On a list of the best sci-fi shows, Star Trek: The Next Generation remains the gold standard. With 180 episodes, it was inevitable the series would bring in an outside famous face or two, especially with Patrick Stewart leading the ship.
Before we dive in, I think readers will note the omission of one famous star everyone knows is in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Whoopi Goldberg. Her Guinan was a recurring character for several seasons, so she's been left off the list. With that out of the way, let's run down the list of the famous guest stars we loved in TNG.
Stephen Hawking
When you have a holodeck, you can do a lot of things. For example, Data used it in "Descent" to see what would happen if Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Stephen Hawking played poker together. The synth found it "most illuminating," though I still question what he learned from doing it.
Penny Johnson Jerald
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and The Orville fans know Penny Johnson Jerald well through her roles on those shows, but less may know she was also on The Next Generation. Those who watch "Homeward" will spot her if they look at the wife of Worf's human brother, Nikolai.
Kirsten Dunst
Before she was a well-known actress starring as Mary Jane in Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst was in Star Trek: The Next Generation when she was still a child. Her Hedril helped Deanna understand the pain her mother felt over the death of her sister Kestra, who died tragically as a kid in "Dark Page."
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy actually rejected a chance to become a producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation, instead opting to appear as Spock in a handful of episodes. This was possible, partially, because Vulcans have long lifespans, but I can't also help but credit Nimoy's love for the character as a factor for reprising him as well.
James Worthy
Athletes in Star Trek? It happens from time to time, and three-time NBA Champion James Worthy actually played a Klingon in "Gambit, Part II," and at six foot nine inches, he made for a particularly imposing figure. Those who go back to see his performance will note he's not hard to spot.
Teri Hatcher
Well-loved actress Teri Hatcher has a role as B.G. Robinson in "The Outrageous Okona," but only barely. So many of her scenes were cut from the episode that she requested her name be removed from the credits. Fortunately, she went on to be so famous people know who she is just by the brief scene alone.
James Cromwell
Star Trek fans love James Cromwell for his iconic role as Zefram Cochrane in First Contact, but he also played a couple of roles throughout The Next Generation. He was in heavy prosthetics playing Jaglom Shrek in "Birthright Part I and II," and was Nayrock in "The Hunted." Hey, when a great actor wants to work on your series, let him play whoever he wants.
Ken Jenkins
Actor Ken Jenkins was around Hollywood before he appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Evolution" as Paul Stubbs, though more people might recognize him now rewatching. That's thanks in part to his character Dr. Bob Kelso on the comedy Scrubs, which was in network primetime for nearly a decade in the 2000s.
Joe Piscopo
One of the most influential Saturday Night Live stars of all time, comedian Joe Piscopo, made an appearance in Season 2 during "The Outrageous Okona." This might not be a surprise to anyone who hasn't seen the episode, but he plays a stand-up comedian. Who would've guessed?
Ashley Judd
I think out of every famous guest star from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ashley Judd might be the easiest to spot. As Robin Lefler, she appeared in "Darmok" and "The Game," and even shared a kiss with Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher. There was a solid romance angle there, but sadly, she only had two episodes.
Jonathan Del Arco
Jonathan Del Arco has been around Hollywood a lot in his career, but Star Trek fans may know him a little better than general audiences thanks to his playing Hugh the Borg. Hugh was the first Borg character to humanize the species in the franchise, and the character went on to play a notable role in the Picard spinoff decades later.
Stephen Root
Iconic actor Stephen Root made for a great Klingon in the two-parter "Unification." As K'Vada, he made sure he made Picard and Data's time on his ship as uncomfortable as possible. He only honored his deal to help them infiltrate Romulus, which is totally on brand for the Klingon species.
Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips initially rose to fame from her singing in The Mamas And The Papas but eventually transitioned into a successful acting career. As such, she ended up being one of the first major stars on Star Trek: The Next Generation, appearing in the Season 1 episode "We'll Always Have Paris" as Jenice Manheim.
DeForest Kelley
Leonard Nimoy wasn't the only actor from the original Star Trek to appear in TNG, as DeForest Kelley also reprised his role as McCoy, though, he was an admiral at this point. Catch him in "Encounter At Farpoint," giving Data a hard time.
Pamela Adlon
You may know Pamela Adlon from a lot of things. I, personally, like to note her voice work as Bobby Hill in the animated series King of the Hill, but she was on The Next Generation long before that. Find her in "Who Watches The Watchers" in which she's part of an alien species convinced that Picard is some immortal being with mystical powers.
Paul Sorvino
Rest in peace to the late Paul Sorvino, known for Goodfellas, Law & Order, and of course, Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sorvino played Nikolai Rozhenko, the foster brother of Worf. Though he and his brother had their disagreements, Worf always made time for his brother, and there was a great respect between the two in their strengths.
Matt Frewer
Actor Matt Frewer might not be a face readers immediately recognize, and they may not remember his role as Berlinghoff Rasmussen in "A Matter Of Time" immediately either. That said, if I were to talk about the bizarre character and series Max Headroom, would that ring any bells? That's Frewer's claim to fame, playing the eerie character who even was mentioned as an easter egg in the TNG episode "Conspiracy."
