Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Jake Sisko
2. Welcoming The Visitor
The Visitor, which is this writer's favourite episode of Star Trek, is an enormous moment for Jake Sisko. The character is shared between Cirroc Lofton and returning guest star Tony Todd, making his first Deep Space Nine appearance here as an older version of the man.
Todd was cast after it was decided Lofton could not play the older Jake. When dealing with prosthetics, one has to walk a fine line so as not to break the illusion. Putting Lofton, who was then in his late teens, into make-up to age him up stretched credulity to breaking point.
For Todd, the episode was cathartic. He had recently lost his aunt, who had effectively raised him. This script, devoted as it was to the inability to move on from losing a parent, helped him through some of the darkest times in this process. The episode, though a bottle show for all intents and purposes, has gone on to become one of the most beloved episodes in the franchise and all of it was based on a late-night interview between J.D. Sallinger and a high-school student.