10 Star Trek Actors Who Have Appeared In The Most Shows
3. John De Lancie - 5
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Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Picard
Of the recurring actors who have never made it to the opening credits, few have become as outstandingly memorable as John de Lancie in his time as the mischievous Q.
Debuting in TNG's opening 'Encounter At Farpoint', de Lancie chewed all the scenery that was afforded to him as the omnipotent arbiter of humanity's place in the cosmos. Ultimately deciding to allow Starfleet out further into space as a 'trial' for their species, Q would return multiple times over the series run, turning from antagonist to arrogant and playful anti-hero, mariachi bands and all.
After getting punched in the face by Commander Sisko, at a time when DS9 was still languishing in TNG's shadow, Q would move to the Delta Quadrant and begin tormenting Kathryn Janeway, giving de Lancie a chance to spice up his performance with some lothario.
De Lancie later lent his voice to Lower Decks, poking fun at this God like being's obsessions with banal human games, before a much more serious and nefarious Q appears in Picard's mirror during the Captain's eponymous series, continuing the trial he started all those decades ago