10 Star Trek Actors Who Became Directors
3. LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton made his directorial debut with Second Chances (working title Two Many Rikers!) He recalled that, it being so effect-heavy, it was a real baptism of fire. The show worked brilliantly, not least for how it handled both Rikers, but also in Burton's chance to cast Dr. Mae Jemison in a cameo role.
Dr. Jemison was the first female African-American in space, something to which she credited Nichelle Nichols. Burton invited Nichols to set during filming, leading to what he called 'magic.'
From this, Burton would go on to direct another 28 episodes of Star Trek, including many of the Klingon-centric ones. J.G. Hertzler recalled being especially pleased that, in the Burton-directed Soldiers Of The Empire, he was given a zoom-in 'engage' shot, something guest performers rarely got to experience in Star Trek.
Burton would cameo in one of his own episodes - namely Timeless, Voyager's 100th episode. It took a little convincing at that point, but it made for a special moment for fans of the franchise. His final credit, to-date, is the first part of Star Trek: Enterprise's de-facto finale, Demons.