I can't wait for Star Trek Into Darkness. I am anticipating it so much, in fact, that I just spent some time checking out the cast and crew on IMDB.com. Among the long list of cast members, I noticed Dave Kim, the visual effects coordinator for movies such as Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel. Dave is making an unexpected foray into the world on the other side of the camera with his cameo appearance as a Starfleet enlisted soldier. Being a writer who loves to make Top 10 lists, this got me thinking about other unexpected cameo roles in Gene Roddenberry's universe. With a seemingly endless array of television series and movies to choose from, an appearance in Star Trek has become something of a coveted accomplishment among Star Trek fans. And the desire to appear in Star Trek is not limited to average citizens like you and me. As we've seen with Dave Kim, people from all walks of life have wormed their way into a Starfleet uniform. Of course, many known actors have been seen in Star Trek, but for this article I am only interested in unexpected cameo appearances. This means I have to limit the people I choose. To begin with, actors such as Nikki Cox (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Kirsten Dunst (Star Trek: The Next Generation), and Kirstie Alley (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) appeared in Star Trek, but their appearances were early roles by fledgling actors trying to make it in the business. That's not a cameo: it's an acting job. Additionally, people such as The Rock, Ashley Judd, Kim Cattrall, Teri Garr, Sarah Silverman, Winona Ryder, Ed Begley Jr., and Jason Alexander do not make my list because their roles guest appearances, not cameos. And finally, for this article I will ignore Christopher Lloyd, who played Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. I am looking for UNEXPECTED cameos. Christopher Lloyd has probably appeared in every American television series since the 1970's (and most movies) so it isn't unexpected to see him in Star Trek. Now that my persnickety rules are out of the way, let's get started, shall we?
Honorable Mention: Michael Braveheart
No article or discussion about Star Trek cameos is complete without mentioning Michael Braveheart. The most accomplished of all Star Trek cameo performers, Michael is known for his brief appearances in 82 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (primarily as Crewman Martinez), Star Trek: First Contact (again as Crewman Martinez), Star Trek: Insurrection (yet another appearance as Crewman Martinez), Star Trek: Voyager (a Klingon crewman in the Prophecy episode), and as an extra character in three separate episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise. He even made an appearance as a Klingon in the Star Trek: Klingon Academy video game.