, winning nine, including a nomination for Burton . The series finale is still the second most-watched series finale of all time, garnering at least 110 million viewers. He reprised the role in the 1988 TV film "Roots: The Gift."

When he was cast as La Forge, the chief engineering officer who happened to be blind — a big step forward in disability representation at the time — Burton had already been hosting "Reading Rainbow" on PBS since 1983. "Reading Rainbow," which Burton produced, won a Peabody Award and 12 Daytime Emmys.

From 1990 to 1996, Burton also voiced Kwame on "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" for over 100 episodes. In 1999, he directed the Disney Channel Original Movie classic "Smart House."

Burton, 66, was recently at the center of a campaign to take over as the new host of "Jeopardy!"

Like the rest of the main cast, Burton appeared in "TNG's" four feature films . He also appeared as La Forge in an episode of "Voyager."

He will reprise his role for the first time on TV since 1998 during the third and final season of "Picard" — and he'll be joined by his daughter, Mica Burton, who will play La Forge's daughter Alandra, an ensign in Starfleet.

Burton has had a successful career in Hollywood since, appearing as Martin Luther King Jr. in 2001's "Ali," playing himself in iconic appearances on both "Community" and "The Big Bang Theory," and hosting "Reading Rainbow" until its end in 2006.

Like Frakes, Burton is also a successful TV director. He's directed numerous episodes of "Star Trek" and its spin-offs, as well as episodes of "Charmed," "JAG," and "NCIS: New Orleans." He made his movie directorial debut in 2008 with "Reach for Me," starring Seymour Cassel.

After the death of Alex Trebek in 2020 , fans began campaigning for Burton to take over as the new host of "Jeopardy!" Almost 300,000 fans have signed a petition to that effect. However, after a brief stint as guest host, Burton said he wouldn't be interested in taking over as the permanent host.

In October 2021, he was named next year's grand marshal of the Rose Bowl Parade.

Gates McFadden played the chief medical officer Dr. Beverly Crusher for six seasons — she was replaced briefly in season two.

Dr. Crusher was introduced as the chief medical officer of the Enterprise with a long relationship with Picard — her late husband, Jack, and Picard were close friends, and Picard even brought back Jack's body after death.

However, as the show progressed, Dr. Crusher and Picard's relationship evolved into love and they even got married (and divorced) in an alternate timeline. We want to see Beverly in "Picard," please — and it seems like we're finally getting our wish.

After the first season, McFadden was written out of the show due to issues with head writer Maurice Hurley and replaced with Diana Muldaur, who played Dr. Katherine Pulaski. Muldaur's character did not gel with the rest of the cast, and McFadden was subsequently brought back for season three (and Hurley was ultimately replaced with Michael Piller).

Before "TNG," McFadden was a choreographer and a puppeteer involved with the Jim Henson Company, in addition to her career as an actress . She appeared in and choreographed 1984's "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and choreographed "Labyrinth" in 1986 . McFadden directed an episode of "TNG" in 1994.

McFadden, 73, has appeared in episodes of shows like "Franklin & Bash," "NCIS," and "The Practice."

McFadden appeared in all four "TNG" films , though she didn't have a huge role in them, considering how her relationship with Picard was left in the series finale. She even joked during a screening of the season three premiere of "Picard" that she didn't remember being in the films.

Hopefully, their bond will be addressed in season three of "Picard," which McFadden will return for, especially since season two of "Picard" seems very concerned with the lack of love in his life.

Since the end of the films in 2002, McFadden has mainly appeared on TV. She was in four episodes of "Franklin & Bash," an episode of "NCIS," and a TV movie called "A Neighbor's Deception." She was also in a 2009 holiday rom-com called "Make the Yuletide Gay."

Michael Dorn played Worf, the first Klingon in "Trek" history to be a main character.

Worf was the first Klingon to be a main character in "Star Trek" — in three of the original films, Klingons were, if not the main antagonists, one of the secondary foes.

By the events of "TNG," Dorn's character Worf had enlisted in Star Fleet and slowly became one of the series' best and most beloved characters, as well as the chief security officer. He went on to star on "Deep Space Nine" for four seasons, from 1995 to 1999.

Before the show, Dorn had appeared in shows such as "CHiPS," "Knots Landing," and "Days of Our Lives."

Dorn, 70, has been in more episodes of "Star Trek" than any other actor. He'll add to his lead by appearing in "Picard."

Overall, Dorn played Worf for 277 episodes and four films, making more appearances than any other actor in "Trek" history. The character was so popular that there were even talks to continue his story in his own show, called "Star Trek: Captain Worf" in 2012, though they never came to fruition.

He'll continue his reign, as Dorn was announced with the rest of the cast of "TNG" to be returning to "Trek" in season three of "Picard."

Besides acting in "Star Trek," Dorn also directed three episodes of "Deep Space Nine," as well as an episode of "Enterprise."

Like many of his co-stars, Dorn has had a successful voice-acting career . He used his voice in "Dinosaurs," "Superman: The Animated Series," "I Am Weasel," "Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time," "Regular Show," and "Arrow," among others. Most recently, he voiced Battle Beast in "Invincible."

Dorn appeared in two of the "Santa Clause" movies as the Sandman, and he was also in "Ted 2." In real life, he's also an accomplished pilot.

Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher, Dr. Crusher's son and a controversial character.

Poor Wesley. It couldn't have been easy losing your dad at such an early age, only to be dragged onto a spaceship with the man who survived instead ... a man who pointedly hated kids to boot. But that was Wesley's plight, and it didn't make for a very enjoyable character. He was written off as a regular after season four, at which point he went to Starfleet Academy. Wesley reappeared in the final season for a send-off.

The year before Wheaton began appearing in "TNG," he starred in the classic '80s film "Stand by Me" alongside River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, and John Cusack, all future stars in the making.

Wheaton, 50, made a surprise cameo at the end of season two of "Picard."

As Wesley wasn't a  hugely  beloved character, he only appeared in one scene of one film , "Nemesis." He didn't even speak.

But Wheaton hasn't let the haters stop him from having a successful career. He's appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, and he hilariously played himself across 17 episodes of "The Big Bang Theory." He also had a recurring role on "Eureka," another recurring role on "Leverage," and a talk show on SyFy called "The Wil Wheaton Project."

Wheaton has also acted in many web series, including "Welcome to Night Vale." He's also had great success in voice acting, most recently voicing the Flash in "Teen Titans Go to the Movies."

He also hosted the web series "TableTop," in which he and guests play a game (like Settlers of Catan or Pandemic) each episode, which aired from 2012 to 2017.

