16 Star Trek Actors Who Died In 2025

4. Stephen Mendillo - 3rd September 2025

Star Trek Enterprise The Seventh Stephen Mendillo
CBS Media Ventures

Stephen Mendillo appeared as Captain Tavek in the Enterprise episode The Seventh. He was, however, well-known to fans of the franchise film Slap Shot, alongside Paul Newman. This movie, focusing on minor league Hockey, starred Mendillo as the Chiefs' alternate Captain, Jim Ahern, who is described, among other things, as a 'reluctant fashion show participant and laundry critic.'

He had a varied career on screen and on stage and was a graduate of Yale School of Drama. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, where he played hockey at a young age. His coach was the New Rangers iron man, Murray Murdoch, and his father was also the team doctor with the New Haven Blades of the Eastern Hockey League.

Mendillo was married to actress Lisa Blake Richards, who appeared with Mendillo in Do Not Go Gentle. He was 84 when he died. 

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"