Bob Barker’s family tree has some interesting roots. His heritage is partially Native American; he is one-eighth Sioux. On the US Indian Census Roll, he officially counted as an official member of the Sioux.

Culturally, he is much more than an eighth. Since his mother was a teacher and worked on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Barker spent most of his childhood there.

Bob set a record for being the longest host of both the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants; 20 years in a row, from 1967 to 1987.

However, he and the producers butted heads because the contests gave fur coats as prizes, and Bob is a huge animal rights supporter. Fur coats were included prominently in the 1987 swimsuit contest, and Bob’s anger at the decision leaked to the press in a scandal that became known as “Fur Flap.” Bob eventually quit both shows in protest.

In 1943, Barker was in college, looking to give himself an opportunity to escape his relatively modest childhood. However, with World War II raging overseas, Bob was drawn towards helping his country.

The best way to help, he decided, was to leave college, and join the Navy. Barker trained with the United States Naval Reserve to become a fighter pilot. The training just ended and Barker was to be transferred to a squadron, but before that could happen, the atomic explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war.

In 35 years as the host of The Price Is Right, Barker calls what one particular contestant experienced as, “the most talked about single incident in the history of the show.”

When a contestant named Yolanda was called down, she was ecstatic to have been chosen and celebrated vigorously. One catch was, though, that Yolanda chose to wear a tube top, and, as Bob explains, “she began jumping up and down and out they came. She came on down and they came on out on CBS.”

Sharing the stage with Bob on The Price Is Right were the models, also known as Barker’s Beauties. They present the prizes and gave people some eye candy to gaze at while considering bids.

When some folks suggested making the playing field even by hiring male models, Bob responded, “that’s a terrible idea. I don’t want some young guy back here attracting all the attention. I want people looking at me.” With Drew Carey as the current host, Robert Scott Wilson became the first male model on the show.

As an animal rights champion, Barker has done everything to use his wealth to stop cruelty against both land and sea creatures.

One particularly generous donation he made was $5 million towards a boat that is now operated by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In 2013, the MY Bob Barker, named after him, was rammed by a Japanese whaling ship called the Nisshin Marum, and multiple antennas broke, causing power loss. The ship is still active, and flies the Dutch flag, as its home port is in Rotterdam.

One of the most famous movie cameos by Bob was in a scene in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, which is now iconic in the 90’s comedy canon. Happy, a hockey player-turned-golfer is paired with Bob Barker in a golf tournament.

As the pair dwindles in the rankings to dead last, there is a clash of personalities, which eventually escalates to fisticuffs. Happy eventually head-butts Barker, and taunts him by saying, “the price is wrong!” Bob won an MTV movie award for best fight for the scene.

In 2007, at the ripe old age of 83, Barker retired from his 35-year tenure as the host of The Price Is Right. Comedian and TV personality Drew Carey took over the duty.

Since Barker’s departure, he has returned thrice to grace the show with his presence. In 2009, he came back to promote his autobiography. In 2013, he returned to celebrate his 90th birthday. On April Fools’ Day 2015, he shocked audiences by pretending he was the host again, before returning the microphone to Drew Carey.

The Toronto Zoo is Canada’s best and has many opportunities to see exotic animals like Giant Pandas. However, animal rights activists like Barker oppose zoos, seeing them as prisons for animals.

After hearing about the plight of three African elephants in the Toronto Zoo, Barker spent $1 million to get them free. Eventually, the Toronto City Council relented, and allowed Iringa, Thika, and Toka to be transported to an animal sanctuary. In 2015, Iringa sadly passed away from euthanasia to relieve her degenerative joint and foot disease.

After Bob served as a fighter pilot in the Navy, he was discharged and returned to Drury College to finish a degree in Economics.

Perhaps he was meant to eventually host a show all about pricing, because he had a magnificent understanding of the economy, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Barker has been very generous in supporting Drury, by giving not only six-figure donations, but allowing some of his many awards to be housed on campus for people to see.

When Barker was young, he played many sports, like baseball, football, and he also ran track. In winter he would ice skate.

He was good enough to play basketball at the college level, and even as an adult was not satisfied simply with his game show hosting. To maintain his physical prowess, he trained in martial arts with Chuck Norris, the actor and founder of the hybrid fighting style Chun Kuk Do. Barker is a black belt in Karate, and has a red belt in Tang Soo Do.

Holly Hallstrom was one of Barker’s Beauties. She joined the show in 1977 and was fired in 1995. Her departure from the show was not pretty.

Hallstrom alleged that Bob and the producers forced her off the show because of a prescription medication she was taking, as it was causing rapid weight gain. The fight between them was intense, to the point where Holly spent all her money on lawyers and had to live in her car. Eventually, she got millions in a settlement.

In the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe lived a lion called Cecil. An American dentist and big-game hunter named Walter Palmer killed the lion for sport, and sparked extreme outrage on the internet across the world, even threats of death.

Barker was also angry, saying, “I think that whatever misery befalls him, he deserves it,” saying that he’d, “go for,” the notion of a bounty on his head. At the very least, Bob wanted to see Palmer “extradited and in an African jail for a long time.”

In 2007, Drew Carey took over the hosting of The Price Is Right. Barker was asked soon after the takeover how he thought the comedian was doing.

Barker responded negatively, saying that Drew, “does the show differently … I try to make the show really exciting. He doesn’t do that … he just plays the games.” Perhaps Carey was trying to follow Barker’s advice: “don’t try to copy me, just make it your own show.” Barker apologized, saying he meant no offense, and that Drew is, “charming and complimentary.”

