Star Trek: The Next Generation - Cast

Cast

Further information: List of Star Trek: The Next Generation cast members

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, commanding officer of the USS Enterprise.

• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker, the ship's first officer. The Riker character was influenced by concepts for first officer Willard Decker in the Star Trek: Phase II television series. Decker's romantic history with helmsman Ilia was mirrored in The Next Generation in the relationship between Riker and Deanna Troi. Riker also appears in an episode each of Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. In addition to William Riker, Frakes played William's transporter-created double, Thomas, in one episode each of The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

• LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge. La Forge is initially the ship's helmsman, and the character becomes chief engineer beginning in the second season. Burton also played the character in an episode of Voyager.

• Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar, chief of security and tactical officer. Crosby left the series at the end of the first season, and the Yar character was killed. Yar returns in alternate timelines in the award-winning episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" and the series finale, "All Good Things...". Crosby also played Sela, Yar's half-Romulan daughter.

• Michael Dorn as Worf, a Klingon. Worf initially appears as a junior officer fulfilling several roles on the bridge. When Denise Crosby left at the end of the first season, the Worf character succeeded Lieutenant Yar as the ship's chief of security and tactical officer. Michael Dorn reprised the character for four seasons of Deep Space Nine.

• Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher, the Enterprise's chief medical officer. McFadden left the series during the second season to pursue film roles, but she returned in the third season and remained for the remainder of the series.

• Diana Muldaur as Doctor Katherine Pulaski. The Pulaski character was created to replace Dr. Crusher for the show's second season. Muldaur, who previously appeared in two episodes of the original Star Trek, never received billing in the opening credits; instead, she was listed as a special guest star during the first act.

• Marina Sirtis as the half-human, half-Betazoid ship's counselor, Deanna Troi. The character's relationship with first officer Riker was a carry-over from character ideas developed for Phase II. Troi also appears in later episodes of Voyager and in the finale of Enterprise.

• Brent Spiner as Lieutenant Commander Data, an android who serves as operations officer and third-in-command. Data's "outsider's" perspective on humanity served a similar narrative purpose as Spock's in the original Star Trek. Spiner also played his "brother", Lore, and his creator, Noonien Soong. In Enterprise, Spiner played Noonien's ancestor, Arik.

• Wil Wheaton as Beverly Crusher's son, Wesley. Wesley becomes an acting ensign and, later, receives a field commission to ensign before attending Starfleet Academy. After being a regular for the first four seasons, Wheaton appeared sporadically as Crusher for the remainder of the series. According to Wheaton, he wanted to leave the show because he was frustrated by having to fit other roles around his Trek schedule despite his character's diminishing role.

In addition to the series regulars, other recurring characters include

• Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi, Deanna Troi's mother and Betazoid ambassador to the United Federation of Planets. Barrett, married to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, previously appeared in the original Star Trek. She also voiced the computer in The Next Generation and other spinoffs.

• Brian Bonsall as Alexander Rozhenko, Worf's son. Jon Paul Steuer played Alexander in the character's first appearance, and James Sloyan played an older, time-traveling version of Alexander in another episode. Marc Worden played the character for his appearances in Deep Space Nine.

• Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien, Miles O'Brien's wife and a botanist. She also made recurring appearances in Deep Space Nine.

• John de Lancie as Q, an omnipotent antagonist from the Q Continuum. de Lancie continued playing the Q character in both Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

• Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan, the El-Aurian bartender in the ship's lounge, Ten Forward.

• Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren, a Bajoran helmsman. Forbes' character was considered for use in Deep Space Nine, although producers eventually developed a new character, Kira Nerys.

• Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien. O'Brien is an unnamed helmsman in the show's pilot, and appears several times in other positions during the first season. The character eventually was developed into the transporter chief. Meaney portrayed O'Brien for seven seasons as a series regular on Deep Space Nine.

• Robert O'Reilly as Gowron, leader of the Klingon High Council. O'Reilly also appeared as Gowron in Deep Space Nine.

• Dwight Schultz as Reginald Barclay, a technician and engineer who also plays a prominent role in the later seasons of Voyager.

• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa, a nurse in Dr. Crusher's sickbay.