star trek child actors

Why Star Trek: Prodigy Cast Child Actors for Its Young Characters

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Frasier Reboot Adds Community Star to Season 2 Cast

Hazbin hotel creator addresses the future of prime video series, how jurassic world: chaos theory differs from camp cretaceous.

Star Trek: Prodigy executive producer and co-showrunner Kevin Hageman said that, initially, the studio wanted an adult to voice the child characters.

In particular, Hageman is speaking on the casting of 10-year-old voice actor Rylee Alazraqui in the role of Rok-Tahk. "We had some pressure about hiring an adult to play a child because, you know, they're just very highly skilled. And, you know, they can do child voices, but we were like, 'No, we want a real kid,'" said Hageman during the virtual Paramount+: Peak Animation panel at Comic-Con@Home. "When we started to create these characters, in every Star Trek show you have your crew. Everyone's got their position. Our crew comes in, they don't know what they're doing, they don't know their parts, but right away they're like, "Look at the Brikar. Look a the tank here. Clearly, this is gonna be our security officer right? But this is a child. She hates to fight. She loves science. And we just fell in love with that."

RELATED:  Star Trek: Prodigy Actors Say Google Can't Beat Actual Klingon Translators

Along with hiring actors like Alazraqui to play young characters on the show, the creators also explained that while Star Trek: Prodigy is a children's show, it is not only designed for children to watch.

"It's not designed just for kids, it's just designed for lovers of animation, for lovers of sci-fi," said director Ben Hibon . "The ambition of the show is that, you know, kids should watch it with their parents and vise versa. And so we wanted to really make sure it has that kind of visual impact, and also because Prodigy is canon. We wanted this series and this story to just fit within that incredibly rich universe that comes, you know, before and after."

Read the official description for Star Trek: Prodigy below:

Developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman the CG-animated series Star Trek: Prodigy is the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences and will follow a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search for a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first in the history of the Star Trek franchise – but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

Star Trek: Prodigy is set to premiere on Paramount+ this fall, followed by its release on Nickelodeon. Prodigy is not the only animated Star Trek project. Star Trek: Lower Decks , an animated comedy series, will arrive on Paramount+ on Aug. 12. A third season is already in development.

KEEP READING:  Star Trek: Prodigy Offers First Look at Animated Captain Janeway

Source: Comic-Con@Home

• Star Trek: Prodigy

What’s it like to be a child actor on Star Trek ?

In entertainment, an awful lot of stuff happens behind closed doors, from canceling TV shows to organizing music festival lineups. While the public sees the end product on TVs, movie screens, paper, or radio dials, they don’t see what it took to get there. In Expert Witness , The A.V. Club talks to industry insiders about the actual business of entertainment in hopes of shedding some light on how the pop-culture sausage gets made.

Star Trek is known for its many memorable roles by child actors, from the original series episode “And The Children Shall Lead” to Deep Space Nine ’s “Children Of Time.” One of the best, though, is “Reunion,” a Next Generation episode that aired in 1990 and introduced the fan-favorite Klingon character Alexander Rozhenko—the young son that Worf never knew he had. Jon Steuer was 6 when he played Alexander in “Reunion,” but it was far from his first time in front of the camera. At that tender age he’d already racked up an impressive filmography (under the names Jon Steuer and Jon Paul Steuer) that included made-for-TV movies such as By Dawn’s Early Light with James Earl Jones; the big-screen outing Thanksgiving Day with Mary Tyler Moore; and the shows The Wonder Years and Homefront.

Related Content

Following his lone appearance on Star Trek , Steuer was replaced in the role of Alexander by a succession of actors, including his friend Brian Bonsall of Family Ties fame. From there Steuer appeared in more films, including Little Giants and Amityville: A New Generation . But his biggest job came in 1993, when he landed the part of Quentin Kelly on the ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire . It lasted until 1996, when he quit the show following a slew of allegations surrounding the erratic behavior of the show’s troubled star, Brett Butler, including rumors that she had bared her breasts on set while Steuer was present. Steuer did more than leave Grace Under Fire , though: He retired from acting at the grizzled age of 12. Now 31, he sings in punk and pub-rock bands (previously The Soda Pop Kids , currently High Horse) and just launched his first restaurant, the vegan eatery Harvest At The Bindery , in his adopted hometown of Portland. Steuer spoke with The A.V. Club about his career, how “reverse aging” helped him play the littlest Klingon, and why his brief time on Star Trek was one of the high points of his youth.

The A.V. Club: How did you get into acting as a kid?

Jon Steuer: When I was about 3 and a half, I was just watching TV, and I started pestering my mom about being on TV. My mom had been on the U.S. ski team, so she knew something about success and notoriety. She wasn’t really turned onto the idea, but I kept pushing and pestering. Then I had a friend who did little fashion shows when they used to have those at the mall in the ’80s. Like at Nordstrom’s, they’d have these little ramp-modeling things. I went to a couple of those events in San Diego where I’m from, and one time they were short a kid, so I hopped up and did it. I hammed it up. There was an agent there in the crowd, and he came over and talked to us afterward. I hopped right on that, and my mom was kind of backed into a corner. She kind of had no choice but to let me try acting.

AVC: Agents were actually patrolling the malls of Southern California, looking for children?

JS: Yeah. Especially at that point in time, before the Internet. They were actually on foot, actively pursuing kids. It was a different world.

AVC: What were some of the roles you had before Star Trek ?

JS: I had done several things before that. One of the first interviews I went on, I got a job. My first job was when I was 4. I was on a show called Day By Day . I was on that with Thora Birch. We were both about 4. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus was on that show. I did an episode of that, and an episode of The Wonder Years .

AVC: What do you remember about those early jobs?

JS: I remember them putting a bowl on my head to give me the bowl-cut hairdo for The Wonder Years , and not being particularly thrilled about that. [Laughs.] My memories of a lot of those early jobs are a little vague, since I was so young, and I was mostly doing one episode here and there. They weren’t recurring roles. I would definitely say that Star Trek was one of the first and most concrete memories I have of acting, where the experience really solidified in my mind.

AVC: How did you get the role of Alexander Rozhenko on Star Trek ?

JS: It started out like everything else. I went to some interviews, and I’d gone through several rounds of callbacks. But what that role really came down to was the makeup. I was the only kid up for the part who could sit down at that age—I think the casting process started when I was still 5—and sit still long enough to have a plaster cast made of my face. They needed to do that to make the molding for the Klingon prosthetics.

AVC: What was that prosthetic process like?

JS: They completely mummified my head. They stuck two straws up my nose, one in each nostril, so that I could breathe. It was lights out. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything. I couldn’t move. I sat like that for, I think, three and a half hours while the cast set.

AVC: That was all part of the interview?

JS: Essentially, yeah. At that point it was down to me and one other kid. I was the only one who could handle it. I kind of went into this weird, Zen-like, meditative state. I don’t know if I’d be able to do it now. [Laughs.]

AVC: At the age of 5 you’re supposed to be bouncing off the walls.

JS: I know. I think I have reverse aging or reverse maturity or something. I just sat in complete isolation and darkness, without moving, for all those hours.

AVC: What was your awareness of Star Trek going into those interviews? Were you a fan?

JS: Yes, absolutely. I’d seen the first series, and at the time The Next Generation was still a new thing. It had taken off to great heights pretty quickly, especially compared to the first series, which had more of a cult following. So I was definitely aware of it, and I was definitely excited about it. At that age I was mostly intrigued by the idea of acting in horror and science fiction. Not for the content, honestly, but for the makeup. I just loved that fantasy element. Being a child at that age, I just gravitated toward that.

AVC: There are some heavy moments in that episode, including a scene where Worf forces you to stare at the body of your mother, who had just been murdered. Was any of that difficult to handle as a 6-year-old?

JS: Well, I was playing pretend. The suggested situation is there, though, and you do fall into that. One of the toughest challenges as an actor, though, is how sterile the set is in reality. The brightness of the lights is on you, and there are 60 strangers standing around you. You’re in the thick of it. What you see on the screen is totally different than how the set looks during filming. You’re seeing the props. Two-by-fours are exposed everywhere. Still, because I was a child, they handled me more delicately. They had me watching the application of the fake blood on my mother, so that I wasn’t scared. To an extent, they have to be mindful of those sorts of things. I was involved and engaged in the scene, but I wouldn’t call them truly emotional for me. That’s the nature of acting, really. The reality of what you’re standing in the midst of is not what’s projected into a screen.

AVC: You actually do some subtle emoting through all that makeup, though.

