10 Background Star Trek Actors More Important Than You Think

These background actors definitely went above and beyond for Star Trek!

Star Trek First Contact
Paramount

In Star Trek, there is a huge number of background actors who walk around and look busy while the main cast delivers their lines. Occasionally, they'll say a word or two but they're mostly just there to make the scenery feel alive. A few crewmen working on a damaged panel on the wall can turn an otherwise dull corridor scene into something interesting to look at; something that feels real.

Because the Trek universe is so meticulously detailed, many of these background actors even have entire fleshed-out backstories. Some are just there to make a funny reference or a nod to the fanbase, though, and a few started in the background only to become more important to the story later.

This list will be going through some of the most intriguing background actors throughout all of Star Trek and explaining why they may be more important than you'd think.

10. Tarik Ergin As Lieutenant Ayala

Star Trek First Contact
CBS

Lieutenant Ayala was one of the most interesting characters on Voyager, but rarely got any speaking lines. He was Chakotay's right-hand man aboard their Maquis raider, the Val Jean, before it was destroyed and the Maquis crew were forced to integrate with Voyager.

He shows up in the background of tons of episodes, for example, at the funeral in Alliances, as well as the holodeck luau in Alter Ego and many, many more. What's weird about Ayala is that despite seeing him so often, he almost never speaks. This is even weirder when you consider that he went from being a high-ranking member of a violent protest group to a lieutenant on a starship, apparently ending his friendship with Chakotay in the process, as they never speak privately again. Perhaps he simply keeps quiet because he resents the crew, either because Janeway took away his command power or because he still holds harsh feelings against Starfleet for fighting the Maquis.

That quiet, no-nonsense face says a lot more when you know Ayala's history. Tarik does a great job of making him seem like he's going along with the ride on Voyager, but only because he has no other option.

Contributor

Marcia Fry is a writer for WhatCulture and an amateur filmmaker.