original star trek who is 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. 

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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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Where Are They Now: The Original Star Trek Cast

By: Author Brad Burnie

Posted on Published: June 28, 2021  - Last updated: March 7, 2023

Share the Universe!

True to Spock’s words, the cast of “ Star Trek: The Original Series ” has lived a long prosperous life. Four of them still live to date, while those that died reached their seventies and eighties. We look back at the pivotal show and the original cast’s life, more than fifty years down the line.

Keep reading to find out what the cast of the original Star Trek has accomplished over the years.

Star Trek remains something of a cult classic that attracts so many fans around the world to date.

But some wonder what the classic cast members may be up to these days. Here is a look into the lives of the original Star Trek cast and their thoughts about their new counterparts in this movie series.

William Shatner as Captain Kirk

At 78, Capt. James T. Kirk has recently been featured on ABC’s Boston Legal as Denny Crane. He also hosts Shatner’s Raw Nerve talk show on Bio. His next project would be a feature on the documentary Gonzo Ballet, which is a dance performance for Ben Folds’ six songs.

William Shatner has had one of the most illustrious careers after the Star Trek role. He says he still hopes to play a role in the new series, even admitting that he had to spend hours looking at his phone as he waited for a call from the director. Unfortunately, the film was open without him, meaning we might never see him again in the movie series.

Shatner has never shown signs of slowing down, though, in his late eighties. He has been featured in various Star Trek animated series and Star Trek Generations . Shatner also directed the Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

After his role on Star Trek, Shatner has also starred on ’80s procedural T.J. Hooker and as a narrator for Rescue 91. His other popular roles have included hosting a pageant contest, Miss Congeniality , a role as Dennis Crane in The Practice , and two Emmys winning roles on Boston Legal . He also had a reality show, Better Late Than Never , in which he travels along with other stars worldwide to experience different cultures.

Shatner has also authored various fiction and non-fiction books. In 2016, he wrote a book about his friendship with Leonard Nimoy, Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man .

Shatner considers his role on Star Trek as an opportunity that opened many doors for him. He even reveals that he would not have made a career if not for Star Trek.

On his take on the newbie playing his role, Shatner considers Chris Pine a perfect replacement.

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock

Leonard Nimoy, who was featured as Mr. Spock , announced his retirement in 2003. However, he came back to feature in The Full Body Project , a 2008 book about his nude photography and the new Star Trek film.

His most recent appearance was on J.J. Abram’s Fox series, Fringe, in 2010. He was also featured in a photo exhibit at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts that year.

Nimoy reveals that he had to come out of his retirement to play a role in the Star Trek film after J.J. Abram’s intervention “reawakened” his passion.

Nimoy went strong and admitted that young people ( cats ) were still intimidated by his presence in the film. He also maintained a close relationship with his co-star, Shatner, due to their love for music. However, he often dismissed a suggestion for a duet with Shatner.

Nimoy acknowledged that his replacement ( Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock ) did an excellent job, despite going all out differently.

Nimoy passed away in 2015 at age 83.

Nichelle Nichols as Uhura

Nichol’s most recent work came in 2005 as a star for Are We There Yet? Another project includes a role on NBC’s Heroes. She also considered a role on This Bitter Earth alongside Richard Roundtree and Billy Dee Williams.

Nichols was one of the first black television stars without a menial job but occupied a power position. As Uhura, she collaborated with Shatner in what many think as the first interracial kiss on American T.V. history.

Nichols once resigned from Star Trek to focus on her singing career. However, Dr. Martin Luther King had to convince her to retain her role as the only black woman in a command position in the film at that time. She says she was motivated by Dr. King’s word and swore to stay for as long as it would take.

Nichols would later inspire other black achievers like Whoopi Goldberg , and other white women she admits had a different view on race after her role on Star Trek .

Her replacement, Zoe Saldana, also admitted to being inspired by playing Nichols’s role in the new film.

George Takei as Sulu

Takei has featured recurrently as Masi Oka’s father on Heroes and as Howard Stern’s SIRIUS Radio announcer. His recent work involves lobbying for the legalization of gay marriages.

Takei came public in 2005 as gay and has continued to advocate for gay marriages for years. He even married Brad Altman before the state of California illegalized same-sex marriage.

Takei has recently turned to social media as his next stage. His Facebook page has more than ten million followers, while his Twitter account has attracted more than three million followers.

Additionally, Takei continues to act, with his role in Kubo and the Two Strings and Mulan , being the most recent. He has also featured in Supah Ninjas while keeping his role as an activist for the human rights campaign.

Takei thinks Star Trek has been relevant for those years because of its core values, innovative, and bold nature.

He admits to mentoring his replacement, John Cho.

Walter Koenig as Chekov

Koenig has had a recurring role on Babylon Five , where he features as Bester. Other works include a voice actor in Star Trek video games, writing, producing, and co-starring in the indie sci-fi film InAlienable.

Chekov was scripted as a Russian. However, Koenig was American Born and based his accent on his parents’ (Russian immigrants in the USA ) side. Koenig admitted in 2016 that he was considered for his role because he resembled teen idol Davy Jones. The director used him to attract young female viewers and even made him wear a Davy Jones-Esque wig for the first seven episodes of the series.

Koenig holds his involvement in Star Trek highly and has fond memories of the movie series and its casts. 

Koenig helped Anton Yelchin, his replacement, to adjust and adapt to his new role.

Deforest Kelley as Dr. McCoy and James Doohan as Scotty

Kelley passed away at age 79 in 1999 , becoming the first of the original Star Trek cast to die. Doohan would be the second at age 85 in 2005.

Shatner admits that Kelley was a true reflection of a “ gentleman and a good friend ” who’d be counted on at any time.

Accordingly, Takei remembers Doohan as a “ great buddy and an all-embracing person. ”

Other stars

• Majel Barrett (as Nurse Christine Chapel) died in 2008 at age 76
• Grace Lee Whitney (as Yeoman Janice Rand) died in 2015 at age 85

Brad Burnie is the founder of Starships.com. He loves all video game genres. In his spare time, he loves reading, watching movies, and gaming

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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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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.

RELATED: These 'Days Of Our Lives' Cast Members Have The Highest Net Worth In 2021

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.

NEXT: What Is The Cast Of 'Hocus Pocus' Is Doing Today?

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Star Trek Original Series Cast: Then and Now

As Spock himself would say, "Fascinating ..."

Talk about a first-class crew.

When the original Star Trek TV series premiered on NBC more than 50 years ago, it didn't just make stars of its actors, including William Shatner , Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley , it made icons -- icons who would help spawn a multi-media franchise that continues today via CBS All Access' Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery .

PHOTOS: See the original Star Trek stars

Here's a look back at the historic cast -- and a look at how each fared after the 1966-1969 series ended its primetime run. We've included series regulars, such as Shatner, who starred as Captain Kirk, and key guest stars, such as Susan Oliver (pictured, left), who's seen as the Orion slave-girl dancer in Season 1's "The Mengerie, Part II," and France Nuyen (pictured, right), who tempts Kirk in Season 3's "Elaan of Troyius."

Click on the arrow to beam up the pics!

( Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS. )

William Shatner Then

William Shatner plays the USS Enterprise's brave (and frequently shirtless) Captain James T. Kirk in the 1966-1969 Star Trek series and the first seven Star Trek movies, from Star Trek The Motion Picture to Star Trek: Generations . Like several of his Trek castmates, Shatner went on to voice his character in various Star Trek video games, and in the 1970s' cartoon, Star Trek: The Animated Series .

William Shatner Now

Shatner claimed two Primetime Emmy awards for playing the same role, attorney Denny Crane, on a pair of ABC legal dramas, The Practice and Boston Legal . He's seen here in 2020 at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo.

Leonard Nimoy Then

Leonard Nimoy plays the USS Enterprise 's beloved half-Vulcan, half-human science officer, Spock, on the original Star Trek series, and in eight big-screen Star Trek movies -- two of which he directed ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ).

Leonard Nimoy Now

In addition to following his other creative passions -- photography, poetry and music -- Leonard Nimoy directed the hit movie, Three Men and a Baby .

Nimoy, who died in 2015 at age 83, made his last on-screen appearance -- as Spock, natch -- in 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness . He also appeared in the first film from the Trek franchise's J.J. Abrams era, 2009's Star Trek .

DeForest Kelley Then

DeForest Kelley plays Leonard "Bones" McCoy, who is a Starfleet doctor -- and not anything else -- in the original Star Trek series.

DeForest Kelley Now

DeForest Kelley appeared in the first six Star Trek movies, with his last major on-screen appearance coming in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . He died in 1999 at age 79.

James Doohan Then

The Canadian-born James Doohan affects a Scottish accent to play Montgomery Scott, or Scotty, originally the USS Enterprise 's chief engineer. Doohan plays Scotty in the 1966-1969 Star Trek series, and in seven Star Trek movies. He also plays the character on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .

James Doohan Now

Credited with helping develop the Vulcan and Klingon languages, Doohan was a regular on the Star Trek convention circuit until being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2004. He's seen here that same year at a ceremony honoring him with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Doohan died in 2005. He was 85.

Nichelle Nichols Then

With her role as Lt. Uhura, the USS Enterprise 's communications officer on the original Star Trek , Nichelle Nichols made history as the first actress to play an African-American professional woman, per the Historical Dictionary of African American Television .

Nichelle Nichols Now

Nichelle Nichols played Uhura in the first six Star Trek movies. She's gone on to appear in NBC 's Heroes and the CBS daytime soap, The Young and the Restless . Seen here at a 2018 Star Trek convention, Nichols also worked with NASA to help recruit minorities and women for the astronaut program.

George Takei Then

George Takei plays Lt. Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise on the 1966-1969 Star Trek series. He went on to play Sulu in the first six Star Trek movies -- a run in which his character was eventually promoted to captain of the USS Excelsior .

George Takei Now

Today, George Takei, seen at the 2019 Saturn Awards, is a vocal LGBTQ activist, and the co-author of the graphic-book memoir, They Called Us Enemy , about his experience in the U.S. internment camps that held Japanese-Americans during World War II. He appeared in the Broadway musical, Allegiance , which is also based on his life.

Walter Koenig Then

Walter Koenig joined the original Star Trek cast in Season 2 as Ensign Pavel Chekov, the Monkees- and Beatles-channeling navigator of the USS Enterprise . He plays the Russian-accented character in the first seven Star Trek movies.

