10 Best Sci-Fi Movies Starring Star Trek Actors (That Aren't Star Trek)

Those strange new worlds aren't going to explore themselves.

Brent Spiner Data Independence Day
CBS/20th Century Fox

As science moves forward in continuing leaps and bounds, so does the world of science fiction. In its original run, Star Trek was not exactly the rampant success story it is revered as today, but its repeat syndication throughout the 1970s led to a surge of interest in both the Original Series and the sci-fi genre as a whole.

Today, the franchise is a household name, launching the careers of many of Hollywood's most beloved icons. But for some of these actors, their time with the United Federation of Planets wasn't their only foray into the final frontier.

Since the '70s, sci-fi has proven to be increasingly popular among audiences, and with this popularity came a wealth of TV and film seeking to tap into the genre's boundless potential. The Star Trek empire has seen a host of talented and enthusiastic actors across its numerous iterations, so perhaps it's no wonder that a lot have capitalised on their knack for interstellar swashbuckling and concepts to boggle the mind.

Here are 10 such Star Trek actors who branched out into the ever-expanding realm of science fiction in film.

10. Ratchet & Clank (Armin Shimerman)

Brent Spiner Data Independence Day
CBS/Liongate

Insomniac Games' planet-hopping PS2 gems were given the reboot treatment in 2016, titled Ratchet & Clank much like the original, and with it came a tie-in film of the same name. Many of the film's cast members reprise their roles from the game series, including Armin Shimerman, who voices Chairman Drek's aptly named head scientist, Doctor Nefarious.

Throughout the entire seven-year run of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Shimerman donned heavy prosthetics to play Quark, the endlessly entertaining Ferengi scoundrel who runs a less-than-respectable bar on the Deep Space Nine station. Despite the two characters being similar in nature, you wouldn't be blamed for not knowing that the cackling, dangerously insane Nefarious and the weaselly, quietly conniving Quark have the same voice behind them.

Despite the film taking liberties with the canon of the series (chiefly, the fact that Doctor Nefarious originally doesn't show up until the third game), Shimerman's menacing voice acting makes this twisted character's inclusion an amusing addition to the classic series's reimagining.

Contributor

Graduate composer, on-and-off session musician, aspiring novelist, professional nerd. Where procrastination and cynicism intertwine, Lee Clarke can be found.