Currently, he hosts "The Ready Room," the official "Star Trek" aftershow that features interviews with the cast and crew. He also made a brief, surprise appearance at the end of season two of "Picard."

Brent Spiner played Data, an android who was on a quest to become more human.

While most of the characters on "TNG" were almost entirely original, Data was clearly conceived as this show's version of Spock , another character who struggled with the concept of humanity.

However, as the show went on, Data solidified himself as his own character with his own fascinating backstory (Lore and Dr. Noonien Soong, anyone?) and a heartwarming desire to become human.

Before the series, Spiner enjoyed a successful career in theater , originating the role of Franz/Dennis in "Sunday in the Park with George" and starring as Aramis in "The Three Musketeers." He also appeared in six episodes of "Night Court."

In 1996, he appeared in the huge sci-fi blockbuster "Independence Day."

They keep finding ways for Spiner, 74, to stay in the "Trek" universe, even 21 years after Data's death in "Star Trek: Nemesis."

Spiner appeared in all four "TNG" movies . In fact, his character might have had the most complete arc, when you take in his sacrifice at the end of "Nemesis." He also played an ancestor of his character's creator, Dr. Arik Soong, in four episodes of "Enterprise's" fourth season.

In 2016, Spiner reprised his role as Dr. Brackish Okun in the sequel "Independence Day: Resurgence." Over the years he's appeared in dozens of TV shows, including "Friends," "Star Wars Rebels," "Ray Donovan," "The Goldbergs," and "Warehouse 13."

Spiner has also voiced two iconic Batman villains. He played the Joker in an episode of "Young Justice," and he voiced the Riddler in "Justice League Action."

In 2020, Spiner reprised his role as Data in "Picard," appearing as the character in dream sequences and as a virtual consciousness throughout the first season.

He also appeared as a descendant of his creator, Dr. Altan Inigo Soong, and as a similar android named B-4 who was originally introduced in "Nemesis." In season two, he played another one of Noonien Soong's ancestors, Adam Soong.

Spiner was announced, like the rest of the cast , to be part of "Picard's" third season, this time playing Data's evil "brother," Lore.

Denise Crosby only starred in one season of "TNG" as Natasha Yar.

Yar's death was one of the biggest shocks of "TNG" and proved this wasn't going to be like the original show — deaths weren't just reserved for "red shirts" here. No one was safe.

In actuality, Crosby asked to be written off the show , as she "was miserable. I couldn't wait to get off that show. I was dying." And so, her character was killed in the season one episode "Skin of Evil" by a malevolent tar-like creature. Yar would reappear two more times, in a season three episode called "Yesterday's Enterprise" (an all-timer), and the series finale.

Crosby also appeared in three episodes as a character called Sela, a future half-Romulan daughter of Yar's from an alternate timeline.

Before the show, Crosby, the granddaughter of Bing Crosby, had appeared in films like "48 Hrs.," "Pet Sematary," two "Pink Panther" films, and multiple episodes of "Days of Our Lives."

Crosby, 65, recently appeared in a few episodes of "General Hospital."

Crosby didn't appear as Yar in any of the "TNG" films, but that doesn't mean she's totally stayed away from "Trek." She produced and presented a 1997 documentary about "Trek" fandom called "Trekkies," and its 2004 sequel "Trekkies 2." As of 2017, there were plans for a third installment.

She's also appeared in multiple direct-to-video movies , in addition to her roles in "Southland," "Ray Donovan," "The Walking Dead," "Suits," "Creepshow," and most recently "NCIS" and "General Hospital."

Colm Meaney had a recurring role as the transporter chief Miles O'Brien.

Meaney appeared in over 50 episodes of "TNG" as O'Brien before he switched over to "Deep Space Nine," which he starred on from 1993 to 1999. His character got much more to do on the spin-off, though he did get married in a season four episode called "Data's Day," and he eventually had a child in the season five episode "Disaster."

During his run on "TNG," Meaney also appeared in a 1993 film called "The Snapper." He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance. 

Meaney, 69, continued to play O'Brien in "Deep Space Nine" through 1999.

After wrapping up his role in "Deep Space Nine," Meaney went on to be nominated for a Gemini Award in 2002 for his role in Canadian series "Random Passage." He also appeared in three episodes of "Stargate Atlantis," the miniseries "Alice," two episodes of "Men in Trees," and more.

Meaney was also nominated for a Saturn Award in 2013 for his role in "Hell on Wheels," appeared in 10 episodes of "Will" and in British series "Gangs of London" and "The Singapore Grip."

In 2021, he appeared in the 15th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" as the father of Charlie Day's character.

He's had success on the big screen, as well. He was nominated for the Irish Film and Television Award for best actor in 2007 for "Kings," and he has been in other films like "Law Abiding Citizen," "Get Him to the Greek," "Tolkien," "Seberg," and "Pixie."

He recently starred in "The Serpent Queen" as King Francis I on Starz.

Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for "Ghost" as she was recurring on "TNG" as Guinan, an alien bartender who was hundreds of years old.

Goldberg had already been nominated for an Oscar (for "The Color Purple" in 1985) and had won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 1985 (Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show Recording), and had been nominated for an Emmy  for her performance on "Moonlighting" in 1986, when she was asked if she wanted to appear in "TNG" as Guinan, an alien bartender in the ship's lounge who acted as a sounding board for many characters.

She actually asked to be on the show due to her "Trek" fandom, which stemmed from seeing Uhura, a Black woman, in a position of power in the first "Star Trek" series. Goldberg appeared in 28 episodes across seven seasons.

At the same time, Goldberg was becoming a true A-lister. In 1990, she starred in "Ghost," which eventually won her an Oscar. In 1992, she starred in the classic "Sister Act" and its sequel the following year.

Goldberg, 67, accepted a personal invitation from Stewart during "The View" to return as Guinan in season two of "Picard."

Goldberg appeared in two of the "Next Generation" films, "Generations" and "Nemesis." During that time, she also appeared in films like "The Lion King," "Girl, Interrupted," "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."

In 2002, Goldberg secured her Tony Award win for producing "Thoroughly Modern Millie." That same year, she completed her EGOT by winning an Emmy for outstanding special class series. She's also hosted multiple award shows, including the Tonys and the Oscars. 

Goldberg has consistently acted in both TV and movies in the 2000s, appearing in "Glee," "The Middle," "Toy Story 3," "Nobody's Fool," and more.

Since 2007, Goldberg has hosted "The View," which won her her second Emmy — she won outstanding entertainment talk show host at the 2009 Daytime Emmys.