For about five years, Shane Stirling was one of Barker’s Beauties. However, things turned sour in 2006, when she announced she was pregnant.

Allegedly, she was, “forced into an early pregnancy leave, was not allowed to return to work for almost a year after her child’s birth, and was fired abruptly.” Bob himself apparently said she should not work while pregnant because it was a “liability” and told her to “go home and take care of your baby.” Shane filed and lost a lawsuit regarding her firing.

Pregnancy discrimination was a common theme at The Price Is Right. Brandi Cochran, a model on the show, was so afraid of revealing her pregnancy because she feared being let go from the show.

Eventually, Brandi says the stress caused a miscarriage. A producer on the show who found out about the trauma said that it’s, “natures way of getting rid of a bad baby.” Producers also apparently made fun of her weight, saying “wide load coming through,” when she walked by. Eventually, a lawsuit settled out of court.

With so many hiring and firing scandals, spurned former models and their allies would have something against Bob. Also, whalers and other people who make money off of animal products and testing would love to get rid of Barker.

So when Barker’s housekeeper saw a suspicious package in the inside gate of his home, she told Bob’s business manager, who called the police. The bomb squad rushed to scene to examine the package. Turns out, it was a false alarm- it was a delivery of medication they’d forgotten about.

In 2015, Barker took a terrible fall while going for a walk on the sidewalk near his mansion. The side of his forehead was cut wide open.

Bob would have been in huge trouble had it not been for the lucky fact that LAPD officers were in the area, responding to another call, and drove by right as Barker was plunging to the ground. The officers used their first aid training to quell the bleeding until the paramedics arrived, and took Bob to the hospital, where he was treated.

Death hoxes have become a phenomenon since the internet and social media have taken hold. Macaulay Culkin, Bill Murray, and Bill Nye have all fallen prey to the fake death announcement.

Because Bob is advanced in age, and has the occasional slip and fall, internet hoaxers have pounced on the opportunity to report the legendary game show host as dead. The announcement seemed believable enough, and it went viral, until more reputable sources came in and put a stop to the rumors.

As a kid on the Reservation, Barker would run around without a shirt, soaking in the sun’s rays. Later, on TV, to stay visually appealing to audiences, Bob would try and stay tan (these days he seems to have the orange tinge of a spray tan).

His sun exposure showed in a scary way: he’s had a couple of moles that developed into skin cancer. Looking back on his youth, he regrets the time in the sun. Barker recommends that sunbathers, “see a dermatologist once or twice a year.”

Before The Price Is Right, Bob fortuitously got hired to host a game show called Truth Or Consequences. In the early stages, the creator, Ralph Edwards, couldn’t seem to find anyone who fit the bill to host.

Lucky for Bob, Edwards heard Bob’s radio show. Edwards loved what he heard, and hired Bob on December 21st, 1956. Barker hosted the show for a whopping 18 years. The pair toasted every December 21st to celebrate that moment until Edwards passed in 2005.

In the Fairfax area of Los Angeles, on Beverly Boulevard, there’s a massive studio that’s so sprawling that it’s called Television City. The place is the size of a sports stadium, which makes sense, as it used to be one.

Shows such as American Idol, Deal Or No Deal, and The Late Late Show With James Corden are all filmed in Television City. Stage 33, where The Price Is Right is filmed, was renamed the Bob Barker Studio following the 5000th episode to honor the legendary host.

The Guinness Book Of World Records has all the strange and impressive feats that humanity has achieved, from odd things like largest ukelele to inborn traits like the tallest person on the planet.

Bob has the unique honor of being in the book twice. First, he was listed as “Most Durable Performer” for having, at the time, 3,524 shows. Also, he was listed as “Most Generous Host in Television History” for awarding about $200 million in prizes. Since then, Alex Trebek has overtaken the first record.

As an animal rights activist, Bob pays out millions to help even the smallest critter who is suffering. This seems like a lot of work and sacrifice, but for Barker, animals can be better than humans.

“I’d rather be kissed by my dogs than by some people I’ve known,” Bob admits. He stopped eating animals and became vegetarian as well, and credits that lifestyle change for his longevity. “I became a vegetarian … out of concern for animals. But I immediately began having more energy and feeling better.”

Bob Barker has done it all. He has won 15 Daytime Emmy awards, and in 1999, he got a cherry on top, winning a Lifetime Achievement Emmy.

His name is immortalized among the biggest stars of yesterday and today on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, with a star dedicated to him in 1976. Still, he thinks that these accolades are not as valuable a part of life as this one, simple experience. “A person who has never owned a dog has missed a wonderful part of life.”

Being on television seems fun, but anyone on the small screen knows that it’s hard work. People judge how much you’re aging, how you dress, and they overanalyze everything you say. Barker was aware of this issue, but still decided something radical in 1987.

Barker chose to stop dying his hair, and let it go gray, as he opposes dyes because they are tested on animals. Barker, “had to get approval from the head of daytime programming,” as gray hair on TV was unprecedented. Ratings remained high either way.

Barker is best known as the host of The Price Is Right, a title he held for 35 years. His tenure as host was not without scandal.

In 1993, Barker Beauty Dian Parkinson left the show to, “pursue other interests,” but she alleges another reason that was much more sinister. She filed a lawsuit against Bob for coercing her into a relationship with him. Barker claims she was simply spurned when he moved on from their romance, and she sought revenge. Eventually, she dropped the case.

Before he was the smooth-talking host of The Price Is Right, Bob got his education. College is expensive for someone of humble means, so he decided to attend Drury College, where he was given a basketball scholarship.