JS: Because of that excess of makeup, it kind of placed me into the character automatically. It really transforms you. Michael Dorn [who played Worf] puts on such a persona when he puts on that makeup. His voice in real life doesn’t sound anything like Worf’s voice. He’s very tall, but he’s a very slender man, small of frame. I remember they had to put him in a padded suit, otherwise he would have looked like a bobblehead. Obviously they didn’t put me in a prosthetic suit, but if you watch the episode, my head is way out of proportion to my body. [Laughs.] But Michael had such a huge, commanding presence, so I just watched him.

AVC: What was your relationship with Michael Dorn like?

JS: He’s a super sweet, kind man. He’s just a really good person. I would say that of most of the cast. They had a really unique sense of community, and they were really casual and laid-back. I think they appreciated how lucky they were to be in that position, to be on a show like that with an almost guaranteed long run and cultish following. From the Star Trek conventions I’ve gone to, they seem to have maintained that rapport. It was pretty amazing going to those conventions for the first time. They all remembered me. They joked about working with me, and how after I left the show they didn’t have as good of an experience with some of the other kids who played Alexander. [Laughs.] They really are a good bunch of people. Patrick Stewart is an incredibly kind man, very down-to-earth.

AVC: Did you keep in touch with any of the cast over the years?

JS: There’s this weird thing when you’re in Los Angeles, when you’re in that circle. People gravitate toward industry locations to go out to eat and stuff, and there’s this legendary old place in L.A. called Jerry’s Famous Deli, kind of a New York-style, Jewish delicatessen. They stay open 24 hours a day, so given the odd hours you have to work in the industry, it’s quite a hangout for actors, directors, producers, just anyone who works on set. I used to see the Star Trek guys there all the time when I worked across the street filming Grace Under Fire . So I saw them for years afterward. They’d always come over and talk to me. It was pretty cool.

AVC: Why didn’t you reprise your role as Alexander in later Star Trek episodes?

JS: The character was really popular when they introduced him. I guess the fans were really vocal about it, how much they liked that dynamic being introduced to the character of Worf, since he was so stoic. It gave another element to him. The show called me back a just a few months later to play Alexander again, but I’d only grown half an inch or something. The line of questioning was, “How tall are you now? How much do you weigh?” Klingons are this powerful warrior race, so they wanted me to be dramatically larger. They also wanted a deeper voice out of me. But I was still 6. [Laughs.] Brian Bonsall was a couple years older than me, so that’s basically why he got the part. But they kept bringing the character back, and they went through a few different actors as he got progressively older. I absolutely would have gone back in a heartbeat, but that was the reality of the situation.

AVC: How did it feel to lose a popular role that you’d helped create?

JS: I was totally crushed. I was really bummed out about it. But that’s the nature of the beast. That kind of stuff happens all the time in acting, and it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with your ability as an actor. It’s a matter of physical stature and things like that.

AVC: Did you know Brian Bonsall?

JS: He and I were friends already, since we’d see each other at interviews all the time. We’d always joke around about how people would ask him for autographs then hand him a picture of me, or vice versa. That definitely happened when I started going to Star Trek conventions, too. People would say, “I loved you on Family Ties ,” and I’d say, “That isn’t me.” [Laughs.] A lot of people were blown away when I told them that five different actors played Alexander.

AVC: When did you start appearing at Star Trek conventions?

JS: My first one was in Las Vegas in the summer of 2014, then I did San Francisco and Seattle last year. Those are the three I’ve done so far. After I retired from acting I shied away from it in all regards. I felt like I’d closed that chapter in my life, and it was time to focus on everything that came after rather than reliving and reveling in the glory days or something. I’d always been sort of averse to the idea—probably more like strongly opposed. But I kind of softened, and some friends pushed me toward giving it a shot.

AVC: What was your first impression?

JS: It was insane. Something like 30,000 people were there at the Vegas convention. I was like, “Holy shit.” It was pretty awe-inspiring, to say the least. The reaction I got from people, especially after all these years, was amazing. It was also the 25th anniversary of The Next Generation , which was big. There were people from all over the world. I had hordes of people coming up for my autograph and to talk about the role I played. It was definitely a trip down memory lane. It made me a little homesick for my childhood, in a way. I got to talk to all the core members of the cast again. It was a total trip—this weird, bittersweet thing. It made me nostalgic for acting again. It was also hugely humbling, and a reminder of how unique my past was.

AVC: What was the most memorable interaction you had with a fan?

JS: Hands down, the most profound interaction I had was at the Seattle convention. I feel terrible that I can’t remember the name of this guy right now, but he was the nicest guy. He had just lost his leg; I believe he was a loader for a grocery store or some kind of big-box warehouse store, and a forklift had rolled on him. He was a huge fan of Star Trek , so he was going around and talking to everybody. He came by my table two days in a row, and I ended up spending half an hour or so with him. We took some pictures together. His story and his approach to life, and what the show meant to him, was just a lot to take in. It definitely had me choked up, his overall positivity and energy. He was so excited he was able to interact with us. It clearly had a life-changing impact on him, and on me as well.

AVC: After Star Trek you ended up on Grace Under Fire for three years. Did you retire from acting soon after you left that show?

JS: Immediately after.

AVC: Why did you quit?

JS: I’d done a lot of made-for-TV films and miniseries and things like that. I worked with some really cool people. I did By Dawn’s Early Light with James Earl Jones. I did a movie with Gary Cole [ When Love Kills: The Seduction Of John Hearn ]. I did one with Suzanne Somers, playing her son in the story of her life [ Keeping Secrets ]. I really liked doing films, where I got to engage with this certain group for three or four months. It was a really intensive process, then that wraps, and you move on to the next project. Regular TV series are almost like being on a school-year schedule. And then, when everything kind of hit the press with Grace Under Fire , all those negative stories [about Brett Butler] started being spread. It was pretty barbaric. I couldn’t go to the grocery store without people staring and pointing at me, because I was on the cover of every tabloid at every checkout stand.

AVC: And you were 12 at the time?

JS: Yeah. It was really overwhelming. I had never really gotten into acting for the stardom or the fame or the attention. I did it because I liked acting. That show brought a lot of press and attention around me and my personal life. I was right on the cusp of puberty, going through that awkward stage. To be put under a microscope like that is kind of a bizarre addition to your life that obviously not a lot of other people can relate to. I wanted to forge on with acting after quitting the show, and I went out on a few interviews. But even then they’d turn into question-and-answer sessions with casting agents about Grace Under Fire . I was kind of blown away by how unprofessional people inside the industry were. It really soured me. I didn’t want that kind of attention. I’d always loved the idea of being a character actor, where you’d be identified in roles, but people didn’t necessarily know your name or recognize you beyond the roles you play. It was a culmination of all those factors. I just put my hands up in frustration and went, “You know what, I’m still pretty damn young.” [Laughs.] “I’ve got a lot of life ahead of me. I’ll find something else.” I don’t have any regrets.

AVC: Do you still get residuals from Star Trek and your other roles?

JS: Sure, sure. I get checks for that one Star Trek appearance, especially since The Next Generation is on heavy rotation on BBC right now. The dollars and cents are worth about as much as the stamp itself. [Laughs.] More than anything, it’s just a headache come tax season.

AVC: Looking back, what’s your favorite memory of being on Star Trek ?

JS: Definitely the highlight of the whole thing was hanging out with LeVar Burton. Reading Rainbow was actually way more important to me than Star Trek when I was that age. I was flipping my lid about being able to hang out with him. On set, he would sit me on his lap and read books to me. Actually, when I did my first Star Trek convention, I hadn’t seen LeVar for 25 years, but I walked up to him—me, this 31-year-old-man—and I said, “I used to sit on your lap, and you used to read me books.” I said it in front of a bunch of people, and he didn’t know how to take that. [Laughs.] I said it so eagerly. Afterward I realized how awkward that must have been for him, but he handled it really well. I’m sure I weirded him out, though.

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Dec 26, 2022

5 'The Next Generation' Episodes to Get Young Children into Star Trek

Here's a curated list with the young ensigns in your life!

StarTrek.com

When my daughter was born, we made a conscious effort to bring her into geekdom from day one . As she grew, it was pretty easy to get her into things that were a little heavier on action and pace — but as huge Star Trek fans, we figured we would need Star Trek: Prodigy to give her an entry point into Federation space, as the main shows might be too cerebral. Plus, few children’s books exist that aren’t tongue-in-cheek .

