15 Star Trek Actors Who Directed Episodes
15. Rene Auberjonois - Odo
Auberjonois, who played stoic Security Officer Odo on Deep Space 9 (DS9), had a long history of stage and television acting before he joined the Star Trek franchise. (It should be noted, however, that Odo wasn't his first foray into Star Trek. He also played Colonel West in the longer, uncut version of Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country.)
He started his career on Broadway. Before long, he was making guest appearances on many of the most popular shows of the 1970s and 1980s, leading to his breakout role on the sitcom Benson. Auberjonois also had an extensive career as a voiceover actor on dozens of animated series.
Auberjonois put this resume to good use when it came to directing. Starting in Season 3, he directed eight episodes of DS9. The episodes he was responsible for were primarily light-hearted in nature, more one-shot stories than part of any expansive world-building or story arc developments.
One episode, Hippocratic Oath, did have heavier themes of duty, honour, and death. It was the first episode Auberjonois directed, as well as the one he considered most difficult AND the one that he was most proud of.
Auberjonois died in December 2019.