10 Best Star Trek Characters In One Scene Only

2. Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking Star Trek
CBS

One of the few people in Star Trek who have ever played themselves on-screen, Professor Stephen Hawking appeared at the very end of Star Trek: The Next Generation's sixth season. He appears as a hologram on the holodeck, playing at Data's fantasy poker league. He is also more than able to keep the others at bay.

Hawking, while on set, famously quipped, while passing the Warp Core - 'I'm working on that'.

That alone would guarantee him a spot on this list, but the banter that he has with both Sir Issac Newton and Albert Einstein (what a sentence to type) is the reason he is so high up this list here. It is quite something to bear in mind that, despite the fantastical setting of the game, Hawking was easily the smartest and most accomplished man on the set.

It is a wonderful moment, one that has all of the rewatch value that any scene in Star Trek can have.

Contributor
Contributor

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"