The Missouri school is still good at basketball today- the men’s team won the NCAA Division II championship in 2013. Barker, dressed in a suit, met with the team, who gave him a signed poster of all the winning teams that year.

Once Barker got the attention and acclaim of the nation as host of The Price Is Right, he used the spotlight to raise awareness of an important issue: pet overpopulation.

Every show would end with Bob’s now immortal catchphrase: “Help control the pet population; have your pets spayed or neutered.” In 1995, he went as far as starting his own organization, the DJ&T Foundation, which provides financial assistance to clinics that have low-cost or even free spay and neuter services.

In 2017, Bob took a spill in the bathroom of his Hollywood Hills mansion, and it was serious enough that the ambulance was called. However, Bob had the wherewithal to say that he did not want to ride in the ambulance.

Eventually, he decided to go to the hospital, but he has his housekeeper drive him. Head trauma can be devastating, with concussions causing awful problems with alertness and memory. Luckily he quickly recovered physically, but image-wise, the fall re-sparked the false claims he’d died.

Bob Barker ended up making a fortune out of his lucrative television career. It is estimated that Barker holds an estimated net worth of around $70 million. His time on “The Price Is Right” proved to be time spent well.

What is even more fascinating than his net worth, is what he chose to do with his money. Barker is a huge animal lover and decided to donate millions of dollars to animal rights activism, a causes he feels very passionate about.

Star Trek is something of a cult classic now, with so many fans the world over, and Trekkie conventions that pull in the masses. Have you ever wondered what some of your favorite Star Trek characters and cast members were up to these days though?

She became even more famous for attending Star Trek themed fan events after her stint at playing Janice Rand. She appeared in the very first Star Trek TV series, and also popped up in the movies that followed on from it too. In fact, you could say that the films and TV show have kept her rather busy over the years. Well, apart from that brief spell that she was claiming unemployment, and DeForest saw her in line and rescued her from her pain. She was originally terminated from the show, the reasons of which still appear to be unclear.

She’s well known in the US and the UK for her parts in hit TV shows, but Michelle Forbes, real name Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo, is most remembered her playing the part of Ensign Ro Laren in Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has had various TV roles over the years, including in Prison Break, 24, Durham County, and more recently, True Blood, and you’ll also spot her in another sci-fi hit – Battlestar Galatica. Not bad for the little girl who actually wanted to become a ballet dancer.

Hoshi Sato was a communications officer in Star Trek: Enterprise, first appearing in 2001 and hanging around until 2005, and she was played by Linda Park, a Korean-American actress. Not just famous for her role in the sci-fi classic, you may also have spotted Linda in a number of other roles over the years. She appeared in Jurassic Park III in 2001, before her ‘Trekkie’ days, and she went on to star in Crash since, as well as appearing in NCIS, House, The Mentalist, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In the original series of Star Trek, Hikaru Sulu was the helmsmen of the USS Enterprise, and he was played by the American actor, author, activist and director, George Takei. He’s clearly a big fan of the sci-fi stuff, popping up in Star Trek: Voyager too, and appearing in all six of the feature films as Hikaru. TV has been good to him over the years, and as well as appearing in Futurama (as himself), he was also in Hawaii Five-0, The Big Bang Theory, Will & Grace, and many more.

William Shatner has done a lot in his life. The 85-year-old actor (correct at the time of writing), has managed to fit in over seventy years of film and TV work, and one of his most famous roles was as Captain James T. Kirk, first appearing in the pilot episode of the original Star Trek TV series in 1966. TV has definitely been a good career choice for this actor and author, and he’s since gone on to star and appear in a number of shows, including winning Emmy Awards for his part in Boston Legal and The Practice.

You’ll probably remember DeForest Kelley from the Star Trek original TV series, and then the movies that followed on from that. He was Dr. Leonard McCoy, or just “Bones”, on the USS Enterprise, a typecast he found very difficult to shake once his stint on the show ended. He ended up receiving so much money from appearing at Trekkie conventions that he eventually gave up the acting life, and stomach cancer caused his death in 1999. His final appearance was in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991.

Do you remember this famous face? Yes, that’s no other than Sex and the City actress, Kim Cattrall – the famous Samantha Jones, a friend you probably wouldn’t introduce to your mom. She played the part of Vulcan Valeris. Speaking of Vulcans, did you know that there was a place in Alberta, Canada called Vulcan, and it’s in Vulcan County? The place has now taken on a definitively Trekkie feels these days, with various statues and monuments erected in the namesake’s honor.

He’s tried his hand at a few things before Brent Spiner’s 15 year stint with the Star Trek franchise started, first playing Lieutenant Commander Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He was a stage actor for a while, and took part in a few TV movies and pilots, but it was the Trekkie scene that really kick-started his career. His most recent appearance was in the 2016 movie, Independence Day: Resurgence, but you may also remember spotting him in quite a few other movies – Dude, Where’s My Car?, The Aviator, and also Independence Day.

It started with Star Trek: The Next Generation, when Denise Crosby got the part for Lieutenant Tasha Yar, a position she held for 31 episodes. She then went on to play Dr. Jenna Yar in Star Trek: New Voyages, although more recently, you may have spotted her in another cult classic. It was 2014, the TV show was The Walking Dead, and she played Mary for three episodes. You may also remember seeing her in a recent episode of Scandal.

He plays a fictional version of himself in The Big Bang Theory, which is actually a little creepy when you think about it, but that’s not the biggest thing that Will Wheaton is known for. In fact, it’s playing Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Since his Trekkie days, you’ll have seen him in a whole bunch of stuff, including The Wil Wheaton Project, Family Guy, Criminal Minds, Numb3rs, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and that’s before you look at movies like Sharknado 2: The Second One. (Yes, that’s actually what it’s called!)