Walter Koenig Now

Among his considerable post-Star Trek series credits, Walter Koenig was a star and consulting producer on Star Trek: Renegades , a partly crowd-funded pilot for a would-be new Trek series. In 2010, he endured the death of his actor son , Andrew Koening (Growing Pains).

Majel Barrett Then

Majel Barrett plays Number One (pictured, left) in the original Star Trek pilot, known as "The Cage." In the rejiggered version of the show that NBC picked up in 1966, Barrett plays the Spock-infatuated USS Enterprise nurse, Christine Chapel (pictured, right).

Majel Barrett Now

There really was no life after Star Trek for Majel Barrett: She married franchise creator Gene Roddenberry in 1969, and went on to play roles in numerous other Trek projects. She is heard as the voice of Starfleet computers in Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise and the 2009 J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie.

Roddenberry died in 1991; Barrett, seen in 2006 with her son, Eugene Roddenberry, died 2008. She was 76.

Susan Oliver Then

In the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage," Susan Oliver plays Vina, a shipwrecked woman on the planet Talos IV, who is used by the Talosian powers-that-be to tempt Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter). In one famous scene, Vina is seen as an Orion slave dancer. Oliver's Vina scenes are repurposed for the Star Trek Season 1 episodes, "The Menagerie, Part I" and "The Menagerie, Part II."

Susan Oliver Now

Susan Oliver is seen in a paparazzi shot from 1986. She died in 1990 at age 58. Her post- Star Trek credits included guest spots on Murder, She Wrote and the original Magnum, P.I.

France Nuyen Then

France Nuyen stars as the strong-willed titular character of the Season 3 Star Trek episode, "Elaan of Troyius."

France Nuyen Now

Seen at a 2018 Motion Picture Academy screening of The Joy Luck Club , a movie in which she starred, France Nuyen's post- Star Trek credits include a stint as a series regular on the 1980s NBC medical drama, St. Elsewhere .

Grace Lee Whitney Then

Grace Lee Whitney plays the USS Enterprise's beehive-boasting Yeoman Rand on the original Star Trek series.

Grace Lee Whitney Now

Though Yeoman Rand was written out of Star Trek after Season 1, Grace Lee Whitney went to appear in Star Trek movies and several other franchise properties, including an episode of Star Trek: Voyager . Whitney died in 2015 at the age of 85.

Joan Collins Then

Joan Collins stars as the doomed social-worker Edith Keeler, one of the great loves of Captain Kirk's life, in the Season 1 episode, "The City on the Edge of Forever," TV Guide's pick for the best original-series Star Trek episode of all time .

Joan Collins Now

Joan Collins is arguably best known for playing the dastardly Alexis Carrington on the original Dynasty series. In 2018, she played two characters in FX's American Horror Story: Apocalypse .

Mariette Hartley Then

In the Season 3 Star Trek episode, "All Our Yesterdays," Mariette Hartley plays Zarabeth, an ice age-era woman who Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) encounter on the planet Sarpeidon.

Mariette Hartley Now

Of late, the Emmy-winning Mariette Hartley has had recurring roles on ABC's Grey's Anatomy , NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Fox's 9-1-1 (pictured), where she played the ailing mother of Connie Britton's character in Season 1.

Ricardo Montalban Then

Ricardo Montalban plays Khan Noonien Singh, the super-powered strongman who's found aboard the SS Botany Bay in the Season 1 Star Trek episode, "Space Seed." The installment would serve as the basis for the hit movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , in which he also starred.

Ricardo Montalban Now

From 1977-1984, Ricardo Montalban starred as the mysterious Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island . He went on to do voice work on Kim Possible , and appear as Grandfather in the Spy Kids movies. He died in 2009 at age 88.

Diana Muldaur Then

Diana Muldaur appears in two original-series Star Trek episodes: Season 2's "Return to Tomorrow," and Season 3's "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" Muldaur plays different characters in the episodes -- both are doctors.

Diana Muldaur Now

Diana Muldaur played yet another Star Trek M.D., Dr. Katherine Pulaski, in Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Her more recent credits include a voice-over role in Batman: The Animated Series (pictured). Her character? Leslie Thompkins -- a doctor, of course.

Mark Lenard Then

Mark Lenard is another actor seen as multiple characters on multiple Star Trek episodes: In Season 1's "Balance of Terror," he plays a Romulan commander (pictured, left); and, in Season 2's "Journey to Babel," he is introduced as Sarek (pictured, right), Spock's Vulcan father.

Mark Lenard Now

In real life, Mark Lenard was less than seven years older than Leonard Nimoy. But on screen, he was the perfect Spock dad, and he would play the character in subsequent Star Trek series, and in three Star Trek movies, including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (pictured). He also played a Klingon in 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

Lenard died in 1996 at the age of 72.

Teri Garr Then

Teri Garr appears in the Season 2 Star Trek episode, "Assignment: Earth" (where she's billed as Terri Garr). The episode is a modern-day tale (for, well, 1968) about a time-traveler, and his secretary (Garr). The episode was a backdoor pilot for a never-was TV series.

Teri Garr Now

Teri Garr's considerable post- Trek film credits include Young Frankenstein , Tootsie (for which she was nominated for an Oscar), Mr. Mom and, of late, Unaccompanied Minors (pictured). She had a recurring role on Friends as the mother of Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow).

Jeffrey Hunter Then

Jeffrey Hunter stars as the USS Enterpris e's Captain Christopher Pike in the original Star Trek pilot, "The Cage," which was presented to -- and rejected by -- NBC in 1965. His work as Captain Pike would finally make it to air in the Season 1 Star Trek episodes, "The Menagerie, Part I" and "The Menagerie, Part II."

Jeffrey Hunter Now

Best known for playing Jesus in the film, King of Kings , post- Star Trek , Jeffrey Hunter appeared in the 1968 Bob Hope comedy, The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell (pictured). He died in 1969 at the age of 42.

Clint Howard Then

A young Clint Howard plays Balok, the commander of a starship who uses a scary-looking creature (played by The Addams Family's Ted Cassidy) as a front as he toys with the USS Enterprise in the Season 1 Star Trek episode, "The Corbomite Maneuver."

Clint Howard Now

Clint Howard, the younger brother of Ron Howard, is a familiar face from his sibling's movies, from Eat My Dust to Solo: A Star Wars Story . In addition to Star Trek , Howard has appeared in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise , and a Season 1 installment of Star Trek: Discovery (pictured).

Sally Kellerman Then

Sally Kellerman appears as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," the second crack at a Star Trek pilot, the one that sold the series -- and that aired as the show's third-ever episode in 1966.

Sally Kellerman Now

Sally Kellerman is seen at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas in 2016. After Trek , Kellerman notched an Oscar nomination for the film version of MASH . Her latter-day credits include an episode of Hulu's Difficult People , and a recurring role on IFC's Maron .

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

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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.

For more 1960s TV nostalgia, keep reading!

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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

THEN AND NOW: How 19 characters from 'Star Trek: The Original Series' have evolved over 56 years

• "Star Trek" premiered on September 8, 1966.
• Almost 57 years later, "Trek" is still going strong and finding ways to reinvent old characters.
• Here's how 19 characters from " The Original Series " have evolved over almost six decades.

Captain James T. Kirk was originally played by William Shatner.

Shatner played the first (and arguably most iconic) captain of the Enterprise for for all three seasons of "The Original Series" ("TOS") which aired from 1966 to 1969, before getting canceled.

He returned to voice the character in " Star Trek: The Animated Series " from 1973 to 1974.

Kirk remains many people's favorite captain of the Enterprise and "Trek" captain in general, as he set the blueprint for the next 57 years (and counting) of storytelling. Every "Trek" captain is measured against Kirk and Shatner's portrayal of him.

Shatner was last seen in the 1994 film "Star Trek Generations."

Shatner and the rest of the original crew starred in six movies starring the cast of "TOS" from 1979 to 1991 ("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," and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country").

However, to bridge the gap between " TOS " and "The Next Generation" ("TNG"), which aired from 1987 to 1994, Shatner reprised his role as Kirk in " Star Trek Generations ," the first movie starring the cast of " TNG ." In it, he teams up with the captain of the Enterprise 100 years in the future, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, to defeat a madman called Soran.

Spoilers for a 29-year-old movie, but Captain Kirk dies at the end of the film after helping to take down Soran, simply stating "It was fun. Oh my,"  before closing his eyes.

Additionally, archival footage and audio of Shatner has been used in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" ("DS9") in 1996, "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005, and "Star Trek: Short Treks" in 2019.

In 2009, Chris Pine took over the role. He played Kirk for three films, and counting?

In 2009, director JJ Abrams rebooted " Star Trek " by creating an alternate timeline (called the Kelvin timeline by fans) and re-casting an entirely new crew of the Enterprise, led by a bolder, brasher, and younger version of Kirk played by Pine.

Pine's version of Kirk started as a bar-fighting 25-year-old living Iowa, and by the end of "Star Trek Beyond" in 2016, he was a decorated captain and was newly dedicated to his mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no one has gone before.

Surprise news of a fourth Kelvin movie was reported in 2021 by Deadline, directed by "WandaVision's" Matt Shakman.

But in 2022, Shakman left the project to direct Marvel's "Fantastic Four," leaving Paramount looking for a new director to handle "Star Trek 4," according to a statement from the studio reported by Deadline.

In the latest "Trek" series, "Strange New Worlds," the Kirk torch was passed to "Vampire Diaries" vet Paul Wesley.

In "Trek's" latest show, " Strange New Worlds ," which is a prequel to the '60s series, audiences got their first glimpse at yet another version of Kirk, this time played by "The Vampire Diaries" star Wesley , in 2022.

"Strange New Worlds" focuses on the captain of the Enterprise  before  Kirk, Captain Christopher Pike, who is fated to be brutally disfigured in the future. In an attempt to avoid his fate in the season one finale, Pike is transported to a different timeline where he survives, which is where he meets Kirk, now the captain of a ship called the Farragut. Eventually, Pike is returned to his normal timeline.

In season two, audiences met  another  alternate version of Kirk in the third episode, before finally getting to meet the future captain for real in the sixth episode, where he met his future first officer, Spock.

Kirk's best friend and first officer Spock was originally played by Leonard Nimoy.

Spock, an alien race in the "Trek" universe known as a Vulcan, was known for being extremely logical (to a sometimes frustrating extent), and was frequently bewildered by his human crew, even though he was actually half-human himself.