During an appearance on "The View," none other than Patrick Stewart extended an invitation to Goldberg to reprise her role as Guinan during season two of "Picard," which she emotionally accepted.

Both Goldberg's version  and  a younger version played by Ito Aghayere of Guinan appeared during the show.

John de Lancie played Q, a mischievous, omnipotent being throughout all seven seasons of "TNG."

In many ways, it would've been impossible to bring back Picard without bringing back Q. The Enterprise's captain meets Q in the very first episode of "TNG," and for almost every season after he pops back in to check in on the crew (and usually antagonize them a little bit). "TNG's" highly lauded series finale is also a Q episode, with Q attempting to conclude the trial of humanity he began in the first episode.

John de Lancie played Q in eight episodes of "TNG," along with one episode of "Deep Space Nine" and three episodes of "Voyager."

Throughout the '80s and '90s, de Lancie also appeared in "Days of Our Lives," "Trial and Error," and had small roles in films like "The Fisher King" and "Multiplicity."

De Lancie, 74, returned for season two of "Picard."

De Lancie has continued to work frequently on TV, with arcs in shows like "Breaking Bad," "Charmed," "The Librarians," "The Secret Circle," and more.

The actor returned to the "Trek" universe to play Q once again on the first season of the animated series "Lower Decks" in 2020. Two years later, it was revealed that Q would play a major part in season two of "Picard" since, as Q would later say in the season, " even gods have favorites ."

• Main content

‘Star Trek’ 50th Anniversary: Where the Actors Are Now

By Lawrence Yee

Lawrence Yee

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“ Star Trek ” premiered 50 years ago today.

The original series — created by Gene Roddenberry — ran from 1966 to 1969 before finding a second life in syndication and then on the big screen.

“Star Trek” brought some of the most memorable characters on TV: the brash Captain Kirk, the logical Commander Spock, and Lieutenant Uhura, one of the first non-menial African American television roles.

Sadly, Leonard Nimoy, who played the half-Vulcan Spock, passed away last year . Other deceased cast members include DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy aka “Bones”) and James Doohan (Montgomery Scott aka “Scotty”). However, the surviving actors still have prolific careers.

William Shatner (Kirk) is currently starring in “Better Late Than Never.” George Takei (Sulu) recently finished a critically acclaimed run on Broadway in “Allegiance,” a play about Japanese internment camps . Both have found new life as internet memes as well. Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) just had a guest role on “The Young and the Restless.”

“Star Trek” spun-off into four series: “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Voyager” and “Enterprise.” A fifth — “Star Trek: Discovery” is set to premiere next year .

To see what the various “Trek” actors look like now and what they’re working on (yes, “Red” from “Orange is the New Black” once commanded a starship), click on the gallery below.

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The Original ‘Star Trek’ Cast: Where They’ve Boldly Gone, Then and Now

Follow the cast from television to movies, conventions, the Broadway stage and into outer space!

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You may have caught the classic sci-fi series Star Trek during its original run in the mid-1960s or, if not, then you caught it in reruns throughout the 1970s or ’80s. But whenever it was that you discovered the starship Enterprise and its crew, it seems pretty impossible to believe you could have imagined it still being part of the popular conversation nearly 60 years after it made its debut. Or , even more incredibly, that one of the Star Trek cast members would actually make his way into space.

(Click through to our sister site to learn behind-the-scenes secrets of the original Star Trek .)

The original Star Trek series made … well, stars out of its cast, who must have been just as amazed as the audience to find their lives and careers intersecting repeatedly following the show’s cancellation in 1969. They first reunited for 1973 to 1974’s Saturday morning Star Trek: The Animated Series , and went on to appear in six movie adventures between 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture and 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

What follows is a look at those beloved actors in the Star Trek cast between and beyond their journeys to the final frontier.

William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk

Coming from a background that included acclaimed roles on stage ( The World of Suzie Wong, A Shot in the Dark ), screen ( The Brothers Karamazov, Judgment at Nuremberg) and television ( The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, For the People ), William Shatner was deemed the right man to captain the starship Enterprise and he did so brilliantly. But when the show ended in 1969, things weren’t so easy, and although he starred in the short-lived series The Barbary Coast , he had to pay the bills by participating on game shows, guest starring on different TV series, starring in low budget movies and appearing in TV and radio commercials.

A lifeline was thrown to him in the form of 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture , the success of which essentially relaunched his career.

Not only would Shatner star in six other films in the franchise, but he was featured in the title role of the police drama T.J. Hooker (1982 to 1986), hosted Rescue 911 (1989 to 1996), produced and starred in the TekWar series (1994 to 1996) — based on his own science fiction book series under the same umbrella title — achieved critical acclaim and an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Denny Crane in Boston Legal (2004 to 2008), performed a one-man show on Broadway, narrated countless documentaries and TV specials, recorded albums, and authored a couple of dozen fiction and non-fiction books .

Oh, and in 2021 he became the oldest person to go into space , doing so aboard the Blue Origin NS-18 . For fans of Star Trek it was a a thrill, but for Shatner himself the response was not one that would have expected.

“This was an immensely powerful awakening for me,” he said on stage at a convention. “It filled me with sadness. I realized that we had spent decades, if not centuries, being obsessed with looking away, with looking outside. I did my share in popularizing the idea that space was the final frontier. But I had to get to space to understand that Earth is and will stay our only home. And that we have been ravaging it, relentlessly, making it uninhabitable.”

Again, not what one would have expected.

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

Leonard Nimoy , who would have seemingly been the most typecast from Star Trek having played Mr. Spock, actually went on to the most successful career of all the cast members during the 10-year period between the end of the original series and the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

In 1969 he immediately shifted over to a co-starring role in the hit series Mission: Impossible for 49 episodes, playing make-up genius Paris. Following his departure in 1972, he played the lead in the national touring company of the musical Fiddler on the Roof , portrayed another “logical” character in the form of Sherlock Holmes, offered up his take on Vincent Van Gogh in the one-man show Vincent , and starred on Broadway in Equus . He made numerous appearances in episodic series and TV films, and narrated the syndicated show In Search of…

On the big screen he reprised the role of Spock in six films featuring the original cast, and portrayed the character in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot as well as the 2013 sequel Star Trek Into Darkness , which would turn out to be his final filmed role. Earlier he segued into directing, doing so for Star Trek III (1984) and Star Trek IV (1986) before taking on Three Men and a Baby (1987), The Good Mother (1988), Funny About Love (1990) and Holy Matrimony (1994).

Between 1973 and 2002 he wrote seven books of poetry, two biographies — I Am Not Spock (1975) and I Am Spock (1995) — and published three books of photography. Additionally, he recorded five albums between 1967’s Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music from Outer Space and 1970’s The New World of Leonard Nimoy .

