Which Captain Kirk skit?), but The Orville gave the actor a chance to live out his Starfleet fantasies in live-action. Despite being firmly rooted in comedy, The Orville successfully delves into the same science fiction action and drama that made the Enterprise famous.
The Orville stars MacFarlane himself as Mercer, a down-on-his-luck captain sent to explore the galaxy on behalf of the Planetary Union... alongside his unfaithful ex-wife. Set 400 years in the future, The Orville represents a throwback to the early days of Star Trek - a reprieve from the darker, serialized direction the franchise has taken in recent years.
As well-connected as MacFarlane is, it's no surprise that The Orville features a bevy of A-list guest stars from Liam Neeson and Charlize Theron to Bruce Willis and Rob Lowe, but the three seasons released thus far have also included an array of names from the world of Star Trek, some more recognizable than others. Here are all the actors to appear in both The Orville and Star Trek.
Marina Sirtis
The wonderful Marina Sirtis is a well-known figure in the world of Star Trek, bringing life to Deanna Troi as part of Will Riker himself.
Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo enjoyed a scene-stealing turn as The Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager. Despite being part of the main crew, The Doctor was an Emergency Medical Hologram, but one of the show's biggest characters regardless, with his witty retorts and less-than-comforting bedside manner. Picardo made a brief cameo as an EMH character in Star Trek: First . In The Orville, Picardo plays IIdis Kitan, father of Alara Kitan.
Tim Russ
Spock may remain the most famous Vulcan in the Star Trek universe, but Tim Russ's Tuvok earned plenty of fans during his time as one of the primary Star Trek: Voyager cast. After serving under Deep Space Nine and had small roles in both Star Trek: Generations and The Next Generation. The actor portrays Dr. Sherman in The Orville, a human historian with an interest in the 21st century.
Seth MacFarlane
Fans of The Orville may not be aware that the series' own lead character is actually a member of the Star Trek family, albeit not one that might spring to mind immediately. Seth MacFarlane played Ensign Rivers in several episodes of Enterprise in 2004 and 2005. An engineer on both Star Trek's Enterprise and the Columbia, Rivers is a minor character in the vast tapestry of Star Trek, and it's strange to think that after these brief cameos, MacFarlane would go on to create and star in his own Star Trek-inspired series.
Penny Johnson Jerald
Penny Johnson Jerald made her Star Trek debut in a 1993 episode of The Next Generation as Dobara, but it is her appearances in Deep Space Nine for which the actress is better known. Kasidy Yates was the love interest of Deep Space Nine protagonist Benjamin Sisko and a successful freight captain in her own right. Johnson's Kasidy Yates eventually marries Sisko in DS9 and the couple become pregnant, but her ending is ambiguous, with Sisko taken to the Celestial Temple and promising to return at some point in the future. Jerald is a main member of The Orville's cast, playing Claire Finn, the ship's chief medical officer.
F. Murray Abraham
The Oscar-winning F. Murray Abraham ed the Star Trek fraternity with 1998's Insurrection movie. Leader of the Son'a and a budding plastic surgery enthusiast, Ru'afo was the main villain of their piece, going up against Picard and the Enterprise crew. Ru'afo sought to wipe out the Ba'ku so that his own people could recapture their youth, but was killed when Star Trek: The Next Generation's Picard set off an explosion and promptly beamed to safety aboard the Enterprise. Abraham briefly appears in The Orville with a cameo as a Xelayan council chairman in season 2's "Sanctuary."
John Billingsley
John Billingsley will be familiar to Star Trek fans thanks to his time as one of the main crew in Enterprise. Playing a Denobulan by the name of Phlox, Billingsley is yet another Orville actor who was once a doctor on a major Star Trek series. Phlox was, however, almost the antithesis of the Voyager's EMH program, so it's interesting that both actors appear in The Orville together, with Billingsley's Cambis Borrin harboring a deep, resentful grudge towards Robert Picardo's character.
Scott Grimes
Scott Grimes did not have a significant role in Star Trek. In fact, the actor wasn't even credited for his appearance in The Next Generation season 3's "Evolution". Instead, Grimes' role as Eric was almost entirely cut from the Star Trek series' episode. Eric was intended as a friend of Wesley Crusher and can still be seen in the background of the episode. Having already voiced Steve Smith in Seth MacFarlane's American Dad, Grimes was cast as Malloy in The Orville, the best friend of Captain Mercer, and a helmsman with an immature streak.
Brian George
Brian George will be well known to fans of Brian George is Aronov, the director of the Epsilon Science Station under threat from the Krill.