Spock, and his Vulcan hand greeting accompanied by the phrase "Live long and prosper," is one of the most enduring symbols of "Trek" as a whole.

Nimoy played Spock for all three seasons of the '60s series, and voiced him in "The Animated Series" as well.

His last appearance in the role was the 2013 film "Star Trek Into Darkness."

Nimoy appeared in all six movies as the unflappable Vulcan (though he does die at the end of " Star Trek II " and is subsequently resurrected in " Star Trek III "), and even directed the third and fourth movies.

After that, Nimoy reprised his role as Spock in a season five episode of "TNG" called "Unification" in 1991, which saw him 100 years after the events of "TOS" as a Vulcan ambassador. He also appeared in episodes of "DS9," "Discovery," and the animated series "Star Trek: Prodigy" through archival footage and audio throughout the '90s and 2000s.

Nimoy was the only cast member of the original "Trek" to appear in the Kelvin timeline movies — in it, his version of Spock was pulled into this universe by a vengeful Romulan (another alien) to see the destruction of his home planet. He appeared in the 2009 film and its 2013 sequel.

Nimoy died in February 2015 at the age of 83.

He co-starred in the 2009 reboot and its 2013 sequel with a younger version of his character played by Zachary Quinto.

As Nimoy played the  original  Spock, Quinto played the Kelvin timeline's Spock. This version of the character is earlier along in his journey towards understanding humanity, and clashes with Kirk, instead of acting like best friends as they are in the original show.

Quinto appeared in all three films as Spock, and even got to try his hand at the iconic "Khan" scream in "Into Darkness."

In "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," Ethan Peck now plays the logical Vulcan.

Peck first played an even younger  version of Spock in the Paramount+ series "Discovery" in 2019, where he interacted with never-before-known-about half-sister Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). He then became a series regular on "Strange New Worlds" as Captain Pike's science officer and friend in 2022.

Spock is one of the few people aboard the Enterprise who knows about Pike's eventual fate, showing how close he was to his first commanding officer even before Kirk.

Kirk's other best friend and the Enterprise's chief medical officer Leonard "Bones" McCoy was originally played by DeForest Kelley.

Bones, as Kirk called him, represented the total opposite of Spock. Where Spock was ruled by reason and logic, McCoy was prone to passionate outbursts and was always concerned for Kirk and his friends.

And, famously, he was quick to remind everyone on board that he was just a doctor, not anything else.

Kelley, like his cast-mates, appeared in all three seasons of "TOS" and both seasons of "The Animated Series."

His last appearance in the role was the 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country."

Kelley appeared in the six movies starring the cast of "TOS," ending with his appearance in "Star Trek VI" in 1991. This was also his last on-screen film role, as he died eight years later in 1999.

In 1987, Kelley was on hand to bless the cast of "TNG" by appearing in that show's pilot episode as Admiral McCoy, a much older version of the character (137 years old, to be exact). He speaks with Data about how the Enterprise will always bring you home.

Kelley died at age 79 in June 1999 , according to an obituary in The Washington Post.

Karl Urban played the good doctor in the reboot trilogy, beginning in 2009.

The 2009 film showed the meeting of Kirk and his future best friend on board a ship to Starfleet Academy — and explains how he got his nickname: He split from wife and his ex got everything in the divorce, leaving him with just his "bones."

Urban appeared in all three films of the Kelvin trilogy.

Nichelle Nichols played the Enterprise's communications officer, Nyota Uhura.

Nichols became a Black pop culture icon when she began playing Uhura, a communications officer, in the 1960s. She was one of the first Black women on TV to hold a high-ranking job, and was part of the first televised interracial kiss .

In fact, she was going to quit, but none other than Martin Luther King Jr. told Nichols she couldn't leave. "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," Nichols said he told her during an interview with the New York Post in 2011.

Nichols appeared in all three seasons of "TOS" and in " The Animated Series."

Her last appearance was also "The Undiscovered Country."

Along with her fellow cast-mates, Nichols appeared in all six "TOS" movies, wrapping up Uhura's experience in "Star Trek VI."

Nichols' face and voice also popped up in a 1996 episode of "DS9" and a 2022 episode of "Prodigy" via archival footage and audio.

Nichols died in July 2022. She was 89.

In the 2009 reboot, Zoe Saldaña played Uhura.

Saldaña played a version of Uhura straight out of the Academy, just like Kirk. She was a lot feistier than her '60s counterpart, and was one of the high points of the Kelvin trilogy.

Her character was also in a relationship with Spock, which was a marked departure from "TOS" and its movies.

In "Strange New Worlds," Celia Rose Gooding plays a younger version of Uhura who is still an ensign.

In "Strange New Worlds," fans learned that Uhura was actually on the Enterprise before Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov or Sulu, as a cadet under the leadership of Captain Pike.

Throughout the first season, we learned more about Uhura than we ever did in the '60s, including that she joined Starfleet after the death of her parents on Earth and was trying to escape how lonely she was on her home planet.

While she thought about leaving the Enterprise at the end of season one, in season two we learned she stuck around and was even promoted to ensign. Fans also learned that she was the one who inititally introduced Kirk and Spock.

Chief engineering officer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott was played by James Doohan.

Even if you've never seen "Trek," chances are you've heard the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" (although it's never actually said on the show).

Doohan, who is actually American, played the Enterprise's trusty Scottish chief of engineering for all three seasons of "TOS" and the two seasons of "The Animated Series."

His last appearance was a small role in the 1994 film "Star Trek Generations."

Before " Generations ," Doohan played Scotty in the first six "Trek" films. He also appeared in a fan-favorite episode of "TNG" in 1992 called "Relics," which saw Scotty return to the Enterprise after 100 years of being stuck in the transporter (classic "Trek" science).

But his last on-screen appearance as Scotty was in the first couple scenes of 1994's "Generations" when he, Kirk, and Chekov are brought on board the Enterprise-B to help christen it. In classic Scotty fashion, he's able to help save the day, though he does witness the apparent death of his friend Kirk who was actually pulled into an alternate dimension called the Nexus. It's complicated.

Doohan is also seen in archival footage and heard in archival audio in episodes of "DS9" in 1996 and "Prodigy" in 2022.

Doohan died in July 2005 at age 85 , NPR reported.

A new generation of fans got to know Scotty through Simon Pegg's performance.

Pegg, who also co-wrote 2016's "Star Trek Beyond," first debuted in the 2009 film as a member of Starfleet banished to a remote, icy base with a new small alien friend named Keenser. He meets Kirk and the two bond as they make a break for the Enterprise. Pegg reprised his role in the two sequels.

And, in "Trek" tradition, he also wasn't actually Scottish.

We first saw Scotty's hand and and heard his voice in the season one finale of "Strange New Worlds."

As previously explained, the 2022 season one finale of "Strange New Worlds" saw Pike transported to an alternate future aboard the Enterprise. In one scene, we see Spock attempt to repair the damaged ship, and he's assisted by an unseen engineer with a very  familiar red shirt and Scottish accent.

However, in "Strange New Worlds'" primary timeline, the chief engineering officer was first an alien named Hemmer who (spoiler) dies in the penultimate episode of season one. He was then replaced by Pelia, another alien, in season two.

But still, fans who know that Scotty is coming to the Enterprise were excited to hear him, if just for a few moments.

In season two of "Strange New Worlds," a Scottish actor finally got to play Scotty: Martin Quinn. It only took 57 years.

Scotty was first teased in season one with a voice cameo, but fans got to meet him for real in the 2023 season two finale, "Hegemony." And now, he's finally played by someone who's actually from  Scotland, an actor named Martin Quinn, as Polygon reported .

While it may be a new actor, this Scotty has the same resourcefulness as both Doohan and Pegg's versions of the character.

Hopefully, we'll see more of him in season three.

Hikaru Sulu, as played by George Takei, appeared through the original series as the ship's helmsman.

Takei played Sulu, the senior helmsman of the Enterprise for all three seasons of "TOS" and voiced the character in "The Animated Series."

Sulu, as portrayed by Asian-American Takei, was a large step forward in terms of Asian representation — at the time, many Asian actors were forced to play untrustworthy people or straight-up villains. Or, indeed, many Asian parts were played by American actors in yellow face (see "Breakfast at Tiffany's").

Sulu, by contrast, was shown to always be an upstanding member of the crew.

Takei's last appearance as Sulu was in a 1996 episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" entitled "Flashback."

By the time of Sulu's last appearance in "Star Trek," he had become a captain of a starship himself, the Excelsior, as seen in both "Star Trek VI" in 1991 and his final on-screen appearance as Sulu in an episode of "Voyager" five years later called "Flashback."

"Flashback" is, fittingly, a flashback to the events of "Star Trek VI" as seen by a member of the crew, Tuvok, who was apparently serving on board the Excelsior at the time.

Takei's voice can also be heard during a 2019 episode of "Short Treks" via archival audio. He also reprised his role one more time during a season three episode of the animated series "Lower Decks" in 2022.

While not Takei himself, Sulu's daughter Demora has a small role in "Generations" as an ensign on the Enterprise-B, played by Jacqueline Kim.

John Cho played Sulu in the rebooted film series, and gave the character a new back story.

To honor Takei's real-life sexuality, Sulu was revealed to have a husband during the events of "Beyond" in 2016. His daughter, presumably Demora, is also seen in the film. Takei, however, didn't approve of making Sulu gay , he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016.

Cho was also in 2009's "Star Trek" and 2013's "Into Darkness." He even got to nod to the character's love of fencing on "TOS" during a scene in the 2009 film.

Walter Koenig played Russian ensign Pavel Chekov. He joined in the second season of the original series.

Koenig didn't join the crew of the Enterprise until season two, when creator Gene Roddenberry decided that they needed a younger character who could appeal to teenage audiences. So, they slapped a Davy Jones wig on Koenig, and there was Chekov.

At the time, it was a huge deal to have a Russian hero on an American TV show during the Cold War, as History outlined.

Koenig appeared in the second and third seasons of "TOS," but due to budgetary restrictions, was not in "The Animated Series." Koenig did, however, write one episode of the show called "The Infinite Vulcan."

His last appearance as the character was in "Star Trek Generations" in 1994.

Koenig appeared in the first six "Trek" films with the cast of "TOS." Then, three years after "Star Trek VI" in 1991, Koenig, along with James Doohan and William Shatner, appeared in "Generations" to christen the Enterprise-B.

