10 Background Actors In Star Trek Who Got Themselves Noticed

3. Colm Meaney

Star Trek OBrien
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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.

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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"