Jason Alexander
George isn't the only actor linking Star Trek, The Orville and Seinfeld - Jason Alexander also boasts the full trifecta. An avid Star Trek fan with an outstanding Shatner impersonation, Alexander guest starred as Kurros in Star Trek: Voyager season 5's "Think Tank," acting as a spokesman between the titular group of mercenary scholars and various other races. Like so many male characters in Star Trek: Voyager, Kurros has designs on Seven of Nine, but unlike the others, it's really just her mind that attracts Kurros to Seven of Nine. Jason Alexander enjoyed a small role in season 2 of The Orville, playing the ship’s bartender, Olix.
Molly Hagan
Molly Hagan only made a single appearance in Deep Space Nine, but the part was a significant one in the franchise's history. As Eris, Hagan has the dubious honor of being the first Vorta seen in the series, featuring in season 2 episode "The Jem’Hadar." Writers hoped to bring Eris into further Vorta-centric Deep Space Nine episodes, but couldn't due to the actress' limited availability. In The Orville, Hagan plays Drenala Kitan, mother of Alara Kitan.
Tony Todd
Tony Todd had the honor of guesting as Kurn, the younger brother of Worf, in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. After falling into dishonor, Kurn requested his brother kill him as per Star Trek's Klingon tradition, but this was swiftly nixed by Sisko and the Deep Space Nine crew. Todd would also play an older iteration of Jake Sisko in the acclaimed "The Visitor" and also featured briefly as an Alpha-Hirogen in Star Trek: Voyager. Todd was a Moclan ambassador in The Orville, guesting alongside F. Murray Abraham in an episode centered around a refugee colony for Moclan females.
Other Star Trek Actors In The Orville
- Philip Anthony-Rodriguez - Juan in Enterprise's second season and Fadolin in The Orville.
- Lisa Banes - Doctor Renhol the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Equilibrium" and Speria Balask in The Orville season 3.
- J. Paul Boehmer - Multiple roles in both franchises.
- Ron Canada - Canada has been in The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager playing a judge, a Klingon Advocatem and a conscientious sculptor/waste controller, respectively. In The Orville, Canada plays iral Tucker.
- JD Cullum - The Klingon Toral in The Next Generation was also a Calivon zoo in The Orville.
- Steven Culp - Played Riker's replacement in the final act of Star Trek: Nemesis but the scene was cut. Culp also played Major Hayes in Enterprise season 3. Can be seen as Willks the publicity officer in The Orville.
- Ted Danson - Hosted the 1996 television special Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond. Played iral Perry in season 3 of The Orville.
- Michael Duisenberg - Lurking in the background of both The Orville and Enterprise's debut seasons.
- John Fleck - Silik the genetically enhanced Suliban in Enterprise. Ended up teaming with Archer in an alternate 1944 where he died. Has a cameo as a Krill ambassador in The Orville.
- Victor Garber - The Orville's iral Halsey had a role as a Klingon interrogator cut from J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek movie.
- James Horan - Has done the Star Trek rounds. Plays High Priest Sazeron in The Orville.
- Matthew Kaminsky - Played Cunningham in several episodes of Enterprise and more recently an interviewer in The Orville.
- Robert Knepper - Had turns in both The Next Generation and Voyager then as Hamelac in The Orville.
- Loren Lester - Had a brief appearance in Deep Space Nine and portrayed Lewis in The Orville.
- Jack McBrayer - Voiced Badgey in Star Trek: Lower Decks and played himself in season 3 of The Orville.
- Derek Mears - A Star Trek stuntman/alien but an ambassador in The Orville.
- Corey Mendell Parker - Enterprise's Paul Mayweather and The Orville's "Policeman #1."
- James Read - Jaffen in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Workforce" and Vice iral Paul Christie in The Orville season 3.
- Brett Rickaby - Guests as Yerdrin Lek in Enterprise's third season and as the suspiciously similar sounding Lurenek in The Orville's first season.
- Joel Swetow - Appeared in The Next Generation as Yog, in Deep Space Nine's premiere as an angry Cardassian, and in Enterprise as a rather less angry Andorian. Coincidentally appeared in the first episode of The Orville playing an angry Krill Captain.
- Brian Thompson - Drogen in one of The Orville's darker episodes. Has a litany of Star Trek credits including Klingons on the big and small screen, a Jem’Hadar soldier and male member of the Dosi in Deep Space Nine, and iral Valdore in 3 episodes of Enterprise.
- Lamont Thompson - The Orville's Kaybrak also appeared in Enterprise.
- Gwen Van Dam - Van Dam's small role in Star Trek Generations came before a part as Grandmother in The Orville.
- D. Elliot Woods - This member of The Orville's Moclan council was also in Star Trek: Insurrection and Deep Space Nine.