Patti Yasutake
It wouldn't feel right not to highlight Patti Yasutake following her recent passing. Many Star Trek fans loved her recurring character, Nurse Ogawa, and her more recent work on Beef. While she was only in a handful of episodes, most Trekkies can remember her backing up Beverly Crusher, no matter the emergency.
Thomas Kopache
Thomas Kopache holds the distinct honor of holding a role across all Rick Berman-era Star Trek shows and played not one, but two roles on The Next Generation. Check him out as a train engineer in "Emergence," and a Romulan scientist in "The Next Phase."
John Tesh
Musician John Tesh, who NBA fans can thank for his famous song "Roundball Rock," was also in Star Trek. He played one of the Klingons created by the holodeck in "The Icarus Factor." Not a huge role by any means, but such a random appearance that I can't help but be tickled by.
Kevin Peter Hall
Kevin Peter Hall, who had done character acting as the predator in Predator, was actually in contention for two of the starring roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation. While he ultimately lost out on the roles of Data and Geordi, he did end up appearing in the series via the episode "The Price" as the Caledonian Leyor.
Ray Wise
Twin Peaks actor Ray Wise plays a key role in "Who Watches The Watchers," as Arturis. Arturis accidentally stumbles upon a Starfleet duck blind observing a planet, and when he is injured in the process, the crew does what it can to treat him. Arturis then returns to his people, claiming he was rescued by their gods.
Famke Janssen
Famke Janssen had a big role as Kamala in the episode "The Perfect Mate," and it ultimately led to a larger one alongside series star Patrick Stewart. The former Star Trek co-stars would reunite on the cast of X-Men, as Janssen would pay Jean Grey alongside his Professor X. Wild to see them work together years later at much different points in their careers!
Majel Barrett
The wife of Gene Roddenberry, and the Nurse Chapel in the original Star Trek, Majel Barrett was also in TNG. While she missed out on being a part of TOS when her character was cut from the pilot, she was given the fairly meaty role of Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Deanna Troi. Anytime she popped up in this series it was a good time, and a lot of that is a credit to Barrett's skills as an actress.
Mick Fleetwood
You would think if Star Trek landed the founding member of the iconic rock band Fleetwood Mac, it would want to broadcast his face in full view for the world to see. That wasn't the case, and if you didn't know, Mick Fleetwood was playing a fish man in the episode "Manhunt." Hilarious in hindsight, though given how cool the fish mask was, I don't blame him for being ok with wearing it.
Christopher McDonald
Christopher McDonald is on our short list of requests for Happy Gilmore 2, and he's on this list because he appeared as a Starfleet Officer in the iconic episode "Yesterday's Enterprise." He served under Rachel Garrett, a character who has gained more relevance as of late thanks to her presence in Star Trek: Section 31.
Mark Lenard
Bringing Leonard Nimoy to Star Trek: The Next Generation was an amazing coup for the show, but to bring Mark Lenard to reprise his role as Sarek, Spock's father, was an underrated win. I don't think there's two men who did a better service for laying the framework for playing a Vulcan than those two, and the complicated father/son dynamic made for compelling television all throughout TNG.
Terry O’Quinn
By the time he played a Rear Admiral in "The Pegasus," Terry O'Quinn was a well-established actor in Hollywood. That said, readers may most know him for the role he played of John Locke in Lost. His character, Erik Pressman in TNG, was far less sympathetic than John, but O'Quinn was fantastic in both roles.
Kelsey Grammer
Dr. Frasier Crane himself, Kelsey Grammer, was a part of the Star Trek family for a short while. He was Morgan Bateson in "Cause and Effect." I'm always a little sad we didn't see more with the Captain of the USS Bozeman, and hope that if we get another TNG-era series, Grammer might reprise his role for a small adventure with other characters from the show.
Bebe Neuwirth
If Star Trek manages to find out you're a Trekkie, chances are you'll be invited to be on a show. That exact thing happened to Bebe Neuwirth, who took time out of her schedule ahead of a Cheers rehearsal to be in "First Contact." It's a brief scene but memorable as she propositions Riker for sex, with the logic that it was always a dream to sleep with an alien.
Diedrich Bader
Diedrich Bader had a background role in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Emissary," but his face is hard to miss. This is especially true if you're a fan of The Drew Carey Show, which admittedly has fewer fans now since the series hasn't found a home on streaming. I'll continue to cross my fingers that will happen, though, and enjoy this episode all the same.
James Doohan
Star Trek actor James Doohan appeared in the episode "Relics," when Captain Montgomery Scott was found trapped in suspension in a ship's pattern buffer for 75 years. Fortunately, we've learned that being stuck in a transporter buffer is a relatively painless process, if not disorienting, to be gone for a period of time and not know it. This is, perhaps, one of my favorite TNG episodes of all time, and totally worth watching again for those who haven't seen it in a while.
