While she only appeared in two episodes of “Star Trek” (“The Emissary” and “Elementary, Dear Data”), these were enough to help launch a successful career in film and television for Anne Ramsay. She’s one of those actresses who you instantly know when you look at her but, when asked, it’s hard to put your finger on just where you’ve seen her. Well, for starters, she played Ensign Clancy in those two Star Trek episodes we just mentioned.
After her short dalliance in the Star Trek universe, Ramsay went on to take roles in such popular television shows as “Mad About You,” “Dexter,” “Castle,” and many more. She’s also appeared in a number of Hollywood films, including “A League of Their Own,” “Planet of the Apes,” and “Human Contact.”
Susanna Thompson as Varel
When Susanna Thompson appeared in an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," she was an active participant in one of the first-ever same-sex kisses to be shown on American television. It seems the Star Trek crew were really into creating television firsts! Thompson appeared in more than one season of Star Trek, playing Varel in her first appearance, then Inmate Jaya in a later episode of "The Next Generation."
Then, of course, there was the infamous Dr. Lenara Kahn, in the "Deep Space Nine" episode mentioned above. And Thompson showed up again as the Borg Queen, in "Voyager." In the midst of this on-again-off-again relationship with Star Trek, Thompson has been busy with a variety of roles. Most recently, you may have seen her in Arrow and Timeless.
Roxann Dawson as B’Elanna Torres
Here is our favorite part-human, part-Klingon engineer, B’Elanna Torres. Played by Roxann Dawson, Torres graced our screens in the full, seven-season suite of "Star Trek: Voyager." The talented Dawson also made her directorial debut during this time. With such a brilliant platform, Dawson enjoyed a solid television career, starring in a number of other shows while simultaneously making a big impression as a talented director.
The multi-talented woman directed some of our favorite episodes of "Charmed," "The Mentalist," "The O.C.," "Cold Case," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and "Lost." Lately, she’s turned her talents to producing with credits on a number of successful shows, including "Cold Case," "Crossing Jordan," and "Scandal."
Christopher Lloyd as Klingon Kruge
Appearing in the 1984 film, "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," Christopher Lloyd was barely recognizable under the heavy costuming, makeup, and prosthetics. Yet we can assure you, that it is definitely your beloved Doc Brown. In fact, this was a year before Lloyd stepped into the Delorean for the first time.
The "Back to the Future" franchise kicked off in 1985, cementing Lloyd’s status as a sci-fi hero. Lloyd was actually recommended for the role of Klingon Kruge by none other than Leonard Nimoy. With Spock’s blessing, how could the producers say no? Both before and after his stint on Star Trek, Lloyd enjoyed a stellar career and is still appearing in motion pictures to this day.
Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
Here’s another of the most iconic faces of Star Trek. With a run on the show that spanned 15 years, Lt. Commander Data made a deep impression on Trekkies the world over. From 1987 on, actor Brent Spiner breathed life into Data over the course of seven seasons and four feature films.
Data was central to the action in this time, appearing in all but one of the 178 episodes that filled this time span (for the curious among you, the single episode he failed to make an appearance in was “Family”). Since leaving the show, Brent Spiner has turned his talents not just to roles in other TV shows, but also to theater and music.