Stars of Star Trek: Hollywood Actors Who Made it Great

Star Trek sings Twinkle, Twinkle Super Star... Besides distant stars the starship Enterprise visited on television and in movies, scores of Hollywood's biggest stars sought out new life and boldly went where no others had gone before.

Occasionally, for these household names, Star Trek was the first professional acting job they landed. Names like: Ben Vereen, Joel Grey, Ashley Judd and Joan Collins share space alongside Trek veterans like William Shatner and Patrick Stewart.

Let's remember some of Hollywood's major stars that warped, beamed and shot phasers alongside Vulcans, Klingons and Borg.

Star Trek

Joan Collins- City On The Edge Of Forever

Don't expect her to be bossing around Captain Kirk ala Alexis in Dynasty. In fact, her character Edith Keeler falls in love with him, after he and Spock travel back in time to save an insane Dr. McCoy from tampering with the dreaded timeline. Collins is in fantastic form along with the emotionally charged story makes it one of the most beloved of any Star Trek.

Ricardo Montalban- Space Seed & Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan

Khan!! Montalban created his unforgettable villain on television, and Harve Bennett, producer of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan loved the character so much he invited Ricardo to come back and reprise his role for the film. Khan easily ranks as the most popular original villain and one of the great film villains of all time period.

Frank Gorshin- Let This Be Your Last Battlefield

Master voice impersonator, stand-up comic and actor, Gorshin is best known to television watchers as Riddler in the 1960's Batman series starring Adam West. Here, Gorshin is a bi-racial alien to the extreme - half his face his white, half black. Racial and war metaphors play strong here and Gorshin's performance never falls into cartoon territory, but yet doesn't skimp on broad theatrics. Each time I see it, I notice something new.

Terri Garr - Assignment Earth

Funny woman Garr guests in a special episode - Assignment Earth was a proposed pilot for another Gene Roddenberry series. Although it never went forward, Garr's wacky character Roberta playing off the wonderful Robert Lansing is one of the highlights of the whole series. Today as I watch Terri Garr's valiant battle with multiple sclerosis, I'm reminded of what an incredible energetic screen presence she projected in her youth.

Kirstie Alley- Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan

Alley had yet to become Ted Danson's love interest in the mega sitcom Cheers and this was her first feature film. Today Alley may be best known as Jenny Craig spokeswoman for her success in slimming down. Here she's in great physical shape and her portrayal as the half Vulcan, half Romulan Lt. Savvik became an audience favorite. Negotiations failed to bring her back for Trek 3. Something Alley now says she regrets.

Christopher Plummer- STVI: The Undiscovered Country

Like his fellow Canadian, William Shatner, Plummer is a veteran of stage and screen. His most famous film role is Captain Von Trapp in the Sound of Music. His theatricality serves him well here as the devious General Chang. When Chang locks horns with Kirk on screen, it's almost as fun to watch as Kirk vs. Khan.

Next Generation

Whoopi Goldberg - ST: Generations & ST: Nemesis

A truly unique performer; Goldberg is a stand up comic, Oscar winning actress and self professed Star Trek fan. As a child, she watched Lt. Uhura on the original series which caused her to dream about becoming an entertainer. Friendship with Levar Burton led to asking producers for a guest role. They loved the idea, but invited her to become Ten Forward host Guinan, a recurring character debuting in the second season, who would also be seen in two movies.

Kirsten Dunst -Dark Page

This episode had Dunst as member of an advanced telepathic alien race helping Counselor Troi's mom deal with emotional issues. Shortly before her big splash in Interview With A Vampire starring Tom Cruise and Brad PItt, Dunst was slowly accumulating an impressive resume. Now, of course she's a major movie star as Peter Parker's love Mary Jane Watson in this summer's blockbuster Spiderman 3.

Ashley Judd- The Game

Feature film vet Judd got her big break playing Robin Lefler, an engineering crewman on the Enterprise. She played in two episodes, with a co-starring role alongside a visiting Wil Wheaton who had left the series the season prior to pursue film work himself. Judd's bright eyed and brilliant smiling turn gave even casual viewers an indication that she was destined for the big leagues.

Jean Simmons -The Drumhead

British thespian of stage and screen, Jean Simmons star of Stanley Kubrick'sSpartacus, lends class to this exploration of paranoia and McCarthy like witch hunt politics. Simmons burns fellow cast members and audience with a performance that's unforgettable. Yet another big star that was a Star Trek fan and loved that her grandchildren would see her in the series.