Nimoy was married twice and had two children. He died on February 27, 2015 of complications from COPD at the age of 83.

DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy

In essence, Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy served as the conscience to Captain Kirk aboard the Enterprise , and as such was perhaps the most humanistic of all the characters. There’s a bit of irony there in the sense that actor DeForest Kelley built his acting career on playing villains in Western films and TV shows. His post- Star Trek career was fairly limited, starring in the 1972 film Night of the Lepus , about a battle against giant killer bunnies, and he reprised the role of McCoy in six Star Trek features and the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

He married Carolyn Dowling in 1945 and was with her until his death on June 11, 1999 at age 79 of stomach cancer.

James Doohan as Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott

Canadian born James Montgomery Doohan had, by his own estimation, appeared on 4,000 radio programs and 450 television shows before he played Scotty for the first time in the second Star Trek pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” Like his co-stars, he brought the character to the big screen in six feature films, co-starring with Shatner and Walter Koenig in the seventh, Star Trek: Generations ; and also appearing in the “Relics” episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Other film credits include Rock Hudson ‘s Pretty Maids All in a Row and Man in the Wilderness (both 1971), Loaded Weapon 1 (1993) and, in his final film role, Skinwalker: Curse of the Shaman (2005). He co-starred in the Saturday morning live action series Jason of Star Command (1978), and in seven episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful between 1996 and 1997.

Although there were other TV guest spots, he spent much of his time each year doing the convention circuit, which turned out to be fairly lucrative. He wrote his autobiography, Beam Me Up, Scotty: Star Trek’s “Scotty” in His Own Words ; and three entries in The Flight Engineer book series.

Married three times, he had a total of seven children. He died on July 20, 2005 of complications from pulmonary fibrosis. He was 85.

Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura

Trying to break through as a black actress in the 1960s was not an easy thing to do, but Nichelle Nichols continued to push, finding small roles in a few films between 1959’s Porgy and Bess and 1966’s Mister Buddwing .

On TV she could be seen in episodes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s The Lieutenant , Peyton Place and Tarzan before being hired to play Uhura. Although Nichols was planning on quitting the show after the first season, she was talked out of it by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , and remained with the franchise for much of her life. She played Uhura in six films as well as the fan-made production, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men .

Nichols impact as Uhura was such that NASA worked with her to recruit minority and female personnel for the space agency, her recruitees including the first American female astronaut, Sally Ride; and the first black astronaut, United States Air Force Colonel Guion Bluford. “When I began,” the actress pointed out, “NASA had 1,500 applications. Six months later, they had 8,000. I like to think some of those were encouraged by me. The aim was to find qualified people among women and minorities, then to convince them that the opportunity was real and that it also was a duty, because this was historic. I really had this sense of purpose about it myself.”

In subsequent years, she provided her voice to a number of TV animated characters, including playing herself on Futurama and The Simpsons ; there was a recurring role on Heroes and the soap opera, The Young and the Restless ; and film parts in later years included The White Orchid and American Nightmares (both 2018) and Unbelievable!!!!! (2020). Additionally, she recorded three albums, penned her autobiography ( Beyond Uhura ) and wrote a pair of sci-fi novels, Saturn’s Child and Saturna’s Quest . Married twice, she has one son (Kyle Johnson). In 2015, Nichols suffered a minor stroke and, three years later, was diagnosed with dementia. She died of heart failure on July 30, 2022 at 89 .

George Takei as Sulu

George Takei — born Hosato Takei — certainly diversified following Star Trek . Not only did he make appearances on a variety of television series (including The Six Million Dollar Man, Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D. and Kung Fu ), but he co-wrote the 1979 science fiction/swashbuckler novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe and threw his hat into the Los Angeles political arena — and not for the last time.

While Takei has been able to work fairly consistently in film and television — beyond the six Star Trek films he appeared in — he’s stayed busy with myriad projects, including the 2012 musical Allegiance , which explores his own experiences and research into the Japanese American internment of World War II.

Prior to that, he co-wrote the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy , which focused on his family’s internment. In addition, he took on reality shows such as The Apprentice and I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! . He wrote 1994’s To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei , and followed with two additional non-fiction tomes.

In 2005, he came out as gay and emphasized that he and partner Brad Altman had been, at that point, in a relationship for 18 years (the duo also became the first same-sex married couple in West Hollywood three years later). Since then he has been involved in quite a number of campaigns demanding equal rights for members of the LGBT community.

Walter Koenig as Chekov

Walter Koenig, like his costars, did his fair share of episodic television work following his two seasons as Chekov in the Star Trek cast, co-starred in the Gene Roddenberry television pilot, The Questor Tapes ; had a recurring role on the sci-fi series Babylon 5 and reprised the role of Chekov in seven Star Trek films.

Additionally, he served as an acting teacher, directed plays, wrote novels and penned the scripts for such primetime television fare as Family and What Really Happened to the Class of ’65?. On top of that, there are the screenplays for I Wish I May, You’re Never Alone When You’re a Schizophenic and several one-act plays. His most recent film roles are Who is Martin Danzig? (2018) and Unbelievable!!!!! (2020).

Koenig has written a trio of memoirs ( Warped Factors: A Neurotic’s Guide to the Universe , Chekov’s Enterprise and Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek ), the sci-fi novel Buck Alice and the Actor-Rabbit , and the comics Raver and Walter Koenig’s Things to Come . He was married to Judy Levitt from 1965 until her death in in 2022. They have two children.

Deal of the Day

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‘Red Dawn’ Cast: See Young Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen and Leah Thompson in 1984

Since it's been so long since the original "Star Trek" series premiered, most of the actors from it have passed away. However, a few are still making their mark on the world.

William Shatner, who played Captain James Tiberius Kirk, is still thriving at the age of 92 at the time of writing. Not only that, but he's far from retirement.

He's continued to take on acting work, with some recent examples including a 2022 turn on "The Masked Singer" and a role as host for the 2023 reality TV series "Stars on Mars."

George Takei climbed to fame playing Hikaru Sulu in "Star Trek". In the decades since the show ended, he's remained quite active as an actor and political activist.

At the age of 86, most of his recent work has been voice acting. He's played characters in shows like "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "The Simpsons," and "BoJack Horseman."

Walter Koenig, now 87 years old, played Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original series, and his most notable work has generally been in the realm of science fiction.

He hasn't been as active over the last decade, but he still works from time to time. In 2023, he briefly reprised his role as Chekov for "Star Trek: Picard" Season 3.