She played Wesley Crusher’s mother in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Gates McFadden also had appearances in four of the movies that followed on from the hit show. Have you heard of Cheryl McFadden though? That’s her alter ego – the choreographer version of herself. She’s not just an actor, but a choreographer too, and she uses the name change to differentiate between the two. As well as sparse TV and movie appearances, Gates can also be seen in a number of commercials for computer company, Microsoft.

There are two “starships” in Michael Dorn’s life. Well, actually there were a few, but aside from the ones in the Star Trek franchise, there is also his Lockhead T-33 trainer jet, which he’s fully trained to fly. Lieutenant Worf, Michael’s character in the show, was the first main Klingon character, and the actor can also boast to being in more episodes within the Star Trek franchise than other actor on the cast list. He’s been in five of the films (count them!), and over 270 TV episodes.

Ghost actor, Whoopi Goldberg, had a regular part on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and then went on to start in two of the movies also, but that’s probably not the first thing that springs to mind when you think of this award-winning Hollywood great. Sister Act, for example, grossed over $200 million, and then she lent her voice to Walt Disney’s The Lion King. In fact, when you take a look back through her filmography, you may be surprised by what you see on it.

During the eighties and nineties, Roxann Dawson was a small-time actress, taking on minor roles, usually in lesser-known TV shows, and working on the stage. Her big break came in 1994 when she was offered the part of B’Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager, a half-Klingon and half-human engineer. She actually branched into directing whilst working on the show, and it wasn’t long before we saw her debut. She even lent her voice to one character in the show she was directing, which means she’s had more than her fair share of roles within the Trekkie franchise.

He’s a well respected TV director as well as an actor, but it’s Star Trek: The Next Generation you’ll probably remember him from, playing the part of Geordi La Forge. From a directing perspective, LeVar has directed more of Star Trek TV shows than any of the other “regular” members of the cast, and that’s saying something because quite a few of them branched into directing and/or producing. These days, as well as a very successful acting career, LeVar can be seen fundraising for AIDS Research Alliance, an organization he’s on the board of.

This actress has been pretty quiet since the early 2000’s, although she did have a few battles of her own to deal with after playing the part of Naomi Wildman on Star Trek: Voyager from 1998 to 2001. She actually made her acting debut in one of Michael Jackson’s music videos – the 1992 hit, “Heal the World”. There was a few TV shows and some commercials in her child-acting years, but her first major role was a Trekkie, and it was the one that saw her catapulted to fame.

It wasn’t until the 80’s that Nana Visitor started to call herself that. Before then, she’d had a number of minor roles, but had chosen to work under her real name – Nana Tucker. She’d had her fair share of minor TV roles following on from the name change, but it wasn’t until 1993 that she first appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She started out as a Major, and got promoted to Colonel, and once the TV show was over, she moved on to Dark Angel, a slightly different kind of show.

There have been a number of recent movie hits starting Miles O’Brien actor, Colm Meaney. Law Abiding Citizen, for example, with Gerard Butler, and Get him to the Greek, also starring Russell Brand, which was utterly hilarious. It’s funny to see how far he’s come since his Star Trek: The Next Generation days, but we can’t forget that he also popped up in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He’s the only “ethnically Irish” Star Trek character, and he was actually born in Ireland in the TV show.

Another Star Trek character that has share it’s fair share of series and movies, John de Lancie played Q, not just in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but also in Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. He’s had fame in movies as well as in TV, Crank and Crank 2 being two great films we recommend you watch. He was also in The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Bad Influence, and Evolver. He’s also branched into writing, co-authoring the Star Trek novel, I. Q.

He’s mainly classed as an actor, but Walter Koenig has had a career that has spanned over fifty years, and even branched into screenwriting too, penning the InAlienable script in 2008. Most people would better remember him as Pavel Chekov from the original Star Trek series, or maybe even his role in Babylon 5 – Alfred Bester. It was actually a professor who encouraged Walter to take up acting during his time at UCLA, where he was actually studying psychology.

She’s 28 years old now, but Hana Hatae was a child actress when we first saw her appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and also Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Before her reported return to Star Trek: Renegades, the fan series, she took time out from being an actress and Trek-star to not only teach herself the violin, but also become a photography assistant. Some people just prefer life on the other side the camera sometimes.

Did you ever see that episode of Friends where Rachel has to argue with the woman in the laundromat so that she didn’t steal her machine. No suds, no save, and all that? Well, the woman who played that beast in the laundromat was Camille Saviola, also made popular among the Trekkie community by playing Kai Opaka in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. You might have spotted her in Nip/Tuck a few years ago, as well as Entourage, and there was also ER and Judging Amy too. She’s been busy!

Robert Beltran played First Officer, Chakotay, onboard the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, and stayed around for seven series too. The first Native American in all of the TV shows and movies, he was brought into the cast to bring a touch of diversity into the mix. Since then, he’s had a number of roles, including in the following – Big Love, CSI: Miami, Murder, She Wrote, Eating Raoul, and more. In fact, it was the latter that shot him to fame in the first place.

Seven years after breaking into the TV scene, Robert Duncan McNeill appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Tom Paris in 1992, after starring in over 170 episodes of Star Trek: Voyager beginning in 1995. He’s been in his fair share of TV shows over the y

ears, definitely a more successful career choice than his film one, and he even popped up in Quantum Leap, Murder, She Wrote, All My Children, and more.