But with Star Trek: The Next Generation always in the background in our home, a strange thing happened a few months ago — our kiddo started asking to see more. Which was exciting, but also terrifying; we always figured we’d show her TNG at nine or ten, not six. Six-year-olds don’t exactly have attention spans for complex science-fiction drama, yet she was clearly interested. As parents who put a lot of thought into introducing our favorite franchises to our daughter , we got to work.

The result was a short playlist of episodes that offered relatable themes for young children, exposition about the Star Trek universe or crew relationships, and characters that acted as audience surrogates. That meant avoiding episodes that were too talky, serious, or scary; instead, we found five episodes to gently take young children (ages five to seven) into the world of Star Trek , explaining the franchise’s basic tenants while introducing characters in ways that...engage (pun intended):

1. " Data's Day "

This episode, which closely follows Data while he logs his day for Bruce Maddox, has several elements that make it the perfect entry point into TNG for young children. First, it focuses closely on one character, allowing for information and world-building without being too overwhelming, which will hopefully limit the “Who’s that again?” questions. Second, Data works as a strong proxy for children given his lack of understanding for adult emotions or humor.

Third, it blends in comedic elements to keep the tone lighter, even with the Romulan-spy subplot. It also lets kids meet the Enterprise-D ’s core cast with Data’s explanations of roles and relationships (e.g. “I consider Geordi to be my best friend”), allowing for a soft introduction to the world of TNG. Finally, Data has a cat. This sounds like a joke, but it’s not — his relationship with Spot immediately allows children to relate to an android on a starship.

2. " Encounter at Farpoint "

TNG’s two-part pilot starts the series off with some growing pains, as the characters aren’t quite there yet. But for a young child who’s already met them, jumping back to the beginning allows for a proper introduction to everyone while also offering unique visual elements to broaden their sci-fi shorthand. From the Q net around the ship to the saucer separation to the final reveal and resolution of the aliens above Farpoint station, the episode is filled with big beats that easily build dramatic tension.

“Encounter at Farpoint” also delivers big emotions with large gestures. While there are certainly more subtle episodes in the TNG catalog, the pilot’s broad strokes create easy engagement with children who are new to this universe, all while clearly establishing universe rules and character roles. Wesley Crusher’s wide-eyed perspective also works as an audience surrogate for younger viewers, and Data gets to show off his android-ness, which plays well off of “Data’s Day.”

3. " Rascals "

As with Wesley Crusher, child actors always make for excellent surrogates when introducing stories to younger children. “Rascals” plays into this, with Picard, Guinan, Ro, and Keiko, all getting transformed into children through a transporter malfunction. This allows for self-insertion in a number of ways, from wish-fulfillment leadership moments to children discussing big topics like feeling loss and finding a sense of belonging.

The juxtaposition of tween Picard ordering adults around makes for broad comedy moments, including the fan-favorite moment of Riker being called “Number-One dad.” And while the Ferengi eventually get much more depth of character in Deep Space Nine , this episode presents them purely as comic villains, which simplifies things while also pushing the boundaries of the universe for new Trek viewers. And for parents, this episode opens the door to many discussions with children — after all, what child isn’t anxious to grow up already?

4. " True Q "

While the previous episodes have had plots driven by the crew, this episode lets the crew react to a new character (Olivia d’Abo as Amanda Rogers) as she starts manifesting Q powers. Once again, the use of a younger character creates a relatable audience surrogate for kids, especially as she starts developing abilities that she doesn’t understand. By having the crew talk her through her choices and options, it presents a familiar family dynamic for a relatable and entertaining story.

The flipside to those coming-of-age emotions is simple wish fulfillment — a child with unlimited magic powers. “True Q” offers a balanced view of the topic by discussing the pros and cons, placing a traditional fairy tale narrative in the hard sci-fi world of Star Trek . Issues of identity and family are also discussed, and putting the episode shortly after “Encounter at Farpoint” on this list means that children will get another chance to see Q.

5. " A Fistful of Datas "

Holodeck episodes tend to play around with “fish out of water” tropes, and “A Fistful of Datas” follows that same line, but with a few unique elements that specifically make it appealing for kids. First, the dynamic between Worf and Alexander is introduced, and the idea of a young Klingon trying to get his parent away from work for an afternoon creates an instantly relatable scenario. And by having Data propagate through the Holodeck program, kids get variations of a character they’ve already spent considerable time with.

The Wild West scenario also showcases a standard child fantasy, but with a sci-fi twist. That leads to action sequences that underscore the parent/child bond while playing off a blend of traditional western and sci-fi tropes. Finally, children get a chance to know Worf a little better, showing that even the gruffest of (Klingon) exteriors can have a soft side.

Bonus Episode: " Take Me Out To The Holosuite "

One of the joys of introducing a child to Star Trek is that there’s a whole universe for them to explore. And while Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is probably too heavy for young children, its baseball episode is a great way to show that there’s much more beyond TNG. And even though it’s got a different cast, Worf’s presence allows for continuity to ease things in. The episode’s Bad News Bears -esque themes create familiar underdog things with fun comedic beats, as well as Jake and Nog for relatable younger characters. It also flips the script on what’s expected of Vulcans and Ferengi, which makes for good discussion points later.

This article was originally published on June 15, 2021.

Mike Chen (he/him) is the author of the critically acclaimed novels WE COULD BE HEROES, A BEGINNING AT THE END, and HERE AND NOW AND THEN. When he’s not writing, he’s showing his favorite sci-fi to his young daughter. Follow him on Twitter @mikechenwriter.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

Get Updates By Email

The Child (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Production
• 3.5 Deleted scenes
• 3.6 Continuity
• 3.7 Reception
• 3.8 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Special appearance by
• 4.4 Guest star
• 4.5 Special guest star
• 4.6 Co-stars
• 4.7 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.8 Stand-ins
• 4.9.1 Other references
• 4.10 Log entries
• 4.11 External links

Summary [ ]

" Now I have to go and replicate this five hundred and twelve times. "

The USS Enterprise -D is in the midst of a rendezvous with the USS Repulse . As a Repulse shuttle leaves the Enterprise 's hangar bay, Commander Riker contacts the Repulse and says they are on their way. The Repulse 's command officer acknowledges and asks that Riker give his regards to his captain. Riker then goes to report to Captain Picard 's ready room , where the ship's new chief engineer , Geordi La Forge , explains to both Picard and Riker about the containment module he's constructing in one of the ship's cargo bays . The containment module is to hold dangerous specimens of plasma plague that the Enterprise is going to be transferring for research to the Rachelis system in the hopes of developing an antidote.

Meanwhile, as the Enterprise begins to head for Rachelis at impulse , an energy pulse enters the ship. The pulse goes through the Enterprise 's corridors and crew quarters until it comes across Counselor Troi , asleep in her quarters. The life-force entity decides to settle in her womb , and Troi suddenly wakes up as she felt her body being impregnated by the alien entity.

Act One [ ]

The Enterprise also has a new chief medical officer ; Doctor Katherine Pulaski has replaced Doctor Crusher , who has left the ship to head Starfleet Medical . Captain Picard is annoyed when the new doctor fails to check in with him and is surprised when after calling down to sickbay , Picard discovers that Pulaski has already found the ship's Ten Forward lounge and he goes down there to meet her. He's met by Wesley Crusher coming out from a turbolift , who has temporarily remained aboard Enterprise and will shortly be joining his mother. Picard apologizes that their mission will delay that reunion, but Wesley says it gives him time to work on some projects before he leaves.

" Protocol may have been lax on your last assignment… "

When he admits that leaving the Enterprise will be difficult, Picard says service in Starfleet is always like that and it will be part of the life that Wesley is choosing and then is forced to agree when Wesley comments that Enterprise isn't just any other ship. Upon arriving at Ten Forward, Picard is pointed to Pulaski by Guinan , the lounge's bartender . When he arrives at her table, he finds her with Troi and as Picard begins lecturing Pulaski about protocol, she interrupts him and asks him to sit down as he needs to hear what they are talking about. Picard sits down and is informed that Troi is pregnant.

" This is Dr. Katherine Pulaski. We'll handle the formal introductions later. "

Shortly after, in a staff meeting in the observation lounge , Picard briefly introduces Dr. Pulaski to Worf , Data , and Riker, saying they'll handle formal introductions later as Riker reaches out to shake her hand. He then announces to the senior staff (minus La Forge, who has just finished with the construction of the containment module and is restarting Enterprise 's warp drive) that Troi is pregnant, which surprises Riker and he says so. Troi says it's even more of a surprise for her. Pulaski takes over and then reports on two separate examinations of Troi. The first exam shows the fetus at a rather early stage of development but still rather advanced considering she and Troi believe conception took place eleven hours previous, news which shocks Riker. Pulaski says the news just gets better as a second examination, which took place a few hours later shows that the fetus seems to have gained several weeks of growth. Pulaski says that at that rate, Troi will be ready to give birth in only 36 hours, while the normal Betazoid gestation period is ten months.

