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Some recurring characters have been played by different actors in different films or episodes. Many main cast members have been portrayed by different actors due to flashbacks, and [(mumble) insert (mumble) technobabble (mumble)] shenanigans. Of course the 2009 reboot opens up a universe of characters being played by a new generation of actors.

Which Star Trek character was portrayed by the most different actors?

Clarifications:

  • The character must be substantially the same: alternate timelines count at the same character, but for example, Shinzon is not Picard.
  • Janeway played by a lizard counts, just because it won't affect the answer and it makes me chuckle.
  • "possessions" (Spock in McCoy in Star Trek III and everyone in "Facets") do not count. This is DeForest Kelley playing Dr. McCoy containing some aspect of Spock, not DeForst Kelley playing Spock. The litmus test is, Would the IMDB or the credits reasonably credit Kelley as Spock? (This is going to be a little debatable, but it doesn't appear it will affect the accepted answer.)

Related: Which actor has portrayed the most distinct roles in the Star Trek universe?

fez
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ThePopMachine
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  • Do voiceovers and other voicework count as portrayal? – matts Oct 23 '15 at 15:03
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    I vote red shirt #2 – Firebat Oct 23 '15 at 15:03
  • @matts: I suppose yes. – ThePopMachine Oct 23 '15 at 15:04
  • Do video game avatar appearances count? – Xantec Oct 23 '15 at 21:31
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    @Xantec: That's non-canon, whatever that means in Star Trek. – ThePopMachine Oct 23 '15 at 21:36
  • @ThePopMachine I missed your in different films or episodes requirement anyway, so they wouldn't count. – Xantec Oct 23 '15 at 21:37
  • I think Majel Barrett played the most distinct roles she voiced most of the computers, Number One (in the pilot) Nurse (later Commander) Chapel and Lwaxana Troi. – Elliott Frisch Oct 24 '15 at 00:25
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    @ElliottFrisch, I'm inclined to think "Computer Voice" counts as one character, at least within the same era. – ThePopMachine Oct 24 '15 at 00:48
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    @S.Fruggiero, sure there are more of Red Shirt #1 – ThePopMachine Oct 24 '15 at 00:52
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    @ThePopMachine Perhaps, but of which ship? DS9, Enterprise, Voyager? Presumably they're all different "computers". – Elliott Frisch Oct 24 '15 at 00:53
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    @ElliottFrisch, do people imagine there are 100 millions Siris? – ThePopMachine Oct 24 '15 at 01:04
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    @ThePopMachine Does Siri have genuine people personality? Because I think the ships of ST might. – Elliott Frisch Oct 24 '15 at 01:06
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    @ElliottFrisch, you're answering this question anyhow, not this one here. – ThePopMachine Oct 24 '15 at 01:08
  • @ThePopMachine I know I'm answering the inverse of this question, which is why I made it a comment. :) – Elliott Frisch Oct 24 '15 at 01:12
  • @ElliottFrisch, go put answer at the linked question. It's a good potential answer. – ThePopMachine Oct 24 '15 at 01:13
  • If you want to count voicework as portrayal, you may want to exclude foreign dubbings, where each character has at least one additional voice actor per language. – O. R. Mapper Oct 24 '15 at 14:43
  • @O.R.Mapper, no, no foreign dubbings. That's not generally what we count in canon, and it would drive the question in a different, and I think uninteresting Dixon. (Although one could ask a separate question) – ThePopMachine Oct 24 '15 at 20:52
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    Interesting that IMDB credits both actors for both roles in "Face/Off" (imitation) and "18 Again!" (possession), but not in "Mission Impossible II" (imitation) or either version of "Freaky Friday" (possession). So I suspect the IMDB litmus test might boil down to what your agent can get you. – Steve Jessop Oct 25 '15 at 13:17
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    @ElliotFrisch - your use of the term "Genuine People Personalities" violates the copyright of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation. This is something which the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation takes seriously, and the consequences of such a violation can be quite serious. However, seeing as how your home planet has already been scheduled for demolition to make way for a hyperspace bypass we'll let it go - but we will contact our wholly-owned subsidiary, Vogon Constructors, Inc, and make certain that the hyperspace project in your neighborhood is prioritized. Thank you, and have a nice day! :-) – Bob Jarvis - Слава Україні Nov 09 '15 at 13:51
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    The guy who played Shinzon also portrayed Picard in an old picture. Does that count? – John Sensebe Sep 22 '16 at 11:30
  • @ElliottFrisch Majel Barrett also voiced M'ress in the Animated Series. – miltonaut Sep 22 '16 at 11:58
  • I don't think I could justify this as an answer, but technically every actor who's ever played a Borg Drone was a part of the same character, since the collective functions as a single organism. – ApproachingDarknessFish Apr 28 '19 at 01:24
  • @ApproachingDarknessFish: Tricky. But, no. – ThePopMachine Apr 29 '19 at 16:40
  • I suppose Odo runs afoul of the IMDB test, but it would be interesting to see a count of all the actors (in addition to René Auberjonois) that played a transformed Odo, however briefly. – chepner Dec 03 '21 at 20:08
  • @chepner: I don't think he ever really impersonated anyone. He wasn't that proficient (the other changelings were). But you could ask how many objects played Odo... – ThePopMachine Dec 03 '21 at 20:54
  • @ThePopMachine Ah, it's been long time since I watched DS9. – chepner Dec 03 '21 at 21:13