Not only was The Doctor, also known as EMH or Emergency Medical Hologram, in Star Trek: Voyager, but he also had his own little spot within the Las Vegas Hilton for a while, in the amusement exhibition. Robert Picardo was the man who got he pleasure of playing him, an actor with some serious work under his belt. There was a recent episode of Lucifer, as well as the pilot of Star Trek: Renegades in 2015. Other ties include Body of Proof, Supernatural, Chuck, and CSI: NY.

Playing the part of Ensign Harry Kim, Garrett Wang really couldn’t make his mind up when he was at school, constantly changing majors, and not really knowing what he wanted to do with his life …much like most of us to be fair. He threw Political Science in there, as well as Biology, and even Economics. Since his Trekkie days, he’s become somewhat of a fan-interviewer, regularly appearing at conventions to interview the biggest and best stars who turn up there.

In 1967-68, Barbara Babcock appeared in six episodes of the original Star Trek series, and as well as offering her voice for the Beta 5 Computer, she also had a couple of other characters. Since then, her most successful work seems to be on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and she was nominated for awards over the 100 episodes she appeared in. Her more recent work includes Judging Amy, Frasier, and Chicago Hope.

Before lung cancer cut his life short at 84 years old, Malachi Throne had done some serious acting jobs in his career, many of them sci-fi themed. He appeared in a more than just one of the Star Wars TV shows, including the original series, and Star Trek: The Next Generation too. In the 1966 ABC Batman series, he played “False Face”, the villain, and he’s had a number of other Batman roles too. His TV career was definitely more prominent than his film career, but he did have minor success with that also.

George Sawaya died aged 80 in 2003, but he had a long and interesting life, one that saw him playing the part of stuntman. Not just that, he was also an actor, and although many of his roles were actually uncredited to him, he’s appeared in hundreds of movies and TV shows along the way. He’s another of the occasional cast members who had a couple of different roles. Not just playing Chief Humboldt, he

also played a Klingon.

It was in 1965 that Diana Muldaur’s TV career started to pick up, and she bagged herself a role on the CBS soap, The Secret Storm, in which she played Ann Wicker. She then went on to appear in a number of other shows, such as Hawaii 5-0, Run for Your Life, and The Invaders. It was the episode titled “Return to Tomorrow” that Ann Mulhall, the science officer, first appeared, and then she even played another character in another episode before her main character role was reserved for her.

Morgan Woodward played a couple of different characters during his life, both of which popped up in the original Star Trek, the first of which was in 1966. He plays Dr. Simon van Gelder in this early episode, and it wasn’t until the second season that Captain Ron Tracey came into the mix, the USS Exeter Commander. One of his more famous roles was probably in the TV show Dallas. He had a regular part on that show – Punk or Marvin Anderson. He’s also been in a whole host of other shows, including The Waltons, The Incredible Hulk, Murder, She Wrote, The X-Files, CHiPs, and so many more.

In 1967, we saw William Campbell playing the part of Trelane in the original series of Star Trek. In the same year, a different episode, he plays Koloth, in an episode called “The Trouble with Tribbles”. He resurrected the latter part in a 1994 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and there have also been a string of other TV appearances. Quincy, M.D., Ironside, and Cannonball are all hits under his belt, and that’s before you start dealing into his filmography.

In season three of the original series of Star Trek, you’ll see Naomi Pollack playing two different parts. In one episode, she plays an Indian woman, and she took on the role of Lieutenant Rahda later on in the series. After having little success in TV, appearing in a TV show called Korg: 70,000 B.C., She co-founded the award-winning A Traveling Jewish Theatre. Her showbiz TV and movie lifestyle seems to have taken a backseat.

He had many job roles over his career – writer, actor, film composer, music producer, and even film producer, but he started it all off as a child actor. He actually played two parts in Star Trek, the first of which was Peter Kirk, the nephew of Captain James T. Kirk, and the second of which was an orphan who went by the name of Tommy the following year. From then his life took a more musical turn, and he actually became William Shatner’s musical director, and even went on to work with Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Michael Jackson.

Just two years before he died, Ian Wolfe retired from acting in 1990, but before that, with a career that started in the thirties, he’d appeared in over 400 pieces for both TV and film. In the 1930s, he was very much a theatre actor, and he even turned his hand to writing and poetry too, self-publishing two books of his poetry works. How we had the time with all those appearances going on, we don’t know, but he lived a long and healthy life, dying at 95 years old.

In 1967, we saw Celeste Yarnall play Yeoman Martha Landon in Star Trek: The Original Series, and in 2006 she can also be seen in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. Now 72 years old, she seems to have retired from acting almost entirely, and hasn’t really been seen in anything since the nineties. She was once chased by Elvis Presley however, in the 1968 movie, Live A Little, Love A Little. That’s not a bad claim to fame, right? We certainly don’t think so.

It was in the film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home that we met Dr. Gillian Taylor, played by Catherine Hicks. You might have remembered her from the 1982-1983 series Tucker’s Witch, and also the movies, Marilyn:The Untold Story, and Redwood Curtain. Following on from her Trekkie days, Catherine appeared as Annie Camden in 7th Heaven for 239 episodes, as well as having brief appearances in other, lesser-known TV shows.

Her first ever TV role was in A Year in the Life in 1978, but Anne Ramsay has become pretty well known for contribution to not only TV shows, but movies too. Her most recent TV shows include greats such as Hart of Dixie, Dexter, Ghost Whisperer, and House, and movies include Off the Ledge, Wild About Harry, and Planet of the Apes. One of her biggest roles was in the TV show, The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

We saw Diana Muldaur playing Doctor Katharine Pulaski in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but she’s pretty well known for a number of TV roles. She was in Born Free, as well as L.A. Law, and she was nominated for a number of Emmy awards for those roles. As well as having great success with both TV and film, Diana also took up a keen interest in dog breeding, and also judged them. Her breed was the Airedale Terrier. They’re super cute.

