10 Star Trek Twists That The Actors Hated

The revelation of Dr Bashir's genetic enhancements was a bittersweet moment for Alexander Siddig. While he praises the episode Dr Bashir, I Presume? overall, mentioning the fun of working with Robert Picardo and the fact that his character finally received a family, he was very unhappy about the way it came about.

First, he was told at the eleventh hour that this enormous character trait was going to be added to the script. Producer Ira Steven Behr later admitted that even halfway through season five, they hadn't decided to make Julian enhanced, so everyone was learning on the fly. The pressure fell on Siddig to deliver a meaningful performance and convey the weight of carrying this secret forever, having only learned about it mere days before filming commenced.

The second thing that really annoyed him was the original ending, in which only he, O'Brien, Zimmerman, and the audience would know the truth. This, he felt, would make the character more of an overtly deceptive person. He pushed for the secret to be revealed to the rest of the crew, allowing them all to deal with the fallout, including having a measure of peace with his parents.

Overall, he feels the final product was stronger than some of its traits, with his genetic modifications going on to play crucial plot points in the seasons to follow.