Star Trek has always had fantastic guest stars. The Original Series brought in Hollywood veterans, everyone from former sitcom moms like Jane Wyatt to Joan Collins. By the time Voyager, the fourth live-action Trek series, aired, the casting directors were getting a little quirkier. Showing up aboard the Voyager was a bit of wish fulfillment for some celebrities. Which if you can find Arabian princes, metal guitarists, rising comedians, professional wrestlers and a Seinfeld favorite in the series.
We adore these unexpected guest stars. Here's who they are, and where to find them.
King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan
Episode 2.20: "Investigations"
At the time, he was the mere Prince of Jordan. In 1999, three years after this episode aired, Abdullah II inherited the Hashemite throne after the death of his father, King Hussein. Two of his biggest hobbies are collecting ancient weapons and Star Trek, so he would fit right in at a Con. Having power has its perks, too. He got to fulfill a fantasy and appear on Star Trek. The script gave him no lines, but he can be spotting in conversation with Harry Kim in the opening minutes.
Sarah Silverman
Episodes 3.8 & 3.9: "Future's End" Parts 1 and 2
So you're an astronomer in the year 1996. Two strange men show up in your lab spouting slang like "Groovy!" Something is fishy. Indeed, Rain Robinson! Rain (Sarah Silverman) has just encountered Tom Paris and Tuvok of the 24th century. The two Voyager officers have traveled back in time to Venice, California, to stop a man who is using future technology to become rich in the 20th century. Rain the astronomer helps out in this two-parter, and Silverman, in her first major role outside of Saturday Night Live, brings a liveliness to the affair without going full-on comic.
Jason Alexander
Episode 5.20: "Think Tank"
Throw some slap bass on the soundtrack and we could swear we were watching some bizarre later episode of Seinfeld. The makeup department gave Alexander's character, Kurros, a receding hairline, which admittedly makes him look a bit like a Klingon George Costanza. Alexander later confessed in an interview that when his son saw him in the makeup, the kid declared, "Dad, you look like snot." Nevertheless, it's a meaty role for Alexander who gets to play evil (though one could argue George was evil, in a way) as a member of the titular "Think Thank" that wants to nab Seven of Nine as its newest member.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Episode 6.15: "Tsunkatse"
Shore leave! Sure, it's all fun and leisure — until one of your crewmates ends up fighting a cage match against a mammoth man (well, alien) of muscle. The sport of "Tsunkatse" is a little bit MMA, a little bit Mortal Combat, but as Chakotay and Torres discover as Seven of Nine squares off against "The Champion" (Johnson), the "live" action is actually a holographic display. This is ages before the Rock became the modern-day Schwarzenegger, back when he was merely a pro wrestler with a knack for a raised eyebrow.
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine
Episode 6.20: "Good Shepard"
The 1990s were a great era to be a celebrity fan of Star Trek. With three series in production, there was a good chance that one of them would give you a cameo. This funk-metal guitar hero even got a few lines, in an exchange with Janeway, when the captain went down to investigate the cramped quarters of Deck 15. She's a little lost down there with the lower ranks, and Crewman Mitchell (Morello) gives her directions. By the time this episode aired, in early 2000, Rage Against the Machine was nearly the end of their run as an operating studio band. Their final album, all covers, came out later that year. Morello did a decent enough job that he probably could have popped up here and there on the show, had it lasted a little longer.