5 Answers5

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Mr. Spock (12, up to 15)

Definite:

  1. Leonard Nimoy, most famously
  2. Zachary Quinto in the reboot continuity
  3. Jacob Kogan played the young Spock in Star Trek (2009)
  4. Spock appears as a baby in Star Trek V, although the name of the "actor" is unknown, so far as I know
  5. Carl Steven played nine-year-old Spock in Star Trek III
  6. Vadia Potenza played 13-year-old Spock in Star Trek III
  7. Stephen Manley played 17-year-old Spock in Star Trek III
  8. Joe W. Davis played 25-year-old Spock in Star Trek III
  9. Frank Welker provided Spock's screams in Star Trek III
  10. Billy Simpson voiced yet another young version of Spock in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "Yesteryear"
  11. Ethan Peck portrays Spock in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
  12. Liam Hughes portrays young Spock in childhood flashbacks in Star Trek: Discovery

Debatable:

  1. DeForest Kelley played something Spock-like1 in scenes in Star Trek III where McCoy was taken over by Spock's katra
  2. Carey Scott recorded some scenes as a younger Spock for Star Trek V, but they were cut from the finished film
  3. Yet another baby Spock appears in a deleted scene filmed for Star Trek (2009), apparently played by child actress Jenna Vaughn; the scene is available on the DVD release

1 There's at least one scene in the movie where Spock's katra (soul) completely takes over McCoy's body:

McCoy: (in Spock's voice) Jim, ...Help me. ...You left me on Genesis. ...Why did you do that? ...Help me.

Kirk: Bones, ...what the hell are you doing? Have you lost your mind!

McCoy: Help me, Jim. ...Take me home.

Kirk: Bones, we are. We are home.

McCoy: Then perhaps it's not too late. ...Climb the steps, Jim. ...Climb the steps of Mount Seleya.

Kirk: Mount Seleya? Bones, Mount Seleya is on Vulcan! We're home, ...on Earth!

McCoy: (in Spock's voice) Remember!

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)

However McCoy is still in there somewhere; it's unclear to what extent he and Spock are mingling inside McCoy's body.