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Star Trek Stars Who Passed Away

R.I.P to all who have died

1. Jeffrey Hunter

Actor | The Searchers

Jeffrey Hunter was born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. on November 25, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, an only child. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In his teens, he acted in productions of the North Shore Children's ...

25 November 1926 - 27 May 1969 (age 42) Character(s): Christopher Pike (Pilot 1964/1986, T.O.S 2 episodes 1966)

2. Merritt Butrick

Actor | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Merritt Butrick was an American actor from Gainesville, Florida. He is primarily remembered for portraying Dr. David Marcus in the science fiction films "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982) and "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984). His character was depicted as a son of the Starfleet ...

3 September 1959 – 17 March 1989 (age 29) Character(s): David Marcus (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984) & T'Jon (T.N.G 1 episode 1988)

3. Susan Oliver

Actress | Star Trek

A fascinating aura of mystery seemed to surround the characters portrayed by blue-eyed blonde actress Susan Oliver, whose trademark high cheekbones, rosebud lips and heart-shaped face kept audiences intrigued for nearly three decades. She left a fine legacy of work in theater, motion pictures and ...

13 February 1932 - 10 May 1990 (aged 58) Character(s): Vina (Pilot 1964/1986, T.O.S 2 episodes 1966)

4. John Hoyt

Actor | When Worlds Collide

John Hoyt was born on October 5, 1905 in Bronxville, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for When Worlds Collide (1951), Spartacus (1960) and Brute Force (1947). He was married to Dorothy Marion Oltman and Marion Virginia Burns. He died on September 15, 1991 in Santa Cruz, California, ...

5 October 1905 – 15 September 1991 (age 85) Character(s): Philip Boyce (Pilot 1964/1986, T.O.S 2 episodes 1966)

5. Judith Anderson

Actress | Rebecca

Dame Judith Anderson was born Frances Margaret Anderson on February 10, 1897 in Adelaide, South Australia. She began her acting career in Australia before moving to New York in 1918. There she established herself as one of the greatest theatrical actresses and was a major star on Broadway ...

10 February 1897 – 3 January 1992 (age 94) Character(s): T'Lar (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984)

6. Bibi Besch

Actress | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Bibi Besch, a talented actress, was born in Vienna, Austria, to Gotfrid Köchert, a renowned race car driver, and actress Gusti Huber . She had a busy career, especially as a supporting actress on TV, spanning over twenty years. Her exceptional performance in the TV series, Doing Time on Maple Drive ...

1 February 1940 – 7 September 1996 (age 56) Character(s): Carol Marcus (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982)

7. Mark Lenard

Actor | Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Mark Lenard was an American actor, primarily known for television roles. He is primarily known for playing Vulcan ambassador Sarek (Spock's father) in "Star Trek: The Original Series" and a number of its spin-offs. In 1924, Lenard was born under the name "Leonard Rosenson" in Chicago Illinois. His ...

15 October 1924 – 22 November 1996 (age 72) Character(s): Romulan Commander (T.O.S 1 episode 1966), Sarek T.O.S " 1 episode 1967, T.A.S 1 episode 1973, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991, T.N.G 2 episode's 1991) & Klingon Captain (Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979)

8. Persis Khambatta

Actress | Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Persis Khambatta was born on October 2, 1948 in Bombay, India. When aged 16, as Femina Miss India, she entered Miss Universe 1965, dressed in off-the-rack clothes she bought at the last minute. Khambatta became a model for companies such as Revlon. Her biggest acting break was getting the role of ...

2 October 1948 – 18 August 1998 (age 49) Character(s): Ilia, Ilia probe (Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979)

9. DeForest Kelley

Actor | Star Trek

Jackson DeForest Kelley was born in Toccoa, Georgia, to Clora (Casey) and Ernest David Kelley. He graduated from high school at age 16 and went on to sing at the Baptist church where his father was a minister. At age 17, he made his first trip outside the state to visit an uncle in Long Beach, ...

20 January 1920 - 11 June 1999 (age 78) Character(s): Leonard 'Bones' McCoy (T.O.S 76 episodes 1966 - 1969), T.A.S 22 episodes 1973 - 1974, Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 1989, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991, T.N.G 1 episode 1989, D.S.9: 1 episode archival footage 1996 & Star Trek Beyond Picture only 2016)

10. Kellie Waymire

Actress | Enterprise

Kellie Waymire was born on July 27, 1967 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Playing by Heart (1998). She died on November 13, 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

27 July 1967 – 13 November 2003 (age 36) Character(s): Lanya (V.O.Y 1 episode 2000) & Elizabeth Cutler E.N.T 3 episodes 2001 - 2002)

11. Cecily Adams

Actress | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

American actress, casting director, teacher, and theatrical director. The daughter of nightclub singer Adelaide Adams and Get Smart (1965) star Don Adams , she was born in Queens, New York, several months after her parents' divorce. Raised in peripatetic fashion by her mother, she survived a ...

(6 February 1958 – 3 March 2004; age 46) Character(s): Ishka (D.S.9 4 episodes 1997 - 1999) & Holographic Guest (D.S.9 1 episode 1999)

12. Paul Winfield

Signifying intelligence, eloquence, versatility and quiet intensity, one of the more important, critically acclaimed black actors to gain a Hollywood foothold in the 1970s was Paul Winfield. He was born in 1939 in Dallas, Texas, where he lived in his early years before moving with his family to Los...

22 May 1939 – 7 March 2004 (age 64) Character(s): Clark Terrell (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982) & Dathon (T.N.G 1 episode 1991)

13. James Doohan

Best known as Scotty in Star Trek he was educated at High School in Sarnia, Ontario, where he acted in school productions. When WWII began he joined the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery eventually obtaining the rank of Captain. He was wounded on D-Day, suffering severe damage to his right middle...

3 March 1920 - 20 July 2005 (age 85) Character(s): Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott (T.O.S 66 episodes 1966 - 1969), T.A.S 22 episodes 1973 - 1974, Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 1989, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991, Star Trek Generations 1994, T.N.G 1 episode 1992, D.S.9 1 episode archival footage 1996 & Star Trek Beyond Picture only 2016)

14. Brock Peters

Actor | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Born of African and West Indian ancestry on July 2, 1927 in New York City, Brock Peters set his sights on a show business career early on, at age ten. A product of NYC's famed Music and Arts High School, Peters initially fielded more odd jobs than acting jobs as he worked his way up from Harlem ...