Besides that, Chekov is also seen in archival footage during an episode of "DS9," and was heard during the finale of "Star Trek: Picard" in 2023.

The late Anton Yelchin took over as Chekov from 2009 to 2016.

Yelchin was part of the main cast of the 2009 reboot and its two sequels. He died in June 2016 at the age of 27 in a freak accident.

The final Kelvin film (as of now), "Beyond," was released in July 2016, just a few weeks after his death. As Bustle reported, the film was subsequently dedicated to both Yelchin and Leonard Nimoy , who died in 2015.

If a fourth Kelvin film  does  come to fruition, the creative team confirmed to The Wrap that Chekov would not be recast.

Fans of the franchise who watched "Star Trek: Picard" know that, as a nod to Yelchin, it was revealed that Chekov's son, Anton Chekov, is the president of the Federation — and he was voiced by Koenig himself.

Christine Chapel, played by Majel Barrett, worked under Dr. McCoy as a nurse.

As we'll see later, Chapel wasn't the first character Barrett played in "Trek." In the original (un-aired) pilot, Barrett played Number One, the first officer to Captain Christopher Pike.

But, when the show was taken in a different direction, Barrett was re-cast as Nurse Chapel, a nurse with a little bit of a crush on Spock.

Chapel appeared in all three seasons of "TOS" and in both seasons of "The Animated Series."

In 1969, after "TOS" was canceled, Barrett wed "Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry.

Barrett returned for the films "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979) and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986).

Chapel only appeared in two of the "TOS" films: in the first as part of the main crew in 1979 and in the fourth in a small, cameo-like appearance in 1986.

Although Chapel never appeared in any of the "Trek" spin-off shows, Barrett did. She had a recurring role on "TNG" as Lwaxana Troi, the mother of the Enterprise's counselor Deanna Troi. Lwaxana was in five episodes.

Barrett could also be  heard  on three of the spin-offs: Her voice was used as the ship's computer in "TNG," "DS9," and "Voyager" for hundreds of episodes altogether.  Her voice is also the computer in "Generations," "Star Trek: First Contact," "Star Trek: Insurrection," "Star Trek: Nemesis," and posthumously in the 2009 reboot film and "Star Trek: Picard."

Barrett died in December 2008. She was 76 , The New York Times reported.

Nurse Chapel is only mentioned in the reboot trilogy, but she has a main role in "Strange New Worlds," played by Jess Bush.

Chapel gets a passing mention in both "Star Trek" and "Into Darkness" as an ex of Kirk's, but is never seen. By the time Bush began playing a younger version of her in "Strange New Worlds" in 2022, Chapel had been missing from our screens for 36 years.

Bush's portrayal of the character is instantly iconic. She's super-smart, capable, sassy, and altogether a lot of fun. Fans are also learning more about the relationship between Spock and Chapel's relationship, which is only hinted at during "TOS."

Yeoman Janice Rand, played by Grace Lee Whitney, only appeared in the first season of the original series.

Whitney played Yeoman Rand in just the first season of "TOS." Decades later, Whitney claimed she was written off the show after she was sexually assaulted by a producer , which The Washington Post reported in Whitney's obituary.

Her character seemingly had a relationship with Kirk, but it was never truly discussed.

Whitney made her last appearance in the "Trek" universe in "Flashback," a 1996 episode of "Voyager."

Whitney, after a dedicated effort by the Trekkies, was brought back for the first, fourth, and sixth "Trek" films in 1979, 1986, and 1991 respectively, though in a small role. In the sixth movie, specifically, she was seen as part of Captain Sulu's crew on the Excelsior.

Her last appearance as Rand was in the 1996 "Voyager" episode "Flashback," which flashes back to the events of the sixth "Trek" movie, "The Undiscovered Country."

Rand has yet to appear in neither in the Kelvin timeline films nor any of the Paramount+ series.

Whitney died in May 2015 at the age of 85 , reported The Washington Post.

Bibi Besch made her debut as Carol Marcus, an old flame of Kirk's, in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in 1982.

Besch only appeared in one "Trek" movie, but her role as Marcus was significant. In it, viewers found out that Kirk had had a significant relationship with her, and had even unknowingly fathered a son with her, David.

Ultimately, Besch never reprised her role as Marcus, although David went on to appear in "Star Trek III."

However, Marcus did get a passing mention in the season two finale of "Strange New Worlds" in 2023 as just Kirk's pregnant girlfriend Carol.

She died in September 1996 at the age of 54 , according to The New York Times.

Alice Eve played a version of the character in the 2011 film "Star Trek Into Darkness."

In "Into Darkness," Eve took on the role of Marcus, and we see Kirk and Marcus meet, although there's definitely  not  a romantic relationship happening at that time.

During the movie, it's revealed that Marcus' father is a Starfleet admiral (and war hawk) who is secretly preparing for a war with the Klingons.

Marcus didn't appear in "Beyond" because, according to screenwriter Simon Pegg, there simply wasn't enough for her to do , he said on an episode of "Engage: The Official 'Star Trek' Podcast" in 2016.

Booker Bradshaw played Dr. Joseph M'Benga, another doctor aboard the Enterprise, in two episodes of the original series.

Bradshaw played another doctor aboard the Enterprise for two episodes: the season two episode "A Private Little War" and the season three episode "That Which Survives."

That was it for Bradshaw, and we never got to learn more about the character.

Bradshaw died in April 2003 at the age of 62 , according to the British Film Institute.

Babs Olusanmokun has a starring role in "Strange New Worlds" as a younger version of the character.

When the cast list of "Strange New Worlds" was announced in 2021 , you might have been surprised (and excited) to see that the Enterprise's chief medical officer wouldn't be Dr. McCoy, but instead Dr. M'Benga.

Over the course of the first season, we learned that M'Benga is a widower and has a daughter, Rukiya, who has an incurable, degenerative disease. We also learn that he's just as capable as Bones ever was.

In season two, we learned even more about M'Begna, including his past experiences as a soldier in the Klingon-Federation War.

Jeffrey Hunter and Sean Kenney played two different versions of Captain Christopher Pike, the captain of the Enterprise before Kirk.

Originally, "Star Trek" was supposed to be the story of Captain Pike aboard the starship Enterprise, played by Hunter. He starred in a pilot, called "The Cage," that was rejected by the network, which is how we ended up with our beloved Captain Kirk and William Shatner.

But instead of letting that footage go to waste, it was repurposed for a "TOS" episode called "The Menagerie," which sees a severely disfigured and disabled Pike (now played by Kenney) return to a planet called Talos IV, where he can live out the rest of his life under the illusion he's been cured, with the help of Spock.

Kenney played two other characters during "TOS" in the episodes "Arena" and "A Taste of Armageddon."

According to The New York Times, Hunter died in 1969 at the age of 42.

Bruce Greenwood played an altered version of the character in 2009's "Star Trek" and 2011's "Star Trek Into Darkness."

In the 2009 reboot and its immediate sequel, Greenwood plays a version of Pike pre-horrible accident, who convinces Kirk to enlist in Starfleet and mentors the young captain.

His fate in "Into Darkness" (read: his death at the hands of Benedict Cumberbatch's character), is very different than his TV counterpart's.

Anson Mount first appeared in "Star Trek: Discovery" as Captain Pike in 2019, and his portrayal was so popular that he received his own spin-off, "Strange New Worlds."

Mount made his debut as Captain Pike in season two of " Discovery " in 2019 as the temporary captain of the Discovery while the Enterprise was disabled. This appearance is at least five years after the events of "The Cage," the unaired "Trek" pilot from the '60s.

During one episode of "Discovery," he reunites with a character from "The Cage," Vina (more on her later), and in another, he sees a vision of the terrible accident in his future that causes his disfigurement.

He departed at the end of season two to resume command of the Enterprise and to star in his own spin-off, "Strange New Worlds," which began airing in 2022.

Mount reprised his role on "Short Treks," also in 2019.

Captain Pike's first officer, Una Chin-Riley, or Number One, was originally portrayed by Majel Barrett.

Before Barrett dyed her hair blonde and played Nurse Chapel, she played the first officer, known only as Number One, in the un-aired pilot of "Star Trek" called "The Cage," which was later repurposed into "The Menagerie."

The character wasn't seen again for over 50 years.

Rebecca Romijn now plays Number One in "Strange New Worlds." She also appeared in "Discovery" alongside Mount.

Fifty-six years after Number One was cut from "TOS," Romijn brought new life to the character when she appeared in "Discovery" alongside Anson Mount as Captain Pike in 2019.

She then began starring on "Strange New Worlds" in 2022, during which it was revealed that Number One is actually a genetically modified alien known as an Illyrian. We then learned that Illyrians are forbidden from joining Starfleet, leading to her arrest in the season one finale of "Strange New Worlds."

Thankfully, she was back on the Enterprise before long in season two.

Romijn also appeared in "Short Treks" in 2019.

Mark Lenard played Spock's father Sarek beginning in 1967.

Lenard makes his first appearance as Spock's estranged Vulcan father in the season two episode of "TOS" called "Journey to Babel." He subsequently voiced the character in an episode of "The Animated Series," as well.

In addition to Sarek, Lenard played a Romulan in another episode of "TOS," "Balance of Terror."

His last filmed appearance as the character was the 1991 film "The Undiscovered Country," though he appeared in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" that same year.

Lenard reprised the role of Sarek in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth "Trek" movies in 1982, 1986, 1989, and 1991 respectively, playing a pivotal role in the third movie where he convinces Kirk to retrieve Spock's body in order to reunite it with Spock's soul during a Vulcan ritual.

Lenard appeared in the first "Trek" movie too in 1979, though not as Sarek. Instead, he played an unnamed Klingon commander.

Sarek also appeared in two episodes of "TNG" in 1990 and 1991, one of which was named after him. In it, he develops a close friendship with Captain Picard. His next appearance, "Unification" in 1991, saw him reunite with his on-screen son, Spock. Sarek dies during this two-part episode.

Lenard died in November 1996 when he was 68 years old , according to The Washington Post.

Ben Cross played Sarek in the 2009 reboot.

During a brief scene in the beginning of the 2009 film, and then during a scene where Spock returns to Vulcan, his father Sarek is played by Cross. He did not reprise the role for "Into Darkness" or "Beyond."

Cross died in August 2020 at age 72 , Deadline reported.

Sarek has most recently appeared in "Discovery," as played by James Frain, starting in 2017.