" This pregnancy is unlike anything I have ever encountered. "

Riker turns to Troi and, while he doesn't mean to sound indelicate, he demands to know who the father is. Troi says that while she slept the night before, something that she can only describe as a presence entered her body. Riker asks Pulaski what the baby is, and she says it is a male Human / Betazoid hybrid , exactly as Troi and there is no evidence of any genetic material other than hers.

Worf believes that the child represents a threat to the Enterprise 's security and should be aborted . Data says to Picard that doing so would deprive them of the opportunity to study this new lifeform . Worf says that laboratory analysis should still be possible if there is an abortion. When Riker asks if there would be any risks to Troi in such a procedure, Troi (who has been loudly hearing the baby's heartbeat as the others discuss the situation) finally speaks to Picard and says that he should do what is necessary to protect Enterprise , but that she is going to have this baby. At this, Picard therefore amicably states that the discussion is over.

Act Two [ ]

Several hours later, Troi's pregnancy has progressed rapidly, as Pulaski had predicted. Troi has changed into less formal clothing to accommodate her expanding womb. Meanwhile, the Enterprise arrives at the 'aucdet IX Federation research station to pick up the samples of deadly plasma plague as well as a medical trustee named Hester Dealt , who will supervise the transfer of plasma plague specimens to the Enterprise and then later to the Rachelis system. He asks Picard if he can inspect the containment module and explains that while he doesn't mean to sound distrustful of Picard's crew, it is only that they can't afford to make any kind of mistakes with these specimens. Picard agrees but he tells Dealt he wants a complete, detailed manifest of everything he intends to bring aboard the ship. Picard then has Data download the inventory and cross-reference it with the medical computer, while Riker arranges for Dealt to be transported aboard.

" Data, will you help me to sickbay? "

After receiving the final manifest, Picard sends Data to sickbay to review it with Dr. Pulaski. As Data heads for sickbay, he encounters Troi in a corridor, who has entered labor and asks for Data's help. When they arrive in sickbay, Data calls for Worf to bring his security team to sickbay. When Pulaski asks if that's necessary, Data says it is per Picard's orders. When Pulaski tells Troi that the father is usually present for deliveries that she's conducted, Data volunteers to fill in. Pulaski at first refuses, saying that Troi will need a comforting Human touch and not a cold hand of technology, but Troi assures the doctor that Data will do fine. After Worf and his team arrive, Pulaski tells him to stay back and that while she understands the need for them to be there, she insists they stay out from underfoot.

" This is an impatient baby! "

As they wait for the birth, Troi tells Data that he doesn't need to be nervous, but just be there for her. Data says he's not nervous but intrigued. He then asks Troi some rapid-fire questions about the baby which amuse her but then she interrupts him when labor intensifies. He then calls for Pulaski who comes over and the birthing process begins. Pulaski asks if Troi wants something for the pain, although it won't diminish the experience at all. Troi says she has not felt any pain which surprises Pulaski. Then very shortly afterward, the baby is born.

Pulaski cleans him off and then hands him to Troi, asking if easy births are the norm for Betazoids and Troi says it's not, at least according to her mother . Data thanks Troi for the opportunity to observe the birth and states that it was remarkable. Pulaski asks Troi if she has a name and she says he will be named Ian Andrew, after her late father .

" Please don't worry. Everything is okay. "

Then Riker (who came in during the birth) steps up and tells Troi that the baby is beautiful, just like her. He then bends down and kisses her cheek. Pulaski asks Troi how she feels, and she says she feels wonderful and thanks Pulaski for everything. But after only a few hours, when Pulaski and Picard come to check on Troi, they are shocked to find out that Ian has grown into a young boy, appearing the age of four and is already able to speak. Ian tells Picard not to worry and that everything will be fine.

Act Three [ ]

Data and Dr. Pulaski are performing research on the manifest list in sickbay. It is taking longer than expected to categorize the specimens. It appears a significant number of them are genetically engineered. She deems this an excessive amount of engineering and informs Picard of the danger to the ship. Data then goes to Transporter room 3, joining Lieutenant Miles O'Brien , for the transport of the virus. O'Brien beams it up in batches without incident.

Meanwhile, Troi is taking care of Ian. She brings him to play with a litter of puppies in the ship's nursery . He's quite tactile, according to the officer there, Miss Gladstone . At supper, Picard and Dr. Pulaski check in. Ian, wanting to experience the hot temperature of his soup, inserts his finger, only to be burnt. He then is confused when his face is wet from his subsequent crying . He then implies he knows why he is on the Enterprise but is not quite ready to articulate it.

" Don't you see your future? "

In Ten Forward, Wesley walks over to look out into space at one of the lounge's large viewports . He contemplates his departure from the Enterprise , as he was expected to join his mother at Starfleet Medical during her duration there. While doing so, he is observed by new shipmate, Guinan. The two carry on a conversation about his status on the Enterprise and what is in his best interest.

The Enterprise leaves for Rachelis , however, before long the containment module shows a serious malfunction.

Act Four [ ]

La Forge is having trouble isolating the problem with the containment. One of the specimens is now showing growth. Riker, Data, and Dr. Pulaski all converge on the cargo bay. They cannot release the module or else they will risk the plague growing into a spore until it hits a planet or another ship, which they cannot allow. La Forge is showing all the right environmental settings for the containment, and sensor malfunctions don't seem to be the problem. Studying the etiology report for the virus, Dr. Pulaski discovers it was a mutated strain developed by a Dr. Susan Nuress during an outbreak of plasma plague in the Oby system . She also uncovers that it was bombarded by Eichner radiation . She speculates that this particular radiation could be the reason for the virus' growth. However, they rule out known sources.

Meanwhile, Troi is putting Ian to bed. Ian states that he is the source of the problem and that only he can resolve the situation. Troi realizes he is deciding to die and calls a medical emergency. Shortly after, Ian passes away in the arms of Troi.

Act Five [ ]

Dr. Pulaski arrives with Data and Riker to Troi's quarters. She verifies Ian's death, and Data scans him, determining that he is the source of the radiation. Several minutes later, Ian transforms back to the glowing white light that visited Troi earlier and thanks her for the experience. Ian explains he is a lifeform who was curious about the Enterprise crew when passing by and thought the best way to learn about them was to experience their lives as one of them, so he implanted himself in Troi's womb, becoming her child to do so. The light leaves the ship, and La Forge calls in, saying the containment is stabilized. Troi is left to grieve.

The Enterprise reaches the science station and begins to transport both Dealt and the virus. Meanwhile, Wesley meets with Picard and requests that he be allowed to stay on the Enterprise . Picard doesn't decide right away, feeling that the decision wasn't his responsibility alone and that allowing Wesley to remain would create difficulties for all. Picard decides that Data could assume responsibility for Wesley's studies. When Riker asks " Who will tuck him in at night? ", Worf accepts that responsibility and Troi expresses confidence that Wes will get his sleep. Picard agrees that the practical is then taken care of but as there's much more to growing up than just the practical matters, he then asks Riker if he would be interested in serving in that regard, and Riker agrees. With that taken care of, Picard tells Wesley to communicate with his mother at Starfleet Medical, giving her Picard's regards and telling her that Picard has approved Wesley's request to stay on the Enterprise , but that the final decision would be hers. Wesley is grateful and enthusiastically believes that Beverly will agree.

Wesley Crusher becomes the regular conn (helm) officer on the bridge as La Forge is relocated as chief engineer to the rear of the bridge. Picard orders Ensign Crusher to break the Enterprise out of orbit from Science Station Tango Sierra and take the ship to the Morgana Quadrant .

Log entries [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2365

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Chief engineer. It still has a nice ring to it. "

" I don't mean to be indelicate… but who's the father? "

" With all your neural nets, algorithms, and heuristics, is there some combination that makes up a circuit for bruised feelings? "

" Captain, we have a… a malfunction in the containment area. " " How serious? " "Very."