2 July 1927 – 23 August 2005 (age 78) Character(s): Admiral Cartwright Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991), Joseph Sisko D.S.9 " 6 episodes 1996 - 1998) & The Preacher (D.S.9: 1 episode 1998)

15. Jane Wyatt

Actress | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Born in Campgaw, New Jersey, Jane Waddington Wyatt came from a New York family of social distinction (her father was a Wall Street investment banker and her mother was a drama critic). Jane was raised from the age of three months in New York City and attended the fashionable Chapin School and later...

12 August 1910 – 20 October 2006 (age 96) Character(s): Amanda Grayson (T.O.S 1 episode 1967, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986 & Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 1989)

16. Majel Barrett

Actress | Star Trek: First Contact

Majel Barrett (born Majel Leigh Hudec) was an American actress, known for her long association with Star Trek. She had multiple Star Trek-related roles, though she is mostly remembered for her roles as Nurse Christine Chapel in Star Trek, The Original Series (1966-1969) and as Lwaxana Troi in Star ...

23 February 1932 - 18 December 2008 (age 76) Character(s): Number One (Pilot 1964/1986 T.O.S 2 episodes 1966), Christine Chapel (T.O.S 36 episodes 1966 - 1969), T.A.S 21 episodes 1973 -1974, Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986, Lwaxana Troi (T.N.G 6 episodes 1987 - 1993, D.S.9 3 episodes 1993 -1996) & Computer Voice (1966 - 2009)

17. Ricardo Montalban

Legendary actor Ricardo Montalban was the epitome of Latin elegance, charm and grace on film and television and in the late 1940s and early 1950s reinvigorated the Rudolph Valentino / Ramon Novarro "Latin Lover" style in Hollywood without achieving top screen stardom. Moreover, unlike most minority...

25 November 1920 - 14 January 2009 (age 88) Character(s): Khan Noonien Singh (T.O.S 1 episode 1967 & Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982)

18. Robert Ellenstein

Actor | North by Northwest

The son of a Newark dentist, Robert Ellenstein grew up in that New Jersey city and saw his father go on to become its two-term mayor. He got his feet wet acting-wise prior to serving with the Air Corps during World War II; earning a Purple Heart during his service, he began acting, directing and ...

18 June 1923 – 28 October 2010 (age 87) Character(s): Federation President Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986) & Steven Miller (T.N.G 1 episode 1987)

19. Peter Duryea

Peter Duryea was born on July 14, 1939 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Trek (1966), The Bounty Killer (1965) and Catalina Caper (1967). He died on March 24, 2013 in Gray Creek, British Columbia, Canada.

14 July 1939 – 24 March 2013 (age 73) Character(s): José Tyler (Pilot 1964/1986, T.O.S 2 episodes 1966)

20. Leonard Nimoy

Actor | Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Leonard Simon Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dora (Spinner) and Max Nimoy, who owned a barbershop. His parents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Raised in a tenement and acting in community theaters since age eight, Nimoy did not make his Hollywood debut until he was 20, with a bit ...

26 March 1931 - 27 February 2015 (age 84) Character(s): Spock (Pilot 1964/1986, T.O.S 79 episodes 1966 - 1969), T.A.S 22 episodes 1973 - 1974, Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 1986, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 1989, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991, T.N.G 2 episodes 1991, DS9: 1 episode archive footage 1996, Star Trek 2009, Star Trek Into Darkness 2013 & Star Trek Beyond Picture only 2016)

21. Grace Lee Whitney

Actress | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Grace Lee Whitney was a versatile actress and vocalist born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Beginning as a "girl singer" on Detroit's WJR radio, she soon opened in nightclubs for Billie Holiday and Buddy Rich , and toured with the Spike Jones and Fred Waring Bands. Grace debuted on Broadway in "Top Banana",...

1 April 1930 - 1 May 2015 (age 85) Character(s): Janice Rand (T.O.S 8 episodes 1966, Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991 & V.O.Y 1 episode 1996)

22. Anton Yelchin

Anton Yelchin was an American actor, known for playing Bobby in Hearts in Atlantis (2001), Chekov in the Star Trek (2009) reboot, Charlie Brewster in the Fright Night (2011) remake, and Jacob in Like Crazy (2011). He was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, USSR, to a Jewish family. His ...

11 March 1989 - 19 June 2016 (age 27) Character(s): Pavel Chekov (Star Trek 2009, Star Trek Into Darkness 2013 & Star Trek Beyond 2016)

23. Barry Jenner

Actor | Family Matters

Barry Jenner was born on January 14, 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Family Matters (1989), Enough Said (2013) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993). He was married to Suzanne Hunt and Susan Harney . He died on August 9, 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

14 January 1941 - 9 August 2016 (age 75) Character(s): Admiral William Ross (D.S.9 13 episodes 1997 - 1999)

24. Miguel Ferrer

Actor | Traffic

Miguel Ferrer was an American actor known for playing Morton from RoboCop, Shan Yu from Mulan, Martian Manhunter from Justice League: The New Frontier, Slade Wilson from Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Death from Adventure Time, Sesa Refumee from Halo 2 and Vice President Rodriguez from Iron Man 3...

7 February 1955 – 19 January 2017 (age 61) Character(s): USS Excelsior executive officer (Star Trek III The Search for Spock)

25. Aron Eisenberg

Actor | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Aron Eisenberg was born on January 6, 1969 in Hollywood, California, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Star Trek Online (2010). He was married to Malissa Longo . He died on September 21, 2019 in the USA.

(6 January 1969 – 21 September 2019; age 50) Character(s): Nog, (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

26. Rene Auberjonois

René Murat Auberjonois was born on June 1, 1940 in New York City, to Princess Laure Louise Napoléone Eugénie Caroline (Murat), who was born in Paris, and Fernand Auberjonois, who was Swiss-born. René was born into an already artistic family, which included his grandfather, a well-known Swiss ...

(1 June 1940 – 8 December 2019; age 79) Character(s): Odo (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

27. Ben Cross

Ben Cross was born Harry Bernard Cross on December 16, 1947, in London, England. He was the son of Catherine (O'Donovan), a cleaning woman, from Keelraheen, Dunmanway, Ireland, and Harry Cross, an English doorman and nurse. He began acting at a very young age and participated in grammar school ...

(16 December 1947 – 18 August 2020; age 72) Character(s): Ambassador Sarek (Star Trek 09')

28. Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols was one of 10 children born to parents Lishia and Samuel Nichols in Robbins, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. She was a singer and dancer before turning to acting and finding fame in her groundbreaking role of Lt. Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek (1966) series. As long as she could remember,...

(28 December 1932 – 30 July 2022; age 89) Character(s): Nyota Uhura (Star Trek 66-69, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

29. Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Louise Alley was an American actress. Her breakout role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987-1993), receiving an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991 for the role. From 1997 to 2000, she starred in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe ...