He’s a very well known name in the world of science fiction, and Richard Herd Jr. actually had a wide range of sci-fi themed roles across his career. You’ll have seen him regularly in seaQuest DSV, playing the part of Admiral William Noyce, and he then played the Admiral in Star Trek: Voyager. There was also Quantum Leap, V and V: The Final Battle too. He was always destined for great things, especially when you consider that his first ever film role was alongside Hollywood greats, such as Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, and Jack Lemmon.

This American actor died in 1996, but Mark Lenard managed to fit a pretty impressive array of TV appearances and movie roles in his 72 years. He played the father of Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, and he first popped up in the original Star Trek TV series. However, he didn’t play Sarek in that very first episode, instead playing a Romulan. There was also a Klingon captain in the 1979 Star Trek: The Motion Picture too. Aside from the Trekkie stuff, Mark starred alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1968 movie, Hang ‘Em High, and had a number of other TV roles.

Alexander, or just Alex, Enburg is a film producer and occasional actor, and he’s appeared in not just one series in the Star Trek franchise, but two. In Star Trek: Voyager, he was Vorik, and in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he played the part of Taurik. You may also have spotted him in Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force, and Star Trek: Elite Force III too. In case you were wondering why his name was familiar, he’s the son of Dick Enburg, the sportscaster.

Kate’s career started in the mid seventies, and it’s so far spanned over forty years, and one of her most memorable performances was as Kathryn Janeway, Captain, in Star Trek: Voyager. Not just appearing in a string of TV shows, she’s noted for theatre and film hits too, and you’ll have probably spotted her recently in Orange Is the New Black. You may also have spotted her in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and also in an episode of Murder, She Wrote too.

British-born Sir Patrick Stewart is such a big hit in the world of British TV, the Queen of England knighted him for his “services to drama” in 2010. So now you need to say the “Sir” in front of his name, and add ‘OBE’ to the end too. He’s had a long and flourishing career, first starting out in theater before becoming the “Best Dramatic TV Actor of the 1980s” by TV Guide. He’s also appeared in some of the best films of our generation, including the X-Men series of movies, Ted 2, Gnomeo & Juliet, and Chicken Little!

Although she’ll be fondly remembered for playing Kes in Star Trek: Voyager, Jennifer Lien’s first job was in a commercial for bubblegum, and she had the job of two to do too – she played the part of twins. She appeared in American History X in 1998, following on from her Star Trek time, and she’s been super quiet in the world of showbiz since the early 2000’s, although seems to have recently gotten herself in to a few spots of bother with the boys in blue…

James Doohan wasn’t just responsible for playing the part of Scotty – Montgomery Scott – in Star Trek, the TV series and subsequent movies, he was also one of the biggest brainstorms behind some of the greatest features in the franchise. The Vulcan and Klingon languages were partly created by him, and on top of that, many kids have become involved with the field of technical and engineering subjects, due to his ‘Chief Engineer’ status on board the Starship Enterprise. He sadly passed away in July 2005 at the age of 85.

New York born actor and playwright, Ethan Phillips is well known for his part in Star Trek: Voyager where he played Neelix, a native from an alien land who ends up on the USS Voyager. Ethan actually started his acting career on the stage, and returned to it after his Trekkie stint. So much so, in fact, that he helped to found an LA lab for playwright development called First Stage. It’s been so successful, it’s been running for almost 25 years!

Most recently, you will have spotted Tim Russ in TV shows such as The Night Shift in 2015, and also Lab Rats in 2013. Movies have kept him busy too – InAlienable, for example, and Greyscale in 2014. Most of us will remember him as Lt. Commander Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager however. That or when he was in Samantha Who? Before he bagged himself the part of Tuvok, he’s actually worked quite extensively with the franchise, and has since gone on to co-write and direct various fan series.

Rosalind Chao appeared in both Star Trek: Seep Space Nine, and Star Trek: The Next Generation too, playing the part of Keiko O’Brien. Believe it or not, and here’s a fun fact for you, this actress once spent a lot of time at Disneyland, working as an international tour guide. It was actually while she was working there that she met the British actor, Simon Templeman, and they later got married…at Disneyland! You see – he gets it. Why don’t more men?

She won two Saturn Awards for her part as Borg Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager, and she was nominated for a further award too. Jeri Ryan became a firm favorite in the world of Star Trek, and she went on to appear in over one hundred episodes, from 1997 to 2001. Since then, she’s had a string of TV appearances in various shows – Two and a Half Men, The O.C., and Boston Public. Most recent shows include Bosch, Arrow, and NCIS.

Seska was a Bajoran crew member when she popped up in Star Trek: Voyager, and she was played by the wife of the independent moviemaker, Tim Disney- Martha Hackett. She appeared in a couple of the previous shows before finally getting her main part, and she actually originally auctioned for the role of Jadzia Dax in Deep Space Nine. She’s been pretty quiet since her Trekkie days, although has appeared in TV shows such as NCIS. She was also in the 1999 comedy, Never Been Kissed, also starring Drew Barrymore.

“Mudd’s Women” was an episode of Star Trek screened in 1966, starring a pretty fabulous Karen Steele playing the part of Eve McHuron, a woman who was destined to find a settler from the planet of Ophiuchus III and marry him. Hawaiian-born Karen was actually a model and cover girl before she branched into the acting world, but that’s not how she earned her first ever bucks. Quite controversially, her first real income was earned on Barbara Hutton’s estate, spearing baby sharks.