" Last night while I slept… something, which I can only describe as a presence, entered my body. "

" A lifeform of unknown origin and intent is breeding right now inside Counselor Troi. "

" Data. " (pronounced "Datt-uh") " Data. " (pronounced "Dayt-uh") " Excuse me? " " My name. You pronounced it 'Datt-uh.' " " What's the difference? " " One is my name. The other is not. "

" And who will tuck him in at night? " " Come on, Commander. " " I will accept that responsibility. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Mentioned by Burton Armus , in a one-page memo listing five one-liners for second season stories in development: 11 August 1988
• Third revised final draft script: 20 September 1988 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 21 November 1988
• First UK airdate: 3 April 1991
• This episode was actually a rewrite of an episode with the same title written for Star Trek: Phase II , a series that was scrapped in favor of producing Star Trek: The Motion Picture . In the Phase II script by Jaron Summers and Jon Povill , Ilia (and later, the USS Enterprise ) was "impregnated." This episode and " Devil's Due " were earmarked for possible recycling for Star Trek: The Next Generation , in anticipation of what became a lengthy Screen Writers' Guild strike which delayed production on Season 2. In the original Phase II story, Ilia gave birth to a baby girl, Irska, who posed a similar threat to the Enterprise by having a weakening effect on the ship's hull. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 66) In the first draft script, though, the alien child considered Uhura and Chekov as possible host bodies before finally settling on Ilia. The Enterprise soon encountered an alien cylinder that endangered the ship and crew by creating problems that only the child, Irska, had the means to resolve. ( Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series ) Maurice Hurley stated that his rewrites were based on the Phase II story rather than the original script, which he never read. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 173)
• According to Director Rob Bowman , " The idea of carrying the bug on board in the containment grid came from the movie Sorcerer , which came from a French movie The Wages of Fear in which wet dynamite had to be taken across the jungle. That was our thread of jeopardy. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 173)

Cast and characters [ ]

Whoopi Goldberg and Patrick Stewart on the set of "The Child"

• Before this episode (but after Stardate 41986.0), Lieutenant junior grade Geordi La Forge was promoted to lieutenant and became chief engineer of the Enterprise -D, and both he and Lieutenant jg. Worf switched to the operations division .
• This episode introduced the characters of Katherine Pulaski and Guinan . Dr. Beverly Crusher is explained to have left the ship to become head of Starfleet Medical . Actress Gates McFadden left at the end of Season 1, hence this is the first episode of the series in which she does not appear .
• Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg asked Gene Roddenberry (through her friend LeVar Burton ) to create a recurring role for her because she was a big fan of the show. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 64)

Production [ ]

Goldberg, Wheaton, and Director Rob Bowman

• Rob Bowman was granted permission by Rick Berman to use extra cameras and equipment for this episode. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 173) Consequently, this installment was a rare example in which a camera crane was used (in common with the fifth season episode " Power Play "). ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 14) Bowman explained, " As far as my involvement, I think that being the first episode of the second season, my thrust was to make sure we gave the audience something that would justify their wait over the summer for the first episode. Simply put, it was just that. Here's our audience of loyal Trekkies […] I said, 'We must give them a great first episode to welcome them back, instead of kind of resting on our laurels.' That was the agreement between Rick Berman and I, and we went a little bit extra on quite a bit. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 173)
• Troi actress Marina Sirtis revealed in an interview that her "big fat stomach" in this episode was filled with birdseed. ("Selected Crew Analysis Year Two", TNG Season 2 DVD special feature)
• In this episode, Composer Dennis McCarthy heralded the return of TNG with a "triumphant" rendition of "Picard's Theme".

Deleted scenes [ ]

Several scenes were filmed but later cut from the episode during editing. These scenes came to light in March 2013 , when Canadian Star Trek collector Cyril "Patchou" Paciullo (owning workprints of several more Next Generation episodes) uploaded the contents of an early workprint VHS tape of the episode to the internet. [2]

• Act 2, Scenes 31-32 – Deanna Troi retires to her quarters and speaks to her yet-unborn child.
• Act 2, Scene 34 – Hester Dealt and Geordi La Forge discuss the status of the containment module .
• Act 2, Scene 42-44 – Pieces of the Troi birthing scene, including Katherine Pulaski announcing Ian Troi 's gender and weight (6lbs, 3oz), Jean-Luc Picard congratulating Deanna Troi, and Riker dismissing Worf and his security team.
• Act 3, Scene 53 – Miles O'Brien and Data work to transport the virus aboard; Data identifies himself to the computer by his full name ("NFN NMI Data"). (NFN NMI = No First Name No Middle Initial)
• Act 3, Scene 59 – An extended visit with Troi and Ian in their quarters; Ian dumps a beverage on his lap to experience the sensation.
• Act 4, Scene 76 – Wesley Crusher arrives on the bridge after his last discussion with Guinan .

Paciullo submitted his tapes to TrekCore , who in turn brought him into contact with CBS. [3] However, the tape of this episode was discovered far too late for the deleted scenes to be incorporated in the remastered episode, or otherwise be included on the 2012 TNG Season 2 Blu-ray release, as were his tapes of the third season episodes " Evolution " and " The Bonding " for inclusion on their 2013 corresponding release . Still, his tapes of the fourth season episodes " The Wounded " and " Brothers " were uncovered just in time for the deleted scenes to be remastered in high definition and incorporated as part of the bonus features "Deleted Scenes" on the TNG Season 4 Blu-ray set. The tapes, nine in total, were acquired by Paciullo as Lot 77 , estimated at US$200-$400, at the Propworx ' The official STAR TREK prop and costume auction of 8 August 2010 for US$360 (including buyer's premium). [4]

Continuity [ ]

• The conn and ops seats at the front of the bridge are now upright, instead of heavily reclined as they were in Season 1.
• Ten Forward debuts in this episode. It is located on Deck 10, Forward Station 1. The turbolift command to get there will later be shortened to " Deck 10, Forward, " or simply " Ten Forward. "
• The ship computer erroneously refers to Shuttlebay 2 as "Docking Bay 3" after the shuttlecraft from the USS Repulse exits the Enterprise .
• The panel that Dr. Katharine Pulaski brings up to research the origins of the plasma plague contains the names of TNG staff members Rob Bowman, Maurice Hurley, Jaron Sommers, Jon Povill, Robert Legato , and Gary Hutzel .
• Deanna Troi debuts her maroon casual attire in this episode.
• This is also the first episode in which Riker wears a beard . He gained it after Jonathan Frakes returned for filming having grown it, intending to shave it off for the new season. During the hiatus, he appeared with Gene Roddenberry at a convention. Roddenberry asked the audience for their opinion of Frakes' beard. The resulting cheering convinced Roddenberry to ask him to keep it and the beard became an iconic part of the character. It also coined the phrase "Growing the Beard" in which a show starts to turn good. [6] Frakes eventually shaved it off ten years later in Star Trek: Insurrection (although he regrew it by the time Star Trek Nemesis came around).
• Troi is seen wearing a new hairstyle, which is kept throughout the rest of the season; the hair is long, in loose, neat curls, and taken back from her face, held by a headband.
• This episode marks the first appearance of Worf's silver baldric , which he kept throughout the remainder of The Next Generation , throughout his stint on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and in all four TNG movies . His previous (gold fabric) baldric was of the type worn by Klingon commanders in Star Trek: The Original Series . This episode also shows that Worf is now the official permanent security chief, having been made "acting" chief of security following the death of Natasha Yar in " Skin Of Evil ".
• This is the only second season episode to have Beverly Crusher referenced. She is seen in archive footage in Season 2 finale " Shades of Gray ".
• This is the first episode where Wesley Crusher wears a combadge , even though he was made an acting ensign in Season 1 and there is nothing to indicate a status change since that time. Wesley also debuts his gray "acting ensign's" uniform, which he wears until the end of third season episode " Ménage à Troi ".
• From this episode on, the transporter will be "energized" by running the hand above the three "glow strips" on the console, similar to how Star Trek: The Original Series ' transporter was activated. Those glow strips have been on the console since the beginning of the series, but had not previously been used to energize the transporter.
• The warp speed visual effect, shown from inside the Enterprise -D, debuts in this episode. On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , it was modified to include a "flash" at the end of the sequence.

Reception [ ]

• Director Rob Bowman recalled, " I remember it being a very nice show for Marina Sirtis. She had a little bit more leeway to work with and expose her character, and I thought she came through with flying colors. Photographically, I know we went for more of a feature look, although the consensus from the studio was that it was too dark and looked too much like a feature, so we brightened it up a little. " ("Rob Bowman – Director of a Dozen", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 10 , p. 18)
• A mission report for this episode, by Will Murray, was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 5 , pp. 13-16.
• Maurice Hurley noted, " 'The Child' suffered from being the first episode of the second season more than anything else. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 173)
• Composer Dennis McCarthy cited the opening theme of "The Child" as his favorite theme. ("Departmental Briefing Year Two: Production – Music", TNG Season 2 DVD special feature)
• This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) (Dennis McCarthy).