(January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022; aged 71) Character(s): Saavik (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

30. Annie Wersching

Actress | The Last of Us

This talented actress was born Anne Marie Wersching and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. She opted early on for a life in the entertainment industry, performing in community theatre and later as a dancer for some fourteen years with a troupe called the St. Louis Celtic Stepdancers. After moving to ...

(28 March 1977 – 29 January 2023; age 45) Character(s): Liana (Star Trek: Enterprise) & Borg Queen (Star Trek: Picard)

31. Gary Graham

Actor | Robot Jox

Gary Graham was born on June 6, 1950 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Robot Jox (1989), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and The Jackal (1997). He was married to Becky Hopkins, Diane Patricia Vaughan, Caren Leslie Williams and Susan Lavelle . He died on January 22,...

(June 6, 1950 - January 22, 2024; age 73) Character(s): Tanis (VOY: "Cold Fire") & Soval (Star Trek: Enterprise)

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Original Star Trek Actors Still Alive – Learn Stuff

The original Star Trek television series was on the air from 1966-1969, which was a long time ago. No one knew it back then, but those first 80 episodes would spawn TV shows and movies for the next 55 years and beyond. Believe it or not, there are still some famous actors that appeared in TOS that are alive today. Let’s see who is still around.

Fred Williamson

Fred Williamson is famous for all kinds of reasons. Back in the day, he played in the NFL for the Steelers before switching to the Raiders and Chiefs in the AFL. Among many television and film roles, he played Anka in the 1969 episode “The Cloud Miners”.

Fred was born in Gary, Indiana in 1938 and is 83 years old today.

Phil Morris

He may be the least-famous actor on this list, but Phil Morris was on Star Trek a lot over the decades. Originally in the first series as an uncredited child, he played “boy in army helmet” in the 1966 episode “Miri”. Morris would later appear in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , as a Klingon and Jem’Hadar on Deep Space Nine , and as Lieutenant John Kelly on Voyager.

Since he was only a child in the 60’s, Phil Morris easily makes this list. He was born in Iowa City, Iowa in 1959 and is currently 62 years old.

Lee Merriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway have all portrayed Catwoman, and Julie Newmar played the role in 13 episodes of the Batman TV series in the 60’s. Newmar was also in the original Star Trek as Eleen in “Friday’s Child” back in 1967.

Born Julia Chalene Newmeyer in Los Angeles in either 1932 or 1933, today she would be either 88 or 89 years of age.

I just learned that she is 5’11’…wow.

Clint Howard

It’s no wonder Clint Howard makes this list (he’s also the youngest here) as he was only 7 years old when he appeared as Balok in “The Corbomite Maneuver”. His brother, and later famous director, Ron Howard was shooting The Andy Griffith Show at the same time.

Clint would continue his Star Trek credits as Grady in DS9’s “Past Tense, Part II” in 1995, and the Ferengi Muk in “Acquisition” on Enterprise in 2002. Fast-forward to 2018, and he would appear as an Orion in the Discovery episode “Will You Take My Hand?”.

To my knowledge, Clint Howard is the only actor to play roles in both The Original Series and Discovery . He was born in Burbank, California in 1959 and is 62 years old now.

Joan Collins

Joan Collins just won’t quit. I’ve seen her acting as recently as the 8th season of American Horror Story . Collins played Captain Kirk’s ill-fated love interest Edith Keeler in 1967’s “The City on the Edge of Forever”.

She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth in 2015. Born in London in 1933, Joan Collins is 88 years old today.

Walter Koenig

Walter Koenig portrayed Pavel Chekov in 36 episodes from 1967-1969 as well as seven feature films (including the crossover Generations ) and several video games.

Born in Chicago (no, he is not Russian) in 1936, Koenig is 85 years old today. It may be hard to believe, but Chekov wasn’t the youngest of the original cast.

George Takei

The title of “Youngest Original Cast Member” goes to George Takei. He played Hikaru Sulu on 52 episodes from 1966-1969, six feature films, many video games, 22 episodes of The Animated Series in the 70’s, and Voyager ‘s 1996 episode “Flashback”.

Born Hosato Takei in Los Angeles in 1937, he lived in interment camps during WWII – which sucks. 84 years old today, George Takei is a proponent of LGBT rights and Japanese-American relations.

Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols has been credited as Nyota Uhura as recently as Star Trek First Frontier in 2020. She’s played that role in 69 episodes from 1966-1969, 22 episodes of The Animated Series , six feature films and several video games.

Back in the 60’s, it was almost unheard of for a black woman to have a prominent role on a television series. She is also credited with the first interracial television kiss with Captain Kirk in the 1968 episode “Plato’s Stepchildren”.

Born in Robbins, Illinois as Grace Dell Nichols in 1932, she is now 89.

UPDATE: Nichelle Nichols passed away on July 30th, 2022.

William Shatner

Yes, Captain Kirk is still around. In fact he recently got back from a trip on Blue Origin in October 2021, becoming the oldest human to go to space.

William Shatner boldly went were no man one had gone before as Captain James Tiberius Kirk in 79 episodes from 1966-1969, replacing Jeffrey Hunter’s Captain Christopher Pike in the pilot. He was also Captain Kirk in 22 episodes of The Animated Series , seven feature films and numerous video games.

Like Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols, Shatner never made a cameo appearance in any of the later ‘Trek series or movies. His career was very prolific after Star Trek, with major roles in T.J. Hooker, The Practice and Boston Legal, as well as countless television and film roles.

William Shatner was born in 1931 in Montreal (yeah, he’s Canadian) and is 90 years old today.

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Original ‘Star Trek’ Enterprise Model Is Found After Being Missing for Decades

The 33-inch model surfaced on eBay after disappearing around 1979. An auction house is giving it to the son of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek.”

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By Emily Schmall

The first model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the starship that appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series , has been returned to Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of the series, decades after it went missing.

“After a long journey, she’s home,” Mr. Roddenberry wrote on social media on Thursday.

For die-hard Trekkies, the model’s disappearance had become the subject of folklore, so an eBay listing last fall, with a starting bid of $1,000, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Red alert,” someone in an online costume and prop-making forum wrote, linking to the listing.

Mr. Roddenberry’s father, Gene Roddenberry, created the television series, which first aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It spawned numerous spinoffs, several films and a franchise that has included conventions and legions of devoted fans with an avid interest in memorabilia.

The seller of the model was bombarded with inquiries and quickly took the listing down.

The seller contacted Heritage Auctions to authenticate it, the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said on Saturday. As soon as the seller, who said he had found it in a storage unit, brought it to the auction house’s office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Maddalena said he knew it was real.