Sarek has a relatively important role in "Discovery," as he's both the father of Spock (who pops up in season two) and the adopted father of the show's main character, Michael Burnham.

It was confirmed in the second season of "Strange New Worlds" that Spock and his father are not on good terms.

Spock's human mother Amanda Grayson was first played by Jane Wyatt in the original series.

Wyatt played Spock's human mother Grayson in one episode of "TOS," the same one that Sarek made his debut in: "Journey to Babel."

Majel Barrett also voiced her in an animated episode, "Yesteryear."

Wyatt reprised the role for the 1986 film "The Voyage Home."

After Spock is resurrected during the events of "Star Trek III," his mother, played by Wyatt, returned for "Star Trek IV" to encourage her son to reconnect with his humanity.

Wyatt died in October 2006. She was 96 , according to The New York Times.

Winona Ryder took over the role in 2009 in "Star Trek."

Much ado was made about how Ryder was cast as the mother of Zachary Quinto, as she was only six years older than him.

But, Ryder only appears in a few minutes of the movie, donning makeup to show age, to briefly reunite with her son Spock on Vulcan before she dies during the planet's destruction.

Mia Kirshner began playing her in 2017 on "Discovery," and has since appeared on "Strange New Worlds."

Kirshner took on the role of Grayson in "Discovery," mainly as the adopted mother of Michael Burnham, though she did connect with Spock once he popped up on that show.

She returned in 2023 during an episode of season two of "Strange New Worlds" to help Spock after he was accidentally turned into a human.

Khan Noonien Singh, one of the most iconic villains in "Trek" history, debuted in an episode of the original series. He was played by Ricardo Montalban.

"Space Seed," an episode during the first season of "TOS," has been named one of the best episodes of "Trek" of all time. Lots of that credit can be given to Montalban's performance as Khan, a genetically modified super-human who tries to take over the Enterprise to bring "order" to the Federation.

At the end of the episode, Kirk chooses to sentence Khan and his people to live on a bountiful planet called Ceti Alpha V, with the intention of telling Starfleet to check in on them in 100 years.

Montalban returned for the 1982 film "Wrath of Khan."

By the events of "Star Trek II," Ceti Alpha V has become a wasteland due to the explosion of neighboring planet of Ceti Alpha VI, and Khan and his people have grown bitter and desperate.

Montalban absolutely steals the show Khan, quoting classic literature, going toe-to-toe with Kirk, and indirectly killing Spock.

But, of course, the crew of the Enterprise prevails and Khan is blown to smithereens.

While adult Khan has not shown up since "Wrath of Khan," a descendant of his, La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) is a regular on "Strange New Worlds."

The Los Angeles Times reported that Montalban died in January 2009. He was 88.

Benedict Cumberbatch (controversially) played Khan in the 2011 film "Star Trek Into Darkness."

Leading up to the release of "Into Darkness," the creative team and cast swore up and down that Cumberbatch  wasn't  playing Khan , but a different antagonist named John Harrison.

But then, fans watched as it was revealed that John Harrison was a fake name and Cumberbatch was indeed playing Kirk's most famous nemesis, Khan.

This choice generated some controversy , as Khan was described as a person of Indian descent and Montalban himself was Mexican — and Cumberbatch is white, as Screen Rant's Dusty Stowe wrote.

A young Khan from an alternate universe played by Desmond Sivan showed up in season two of "Strange New Worlds" in 2023.

During the episode, called "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," La'an is sent back in time to an alternate past in order to save the world, but she doesn't know what event she's supposed to be preventing. She's helped in this mission by an alternate Captain Kirk.

In a cruel twist of fate, La'an is forced to save a young Khan's life, because his death in the 21st century would set off a terrible future — and the alternate Kirk unknowingly sacrifices himself for the person who will one day kill his friend.

Arlene Martel played Spock's betrothed, T'Pring, in a 1967 episode.

During a famous episode of "TOS'" first season, "Amok Time," viewers were introduced to T'Pring, Spock's previously unmentioned fiancée. During the episode, it becomes clear that T'Pring doesn't not actually want to marry Spock, and instead loves a Vulcan named Stonn. After this episode, she's never mentioned again.

Martel died in August 2014 at age 78 , according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gia Sandhu now plays T'Pring in a recurring role on "Strange New Worlds."

"Strange New Worlds" picks up years before "Amok Time," and, as such, T'Pring and Spock were at first very much in love and each dedicated to making their relationship work, despite their differences.

Sandhu appeared throughout the first season in a recurring role, but after her and Spock's relationship was put on pause in season two, we don't know how much more of her we'll see in the future.

Roger C. Carmel's Harry Mudd is another "Trek" antagonist who has lasted through the decades, appearing in two episodes of the original series and two episodes of the animated series.

Harry Mudd, or Harcourt Fenton Mudd if you prefer, appeared in four episodes across "TOS" and "The Animated Series," always trying to get one over on the crew of the Enterprise, looking for the best angle, and perpetually scamming those around him.

Carmel died in November 1986 at age 54 , according to The Los Angeles Times.

"The Office" star Rainn Wilson put his own spin on Mudd in "Discovery" and "Short Treks."

Wilson brought Mudd into the 21st century when he played the famed scammer in two episodes of "Discovery" in 2017 and in an episode of "Short Treks" in 2019 which he also directed.

In 2021, Wilson was campaigning to bring Mudd back into the fold and have him appear in "Strange New Worlds" at a fan convention, according to "Trek" fansite Trek Movie. Maybe in season three!

Susan Oliver played the lone survivor of a ship crash named Vina in an episode of "Star Trek."

Technically, Oliver as Vina was part of the un-aired pilot "The Cage." Vina was a woman living on Talos VI after a ship crash left her stranded there.

Her plight was then shown in the "TOS" episode "The Menagerie," which told the tale of Vina's first meeting with Captain Pike. The two fell in love while Pike was being held captive on the planet, but when the Talosians realized that humans can't be enslaved, they let Pike and his crew go.

While Pike wants Vina to come with him, she reveals she was heavily injured and disfigured during her crash, and the Talosians have used their powers of illusion to make her appear young and beautiful. She must stay behind in order to keep her appearance as is.

According to The New York Times, Oliver died in May 1990 at age 61 .

Vina appeared in "Discovery" too, as played by Melissa George.

Some time after their encounter in "The Cage," Pike and Vina became telepathically linked to communicate once more after some years apart.

Vina, now played by George in a 2019 episode of "Discovery," reveals to Pike that the Talosians have allowed her to live out her days with an illusionary version of Pike to keep her company.

What neither of them knows, yet, is that after Pike has his accident, he will reunite with Vina on Talos VI so they can both live their own "happy" illusions , as seen in "The Menagerie."

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Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt Uhura in original Star Trek, dies aged 89

Actor achieved worldwide fame and broke ground for Black women while playing Nyota Uhura in the original TV hit

Nichelle Nichols, who played communications officer Lt Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series and helped to create a new era for television in the 1960s, has died in New Mexico at the age of 89.

Nichols’ son, Kyle Johnson, announced her death on Sunday via Facebook , saying: “I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years.” Nichols’s death, on Saturday night in Silver City, was later confirmed by her agent.

Johnson said his mother had succumbed to natural causes, seven years after suffered a stroke.

“Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from and draw inspiration.”

Nichols will be remembered chiefly for her role in the sci-fi adventure series, but she began her career as a dancer and nightclub singer.

US president Joe Biden paid tribute to Nichols, saying she “shattered stereotypes”. “Our nation has lost a trailblazer of stage and screen who redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women”.

“Our nation is forever indebted to inspiring artists like Nichelle Nichols, who show us a future where unity, dignity, and respect are cornerstones of every society.”

Co-star George Takei tweeted that his heart was heavy, “my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend” and he would have more to say soon on the “incomparable” trailblazer.

I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 31, 2022

Prominent Georgia Democrat and voting rights organizer Stacey Abrams , who is running again for the state governorship and is a longtime Star Trek fan, tweeted a picture of herself with Nichols.

“One of my most treasured photos – Godspeed to Nichelle Nichols, champion, warrior and tremendous actor. Her kindness and bravery lit the path for many,” she wrote. “May she forever dwell among the stars.”

One of my most treasured photos - Godspeed to Nichelle Nichols, champion, warrior and tremendous actor. Her kindness and bravery lit the path for many. May she forever dwell among the stars. #RIPNichelle #Uhura pic.twitter.com/nFXHif8HEC — Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) July 31, 2022

Star Trek brought Nichols enduring recognition and helped to break down some racial barriers in the television business, as they were rampant elsewhere.

She shared one of the first lip-to-lip interracial kisses on television – with co-star William Shatner, aka Captain Kirk. The kiss at the time was considered a forward-looking move on the part of the actors, as well as Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and the network that broadcast the show, NBC.

The episode in question, titled Plato’s Stepchildren, aired in 1968 and was fashioned in a way that gave those involved something of an out from any potential discriminatory backlash: Uhura and Kirk did not choose to kiss but were instead made to do so after being inhabited by aliens.

Roddenberry had reportedly insisted on an integrated crew for Starship Enterprise – a bold move given that interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 US states. Only a year earlier, Variety reported, Sammy Davis Jr had gone no further than kiss Nancy Sinatra on the cheek on Movin’ With Nancy.

The original Star Trek premiered on NBC on 8 September 1966. Its multicultural, multiracial cast was creator Gene Roddenberry’s message to viewers that in the far-off future, the 23rd century, human diversity would be fully accepted.

“I think many people took it into their hearts … that what was being said on TV at that time was a reason to celebrate,” Nichols said in 1992 when a Star Trek exhibit was on view at the Smithsonian Institution.

She often recalled how civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was a fan of the show and praised her role.

She met him at a civil rights gathering in 1967, at a time when she had decided not to return for the show’s second season.

“When I told him I was going to miss my co-stars and I was leaving the show, he became very serious and said ‘You cannot do that’,” she told The Tulsa World in a 2008 interview.

“‘You’ve changed the face of television forever, and therefore, you’ve changed the minds of people’,” she said the civil rights leader told her.

Nichols said: “That foresight Dr King had was a lightning bolt in my life.”

More recently, she had a recurring role on television’s Heroes, playing the great-aunt of a young boy with mystical powers.

Nichols, trained as a dancer and also worked as a nightclub chanteuse, with the Washington Post reporting that she thought being cast in Star Trek would be a “nice stepping stone” to Broadway stage fame, not realizing that the TV show and her character would be an iconic and enduring smash hit.