Over the years, Antoinette Bower has starred in a host of TV shows, most of which any TV actor would have been proud of. The Six Million Dollar Man, Murder, She Wrote, and Hogan’s Heroes are in the list, and she also popped up in Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1967 she appeared in an episode of Star Trek, a voodoo-queen who transforms herself into a cat and finally meets her demise. It must be pretty cool to be a Star Trek baddie, right?

Jannar – a representative of the Xindi race in the Xindi council – was portrayed in ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ by Rick Worthy. Although the role was minor, the character of Jannar was often seen with Degra – a character who was a very important part of the Xindi Council. Since his performance in Star Trek, Worthy appeared in a variety of science fiction films, such as ‘X-Men Legends’ and ‘Collateral Damage’. In an interview for a documentary in 2012, Worthy was almost brought to tears when he spoke about the fact that him pursuing his acting career almost left him homeless.

Although Combs played various characters throughout the Star Trek series, he is probably best known for his recurring role of Commander Shran on Star Trek: Enterprise. Shran was of the Androian species and was a highly intelligent officer within the Andorian Imperial Guard. After his appearance on the series, he went on to star in a number of films and television shows, most notably Night of the Living Dead 3D: Re-Animation.

Degra was a part of the Xindi clan and a a representative in the Xindi Council; the character in the ‘Star Trek’ series was portrayed by Randy Oglesby. In the sci-fi series, Degra is married and has two children. However, in Feburary 2154 (based on the plot), Degra was killed in the Reptilian ship disaster. In real life Oglesby is best known for his recurring role in Star Trek, and played more than one role. Aside from that, Oglesby portrayed a guest role on ‘General Hospital’ in 2007.

If you’re a true ‘Star Trek’ fan, you’ll know Soval – the Vulcan ambassador to Earth in the 22nd century. Although the actor who portrayed Soval – Gary Graham – is well-known for his role in the series, he is perhaps best known for his starring role in ‘Alien Nation’ as Detective Matthew Sikes. The series was followed by five television films, airing between 1994 and 1997. Some trekkies may not know this, but Graham currently stars in a new role – Ragnar – in “Star Trek: Of Gods and Men” and will continue to portray this role in “Star Trek: Renegades”.

Vice Admiral Maxwell Forrest, portrayed by Vaughn Armstrong, was in important part of the Enterprise missions and was in close contact with Jonathan Archer. Unfortunately, Armstrong’s character was killed in a bombing of Earth’s embassy. As an actor, Armstrong is known for portraying many different characters in the franchise. By Armstrong’s interview in 2003, the actor revealed that he played eleven characters in ‘Star Trek’ already, and the plan was for him to play a twelfth character in the 2005 episode – “In a Mirror, Darkly”. Vaughn is now 66 years old.

Majel Barrett, also known as Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, is a producer as well as an actress, but you’ll probably remember her role as Christine Chapel in Star Trek, the original series. She actually appeared on the show twice. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, she appeared as Lwaxana Troi, and once more in Deep Space Nine. She went on to marry Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, and has since been nicknamed the “First Lady” of the franchise.

Robert O’Reilly, American actor and television star, appeared in the sci-fi franchise ‘Star Trek’ for over a decade, primarily as Chancellor Gowron in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”. For trekkies who don’t quite remember, Gowron was the leader of the Klingon Empire. Following his appearances on Star Trek, O’Reilly also appeared in over one hundred different films and television episodes, as well as Broadway performances and gigs at Carnegie Hall. The actor is now married to his wife Judy, with whom he has triplets (sons), born in 1997.

Up until his final performance in 2013, Leonard Nimoy played Spock, the first officer and science officer who then ended up being promoted to commanding officer of the Enterprise. He was in the pilot of the show, has had numerous appearances in the follow-on TV shows, and he was also in eight of the movies too. With an asteroid named after him, he branched out into other areas of the arts, including music, photography, writing, and even directing.

The Dutch actor played the manservant, Mr. Homn in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the series Mr. Homn accompanies Lwaxana Troi whenever she travels. Interestingly, Homn rarely speaks and is killed when the Jem’Hadar invade Betazed. Just like the character he played, Carel is extremely tall, 7ft to be exact and because of this he often plays giants or roles that make fun of his height! Later on this year Struycken will star in a Showtime revival of the show Twin Peaks.

Serious Star Trek fans will remember that Admiral Alynna Nechayev was extremely fond of Bularian canapés. Actress Natalija Nogulich starred in both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, playing the Starfleet admiral. The character is a fan favorite and often appears in fan fiction, as well as the Star Trek novels. The actress of Serbian descent has appeared in many other movies and TV shows, including Frasier and Home Improvement.

Maggie Hubbell, also known as Transporter Technical Hubbell, was the transporter chief aboard the USS Enterprise-D in the 2360s. The actress who played her, April Grace, moved to Saudi Arabia and then moved to England where she started her acting career. Since appearing on the show April has starred in many other films and television series, including The X-Files, as well as having a recurring role between 2003 and 2004 in Joan of Arcadia where she played Sergeant Toni Williams.

Roger Aaron Brown starred as Epsilon IX Technician in Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979. Although his role was a minor one, after appearing on Star Trek he then went on to have success in many other shows and films including playing John Henry in the 1995 film Tall Tale. He also made a guest appearance on T.J. Hooker with fellow Star Trek actor William Shatner. In the past couple of years it seems that Brown has slowed down in terms of acting.