“That’s when I reached out to Rod to say, ‘We’ve got this. This is it,’” he said, adding that the model was being transferred to Mr. Roddenberry.

Mr. Roddenberry, who is known as Rod, said on Saturday that he would restore the model and seek to have it displayed in a museum or other institution. He said reclaiming the item had only piqued his interest in the circumstances about its disappearance.

“Whoever borrowed it or misplaced it or lost it, something happened somewhere,” he said. “Where’s it been?”

It was unclear how the model ended up in the storage unit and who had it before its discovery.

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows .

An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Mr. Roddenberry, who said he gave the seller a “reward” for its recovery but did not disclose the terms, assembled a group of “Star Trek” production veterans, model makers and restoration specialists in Beverly Hills to authenticate the find.

The group included a “Star Trek” art supervisor, Michael Okuda, and his wife, Denise, an artist on “Star Trek” television series and films, and Gary Kerr, a “Trek x-pert” who served as technical consultant for the Smithsonian during a 2016 restoration of the 11-foot model.

“We spent at least an hour photographing it, inspecting the paint, inspecting the dirt, looking under the base, the patina on the stem, the grain in the wood,” Mr. Roddenberry said.

“It was a unanimous ‘This is 100 percent the one,’” he said.

Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991 , kept the original model, which appeared in the show’s opening credits and pilot episode, on his desk.

Mr. Kerr compared the model to 1960s photos he had of the model on Mr. Roddenberry’s desk.

“The wood grain matched exactly, so that was it,” he said on Saturday.

The model went missing after Mr. Roddenberry lent it to the makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979, Mr. Maddalena said.

“This is a major discovery,” he said, likening the model to the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a prop that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the F.B.I. in 2018, and that Heritage Auctions is selling.

While the slippers represent hope, he said, the starship Enterprise model “represents dreams.”

“It’s a portal to what could be,” he said.

Emily Schmall covers breaking news and feature stories and is based in Chicago. More about Emily Schmall

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Scientists find one of the oldest stars in the universe in a galaxy right next to ours

An ancient star discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud has revealed the chemical fingerprint of the early universe. It hints that conditions were not the same everywhere when the first stars forged the elements for life.

Scientists have identified one of the oldest known stars outside the Milky Way . The discovery, reported in March in the journal Nature Astronomy , has uncovered a relic from the early days of the universe in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way — and it's revealing the conditions from a time before the sun even existed.

The first stars born after the Big Bang lived and died billions of years ago, so there are none left to tell the story of the early universe. But traces of these stellar ancestors were preserved in the second generation of stars that formed and still survive today.

The outer layers of these ancient stars "preserve the chemical composition of their natal gas cloud," and therefore reveal the composition of the first generation of stars that seeded  those clouds with new chemicals, study lead author Anirudh Chiti , an astrophysicist at the University of Chicago, told Live Science in an email. The composition of these stars offers a window into the early production of elements when the stars formed billions of years ago, Chiti said.

Hunting stellar relics

The earliest stars blazed to life billions of years ago, soon after the Big Bang. They were behemoths made from the only elements that existed in abundance at the time: about three-fourths hydrogen and one-fourth helium. Those giants quickly burned through their nuclear fuel , shedding their outer layers and then exploding as supernovas and polluting their stellar neighborhood with new, heavier elements forged within their cores.

This stellar ash entered the mix when a second generation of stars was born from the gas clouds enriched by the first. This cycle continued, building ever-heavier elements and even seeding the cosmos with the building blocks for life . This is the source of the oxygen we breathe, the calcium in our bones, and the iron in our blood cells.

Related: Astronomers find remnants of the oldest stars in the universe

By measuring the amounts of these elements in a star, astronomers can estimate its age. The less "ash" that has accumulated, the older the star must be, while younger stars have built up a lot of elements from many earlier generations.

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None of the first-generation stars has ever been observed, but astronomers have spotted some ancient stars of the second generation in our galaxy. These fossils are very rare. Fewer than 1 in 100,000 stars in our galaxy is from that second generation. "You really are fishing needles out of haystacks," Chiti said in a statement .

From these relics, astronomers have learned a lot about the early conditions in our galaxy. Now, they want to understand if the Milky Way is typical or if those conditions were different in other galaxies.

To answer this question, the study authors turned their sights to one of our nearest galactic neighbors, the LMC. Visible to the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere, the LMC is smaller than the Milky Way and  destined to merge with it in about 2.4 billion years. 

"The LMC is notable because it is nearly a major galaxy in its own right" and was only recently caught in the pull of the Milky Way, Chiti said. 

The team searched for old stars in the LMC in data gathered by the European Space Agency 's Gaia space telescope. They followed up using the 6.5-meter Magellan telescope in Chile and identified 10 stars with about 100 times less iron than other LMC stars contain, meaning they were very ancient.

One stood out. Known as LMC-119, it had less of this cosmic pollution than any known star outside our galaxy. This suggested it formed from gas enriched by just one supernova and was a sure sign that LMC-119 is a second-generation star and very ancient. 

"I'd say LMC-119 is very likely at least about 13 billion years old," Chiti told Live Science. (For comparison, the universe itself is estimated to be 13.8 billion years old.)

Today, the LMC is about 160,000 light-years away, but the authors estimated that it was about 6 million light-years distant when its earliest stars formed. "This isolates the early LMC from ejecta from the first stars that formed in the early Milky Way," they said in the paper. This means that the LMC's ancient stars can tell astronomers about infant conditions in another galaxy.

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Interestingly, LMC-119 has much less carbon than ancient stars in our galaxy do. This hints at a previously unknown difference in how heavier elements built up in these two galaxies and suggests the environment in our young galaxy was likely different from that of the LMC. 

"It's really exciting to be opening up stellar archaeology of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and to be able to map out in such detail how the first stars chemically enriched the universe in different regions," said Chiti, who believes there are many more of these ancient stars waiting to be found in the LMC.

Chiti is now leading a new program to photograph one-quarter of the southern sky using the Blanco 4m telescope in Chile and equipment designed to identify the most ancient fossil stars in the Milky Way and our galactic neighbor. By uncovering these relics, astronomers hope to paint a better picture of how stars have enriched the cosmos with the elements that make up all that we see around us. 

Jonathan is an educator based in Hungary with a passion for astronomy. He enjoys communicating science stories in astrophysics and cosmology. He has a bachelor's degree in astrophysics from Cardiff University and a PhD in astronomy from Queen Mary University of London. In his spare time he enjoys hiking with his family and exploring the night sky.

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