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 14 , catalog number VHR 2467, 3 June 1991
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 2.1, catalog number VHR 4737, 1 March 1999
• As part of the TNG Season 2 DVD collection
• As part of the TNG Season 2 Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
• Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Special appearance by [ ]

• Diana Muldaur as Doctor Katherine Pulaski

Guest star [ ]

• Seymour Cassel as Hester Dealt

Special guest star [ ]

• Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan

Co-stars [ ]

• R.J. Williams as Ian
• Colm Meaney as Transporter Chief
• Dawn Arnemann as Miss Gladstone
• Zachary Benjamin as Young Ian
• Dore Keller as Crewman

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli
• Majel Barrett as female computer voice
• Josh Bell as Ian Troi (infant)
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Dexter Clay as an operations division officer
• Jeffrey Deacon as command division officer
• Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
• Tricia Stewart as nurse
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• 'aucdet IX medical technician
• Crewman in sickbay (voice)
• Female ops ensign
• Five school children
• Male computer voice
• Medical technician
• Security officer
• Sleeping man
• USS Repulse bridge officer (voice)

Stand-ins [ ]

• James G. Becker – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Darrell Burris – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Dexter Clay – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Jeffrey Deacon – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Wil Wheaton

References [ ]

2294 ; 2295 ; ability ; abortion ; aft ; algorithm ; alien ; Alvacorn Major ; analysis ; answer ; antidote ; Arneb ; assignment ; " as soon as possible "; assumption ; atmosphere ; attitude ; awareness ; 'aucdet IX ; baby ; belief ; Betazoids ; biobed ; biological lifeform ; birthing chair ; body ; breeding ; bruise ; cargo ; cargo deck five ; cargo manifest ; category ; childbirth ; choice ; circuit ; comfort ; computer banks ; conception ; containment area ; containment field ; containment module ; containment unit ; contraction ; course ; cross reference ; Crusher, Beverly ; cup ; cyanoacrylates ; D'Alison ; danger ; day ; degree ; delivery room ; Delovian soufflé ; Denkir IV ; dish ; discussion ; docking bay 3 ; dog ; dozen ; eager beaver ; Earth ; Earth year ; Eichner radiation ; environment ; Epsilon Indi ; etiology ; Excelsior -class ; experience ; exposure ; fact ; father ; Federation ; Federation Medical Collection Station ; feeling ; fetus ; Galaxy class decks ; genetic engineer ; genetic engineering ; genetic pattern ; gestation ; gravity ; guard ; hailing frequency ; hand ; harm ; health risk ; heart rate ; " hello "; heuristic ; hour ; Human ; humanoid ; impatient ; impulse power ; inspection ; invitation ; jettison ; Kelvin ; laboratory ; life-force entity ; lifeform ; life sign ; light ; list ; litter ; Lorenze Cluster ; malfunction ; Mareuvian tea ; maternity ward ; maximum impulse velocity ; medical examination ; medical test ; medical trustee ; Merchant of Venice, The ; microscope ; miss ; mission ; mistake ; mister ; " mixed feelings "; month ; Morgana Quadrant ; mutation ; nacelle ; name ; NCC-7100 ; neural net ; night ; non-essential personnel ; Nova Kron ; number one ; Nuress, Susan ; nursery ; Oby system ; opportunity ; orbit ; order ; outbreak ; pain ; pain medication ; percent ; permission ; planet ; plasma plague ; port ; power ; power fluctuation ; pregnancy ; pressure suit ; problem ; Prometheus ; Prometheus nectar ; pronunciation ; protocol ; pulse ; quarters ; Rachelis system ; radiation ; radiation flux ; rate of growth ; reason ; replicator ; Repulse , USS ; respiration ; result ; risk ; saucer section ; saucer separation ; Science Station Tango Sierra ; security team ; sensor malfunction ; series ; sleep ; space ; speed ; specimen ; spore ; standard orbit ; standard station orbit ; Starfleet Medical ; Starfleet Medical headquarters ; Stargazer , USS ; stasis field ; status report ; strain : subspace phase inverter ; Summers, Jaron ; supper ; technology ; temperature ; Ten Forward ; thought process ; threat ; touch ; transfer ; Transporter Room Three ; trauma ; tricorder ; trimester ; Type 7 shuttlecraft ; Troi, Ian Andrew ; Troi, Lwaxana ; vaccine ; virus ; warp drive ; warp engine ; week

Other references [ ]

• Deanna's medical scans: blood pressure ; body temperature ; lieutenant commander ; maternal vital analysis ; optical tomography ; patient ID ; pulse ; respiration
• File=870173/8364 : address ; DNA sequence code ; enzyme data ; file ; genetic analysis ; genetic data ; infectious virus unit
• Etiology: Bowman, Rob ; case ; Hurley, Maurice ; Hutzel infection ; Legato infection ; medication ; northern continent of Oby VI ; mortality ; Oby VI ; percent ; Povill, Jon ; principal investigator ; research associate ; section ; treatment
• Evolution of Intelligent Life on Planet Denkir IV: Delphoidia ; Delphoidia cochrani ; Delphoidia cochrani obliquidens ; Delphoidia cochrani tempus ; Delphoidia moroboshi ; Delphoidia moroboshi lum ; Neopictis ; Neopictis gourami ; Neopictis spinotap ; Neopictis spinotap cochrani ; Oceosauroida ; Oceosauroida mendo ; Oceosauroida mendo shinobu ; Oceosauroida mendo shutaro ; Oniboshi lum ; Oniboshi lum ran ; Oniobshi benten ; Squaluformus ; Squaluformus vino ; Squaluformus vino shiro ; Vermacelli alfredo

External links [ ]

• " The Child " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Child " at Wikipedia
• " The Child " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "The Child" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " The Child " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)

Toronto Restaurant Says ‘Star Trek' Actor Zachary Quinto "Yelled At Our Staff Like an Entitled Child"

Toronto restaurant Manita slammed Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto on Monday, writing on Instagram that the actor yelled at staff "like an entitled child."

"Zachary Quinto - an amazing Spock, but a terrible customer," the restaurant wrote on Instagram. "Yelled at our staff like an entitled child after he didn't reply to two texts to inform him his table was ready and refused to believe the empty tables in the dining room weren't available for him despite being politely informed they were spoken for. Made our host cry and the rest of our brunch diners uncomfortable."

Quinto played Spock in the 2009 Star Trek movie, and reprised the role for sequels Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)

"Mr. Quinto, take your bad vibes somewhere else, we have many lovely celebrities join us at Manita but you are NOT one of them," the message continued.

The post was a screenshot of an Instagram story that the restaurant said they posted on Sunday. In the caption on Monday, they expanded: "This isn't the first time, nor will it be the last time an irate guest has taken their frustrations out on our staff. Manita is deeply grateful for our mostly incredible, friendly, gracious guests… who may give us constructive feedback from time to time."

The post concluded: "To all the other Zachary Quintos out there, on behalf of restaurant workers everywhere: We aren't above criticism, but we are above being demeaned."

Representatives for Quinto did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Zachary Quinto-Led Medical Drama 'Dr. Wolf' Gets a Shot at NBC
• Outfest to Honor Amandla Stenberg With Platinum Maverick Award

Screen Rant

All 5 actors who have played james t. kirk in star trek movies & shows.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Star Trek Is Finally Ready to Embrace the REAL Final Frontier (Not Space)

Seven of nine just delivered star trek's sickest burn, why it took star trek almost 24 years to visit the klingon home world.

William Shatner may be the iconic James T. Kirk, but he's one of five actors to have played the role in the Star Trek franchise. As the original screen Enterprise captain, Kirk casts a long shadow in the popular imagination when it comes to Star Trek . Not only that, but in the Star Trek canon, the adventures of Kirk and Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series continue to define those of future Starfleet crews. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine memorably revisited Kirk's Enterprise to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary in season 5, episode 6, "Trials and Tribble-ations" which saw the DS9 crew treat Kirk, Spock, and the crew with a great deal of reverence.

Most recently, an alternate universe version of Kirk recently featured in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 finale, "A Quality of Mercy" which will lead to Kirk's arrival in Strange New Worlds season 2 . Kirk is one of the most iconic Star Trek characters, so it's hardly surprising that the franchise continues to resurrect him. With a new actor taking on the iconic Star Trek role, it's an ideal time to celebrate the five actors who have played James Tiberius Kirk in official Star Trek canon.

