10 Background Actors In Star Trek Who Got Themselves Noticed
3. Colm Meaney
That unnamed conn officer from Encounter of Farpoint, Star Trek The Next Generation's pilot episode, did fairly well for himself!
When Colm Meaney appeared in his first episode of Star Trek, his star had yet to rise. His film career would kick off in 1990, but in 1987 he was simply an actor who jumped at a day's work like anyone else. He did have some lines, but that is all. The character had no name.
He impressed Roddenberry, who brought him back - transferring him from conn to the transporter room (gifting the internet with the fantastic Chief O'Brien at work comic) and it was there that he would finally receive a name - Miles Edward O'Brien.
The fans responded so well to him that he was given more and more stories to play out, culminating in his transfer to (and starring role in) Deep Space Nine.