Believe it or not, Roger C. Carmel actually only appeared in three episodes of Star Trek – two in the original first series of it, and then again in Star Trek: The Animated Series. Other than the regular crew members, he’s one of only a handful of cast who have come back over different series as the same character. He had hundreds of roles, covering TV and film, with a career that covered three decades. He sadly died at just 54 years old in 1986, the case of death being congestive heart failure.

Zoe Saldana, who was born in the USA but raised in the Dominican Republic, played Nyota Uhura in the 2009 Star Trek film. Nichelle Nichols who played the character in the Star Trek series in the 60s advised Saldana on how to portray the role. Although it is reported that Zoe was anxious about taking the role, she was greatly encouraged and supported by her mother who was a massive Star Trek fan. After acting in the film, she then went on to star in James Cameron’s hit, Avatar.

Winona Ryder played Spock’s human mother, Amanda Grayson, in the 2009 film Star Trek. The character dies when Vulcan is destroyed. Ryder is also well known for dating and becoming engaged to Jonny Depp in the early 90s, although the couple split up a few years later. Ryder also starred in the Oscar nominated film Black Swan alongside Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman. Today, Winona plays Joyce Byers in the Netflix original series Stranger Things.

Although Eric Bana was not a Star Trek fan growing up and had never seen any of the films, he was extremely excited when he read the script for the 2009 film and promptly accepted the role. Bana played the villain of the film, Captain Nero who destroyed Vulcan. In 2009, Eric also starred in film adaptation of The Time Traveler’s Wife alongside Rachel McAdams. In recent years Eric has been extremely busy starring in various TV shows and films. Later on in the year Bana will star in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Dominic Keating played Lieutenant Malcolm Reed on Star Trek: Enterprise and it was his first major role in a TV Show. He played the tactical officer and armory officer on the Enterprise Starship who was born in the future year 2117. Since his appearance on the TV series he starred in a number of other shows including Heroes, CSI:NY and Prison Break. The actor also enjoys doing voice work and even worked on Ricky Gervais’ film The Invention Of Lying.

Here’s a story for you – Byron Morrow, the actor behind Admiral Komack, actually started his acting career during active duty, performing in free times during tours during WWII. It was during the fifties that he first started popping up on the TV and on the silver screen, and during two episodes of the first and original series of Star Trek that we saw him become part of the Trekkie family. He also popped up in two episodes of Ironside, and I Dream of Jeannie too.

A track and quarterback star in his school years, Paul Baxley also served in WWII as a Marine Scout Sniper, and was not only given a letter of recommendation from the President at the time, but also received a bronze star, and a cheeky couple of purple hearts too. Not just appearing in Star Trek, Paul Baxley also became a stunt double for some of the biggest names in Hollywood – James Dean, for example, and Marlon Brando, who later went on to become his friend. Paul died in 2011.

Her career started in 1959, and she’s appeared in more than a few things since then, but Nichelle Nichols will always be remembered for her character, Lieutenant Uhura in the original Star Trek series. She was a ground-breaking actor for her time, becoming the first black African-American to appear on TV in a role that wasn’t servant or slave-based, and she was personally praised for her work for the Civil Rights Movement by Martin Luther King, Jr.

This British-American actress was born in London, and is very well known for her part in Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which she plays Deanna Troi, a half-human, half-Betazoid who was also the counsellor on the ship, the USS Enterprise-D. Not just appearing in the TV show, Marina also starred in all four of the films that followed on, and has also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and also Star Trek continues. She’s been in a few films over the years – The Grudge 3 in 2009, and also 2004’s Crash.

Before Terry Farrell got the part of Jadzia Dax in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, she almost lost out to Martha Hackett, who also auditioned for the role. At just 16 years old, a young Terry Farrell headed to New York to become a model, and within just a couple of days of getting there, had been signed by the women’s mag, Mademoiselle. It was during her almost two years of modelling that she studied acting, and in 1993, she was offered the part of Jadzia. She since went on to star in Becker.

He will be best remembered for his role as William T. Riker, but it wasn’t a role that he found easy to come by. He went to auditions over six weeks to bag himself the part, and in total it took seven auditions for the producers to be won over by him. According to reports, he pipped Jeffrey Combs, Erich Anderson, and William O. Armstrong to the post. Since then, Jonathan has gone on to host 45 episodes of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?, and has also popped up on Roswell, Futurama, and Criminal Minds.

He’s well known for his sci-fi roles, particularly Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise, and also for Quantum Leap, in which he plays Sam Beckett. He actually won a Golden Globe for his performance in the latter. Since his sci-fi days, Scott seems to have found great success in the world of TV, currently starring in NCIS: New Orleans as Dwayne Pride, a role he’s been in since 2014. You may also remember that he popped up in Desperate Housewives for a spell too? He played Trip Weston.

When she was aged just 17, Jolene Blalock left home to become a model for the Asia and European market. After finding the modeling world difficult despite becoming a huge hit for guy’s mags, she made the leap into an acting career, with small roles in TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Veronica’s Closet, and Love Boat: The Next Wave. It wasn’t until 2001 that she was offered the part of Commander T’Pol, a revolution she still says “delighted her” to this day.

While many of us will remember Ashley Judd from hit movies such as 1997’s Kiss the Girls, 1999’s Double Jeopardy, and 2002’s High Crimes, you can’t forget that this political activist and American actress once starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation, playing the part of Robin Lefler. She only popped up in two episodes, but she definitely made her mark, and you’ll have seen her more recently in The Divergent Series: Insurgent, and also Allegiant, 2015 and 2016 respectively.