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  • @Praxis: Probably yes, but can people offer the pro and con arguments for DeForest Kelley? – ThePopMachine Oct 23 '15 at 15:30
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    @JasonBaker : Did this "young Spock" appear on screen in Star Trek V, or is that footage that wasn't used? (Carey Scott would have been 23 when the film came out.) Also, there was a baby Spock in that film, seen during a vision induced by Sybok. That would count as an additional actor (the baby). – Praxis Oct 23 '15 at 15:33
  • @Praxis I think you might be right; Cary Scott's scene may have been cut. I'll update in a moment – Jason Baker Oct 23 '15 at 15:37
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    @ThePopMachine It depends on how you feel about possession; but if you consider, for example, Nana Visitor as having played Lela Dax (ignoring the Trill joining issue), I see no reason not to include it – Jason Baker Oct 23 '15 at 15:49
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    If we allow possessions, I think we have to allow symbiots. – Schwern Oct 23 '15 at 18:10
  • I think McCoy as Spock is definitely in the "debatable" category. It's still DeForest Kelley playing McCoy, who just happens to be carrying around Spock's essence. – jpmc26 Oct 23 '15 at 18:56
  • @jpmc26 I was thinking specifically of a scene early in Star Trek III where Kirk goes into Bones' room and "Bones" implores Kirk to take him "home", to a mountain on Vulcan. In that scene at least (and possibly others; it's been a while since I saw the whole movie), I don't think it's reasonable to say that Kelley is playing McCoy – Jason Baker Oct 23 '15 at 19:47
  • Right, but even in universe, that's McCoy's body, not Spock's. Even if you consider the mind to be the character, there is still unarguably at least a portion of McCoy involved. I think whether one character's miind inhabiting a completely different character's body, especially without actually ousting the other character's mind, counts here is debatable. It's certainly not clear from the question whether the OP intends for it to count. – jpmc26 Oct 23 '15 at 19:51
  • @jpmc26 and JasonBaker: I don't think I accept possessions. It doesn't actually change the final answer, but I'm feeling swayed that Kelley isn't playing Spock. Kelley is playing McCoy, who is imbued with Spock's essence. Think about it think way: IMDB or the credits are not going to credit Kelley with playing Spock. I suggest moving it to the 'debatable' category. – ThePopMachine Oct 23 '15 at 19:57
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    @jpmc26 Well, I'm still of the opinion that it should count, but you've convinced me that it's at least debatable; moved back down – Jason Baker Oct 23 '15 at 20:02
  • @ThePopMachine See above – Jason Baker Oct 23 '15 at 20:02
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    Regardless the Kelley/McCoy/Spock thing, excellent answer. (I think I have to reluctantly agree with jpmc26, Kelley was playing McCoy who was possessed. IIRC (long time for me too), they even used Nimoy's voice for one line, seeming to come from McCoy's body, which really gave Kirk a start.) Doesn't matter, great answer. – T.J. Crowder Oct 25 '15 at 11:54
  • Add in fan films................ – Emsley Wyatt Dec 03 '21 at 17:11
  • Spock is also portrayed in various video games such as the upcoming Resurgence, and it looks like the actor's name is Piotr Michael – shim Mar 28 '22 at 17:38
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Dax (14 actors, 1 puppet)

After preliminary research the Trill Dax seems to have the most actors that played it.

Lela Dax

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Tobin Dax

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Emony Dax

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Audrid Dax

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Torias Dax

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Joran Dax played by multiple people, Jeff Magnus McBride, Leigh J. McCloskey, Avery Brooks (in Benjamin Sisko's body)

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Curzon Dax also played by multiple, Frank Owen Smith (DS9: "Emissary"); Rene Auberjonois (DS9: "Facets")

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Jadzia Dax

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Ezri Dax

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Yedrin Dax Alternate timeline

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Verad Dax

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Dax

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15 in total (14 actors and one puppet) played a part of Dax's life.

