star trek deep space nine kira

Star Trek just brought back one of its most revolutionary characters — and she needs to stay

After her triumphant return as Kira Nerys in Star Trek: Lower Decks , Nana Visitor says Kira still has boundaries to break down.

The Deep Space Nine renaissance has arrived.

For one Star Trek legend, the feeling the return evokes is wonderful, but also bittersweet. “It feels better than I thought it would,” Nana Visitor says of her return to Trek as Kira, now the commander of the space station Deep Space 9 in the Lower Decks Season 3 episode, “Hear All, Trust Nothing.” Speaking to Inverse ahead of the big DS9-Lower Decks crossover, Visitor revealed what it was like coming back to play Kira for Lower Decks , why the character is always with her, and what that 1990s DS9 backlash really felt like. Spoilers ahead.

Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Major Kira (Nana Visitor) in Deep Space Nine Season 4.

As longtime Star Trek fans might remember, as beloved as Deep Space Nine is now, that wasn’t always the case. As a 1993 spinoff that aired concurrently with the final two seasons of The Next Generation but before the debut of Voyager in 1995, the cast and crew of Deep Space Nine often felt like Star Trek’s overlooked “middle-child.” This was especially true for Visitor; she was playing Trek’s first female first officer, who also happened to be opinionated, a former freedom fighter, and not a part of Starfleet.

“I didn't realize how painful not being accepted was,” Visitor explains. And she’s not just talking about ‘90s Trekkies who were slow to take DS9 into their hearts. She’s also talking about the vitriol hurled at her from sexist trolls back in the day. “Major Kira was a problem for so many men and women,” continues Visitor. “Which was so hard. I played her on the full spectrum of being human. It didn’t feel binary to me. It didn’t feel like she had to be a woman under the cultural dictates of the ‘90s. I didn’t want to play her that way. So, yeah, of course, we got backlash.”

Fast-forward to 2022, and not only is Deep Space Nine often cited as the favorite “classic” Trek series among hardcore fans but also the go-to binge-watch for contemporary Discovery cast members like Mary Wiseman and Blu del Barrio . Nowadays, the idea that DS9 is somehow less than the other shows is certainly a popular opinion of the past. “I think it went through the roof recently, in terms of people wanting to talk to me about Kira, especially during the pandemic,” Visitor explains. “She’s never far from my mind.”

Kira (Nana Visitor) in Star Trek: Lower Decks .

In the new Lower Decks episode “Hear All, Trust Nothing,” Visitor returns as the voice of Kira, in a story that finds the USS Cerritos visiting Deep Space 9 in the year 2382 (chronologically, just seven years after the events of the DS9 finale). Here, we find Colonel Kira in full command of the station and still having to keep an eye on Quark, once again, played by Armin Shimmerman. When the call came through from Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan to do the episode, Visitor was ready.

“I had seen the show. There was no hesitation,” Visitor says. “I love what they’re doing. It's doing what Star Trek does so well. It’s giving people a collective of humanity and saying, ‘It’s OK if we fail. This is human. And we can still progress and go beyond what we think our expectations of ourselves are.’ It was a very quick ‘yes.’”

“Hear All, Trust Nothing” is, of course, packed with Deep Space Nine Easter eggs, but one of the more subtle moments happens near the beginning of the episode when we see Kira gaze out from her office (formally Sisko’s office) to watch the wormhole open. It’s a poignant beat and an interesting non-comedic moment for Lower Decks . Speaking to Inverse ahead of the debut of Season 3, showrunner Mike McMahan revealed that this exact scene with Kira was the ending of the Season 3 trailer for “a very long time.” But because he wanted to preserve this emotional moment for the fans, McMahan had it removed from the trailer, telling Paramount: “Let’s wait. Let’s wait!”

Nana Visitor attends Star Trek Day, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, on September 8, 2022.

So, now that Kira has returned to the Trek canon in Lower Decks , does Nana Visitor see herself doing even more new Star Trek? In addition to researching her forthcoming book, Star Trek - A Woman's Trek , Visitor thinks a future live-action incarnation of Kira could continue to push boundaries on sci-fi TV.