Actor Wilson Cruz wrote on Twitter that “representation matters”.

Nichols “modeled it for us. With her very presence and her grace she shone a light on who we as people of color are and inspired us to reach for our potential,” he wrote . “Rest well, glittering diamond in the sky.”

Before we understood how much #RepresentationMatters #NichelleNichols modeled it for us. With her very presence & her grace she shone a light on who we as people of color are & inspired us to reach for our potential. Rest well glittering diamond in the sky https://t.co/DmeLFbg825 — Wilson Cruz (@wcruz73) July 31, 2022

The Smithsonian tweeted a picture of Lt Uhura’s iconic red mini-dress and noted that Nichols made “history for African American women in TV and film. Nichols also volunteered to recruit women and people of color for Nasa.”

Today we remember Nichelle Nichols. She starred as Lieutenant Uhura on "Star Trek" wearing this uniform now in our @NMAAHC , making history for African American women in TV and film. Nichols also volunteered to recruit women and people of color for NASA. #BecauseOfHerStory pic.twitter.com/fZZqfGlomz — Smithsonian (@smithsonian) July 31, 2022

Nichols was born Grace Dell Nichols in Robbins, Illinois, on December 28 1932. According to the National Space Society , she sang as a 16-year-old with jazz great Duke Ellington – her career getting under way at an early age – in a ballet she created, and later joined his band.

Her big break in the 1961 Chicago musical Kicks and Co. Nichols later appeared in the title role in Carmen Jones and in a New York staging of Porgy and Bess as well as in Jean Genet’s The Blacks, and landed small film roles.

Nichols was married and divorced twice, and is survived by her son, Kyle Johnson.

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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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Denise Crosby on Leaving Star Trek: I Wasn’t Going to Be ‘The Token Hot Blonde’

The tasha yar actress on that next generation life (and after-life)..

Some days you’re hard at work, trying to make a deadline on a Friday night. (That’s right now as this is being written.) Others, you’re sitting in the VIP lounge with Tasha Yar herself, Denise Crosby, sipping a cocktail as you sail through the Caribbean Sea onboard a cruise ship.

Call it that Star Trek life.

And so it went on the Star Trek cruise recently – a.k.a. Star Trek: The Cruise VII – and not just for me, either. Crosby has become something of a fixture at the annual event, and she’s certainly one of the participating Trek castmates who gets out and mixes it up with the fans who are sailing. Crosby is almost like a brand ambassador for the Star Trek cruise experience – just out there loving it with her fellow castmates and fans alike. Just look at this amazing photo of her being chased by “Armus” – a cosplay version of the alien that infamously killed her Trek character back in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first season.

But as we sat down to talk, it became clear that Crosby has no regrets about her abrupt departure from the show back when it was still in its infancy. We talked about that, Tasha’s eventual return for one of the all-time great Trek episodes, and much more.

Killing Tasha Yar (One Bad Script at a Time)

In 1987, Crosby was cast as one of the original cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Enterprise security chief Tasha Yar. Tasha was a fierce fighter with a complicated past, and a striking presence on the bridge of the Starfleet flagship, but the actress found herself bumping up against a familiar Star Trek problem – being relegated to a “hailing frequencies” capacity while more prominent characters were given all the good storylines.

I suggest to her that, when she decided to move on, half of Hollywood probably thought she was crazy. She agrees.

Nobody leaves a TV show. You have a contract. I had a signed contract. -Denise Crosby

“And half of me thought I was crazy,” laughs Crosby. “It was like I saw it, I had to do it. And yes, 99% of people that have an acting job with a six-year contract are not going to ask to go out. And I don't know that I would have 25 years later in my life, but I was young enough and perhaps naive enough to know that I was willing to gamble and take a chance. I was young enough that I knew I didn't have a mortgage. I didn't have children. I didn't have private education to pay for. I didn't have an ill relative that I was caring for. I didn't have the things that would necessitate a different way to think about doing a job for a paycheck. So I was free to purely live creatively at that moment.”

Looking back on it now, she also points out that TV in 1986 was a very different beast than it is today, and first-run syndicated dramatic television – which Next Gen was an early adopter of – was virtually unheard of.

“It wasn't the be-all, end-all for a young actor,” she says. “We were going to these amazing acting classes where we were reading all the great classics … I saw stuff in my acting class I still haven't seen to this day, the level of talent.”

But getting out of her contract would’ve been much more difficult if it weren’t for Trek guru Gene Roddenberry, who had created and was still in charge of Next Gen at that time.

“Nobody leaves a TV show,” Crosby continues. “You have a contract. I had a signed contract. The only way I was able to do it was because Gene Roddenberry had total control. He wouldn't have made another Star Trek if that were not the case, because he had been so abused by the process in the ‘60s. So he finally makes Next Gen, and he is given real autonomy. And he and I sat down like this together and he said, ‘Look, I wish you wouldn't leave. I don't want you to leave.’”

But Roddenberry ultimately gave his blessing, which meant Crosby was able to leave the show. It’s a funny thing though, because she says that the producers actually loved the character of Tasha Yar. But for some reason the scripts were not servicing the character; indeed, Season 1 of Next Generation is widely regarded as one of the lower points of the show’s run. And there was a lot of behind-the-scenes turmoil as well. Marina Sirtis, who played Counselor Troi, has said she was on the verge of being fired. And Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Crusher, was fired at the end of the season (she would return in Season 3). Still, this meant the first year ended with two of the three female leads leaving the show.

“And now they're like, ‘Oh my God, there's no … women,’” remembers Crosby. “So now we’ve got to keep Marina and Gates we'll recast. … It kind of wreaked havoc. That wasn't my intention. My intention was to get somebody in the room and tell me, ‘What is this going to be? What is this character?’ It's such an incredible opportunity. You have so much here, but I'm not going to just be the token hot blonde on the show. But they had a ’60s mentality. It was all these old white dudes in the room until, God love them, until Gene passed. And it shifted. There was a shift when [showrunner] Michael Piller came onto the show [in Season 3] and things changed.”

Denise Crosby’s Star Trek Return (and Tasha Yar’s Redemption)

Tasha was oil-slicked off the Enterprise, but Denise was beamed right into a successful career in both movies and TV, while also becoming something of an expert on the Trek fan community thanks in no small part to her successful documentary Trekkies, which she produced and hosted.

But of course, she did return as Tasha Yar to the bridge of the starship Enterprise two years after she had left, for the Season 3 episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” Through a bit of time travel and alternate timeline trickery, the episode gives us a version of the Star Trek world where Tasha is still alive. Not just that, but Starfleet is at war with the Klingons and things are, to quote Picard, “going very badly for the Federation, far worse than is generally known.” That even includes all the lights onboard being set to “dim”!

“I always make this joke at cons and stuff: I had to die to get a good script,” laughs Crosby.

The episode works on many levels, from its sci-fi conceits to its great cast of guest actors (Christopher McDonald and Tricia O'Neil as doomed crewmembers from a different starship Enterprise), to the off-kilter lighting and design touches which subtly place the story in a different universe. But perhaps most effective is the redemption of Tasha, who as the episode itself says, had died a senseless death the first go-round. Not this time!

“[Executive producer] Rick Berman called me at home,” she recalls. “It was a long time since I talked to him. Out of the blue. And he said, ‘We have this episode that brings Tasha back.’ … It was such a shock – never saw that coming. … And I said, ‘Okay, ew. That sounds weird.’ And he goes, ‘But it's really good, the script. Will you read it?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. Of course.’ Read it over the weekend. And I called him Monday. I said, ‘Oh my God, this is so good.’ This is what I wanted! It's ironic.”

I had to die to get a good script. -Denise Crosby

Yes, Tasha did have to die in order for Denise to get a good script. Of course, by Season 3 Next Gen had finally hit its stride and was consistently knocking out strong episodes, but there’s a special resonance to “Yesterday’s Enterprise” because of the meta aspect of Crosby coming back to make right by Tasha. In fact, the actress just recently watched the episode for the first time in 35 years.

“It's so good,” she says of the hour. “It was such a delight. It was such a beautiful surprise that I couldn't have anticipated to be able to come back on the show and almost redeem her on many levels. … It's better than I thought it was. It's really good. Not only is the writing amazing, Whoopi [Goldberg] brings so much. Christopher McDonald is incredible. And Tricia O'Neil, who plays Captain Garrett. … I mean, those guys bring it. Everybody's better when you have good actors.”

Crosby would return a few more times for guest shots, first as Sela, Tasha’s half-Romulan daughter (long story), and then in the series finale, “All Good Things…”, where she got to play Tasha once more. But still, she says she had and has no regrets about leaving the show.

“There was no turning back,” says Crosby. “I knew I had to go. I never liked to cause problems or rifts. I sometimes feel I made the other guys uncomfortable, or I stirred something in them, which wasn't, again, the intention at all. Not all of them. … But sometimes I wonder if deep inside there was a period – I don't think anymore – but there might've been a period of resentment that, ‘Hey, we're going along here as a unit, and you feel the need to go rogue.’ That's just a natural thing, and that makes me uncomfortable. … But I could not have stayed on. I could not have stood on that thing, that horseshoe, and go ‘Aye-aye, Captain’ for five more years. No one has a crystal ball. Had I known what was to come and that maybe with Michael Piller we could have gotten in there and we could've done something with this character...

"The regret is that they didn't.”

Talk to Associate Director of Features Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottCollura , or listen to his Star Trek podcast, Transporter Room 3 . Or do both!

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Denise Crosby on Leaving Star Trek: I Wasn’t Going to Be ‘The Token Hot Blonde’

The tasha yar actress on that next generation life (and after-life)..

Some days you’re hard at work, trying to make a deadline on a Friday night. (That’s right now as this is being written.) Others, you’re sitting in the VIP lounge with Tasha Yar herself, Denise Crosby, sipping a cocktail as you sail through the Caribbean Sea onboard a cruise ship.

Call it that Star Trek life.

And so it went on the Star Trek cruise recently – a.k.a. Star Trek: The Cruise VII – and not just for me, either. Crosby has become something of a fixture at the annual event, and she’s certainly one of the participating Trek castmates who gets out and mixes it up with the fans who are sailing. Crosby is almost like a brand ambassador for the Star Trek cruise experience – just out there loving it with her fellow castmates and fans alike. Just look at this amazing photo of her being chased by “Armus” – a cosplay version of the alien that infamously killed her Trek character back in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first season.

