10 Star Trek Actors Whose First Appearances You've Totally Forgotten
6. Marc Alaimo As Badar N'D'D
Marc Alaimo is best known for his astonishing role as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's big-bad Gul Dukat, the Cardassian with godlike delusions of grandeur. Alaimo had played a Cardassian before in the episode The Wounded. However, Alaimo's first appearance in the Star Trek universe was as someone more cuddly-looking than your average Cardassian Gul.
Alaimo played the Antican delegate Badar N'D'D in the TNG episode Lonely Among Us. The Anticans are carnivorous canine species who hunt in packs and are in the middle of a dispute with the reptilian Selay. The Enterprise are tasked with settling the species' dispute on a neutral world, a mission which is complicated by a non-corporeal lifeform which is possessing the crew.
Alaimo was uncredited in the role, hence him being easy to forget. However, the cast of his head taken for the dog-like Antican mask went on to become incredibly important in the future development of the series. Makeup designer Michael Westmore was inspired by the cast when designing the Cardassians for their aforementioned introductory episode The Wounded.