RELATED: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Could Introduce Kirk’s First TOS Enemy

When Paramount Pictures relaunched the Star Trek movie franchise in 2009, they rebooted the Trek universe in order to recast the original Enterprise crew. This collection of Kirks will include both the prime Star Trek universe, and the Kelvin timeline. It won't feature the admirable fan attempts to capture Shatner's best-known role by the likes of Vic Mignogna or James Cawley. Nor will it feature Jim Carrey's overblown Kirk parody from In Living Color or Harry Shearer's pitch-perfect Kirk in The Simpsons ' many Star Trek references . Here's all five actors who have played Captain Kirk in Star Trek TV shows and movies.

William Shatner Is The Original Captain Kirk

When the network originally passed on Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek pilot, and Jeffrey Hunter stepped down from the role of Christopher Pike, a new Enterprise captain was required. Rather than simply replacing Hunter with William Shatner as Pike, Roddenberry created a completely new character, James Kirk who would be the Enterprise captain for three seasons of TOS between 1966 and 1969. Star Trek 's cancelation in 1969 was far from the end of Shatner's tenure as Kirk, however. When the show proved popular in syndication, the Enterprise crew were brought back, first for Star Trek: The Animated Series and then for six movies.

Shatner's relationship with his Star Trek co-stars was often complicated, but there's no denying that he was key to the show's success. Shatner's Kirk was a swaggering, macho hero whose unorthodox approach is somewhat at odds with the more by-the-book captains of 90s Star Trek . His performance as Kirk was clearly inspired by Roddenberry's description of Star Trek as " Wagon Train to the Stars ". James Kirk is a space cowboy, cutting a swathe through the new frontier, learning as he goes. Shatner's unique combination of charisma and machismo was perfect for such a character, and he will always be the definitive James Kirk.

Sandra Smith Played Kirk While In Janice Lester's Body

The body swap comedy has become something of a Star Trek trope, most recently featuring in Strange New Worlds ' Spock-centric episode , season 1, episode 5, "Spock Amok". However, TOS ' final episode, "Turnabout Intruder" presented a much darker spin on the body swap story. One of Kirk's many former lovers, Janice Lester (Sandra Smith) is presented as a bitter female scientist whose career options were limited due to her being a woman. It's an odd plotline given Roddenberry's supposed vision of a utopian society where all mankind's contemporary issues have been solved, but Lester instigates an elaborate plot to finally achieve her dream of becoming a starship captain - using an alien device to instigate a body swap with Enterprise captain James Kirk.

RELATED: The Forgotten William Shatner Role That Proved The World Needed Star Trek

Star Trek 's final episode before cancelation might have been a well-meaning, but mishandled allegory for gender inequality but Sandra Smith's performance as both Jim and Janice deserves plaudits. While Shatner as Janice plays a more exaggerated version of Kirk rooted in Lester's hatred of him, Sandra Smith takes a different tack. The essence of Kirk is trapped inside Janice Lester's body, Sandra Smith perfectly captured this by nailing William Shatner's unique mannerisms and delivery in a precise and exacting performance.

Chris Pine Is Captain Kirk In The Kelvin Timeline Trek Movies

In 2009, 40 years after Star Trek was originally canceled, Kirk's Enterprise returned to the big screen. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek rebooted the universe, building upon the internal struggles on Romulus first portrayed in Star Trek: Nemesis , which killed the franchise . When the Romulan home world is destroyed, and the Federation fail to supply sufficient support, Spock follows embittered miner Nero (Eric Bana) into his own past. Nero triggers a chain of events that leads to the death of Kirk's father on the USS Kelvin and the creation of Star Trek 's Kelvin timeline. This allowed the franchise to revisit the best-known iteration of the Enterprise crew for future movies, led by Chris Pine as a slightly different James T Kirk.

The death of Kirk's father considerably changed the future Enterprise captain's origin story. While Pine's Kirk still has that unorthodox approach to the Starfleet rulebook, it's rooted in a rebellious streak that he's had since he was a child who felt abandoned by his parents. Chris Pine was spot-on casting as Kirk , as he replicated the swagger and machismo of Shatner's portrayal while making the character his own. Pine's Kirk drills down into the Enterprise captain's more vulnerable side, emphasizing his need for a role model in the absence of his father, and his need for a more by-the-book Starfleet officer like Zachary Quinto's Spock to keep him in check.

Jimmy Bennett Played Young Kirk In Star Trek (2009)

Kirk's troubled childhood is depicted in an early scene where he steals an antique car and drives it off a cliff to the sound of the Beastie Boys. In the prime Star Trek timeline, Kirk was living off-world with his parents before he his teenage years, so the scenes of young Kirk's miserable Earth-based upbringing subtly shows the extent of the Kelvin timeline 's changes to Star Trek canon. Jimmy Bennett definitely captures that devil may care attitude of the older Kirks, and his near-fatal recklessness is a neat callback to Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , when Kirk states he always thought he'd die young.

RELATED: If Kirk Learns About His Death In SNW, It'll Explain A Star Trek V Scene

Paul Wesley Is James T. Kirk In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Paul Wesley is the latest actor to take on the role of James T. Kirk in Star Trek . He memorably made his debut in Strange New Worlds season 1 finale, which provided an alternate version of the classic TOS episode, "Balance of Terror". Pike was shown this potential future as a means to convince him to accept his tragic Star Trek fate by handing the Enterprise over to Kirk. It's a different spin on the Abrams movies' Kirk and Pike relationship , with Pike now being cognizant of Kirk and Spock's importance to the future of the Federation.

It's unclear exactly how Kirk factors into Strange New Worlds season 2, but Paul Wesley has stated his intention not to do an imitation of Shatner and Pine's portrayals. This is a sensible approach, not least because he's playing a younger version of the future Enterprise captain. This unknown period in Kirk's life will provide Wesley with plenty of material to sink his teeth into as an actor, as the character develops into the Kirk that audiences know from the very early days of Star Trek .

NEXT: It's Possible KIRK Becomes Strange New Worlds' New Number One

• SR Originals

Actor Nick Pasqual Arrested at Border for Stabbing Makeup Artist, Charged With Attempted Murder

By Selena Kuznikov

Selena Kuznikov

• HGTV Interior Designer Alison Victoria Launches Production Company Briefly Gorgeous (EXCLUSIVE) 5 hours ago
• James Cameron Says He ‘Tries to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ in His Films, but ‘It’s Your Stories We Want to Hear in Your Voice’ 1 day ago
• ‘For Love & Life: No Ordinary Campaign’ Subjects Brian Wallach, Sandra Abrevaya and Producers Talk About Being ‘Completely Vulnerable’ While Documenting Life With ALS 1 day ago

Nick Pasqual , a background actor in “How I Met Your Mother,” was detained at the U.S. border after being charged with allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend, makeup artist Allie Shehorn , multiple times, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office confirmed.

On May 23 around 4:30 a.m., Pasqual allegedly broke into Shehorn’s Los Angeles home and stabbed her multiple times. She was then hospitalized with critical injuries. Shehorn’s credits include “Rebel Moon,” “Family Switch” and “Babylon.”

Related Stories

The state of generative ai in hollywood: a special report, ‘i used to be funny’ review: a complex canadian seriocomedy in which laughter suffers a breakdown, popular on variety.

Shehorn had recently filed a restraining order against Pasqual for domestic abuse. Per the L.A. Times , a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge approved the restraining order, but it is not known if Shehorn served it to Pasqual before the attack.

The day of the stabbing, Shehorn’s coworkers were worried when she didn’t show up to do makeup for an indie horror film she was working on.

In the restraining order, Shehorn said Pasqual physically attacked her in the home they shared prior to May 23, including slapping her, breaking down doors, slamming her head into the floor and sexually assaulting her.

According to the L.A. Times, Shehorn underwent emergency surgery after the May 23 attack and remained in the ICU for several days.

Her friends Emily MacDonald and Jed Dornoff started a GoFundMe to aid in medical and living expenses for Shehorn’s recovery. Dornhoff posted a message Tuesday reading, “Allie has been moved out of ICU. She is still determined not to let this beat her and is pushing through the pain to heal.”