Paul Sorvino- Homeward

Most famous in Martin Scorsese's mob classic Goodfellas, Sorvino plays Klingon Worf and head of Enterprise security Lt. Worf's human foster brother. Sorvino, as usual gives an emotionally complex performance. The show is close to my heart, as I had a hand in writing it. My script was purchased and Homeward was based upon it. When I learned Paul Sorvino was cast in something I helped bring to life, it was an incredible feeling.

Ben Vereen- Interface

Song. dance and Tony award winner Ben Vereen joined the Star Trek family playing Geordi LaForge's father Dr Laforge. Vereen also starred with Burton in the landmark TV mini-series Roots. Although the two never share physical screen time - Vereen communicates over a sub-space video link-up - it's a reunion for the two actors.

Malcom McDowall- Star Trek: Generations

As the ultra-violent gang banger Alex in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, McDowall is part of film history. Here, he makes history again by killing Captain Kirk. McDowall's anger management problems make him a great villain as Dr. Soran, who will do anything to revisit his family in a kind of sci-fi utopia known as the Nexus.

James Cromwell- Star Trek: First Contact

James Cromwell is a real crossover Trekker. He's had parts in Next Gen, Deep Space Nine and Enterprise - along with a co-starring role in Star Trek: First Contact as inventor of warp drive itself, Dr. Zephram Cochrane. He was nominated for an Oscar in Babe and most recently played King Phillip in the critically acclaimed The Queen.

Alice Krige - Star Trek: First Contact

Alice Krige has had memorable film roles playing ghosts, creatures and in Star Trek: First Contact, royal monarch of The Borg. Universally acknowledged as Next Generation's greatest contribution to Star Trek mythology, Borg are cybernetic zombie humanoids. Linked together, they form a powerful collective of trillions of minds and Krige brings order to that immense chaos. She reprised the role for the finale of Star Trek: Voyager, battling Captain Janeway for the soul of her ship and humanity.

Deep Space Nine

Frank Langella- Three Episodes

His most prominent feature film role was in John Badham's Dracula in 1979. Playing Count Dracula, from his turn in the Broadway stage play, Langella's portrayal received critical praise, if not great box office for the film itself. Here he plays Minister Joro scheming member of The Circle, a Bajoran terrorist like group intent on changing politics to suit their own needs.

Louise Fletcher - Various Episodes

Fletcher, most known as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, doesn't stray too far from that character. As Kai Winn, Fletcher could be serving meds and terrorizing Jack Nicholson just as much as plotting to overthrow the Bajoran government or admonishing Major Kira Nerys to follow her wishes for the good of the Prophets.

Salome Jens - Various Episodes

Salome Jens has played parts in TV such as the landmark The Outer Limits, Bonanza and Melrose Place. Here, she's sort of Queen of the Changelings, a jelly like shape shifting race which Constable Odo sprang from. Jens can go from whisper quiet to raging inferno in seconds and her sultry voice makes every scene engaging.

Adrienne Barbeau- Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

From Bea Arthur's daughter in the classic sitcom Maude, to John Carpenter's ghost classic The Fog, Barbeau always nails acting parts with power. Here's she's a Romulan Commander who balances allegiance to her home planet while working alongside the crew of DS9 in their fight against the rampaging Dominion.

Voyager

Joel Grey- Resistance

Joel Grey's role in Cabaret earned him an Oscar. Here he plays an aging, almost senile alien who helps protect Captain Janeway from political forces because he thinks she's his deceased daughter. It's a powerful episode and all around terrific performance.

John-Rhys Davies- Various Episodes

In Raiders of The Lost Ark and Lord Of The Rings, John-Rhys Davies created fantasy characters. Here, he's playing a real Renaissance man - Leonardo DaVinci. Actually, Davies is playing a holographic simulation of the Italian mastermind. Despite the synthetic nature of the character, Davies never chips us in the acting department.

Sarah Silverman- Future's End

One of the hottest and controversial comics today and star of her own Comedy Central show, Sarah Silverman also has time to date late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. In this time traveling episode, she plays Raine, a scientist who's attracted to Paris, and is let in on the big secret of Voyager being from the future.

Jason Alexander- Think Tank

Alexander was a highlight at the William Shatner Comedy Roast and has always been a big vocal Star Trek fan. He plays an over confident, smarmy genius who plays all angles in his quest to bring Borg gal Seven of Nine onto his brilliant problem solving team. Think George Costanza of Seinfeld fame having Albert Einstein's brain.

The Rock- Tsunkatse

The title translates into an alien wrestle mania extravaganza. Ex professional wrestler and film star, The Rock has little screen time, but it's memorable. He does what he does best, fights. It may have just been another weak Voyager journey into mediocre adventure if not for The Rock's impressive physical feats as he battles Seven of Nine.