17 Star Trek Actors Who Died In 2023

10. J. Patrick McNamara

Star Trek J Patrick McNamara
CBS Media Ventures

J. Patrick McNamara appeared in one episode of The Next Generation, though his legacy spanned several. He played Captain Taggert, Dr. Pulaski's former commanding officer, and the captain of the USS Repulse. In the episode Unnatural Selection, he was contacted by Picard in an attempt to save Pulaski's life.

McNamara, who was born Patrick John but changed his screen name to J. Patrick, may be best remembered as Mr. Preston, appearing in both Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. He had begun his career with the certainty that he would be a lawyer. However, almost immediately after stepping foot on stage, he knew that acting was for him.

He was directed by Steven Spielberg twice - one in Close Encounter's Of The Third Kind and also in 1941. Though he attempted to launch his own theatre company, it didn't pick up as expected, thus encouraging him to return to acting.

With many credits both in front of and behind the camera, he retired from acting in 2016. He died in January 2023, at 80 years of age.

 
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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"