But as we sat down to talk, it became clear that Crosby has no regrets about her abrupt departure from the show back when it was still in its infancy. We talked about that, Tasha’s eventual return for one of the all-time great Trek episodes, and much more.

Killing Tasha Yar (One Bad Script at a Time)

In 1987, Crosby was cast as one of the original cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Enterprise security chief Tasha Yar. Tasha was a fierce fighter with a complicated past, and a striking presence on the bridge of the Starfleet flagship, but the actress found herself bumping up against a familiar Star Trek problem – being relegated to a “hailing frequencies” capacity while more prominent characters were given all the good storylines.

I suggest to her that, when she decided to move on, half of Hollywood probably thought she was crazy. She agrees.

“And half of me thought I was crazy,” laughs Crosby. “It was like I saw it, I had to do it. And yes, 99% of people that have an acting job with a six-year contract are not going to ask to go out. And I don't know that I would have 25 years later in my life, but I was young enough and perhaps naive enough to know that I was willing to gamble and take a chance. I was young enough that I knew I didn't have a mortgage. I didn't have children. I didn't have private education to pay for. I didn't have an ill relative that I was caring for. I didn't have the things that would necessitate a different way to think about doing a job for a paycheck. So I was free to purely live creatively at that moment.”

Looking back on it now, she also points out that TV in 1986 was a very different beast than it is today, and first-run syndicated dramatic television – which Next Gen was an early adopter of – was virtually unheard of.

“It wasn't the be-all, end-all for a young actor,” she says. “We were going to these amazing acting classes where we were reading all the great classics … I saw stuff in my acting class I still haven't seen to this day, the level of talent.”

But getting out of her contract would’ve been much more difficult if it weren’t for Trek guru Gene Roddenberry, who had created and was still in charge of Next Gen at that time.

“Nobody leaves a TV show,” Crosby continues. “You have a contract. I had a signed contract. The only way I was able to do it was because Gene Roddenberry had total control. He wouldn't have made another Star Trek if that were not the case, because he had been so abused by the process in the ‘60s. So he finally makes Next Gen, and he is given real autonomy. And he and I sat down like this together and he said, ‘Look, I wish you wouldn't leave. I don't want you to leave.’”

But Roddenberry ultimately gave his blessing, which meant Crosby was able to leave the show. It’s a funny thing though, because she says that the producers actually loved the character of Tasha Yar. But for some reason the scripts were not servicing the character; indeed, Season 1 of Next Generation is widely regarded as one of the lower points of the show’s run. And there was a lot of behind-the-scenes turmoil as well. Marina Sirtis, who played Counselor Troi, has said she was on the verge of being fired. And Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Crusher, was fired at the end of the season (she would return in Season 3). Still, this meant the first year ended with two of the three female leads leaving the show.

Did Denise Crosby make the right decision when she left Star Trek: The Next Generation?

“And now they're like, ‘Oh my God, there's no … women,’” remembers Crosby. “So now we’ve got to keep Marina and Gates we'll recast. … It kind of wreaked havoc. That wasn't my intention. My intention was to get somebody in the room and tell me, ‘What is this going to be? What is this character?’ It's such an incredible opportunity. You have so much here, but I'm not going to just be the token hot blonde on the show. But they had a ’60s mentality. It was all these old white dudes in the room until, God love them, until Gene passed. And it shifted. There was a shift when [showrunner] Michael Piller came onto the show [in Season 3] and things changed.”

Denise Crosby’s Star Trek Return (and Tasha Yar’s Redemption)

Tasha was oil-slicked off the Enterprise, but Denise was beamed right into a successful career in both movies and TV, while also becoming something of an expert on the Trek fan community thanks in no small part to her successful documentary Trekkies, which she produced and hosted.

But of course, she did return as Tasha Yar to the bridge of the starship Enterprise two years after she had left, for the Season 3 episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” Through a bit of time travel and alternate timeline trickery, the episode gives us a version of the Star Trek world where Tasha is still alive. Not just that, but Starfleet is at war with the Klingons and things are, to quote Picard, “going very badly for the Federation, far worse than is generally known.” That even includes all the lights onboard being set to “dim”!

“I always make this joke at cons and stuff: I had to die to get a good script,” laughs Crosby.

The episode works on many levels, from its sci-fi conceits to its great cast of guest actors (Christopher McDonald and Tricia O'Neil as doomed crewmembers from a different starship Enterprise), to the off-kilter lighting and design touches which subtly place the story in a different universe. But perhaps most effective is the redemption of Tasha, who as the episode itself says, had died a senseless death the first go-round. Not this time!

“[Executive producer] Rick Berman called me at home,” she recalls. “It was a long time since I talked to him. Out of the blue. And he said, ‘We have this episode that brings Tasha back.’ … It was such a shock – never saw that coming. … And I said, ‘Okay, ew. That sounds weird.’ And he goes, ‘But it's really good, the script. Will you read it?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. Of course.’ Read it over the weekend. And I called him Monday. I said, ‘Oh my God, this is so good.’ This is what I wanted! It's ironic.”

Yes, Tasha did have to die in order for Denise to get a good script. Of course, by Season 3 Next Gen had finally hit its stride and was consistently knocking out strong episodes, but there’s a special resonance to “Yesterday’s Enterprise” because of the meta aspect of Crosby coming back to make right by Tasha. In fact, the actress just recently watched the episode for the first time in 35 years.

“It's so good,” she says of the hour. “It was such a delight. It was such a beautiful surprise that I couldn't have anticipated to be able to come back on the show and almost redeem her on many levels. … It's better than I thought it was. It's really good. Not only is the writing amazing, Whoopi [Goldberg] brings so much. Christopher McDonald is incredible. And Tricia O'Neil, who plays Captain Garrett. … I mean, those guys bring it. Everybody's better when you have good actors.”

Crosby would return a few more times for guest shots, first as Sela, Tasha’s half-Romulan daughter (long story), and then in the series finale, “All Good Things…”, where she got to play Tasha once more. But still, she says she had and has no regrets about leaving the show.

Star Trek Face-Off: Who Is the Best Crew Member?

Pick a winner.

“There was no turning back,” says Crosby. “I knew I had to go. I never liked to cause problems or rifts. I sometimes feel I made the other guys uncomfortable, or I stirred something in them, which wasn't, again, the intention at all. Not all of them. … But sometimes I wonder if deep inside there was a period – I don't think anymore – but there might've been a period of resentment that, ‘Hey, we're going along here as a unit, and you feel the need to go rogue.’ That's just a natural thing, and that makes me uncomfortable. … But I could not have stayed on. I could not have stood on that thing, that horseshoe, and go ‘Aye-aye, Captain’ for five more years. No one has a crystal ball. Had I known what was to come and that maybe with Michael Piller we could have gotten in there and we could've done something with this character...

"The regret is that they didn't.”

Talk to Associate Director of Features Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottCollura , or listen to his Star Trek podcast, Transporter Room 3 . Or do both!

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Ds9’s sisko was better for avoiding 1 tragic star trek captain trope.

The majority of Star Trek captains share the same tragedy in their pasts, but Sisko bucked this trend in DS9, making the character better as a result.

• Captain Sisko's unique portrayal as a family man sets him apart from other Star Trek captains, adding emotional depth to the show.
• The presence of Sisko's father Joseph in DS9 provides positive representation of fatherhood, contrasting with other Star Trek series.
• Joseph Sisko's character is a unique addition to the Star Trek canon as the only living father of a lead character in the series.

Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Broooks) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine avoided a tragic trope that affected his fellow Star Trek captains, making the character and the show better as a result. DS9 's Sisko was a unique figure in the Star Trek TV shows of the 1990s, as he juggled his duties as a Starfleet captain with those of being a father, a husband, and a religious icon. This marked Sisko out as different from Captains Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) each of whom placed their commitment to Starfleet above all else .

Unlike Picard and Janeway, Captain Sisko was a family man, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's cast of characters included various members of his wider family. Captain Sisko's father, Joseph (Brock Peters) grounded him, and imparted various pearls of wisdom over jambalaya at Sisko's Creole Kitchen. Unfortunately for Picard and Janeway, and other Star Trek captains that followed, they weren't able to seek advice from their own fathers as they had died years before they took command of their respective starships .

Captain Sisko's 10 Best Star Trek DS9 Episodes

Sisko & star trek: ds9 was better because his father was still alive.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager , alien intelligences use the images of Picard and Janeway's fathers for their own ends. Q (John de Lancie) technically conjured up the image of Maurice Picard twice, deliberately in TNG 's "Tapestry", and accidentally in Star Trek: Picard . Both times that Maurice appeared in Star Trek were attempts to get Jean-Luc to confront his issues with his father and his traumatic upbringing . Meanwhile, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) blames the career disappointments of his late father on the Vulcans in Star Trek: Enterprise , creating a prejudice that could often be quite ugly.

By contrast, the portrayal of fatherhood in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is much more positive, thanks to the introduction of Sisko's father in season 4. While Captain Sisko had talked of Joseph in the past tense in earlier DS9 episodes like "Paradise", season 4 confirmed that Joseph was very much alive. Watching the three generations of Sisko men interact was always a joy, and it gave DS9 an emotional reality that was missing from other Star Trek shows of the time. Without Joseph, the revelations about Sarah (Deborah Lacey) and the birth of Captain Sisko in DS9 season 7 wouldn't have had the same impact .

Brock Peters had previously played Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

DS9’s Joseph Sisko Is A Unique Star Trek Character

Joseph Sisko holds the distinction of being the only father of a Star Trek lead character to both be alive, and part of the recurring cast . Picard, Janeway, Archer, the Kelvin Timeline's Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) all lost their fathers years before their respective TV shows and movies began. It was later revealed that George Kirk, the father of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) was still alive during Star Trek: The Original Series , but he never appeared on-screen . Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Joseph Sisko is, therefore, a unique character in the wider canon.

Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episode 19, "Q2" revealed that George Kirk was still alive when Captain Kirk took command of the USS Enterprise.

Interestingly, Joseph Sisko and Maurice Picard are the only fathers to Star Trek captains who weren't serving Starfleet officers themselves. Joseph pursued a career as a professional chef, and ran Sisko's Creole Kitchen in New Orleans for decades, teaching his children to cook. Maurice oversaw the production and distributon of Chateau Picard Wine , a business he wanted Jean-Luc to inherit. This means that, despite their differences in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot, Sisko and Picard do have something in common; their respective family's links to the food and drink industries.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

*Availability in US

Not available

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.

9 Star Trek Characters Who Can Hide Discovery Season 5 Treasure Hunt Clues

• The search for Progenitor technology in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 involves collecting 5 physical clue pieces that form a puzzle.
• The USS Discovery crew already has 2 clues, obtained after proving the 32nd century Federation is ready to wield the technology.
• The answers to the mystery may go beyond the physical clues, found in the very nature of life itself.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 serves as a season-long sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 20, "The Chase", and revisits the concept first that a single ancient humanoid race called the Progenitors seeded life across the Star Trek galaxy. Once discovered in the 24th century, the Federation President secretly gathered a team of scientists to study the Progenitors' technology but deemed it too dangerous for their own time. The team, which included Romulan Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeland), hid a series of clues leading to the Progenitor technology's location , with the hope that future generations would prove worthy enough to wield it.

Dr. Vellek's notes point to Promellian ruins on the planet Lyrek, which reveal a clue pointing to Trill. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3 , "Jinaal", the Trill clue was hidden on Trill by Jinaal Bix, a scientist and host of the Bix symbiont who was a colleague of Dr. Vellek's. Just as the structures on Lyrek are guaranteed to last, the Trill symbiont Bix is also still alive after 800 years. The remainder of Star Trek: Discovery season 5's clues need to stand the test of time, and might be found with any number of Star Trek characters who could still be around in the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Zora (annabelle wallis), discovery's computer could answer the mystery of her own sentience..

One of the clues to Progenitor technology may be found aboard the USS Discovery itself, buried deep within its own computer systems. Discovery's computer downloaded a hundred thousand of years of intergalactic data from the Sphere in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, in order to protect the information from the genocidal A.I, called Control. As a result, Discovery's computer develops sentience in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, choosing the name Zora.

The sheer amount of knowledge Zora possesses may lead to one of Star Trek: Discovery 's answers.

With the question of how sentient life is created at the center of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Zora herself may hold at least part of a clue. Although it's impossible for Zora to be part of the race planned by Dr. Vellek's team in the 24th century, the sheer amount of knowledge Zora possesses may lead to one of Star Trek: Discovery 's answers, whether to the Progenitor technology's location or how it works to imbue life forms with sentience.

The Guardian of Forever (Paul Guilfoyle)

A final clue might be in the progenitors' past..

The Guardian of Forever was first seen in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 28, "The City on the Edge of Forever", as a sentient gateway through time. To obtain the Trill piece of the puzzle in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa-Martin Green) must pass Jinaal's test to prove that people in the 32nd century are responsible enough to use the Progenitor technology wisely. One way this could happen is if the Guardian of Forever allows Burnham to pass through time to meet the Progenitors themselves, so the creators of all sentient humanoid life can decide for themselves if their own creations are worthy.

There's a precedent for the Guardian of Forever in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century . The Guardian appeared as a human named "Carl" in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, episode 9, "Terra Firma, Part 1", to administer a cosmic test to Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Upon passing the test, Georgiou was allowed to return to an earlier time by entering the Guardian of Forever's gateway.

Michelle Yeoh will return as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 made-for-streaming movie on Paramount+.

Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks)

Time isn't real to the emissary of the bajoran prophets..

At the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) fulfills the duties of the Bajoran Emissary and becomes one with the Prophets, the non-corporeal aliens native to the Bajoran wormhole. Time has no meaning for the Prophets, who exist throughoutwithout a sense of linear progression from past to present to future. As an entity on their level, Sisko also ceases to experience linear time, and can exist at any point in the Star Trek timeline ; as the Prophets' Emissary, Sisko is the one who would speak on their behalf to the corporeal world, but to Bajor in particular.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 22, "Explorers", suggests that Cardassians and Bajorans were once one people, just as TNG 's "The Chase" proves that all sentient humanoid life had a single origin with the Progenitors. As one of the species present to hear the Progenitor speak in "The Chase", Cardassians may have had a representative in the 24th-century science team studying the Progenitors' technology . Even if Sisko doesn't return as the Emissary, it would still make sense to link the wormhole aliens in the answer to the question about the origin of life.

The Progenitor hologram revealed the origin of life to the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 20, "The Chase".

Q (John de Lancie) or Q Junior (Keegan de Lancie)

A game that leads to incredible power is right up q's alley..

The Q Continuum was certainly around at the time the Federation science team needed to disperse their clues to Progenitor technology in the 24th century, and as an immortal being with a vested interest in the worthiness of humanity, John de Lancie's Q might even be interested in being part of the treasure hunt that Vellek and his colleagues designed for the future. Q's apparent demise in Star Trek: Picard season 2 was seemingly negated by Q's Picard season 3 appearance , but Q's son (Keegan de Lancie), from Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episode 18, might take up his father's mantle of poking at the Federation.

The Federation of the 32nd century has had "no contact with the Q Continuum for 600 years."

Although Q is certainly immortal enough to hold one of Star Trek: Discovery season 5's clues, there's the small matter of what happened to Q in Star Trek: Discovery , because the Federation of the 32nd century has had "no contact with the Q Continuum for 600 years," according to Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 5, "The Examples."

5 Great Lessons Star Trek: Discovery Learned From Picard Season 3

Soji asha (isa briones), synthetic life forms can live for centuries..

The Progenitor technology creates life, but synthetically created life is already a part of Star Trek , in the form of androids like Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), and Star Trek: Picard 's Soji Asha (Isa Briones) . Soji was created by Dr. Bruce Maddox (John Ales) and Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner), based on the work of Alton's father, Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner). After Soji declined to join the android colony on Coppelius at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 1, Soji was last seen in Picard season 2, episode 1, "The Stargazer".

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 1, "Red Directive", introduces a 600-year-old synth named Fred (J. Adam Brown), who looks like Data and is based on Alton Soong's work. Unlike Fred, Soji appears human in every conceivable way but is still an android, so unlikely to age like the golems inhabited by Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Discovery 's Gray Tal (Ian Alexander). It's possible Soji could be alive in the 32nd century, like her cousin Fred, and might be connected to the life-giving nature of Progenitor technology.

Isa Briones also played Soji's twin sister Dahj in Star Trek: Picard season 1 and Kore Soong in Star Trek: Picard season 2.

A 32nd Century Changeling

There could be a connection between the changelings and the progenitors..

When they take a humanoid shape, the Changelings in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine bear a strong resemblance to the Progenitors, the creators of the powerful technology at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt. Part of this is due to the same actress, Salome Jens, playing both the Progenitor in Star Trek: The Next Generation and DS9 's female Changeling leader, but there may be something more primal at work. Maybe the Changelings' Great Link could contain the basic building blocks of life as it's known in Star Trek , given solid form by the Progenitors' technology.

Star Trek: Picard filled in the gap between what happened with the Changelings between the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Picard season 3, and the appearance of a Changeling in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 8, "All In", proved that Changelings survived through the 24th century and into Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century . Not much is known about what happened to the Changelings after the end of Star Trek: Picard , however, so if a Changeling possesses a clue in Discovery season 5, the rest of that story might be told.

Actress Salome Jens plays both the Progenitor in TNG and DS9 's female Changeling leader.

The Doctor (Robert Picardo)

Voyager's emh is a likelier candidate than you think..

In Star Trek: Voyager season 4, episode 23, "Living Witness", a backup program of the USS Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram is reactivated in the 31st century, proving that the Doctor's program can actually last for centuries without degradation. The events of "Living Witness" take place 700 years in Star Trek: Voyager 's future, estimated to be around 3074. Star Trek: Discovery 's Burn happens circa 3069, placing both events in roughly the same time period of the Star Trek timeline .

Through Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), Jinaal explains to Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War was raging while Jinaal's team was studying the Progenitor technology. Although the USS Voyager doesn't return home until after the war, the Doctor makes contact with the Alpha Quadrant prior to the end of the Dominion War. In Star Trek: Voyager season 4, episode 14, "Message in a Bottle", the EMH is sent via subspace to the USS Prometheus, which is being commandeered by Romulans. Could one of those Romulans plant a clue deep within the Doctor's subroutines? It's a stretch, but it's not impossible.

Commander Pelia (Carol Kane)

Strange new worlds' lanthanite engineer has been around forever..

As a Lanthanite, Commander Pelia has already lived a long time before becoming the USS Enterprise's Chief Engineer in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, and may actually be functionally immortal. After all, Commander Pelia looks pretty much the same age in the 23rd century and in the 21st, when Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) meets the younger Pelia in Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3 , "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow".

After living for centuries, it's entirely likely that Pelia is still around in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century, and could have even been part of the Federation committee studying Progenitor technology in the 24th century. Even though it'd be a far cry from starship engineering, Pelia's interest in ancient artifacts and long, long memory of the past might make Pelia a prime candidate to possess a link to the search for Progenitor technology in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

When Star Trek: Discovery Takes Place In Star Trek's Timeline (Every Season)

Wesley crusher (wil wheaton), the travelers could be the ones guiding the progenitors..

Wesley Crusher appears at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 2 as a Traveler, confirming Wesley's fate at the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 20, "Journey's End". As an ascended being who exists uncoupled from the constraints of time and space, Wesley's powers as a Traveler could let Wesley appear in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century.

It's likely that the Travelers, and Wesley in particular, could be connected to the origin of life in the galaxy.

The Travelers' mission is never made completely clear during the first Traveler's (Eric Menyuk) appearances in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Wesley reveals to Kore Soong (Isa Briones) in Star Trek: Picard that the Travelers are committed to ensuring the survival of sentient species, with an added implication that the Travelers have a guiding hand in the development of the universe. With such a strong connection to space-time, and the ability to focus pure thought into creation, it's likely that the Travelers, and Wesley in particular, could be connected to the origin of life in the galaxy.

The Travelers are committed to ensuring the survival of sentient species.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's search for Progenitor technology involves collecting 5 physical clue pieces that form a puzzle, though a 6th clue could exist if the exterior ring on the puzzle's shape is included. The USS Discovery crew already has 2 clues, obtained after Captain Michael Burnham proved to Romulan and Trill scientists that the 32nd century Federation is ready to be found . The bearers of the remaining clues might require Burnham to pass similar tests, according to their own definitions of ready, but the answers to the mystery of Progenitor technology in Star Trek: Discovery may well be beyond the physical clue pieces, found in the very nature of life itself.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Release Date September 24, 2017

Genres Drama, Sci-Fi, Adventure

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+