Excellent Guest Stars Of TNG...

[Farscape One]

I started this thread for VOYAGER, but it works for every series.

Casting is a very important part of any television/movie production. You can have a brilliant script, phenomenal sets, superb visual effects... but if roles are not cast right, it can spoil an otherwise flawless production.

The main cast is obviously at the center, but there are guest stars who come in for an episode that are not only great in the role, but elevate the entire episode... even outshining the leads. Or have such great chemistry with soneone else that you really wish they appeared more.

I am curious to see who everyone here thinks were extraordinary guest stars.

I will start.

"The Perfect Mate" - Famke Janssen, as Kamala. She was an excellent casting choice. Her scenes with Sir Patrick Stewart were excellent and they played off each other extremely well. And the ending... though he dodged the question, it seems clear to me that Picard did fall for her when asked in the end. Brilliant work by Famke.

Side note... I wonder if Sir Patrick had a hand in helping her get the role of Jean Grey in the X-MEN films. Either way, I thought she was great there, as well as Ava in NIP/TUCK (one of my favorite recurring characters there), and as Xenia Onatopp in GOLDENEYE.

 

[tomalak301]

Professor Stephen Hawking

To get one of the greatest minds ever on your show is quite an achievement.

 

[Iamnotspock]

Jean Simmons in 'The Drumhead' springs to mind.

 

[bigglesworth]

Though he only had a minute or so of screen time, Deforest Kelley in "Encounter at Farpoint".

 

[Greg Cox]

David Warner as the Cardassian torturer.

 

[Kilana2]

David Warner as the Cardassian torturer.

David Warner was a badass aboard Titanic. And he topped it as Gul Madred. The master of torture!

 

[CoveTom]

David Warner is always excellent in whatever he does. Let's not forget him as St. John Talbot in TFF and Gorkon in TUC. Also, I always think of him as Dillinger/Sark/the MCP from Tron.

 

[Farscape One]

David Warner is always excellent in whatever he does. Let's not forget him as St. John Talbot in TFF and Gorkon in TUC. Also, I always think of him as Dillinger/Sark/the MCP from Tron.

And I loved him as Aldous Gajic in BABYLON 5's "GRAIL".

 

[Roundabout]

I saw "Homeward" last night on H&I. Paul Sorvino was the main guest star. He has a long acting resume.

I liked his portrayal as the defier of the prime directive as well as being Worf's brother. His character was a man of compassion; and he was mild mannered, the opposite of Worf. It was good that he and Worf hugged and parted in good terms at the end.

I didn't realize, until last night, that Penny Johnson played Rozhenko's pregnant girlfriend.

And the night before last, "Pegasus" was on H&I. Terry O'Quinn was excellent as Admiral Pressman. Of course, one of the purposes of the character was to serve as the foil for Picard's righteous indignation.

 

[Mojochi]

Frankly, Ronny Cox as Jellico was so damn good at his character that we still argue about his singular appearance nearly 3 decades later. Bob Gunton comes in close behind him for Ben Maxwell as well, & he didn't even have nearly as much screen time. Frankly, I'd watch a Star Trek show that had either of those characters as its lead

 

[Terok Nor]

Jean Simmons
David Ogden Stiers
Elizabeth Dennehy
David Warner
Ronnie Cox
W. Morgan Shepherd
John Anderson
Bob Gunton
Christopher McDonald
Paul Winfield
Ellen Geer
Fionnula Flanagan
Paul Sorvino
Terry O'Quinn
Famke Janssen
Richard Lynch
Jerry Hardin as Mark Twain

If recurring guest stars count

Michelle Forbes
John de Lancie
Majel Barrett
Dwight Schultz
Suzie Plakson
Robert O'Reilly
Tony Todd
Charles Cooper

No point mentioning Colm Meaney and Whoopi since they were basically regulars.

 

[phantomeagle]

Easy. David Ogden Stiers. I had the distinct honor of meeting him in the late 80s. Being a big fan of M*A*S*H it was awesome to meet him.

My mother was a violinist in a local symphony. David was a guest conductor once and, being the child of a member of the orchestra I could go back stage. He was glad that I was fan of both classical Music and M*A*S*H. He was impressed when I knew the name of the encore piece that the soloist played, since it wasn't a very well known piece.

I found him approachable, and very nice. He was the polar opposite of Charles.

So when he had did the role on TNG I was stoked.

 

[shivkala]

And the night before last, "Pegasus" was on H&I. Terry O'Quinn was excellent as Admiral Pressman. Of course, one of the purposes of the character was to serve as the foil for Picard's righteous indignation.

I was going to add O'Quin. They couldn't have picked a better foil for Picard's righteous indignation, as O'Quinn is a master of taking a morally grey/black stance and defending it.

 

[Mojochi]

It would be remiss of us to not mention the late great Andreas Katsulas

 

[Kilana2]

It would be remiss of us to not mention the late great Andreas Katsulas

I love his facial expressions and bearing as Tomalak!

 

[criscodisco]

I'd have to add Marta DuBois as Ardra in Devil's Due. Something about her portrayal oozed the self-assuredness that the devil would have, and her chemistry with Picard, one-sided as it might have been, was a delight to watch.

 

[flandry84]

Christopher MacDonald for an endearing performance from an often stereotyped actor.

 

[Armus]

The lovely Nikki Cox. I found her scenes Data very touching.

 

[Mojochi]

You know, given how well he disappears into his character, it's pretty easy to forget that Ray Wise was on the show... idolizing "The Picard" lol

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Elizabeth Dennehy as Shelby.

She appears in one two part episode with rumors that if Picard had left the show she would have stayed on as Commander, and those rumors have captured fans' imagination ever sense.

Carl Struycken as Mr Homn. A character with no lines yet somehow carries it with such presence he steals the spotlight from the background.