More from Variety

Nicole kidman says ‘big little lies’ season 3 is in ‘good shape’ and moving ahead ‘fast and furious’: author liane moriarty ‘is delivering the book’, why tiktok blinked in its umg standoff, and what happens next, zac efron hooks up with nicole kidman in netflix’s steamy ‘a family affair’ trailer, u.k. distributor other parties launches production arm led by former amazon studios’ exec emily guarino (exclusive), lip-sync dubbing beta tests begin in hollywood, more from our brands, ‘baby reindeer’: real-life martha files $50 million lawsuit against netflix, ‘big little lies’ season 3 is happening. here’s everything we know so far., no rights update in view as adam silver preps for nba finals opener, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, eric kripke on how gen v will address chance perdomo’s absence — plus, how the boys’ return sets up season 2, verify it's you, please log in.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Erich Anderson, Actor in ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘Felicity,’ Dies at 67

Mr. Anderson had a breakout role in “Friday the 13th” and went on to appear in more than 300 TV episodes, including a recurring role as the father on “Felicity.”

By Remy Tumin

Erich Anderson, an actor known for his breakout role in the “Friday the 13th” franchise and recurring appearances on television series like “Felicity” and “Thirtysomething,” died on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 67.

His brother-in-law, Michael O’Malley, said the cause was esophageal cancer.

In the late 1980s and ’90s, Mr. Anderson played a recurring love interest on “ Thirtysomething ,” a drama about a group of friends navigating life and love in Philadelphia;the ex-husband of a detective on “NYPD Blue”; and the father to Keri Russell’s lead role on “ Felicity ,” a series about an introverted high school student who follows her dream guy to college in New York City.

By 2013, he had appeared in roughly 300 episodes of television shows including “Boston Public,” “The X-Files,” “CSI,” “ER,” “7th Heaven,” “Star Trek,” “Monk,” “Tour of Duty” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

But it was his first feature film role, in “Friday the 13th: the Final Chapter” — the fourth film in the franchise , which follows the serial killer Jason Voorhees — that stuck with fans throughout his career.

When the film was released in 1984, Mr. Anderson thought, “I had a good time and really enjoyed the process and learning about it,” he told a “Friday the 13th” podcast in 2013 . “This is out in the world now.”

But over the years, especially as he began attending fan conventions, Mr. Anderson came to realize that his role as Rob Dier, who seeks to avenge his sister’s death only to be killed by Jason himself, was “by far the most enduring thing” he had done.

Edward Erich Anderson was born on Oct. 24, 1956, in Sagamihara, Japan. He grew up in a military family, moving around the world as a child, a lifestyle he said helped him embrace his temporary roles.

“I think that adaptation of being able to just throw yourself into whatever situation presents itself leads you to chose professions that kind of may have a freelance thing associated with it,” he said in the 2013 interview.

He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, and went on to work at the University of Southern California’s medical school, where, he said in 2013, he assumed he would matriculate. But his interest in science began to wane, and he returned to his love of acting.

He had been acting on “Bay City Blues,” an NBC comedy about a minor-league baseball team, when he got the call that he had landed the “Friday the 13th” role. What he didn’t know was that the last 40 pages of the script involved filming rain scenes at night. They used what he described as an insect sprayer to hose down Mr. Anderson and the actress Kimberly Beck.

“We were young; we were up for anything,” he said. “It was our first movie for a lot of people.”

Mr. Anderson would go on to play roles in dozens of small films and television series.

He married the actress Saxon Trainor, who survives him.

As he grew older, he wanted more control over the stories he was telling and turned to writing. He published three novels , including one about five evangelists setting a date for the end of the world.

“You can see my entire career is — I’ll do whatever,” he said in the 2013 interview. “I like working.”

Remy Tumin is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news and other topics. More about Remy Tumin

Erich Anderson, working actor and writer known for ‘Felicity’ and more, dead at 67

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Erich Anderson, a veteran working actor who found his breakout role in “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” and was a recurring character in shows including “Felicity,” “Bosch” and “Thirtysomething,” has died. He was 67.

Anderson’s wife, actor Saxton Trainor, confirmed the news via Instagram but declined to post a statement because she was “too bereft now to write anything.” Instead, she shared a statement from Anderson’s brother-in-law, Michael O’Malley, that said the actor died Friday after a “brutal struggle with cancer.”

“Erich was such an amazing person,” Anderson’s manager, Chris Carbaugh, told The Times. “He was a great actor, author, cook, husband, friend and human being. ... Erich was an avid sports fan and he loved cheering on his beloved San Diego Padres baseball team. He was always the smartest and funniest person in the room and had such a big heart. ... Erich will be missed dearly.”

O’Malley, meanwhile, wrote that his brother-in-law “was a smart and funny guy, a fantastic cook; he wrote three great novels. ... I’ll miss him but his ordeal is over.”

Janis Paige, enduring ‘Silk Stockings’ star from Hollywood’s Golden Age, dies at 101

Janis Paige, a performer from Hollywood’s Golden Age, died Sunday of natural causes in her Los Angeles home. The scene-stealing star of ‘Silk Stockings’ was 101.

June 3, 2024

Anderson first found success when — as O’Malley characterized it — “he was killed in a basement” in the “Friday the 13th” sequel. He went on to appear in “Thirtysomething” as Billy Sidel, blind date-turned-husband to Ellyn Warren (Polly Draper), and in “Felicity” as Dr. Edward Porter, father of Keri Russell’s title character.

He appeared in single episodes of shows including “Murder, She Wrote,” “CSI,” “CSI: Miami,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “House,” “Bones” and “NCIS.” All told, per his website , he appeared in more than 300 television episodes, 50 theater productions and 20 feature films.

The actor, who was born in 1957 in Sagamihara, Japan, later graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology.

He was a prolific writer of episodic television scripts and, according to his website, had a “filing cabinet full of unproduced screenplays.” Anderson published three novels : “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Thy Kingdom Come” and “Rabbit: A Golf Fable.”

Eve Gordon, who played Anderson’s onscreen wife, Barbara Porter, in “Felicity,” posted a touching tribute to her co-star on Instagram , calling the actor “a magnificent part of the world.”

Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker who documented dangers of McDonald’s-only diet, dies at 53

Morgan Spurlock, filmmaker best known for ‘Super Size Me,’ is dead at 53. His fast-food documentary showed the ill effects of 30 days of eating only McDonald’s.

May 24, 2024

“I loved him,” she wrote. “I wish you’d known him, there was no one like him. So funny, so open to whatever the day brought him, so wickedly cynical and joyous at once.”

Gordon described how even after their characters divorced on “Felicity” and they no longer saw each other on set, they would run into each other around Los Angeles and talk for hours.

“Ah, look at this Erich, I’m using the past tense,” she wrote. “My friend, I hope I see you again in dreams and other dimensions. Fly high, my friend.”

More to Read

Dabney Coleman, the bad boss of ‘9 to 5’ and ‘Yellowstone’ guest star, dies at 92

May 17, 2024

Terry Carter, actor known for original ‘Battlestar Galactica’ series and ‘McCloud,’ dies at 95

April 24, 2024

Adrian Schiller, British actor known for ‘The Last Kingdom’ and ‘Victoria,’ dies at 60

April 4, 2024

Entertainment & Arts

M. Emmet Walsh, memorable ‘Blood Simple’ and ‘Blade Runner’ character actor, dies at 88

March 20, 2024

Chris Gauthier, ‘Once Upon a Time’ and ‘Eureka’ character actor, dies at 48

Feb. 26, 2024

‘Star Trek’ actor Kenneth Mitchell dies at 49

Feb. 25, 2024

‘90210’ actor David Gail’s cause of death tied to cardiac arrest

Jan. 24, 2024

Alec Musser of ‘All My Children’ dies by suicide at 50

Jan. 17, 2024

Norman Lear and ‘All in the Family’ commemorated at the Emmy Awards

Jan. 15, 2024

The biggest entertainment stories

Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Eva Hartman is a spring 2024 reporting intern with the Fast Break Desk at the Los Angeles Times. She is a senior at the University of Southern California studying international relations, where she has served as the news assignments editor and magazine editor at the Daily Trojan.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Pat Sajak’s final ‘Wheel of Fortune’ airs Friday. What to know about his spin as host

Hare-raising rescue: CHP saves massive rabbit from a Santa Cruz highway

Killer bear: Woman’s death inside her home marks California’s first fatal black bear attack

World & Nation

First human death from bird flu subtype is recorded in Mexico, officials say

Star Trek (TV Series)

And the children shall lead (1968), full cast & crew.

Directed by 

Writing credits  , cast (in credits order) verified as complete  , produced by , music by , cinematography by , editing by , casting by , art direction by , set decoration by , costume design by , makeup department , production management , second unit director or assistant director , art department , sound department , special effects by , visual effects by , camera and electrical department , costume and wardrobe department , music department , script and continuity department , additional crew .

Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs

Contribute to This Page

• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos
• User Reviews
• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed