Throughout the years,Star Trekhas taken various forms. And, be it a television series or film, there have been famous faces that were not a part of the consistent ensemble. This started withStar Trek: The Original Series, which featured recognizable guest stars such as Fred Williamson, Sid Haig, Charles Napier, and Joan Collins.
Then, over a decade after that show wrapped up its brief three-season run, a film franchise kicked off. And, like the original series andThe Next Generation(which began between the releases of the fourth and fifth films), there were some big names attached. They may not have always held the spotlight for long in the films, but they were there. So, who’s in what? Let’s find out, but note that the films subject to inclusion were only the ones that featured eitherThe Original Seriescast members orThe Next Generationcast members. In other words, no Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba,or Zoe Saldañahere.
7Stephen Collins in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Like some of theshow’s most deeply philosophical episodes,Star Trek: The Motion Picturetries to bite off a lot. But, in the case of the movie, it’s more than it can chew. Yet, it does feature a former celebrity in a big role:7th Heaven’sStephen Collinsas Willard Decker. Collins' Decker is always butting heads with Captain Kirk, who has suddenly replaced Decker as the captain of theEnterprise.
The Most Controversial Performer on this List
TV fans will recognize Collins not only from the long-running7th Heaven, but alsoNo Ordinary FamilyandIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. As for that latter show, he portrayed the biological father to Dennis and Dee Reynolds. Collins' career ended when he confessed to multiple instances of sexual misconduct against a minor, including once a few years before he nabbed theStar Trekrole.StreamStar Trek: The Motion Pictureon Max.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
6Kirstie Alley, Paul Winfield, and James Horner in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
With tight pacing,the franchise’s best villain,Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanis the bestStar Trekmovie to date. It also features a few familiar faces inThe Terminator’sPaul WinfieldandCheers’Kirstie Alley. The former plays Clark Terrell, the captain of theReliantwho is subjected to Khan’s eel torture, while the latter plays Saavik, a protege to Spock. Not to mention, the lateJames Hornerprovided the film’s music, but had a cameo role as anEnterprisecrew member.
You’ve Certainly HeardHorner’s Work
Widely regarded as one of the cinema industry’s great composers, Horner tragically died in a plane crash in 2015. But he left a massive body of very impressive work, andThe Wrath of Khanwas one of his earliest projects. Throughout his career, Horner was nominated for Academy Awards forAliens,An American Tail(“Somewhere Out There”),Field of Dreams,Braveheart,Apollo 13,A Beautiful Mind,House of Sand and Fog, andAvatar. He also won both an Oscar and a Grammy forTitanic, the former for the score and the latter for “My Heart Will Go On.“StreamStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khanon Max.
Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
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5Christopher Lloyd and Miguel Ferrer in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spockmay not be a fan-favorite when it comes to the original run ofStar Trekmovies, but it’s generally viewed in a better light than the fifth film. And, unlike the fifth film, it features several big names on the cast list. These includeBack to the Future’sChristopher LloydandRoboCop’sMiguel Ferrer.
Actors Not Unfamiliar with Sci-Fi
Lloyd portrays the main antagonist inthe late Leonard Nimoy-directed film, and he impressively sheds most of the likability he possessed inTaxiand would again show two years later in Robert Zemeckis' classic sci-fi film,Back to the Future. His Kruge is a Klingon officer with his sights set on using a terraforming device called Genesis for evil. As for Ferrer, his role was far briefer, as he played a First Officer aboard a fellow Federation ship, theExcelsior.StreamStar Trek III: The Search for Spockon Max.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
4Christopher Plummer, Christian Slater, and Kim Cattrall in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
The even-numberedStar Trekfilms, at least of the original six, are the best. So, untilStar Trek: Generationsrolled, the intergalactic film franchise left off on a high note withStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. And a big part of that is the inclusion ofThe Sound of MusicandKnives OutlegendChristopher Plummer.
Plummer Steals the Show
It’s essentially all a Cold War allegory with the Klingons standing in for the Russians. And, while many of the Klingons are ready to strive for peace, there’s always someone who sews discontent. That’d be Plummer’s general, eye-patch-adorned Chang. But, he’s not the only familiar face with considerable runtime, as there’s alsoSex and the City’sKim Cattrallas the Vulcan Valeris, the ambitious new helmsman of theEnterprise. Not to mention, there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Christian Slater, a fan of the franchise and son of the film’s casting director, Mary Jo Slater.StreamStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Countryon Max.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
3Whoopi Goldberg, Malcolm McDowell, and Alan Ruck in Star Trek: Generations (1994)
At one point,Star Trekwriters wanted tobring William Shatner’s Captain Kirk back, but with a villainous twist. That idea was nixed, but Shatner did find a way back into the universe after the initial film franchise had wrapped up. That said, his reprisal of the role inStar Trek: Generationswasmore or less to kill him offso the IP could change. But, it had a major similarity to the previous film: a big name in the antagonist role.
McDowell in His Element
In the case ofGenerations, that would beA Clockwork Orange’sMalcolm McDowellas Tolian Soran, who holds the distinction of actually killing William Shatner’s Captain Kirk.Ghost’sWhoopi Goldbergalso appeared as Guinan, a role she inhabited from 1988 to 1993 onStar Trek: The Next Generation.Succession’sAlan Ruckalso has a substantial role asEnterprise-B captain John Harriman who, like his character on HBO’s hit series, comes from a wealthy family.StreamStar Trek: Generationson Max.
Star Trek: Generations
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2F. Murray Abraham and Gregg Henry in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
The third film to focus onThe Next Generation’s cast afterGenerationsandStar Trek: First Contact,Star Trek: Insurrection, often feels like a feature-length episode of the series that inspired it. And, whileNemesissealed the deal,Insurrectionshowed that the IP was swiftly dropping out of favor with general audiences. And, yet,Amadeus’F. Murray Abrahamis excellent in the main antagonist role.
An Unrecognizable Abraham
Covered in a great deal of makeup, one would be forgiven for not recognizing theScarfacestar as Ru’afo, commander of the Son’a. The same could be said ofGregg Henryas his second-in-command, Gallatin. Though, if they can discern that it’s him, they’ll recognize him as Peter Quill’s grandfather from another little sci-fi IP calledGuardians of the Galaxy.StreamStar Trek: Insurrectionon Max.
Star Trek: Insurrection
1Tom Hardy in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
Star Trek: Nemesis' box office tallies showedthe franchise’s financial viabilityhad run its course. And, if that wasn’t enough, the reaction from critics and fans solidified that. But, it features one ofTom Hardy’s earliest performances, only his second big movie afterBlack Hawk Downand six years before he started gaining clout thanks to his title role inBronson.
An Early Showcase for Hardy
Explaining where audiences know Hardy from seems pointless, as he’s now one of the biggest performers in Hollywood thanks toInception,Mad Max: Fury Road, and theVenomfilms. And, while his role as the villainous Captain Picard clone, Shinzon,isn’t as much a showcase as his work in those films, it’s still an early sign of his considerable talent. Not to mention, for someone who isn’t one of the top-billed cast members, he gets quite a bit of screentime.StreamStar Trek: Nemesison Max.
Star Trek: Nemesis
