10 Actors You Didn't Know Were In Star Trek
6. Ken Jenkins
Scrubs’ Dr Kelso is nothing if not typecast. Over fifty years of acting, his screen CV consists almost exclusively of grumpy authority figures (with or without a well hidden soft side). In The Next Generation’s 1989 episode “Evolution”, he plays a precursor to his most famous TV role, hard headed doctor Paul Stubbs.
Jenkins, who seemingly didn’t age between this appearance and his Scrubs heyday, gets a lot to do in the season three opener. He is the inadvertent instigator of hostilities with a race of microscopic robots, and as is often the way with his characters, is ultimately taught a lesson in humility. In a typical Star Trek fashion he is given the opportunity to monologue about what he’s learned today, and puts in a typically solid performance. Jenkins would work steadily in film and TV for the years to come, but it wasn’t until Dr Kelso came along that a show found a way to truly utilise his talents.
Ken Jenkins may not be the biggest star on this list, but he is a great example to any jobbing actor making their way in the business - the parts you get may not be all that, but you can still make the most of them.