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    But Dax is Trill symbiont. It just changes host body, so every time it is different person. – Vanja Vasiljevic Oct 23 '15 at 15:04
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    @VanjaVasiljevic same entity, 14 different versions – Himarm Oct 23 '15 at 15:12
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    I'd argue that the symbiont was only played by one character – Valorum Oct 23 '15 at 15:14
  • @JasonBaker Dax still carries the memories from one host to the next, each host is personally responsible for its actions but the symbiotic entity Dax is still its own being. – Himarm Oct 23 '15 at 15:17
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    @ Himarm No it is same 50% of entity. Each of those 14 persons have completely different lifes in completely different times. Dax only holds memories from host's, there are not same persons every time. Not like above mentioned Spock, it is always Spock ,every time same person who did same things and was friend with James T. Kirk, but played by different actors – Vanja Vasiljevic Oct 23 '15 at 15:17
  • @VanjaVasiljevic the entity DAX has merged X many times, but DAX is still the same symbiot, therefore even though hes in Different hosts, its still the 100% the same Dax, + a new body. so the character Dax has 14 iterations, while the combined character of jazdia dax only has 1. – Himarm Oct 23 '15 at 15:21
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    @ Himarm I agree it is every time same symbiot. Every time same thing, it was never played by many character because it is some CGI crafted slug-like creature . It always looked the same, it never changed and as Richard above said we can say it was only played by one "character" – Vanja Vasiljevic Oct 23 '15 at 15:25
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    Sorry everyone, it's a plot point that after every merging, the Trill is a new person. This is not the same character. – ThePopMachine Oct 23 '15 at 15:29
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    @ThePopMachine its a plot point that the trill is "legally" considered a new person, after clever court room proceedings. Despite the fact that the "new" person has every memory the last one had. – Himarm Oct 23 '15 at 15:48
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    @Himarm: "Dax": PEERS: ...it's a joining. It's a total sharing, a blending, of both host and symbiont. Neither is suppressed by the other. SISKO: So with each new host there does come in fact, a new personality, a new combined person. A different person. – ThePopMachine Oct 23 '15 at 17:29
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    ... to your precise point: Having the memories of =/= is the same person – ThePopMachine Oct 23 '15 at 17:32
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    Don't forget Dax! The question says Janeway as a lizard qualifies, so Dax as a puppet must also qualify. – Schwern Oct 23 '15 at 18:15
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Jean-Luc Picard = 5

Jean-Luc Picard was portrayed in the main TV series by three separate actors:

  • Patrick Stewart (in every episode of TNG)
  • David Birkin (in TNG: Rascals)
  • Marcus Nash (TNG: Tapestry)

He was also pictured as a bald cadet by Tom Hardy in Nemesis.

And in Season 2 of Picard, a 12 year-old Jean-Luc was played by Dylan Von Halle.

Picard portrayed by 5 actors

shim
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Although this certainly isn’t numerically the highest, on Deep Space Nine Gul Dukat’s daughter Tora Ziyal was played by three different actresses in a little over two years, without any flashbacks or sci-fi shenanigans.

In season 4, Cyia Batten portrayed her in Indiscretion and Return to Grace, with Tracy Middendorf taking over in For The Cause.

Melanie Smith then played her in six episodes split evenly across seasons 5 and 6, finishing with

her death, in

Sacrifice of Angels.

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Doesn't come close to Spock, but a worthwhile mention is Naomi Wildman who was played by four different actresses.

  1. Scarlett Pomers (in 16 episodes of Voyager)
  2. Emily Leibovitch (a baby, VOY Deadlock and Basics, Part II)
  3. Brooke Stephens (a younger Naomi, VOY Mortal Coil)
  4. Vanessa Branch (a future adult Naomi, VOY Shattered)

Worf's son Alexander Rozhenko was also played by four different actors: Brian Bonsall, Marc Worden, James Sloyan, and Jon Steuer.

Apparently Miral Paris was also portrayed by four different actresses, although one of those was a hologram of an "unknown actress" and two are twin babies (one of them being male, interestingly enough).

Tom Paris was portrayed by 4 actors as well if you're including the lizard — though I suppose the Steth thing might qualify as a "posession". Plus he was also portrayed in animated form in Lower Decks, though he was still voiced by Robert Duncan McNeill.

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