[Trekki]

In Enterprise there was one episode that dealt with the Ferengi. If you looked hard enough Neelix was one of them. He was the one who eventually got his brother's ship in the end. Do you think previous Star Trek actors should be allowed to come back as different characters/aliens? What about how the Ferengi were portrayed?

[horatio]

Didn't Ethan Philips portray the captain and Jeffrey Combs the cousin who got the ship in the end?
If an actor is good, cast him again. And if they protray aliens, it is hard no notice. Shimerman and Grodenchick both did Ferengis in TNG, obviously some folks in production liked their performance, so they were hired again for DS9. Sounds like a decent strategy to rely on actors who already guest starrred once for you instead of casting someone more unknown for a reoccuring role.

[dholleyuk]

As long as the actor can deliver two different characters I dont have a problem, if you watch you can see it is the same actor, but IMO I never felt I was watching Neelix playing a ferengi, (appart from in the VOY episode Profit)

[Trekki]

You convinced me. I think there's only one Star Trek actor who has guest starred on the shows more times than anybody else. If I remember correctly that was the actor who played Admiral Forest in this same series. Can't remember his real name though.

[lordisaiah]

What about Mark Lenard, who played a Romulan (Balance of Terror), a Vulcan (Sarek), and a Klingon (TMP).

[Glacial]

I know Jeffrey Combs played Brunt, Tiron and the Weyouns in DS9, Penk in VOY, and one of the Ferengi and Commander Shran in ENT.

[Oregon_Coast_Trekkie]

Rene Auberjonois (I don't feel like researching his spelling) was on an Enterprise episode as well.

Separation of actor and character is a key part of life...

[horatio]

Originally Posted by Trekki

You convinced me. I think there's only one Star Trek actor who has guest starred on the shows more times than anybody else. If I remember correctly that was the actor who played Admiral Forest in this same series. Can't remember his real name though.

Vaugn Armstrong is a nice example because he is rarely recognizable underneath all that make-up. Jeffrey Combs is easier to recognize due to his voice. But overall, alien make-up helps to maintain the illusion of a character, besides good acting of course.

[Saquist]

Originally Posted by Trekki

In Enterprise there was one episode that dealt with the Ferengi. If you looked hard enough Neelix was one of them. He was the one who eventually got his brother's ship in the end. Do you think previous Star Trek actors should be allowed to come back as different characters/aliens? What about how the Ferengi were portrayed?

yeah...it's almost a consistent tradition starting with Sarek.

[Kukalaka]

Originally Posted by Oregon_Coast_Trekkie

Rene Auberjonois (I don't feel like researching his spelling) was on an Enterprise episode as well.

Separation of actor and character is a key part of life...

He also played a Starfleet officer in The Undiscovered Country.

Guest actors playing different minor characters is not uncommon in Trek, actually.