Star Trekwill never have a cast as expansive asStar Trek: Deep Space Nine’s again.At the heart ofStar Trekare the scores of beloved characters that generations of fans have come to adore.From noble Captains like James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), to the multitudes of Starfleet Officers and alien characters populatingStar Trek’s ever-growing universe, it’s the people and their stories that keep audiences coming back for more. NoStar Trekshow, however, could match the impressively massivecast ofStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nineran for seven seasonsin syndication from 1993-1999. The first spinoff ofStar Trek: The Next Generation, DS9brokeStar Trek’s established mold centering on the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.Deep Space Ninewas set aboard the eponymous space station led by Commander (later Captain) Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), the first Black lead of aStar Trekseries. As a hub and destination point, DS9 was populated by a menagerie of humans and aliens, friendly and hostile, some permanent residents, others just passing through.There has not been aStar Trekshow or cast quite likeDeep Space Ninesince,and there likely won’t be again.
Why Star Trek Can Never Duplicate Deep Space Nine’s Massive Cast
Everybody Came To Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s huge cast is unparalleled. All seven seasons ofDS9boasted nearly a dozen series regulars, from Avery Brooks' Captain Sisko, to Rene Auberjonois' Constable Odo, to Armin Shimerman’s Quark, to Cirroc Lofton’s Jake Sisko. But what setDeep Space Nineapart was its sprawling supporting cast,a host of recurring characters who grew remarkably popular, and were so well-defined that they could even carry entire episodes on their own withoutDS9’s main cast.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast: Where Are DS9’s Actors Now?
Deep Space Nine had one of the most talented casts in Star Trek history, as proved by their impressive list of credits after DS9 ended.
Deep Space Ninecounted another two dozen supporting characters,from the holographic crooner Vic Fontaine (James Darren), to the sinister Female Changeling (Salome Jens), to the cunning Kai Winn Adami (Louise Fletcher), to a gaggle of Ferengi regulars like Rom (Max Grodenchik), Nog (Aron Eisenberg), and even Liquidator Brunt (Jeffrey Combs). Meanwhile, the Ferengi characters were so plentiful, they were their focus of their ownDS9episode aptly titled, “The Magnificent Ferengi.”
Jeffery Combs played multiple versions of his cloned Vorta sycophant, Weyoun.
NonewStar Trekshowcan equalDeep Space Nine’s cast because of the series' unique space station setting, which invites new faces to visit and recur as their characters grow in popularity. More so,DS9was made in a different TV era that had 26 episodes a season. This gaveDeep Space Nineample time to develop and spotlight its myriad characters in ways that today’s serialized streaming series, which only consist of 8 to 10 episodes a season, simply cannot match.
Which Deep Space Nine Actors Returned To Star Trek
Star Trek: Lower Decks Has Hosted Several DS9 Comebacks
WhenStar Trek: Deep Space Nineended in 1999, its cast didn’t jump to feature films likeStar Trek: The Next Generation. Nor hasDS9enjoyed a full reunion likeStar Trek: The Next Generation’s castreceived inStar Trek: Picardseason 3. However,some ofDS9’s familiar faces have made comebacks thanks toStar Trek: Lower Decks,which has been the sole Star Trek on Paramount+ series to bring backDeep Space Nine’s beloved characters and actors.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine remains popular with generations of audiences.
Nana Visitor’s Colonel Kira Nerys, Armin Shimerman’s Quark, Max Grodenchik’s Grand Nagus Rom, and Chase Masterson’s First Minister Leeta returned inStar Trek: Lower Decksseasons 3 and 4, and J.G. Hertzler voiced a game version of Klingon Chancellor Martok.Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 5’s penultimate episode introduced alternate reality versions of Alexander Siddig’s Dr. Julian Bashir, Andrew Robinson’s Elim Garak, and Curzon Dax, voiced by Fred Tatasciore. While a full cast reunion in live-action is, unfortunately, an unlikely prospect,Star Trek: Deep Space Nineremains popular with generations of audiences.