“When I was in Deep Space Nine , I was just the right age, as a woman, for culture. But the kind of woman I was, was a little tough to swallow,” Visitor says. “Now, I'm more the kind of woman that everyone can accept. But there's an ageist quality that comes in now. I'm an older woman. That interests me.”

“Is there someone in [a future Star Trek series] who is an ethics officer?” Visitor continues. “Someone that people come to and ask the bigger questions? I can see Kira being an older woman and giving other women, all women hope that it doesn’t end because you’re 65. And you don’t have to be 65 in the way the culture thinks you have to be 65. Although that’s getting better and better, I think we can push that envelope a little more.”

Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 is streaming now on Paramount+

This article was originally published on Oct. 3, 2022

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• Bajoran Resistance members
• Shakaar Resistance Cell members
• Bajoran Militia personnel
• Bajoran majors
• Bajoran colonels
• Starfleet personnel
• Starfleet personnel (24th century)
• Starfleet commanders
• Deep Space 9 personnel
• USS Defiant (NX-74205) personnel
• USS Defiant (2375) personnel
• Time travellers
• 2343 births
• 1.1 Childhood and the Resistance
• 1.2.1 25th century
• 2 Alternate realities
• 3.1 Background
• 3.2.1 Appearances
• 3.2.2 References
• 3.3 Service record
• 3.4 Connections
• 3.5 External links

Biography [ ]

Childhood and the resistance [ ].

Kira was born in November 2343 in the Dahkur Province of Cardassian Union - occupied Bajor to Kira Taban and Kira Meru . ( DS9 short story : " Urgent Matter "; DS9 episode : " Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night ")

She lived a large part of her life in the Singha refugee camp . In 2346 , her mother was taken to Terok Nor to serve as a comfort woman to the Cardassians , ultimately becoming the lover of Gul Dukat . At three years old, Nerys was too young to understand this, and her father told his children that Meru had died. Nerys would not learn the truth until 2374 , at which time she travelled back in time to 2346 using the Orb of Time . The three-year-old Nerys briefly met her future self but, as she was using the pseudonym " Luma Rahl ", the young Nerys remained ignorant as to her identity. ( DS9 episode : " Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night ")

Following her mother's supposed death, Kira and her brothers were often cared for by Tir Remara . The Kira family received extra rations to compensate for Meru being taken to Terok Nor to serve as one of Gul Dukat 's comfort women. ( DS9 episode : " Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night "; DS9 novel : A Stitch in Time )

When Tir Remara found out about these extra rations (but not why the family was receiving them) she stole them and gave them to the resistance to be given to those more needy. When Taban caught her, she accused him of being a traitor and ran away. The Kiras were subsequently forced to give up their additional rations to avoid being hounded as collaborators. Nerys held this against Tir for years to come. ( DS9 novel : A Stitch in Time )

Growing up, Nerys learned about the Bajoran Prophets from close family friend Prylar Istani Reyla . This was beginning of Kira's life-long faith in the Prophets and their love for the Bajoran people. ( DS9 novel : Avatar, Book One )

Kira in the Shakaar Resistance, circa 2357 .

Kira joined the Shakaar Resistance Cell when she was only twelve, and spent most of her early time with the cell running errands and cleaning weapons. In 2357 , just after her fourteenth birthday, Nerys and the Shakaar cell liberated the labor camp at Gallitep before the now-depleted mine laborers could be slaughtered by Gul Darhe'el , the Cardassian overseer. Nerys and her cell accomplished this infiltrating the Bajoran science ministry and accessing their transporter system, allowing the cell to bypass the camp's formidable security system and later transport the Bajoran laborers out. While at the ministry, Nerys managed to destroy the files on a prototype defense system that would allow the Cardassians to track and destroy any unauthorized Bajoran air-traffic. ( TLE - Terok Nor novel : Night of the Wolves )

In 2366 , she snuck aboard the quarantined space station Terok Nor to gather information on the Double Helix virus that was infecting the station. She later assisted the Starfleet medical team, which was allowed to travel to the station by the station master, Gul Skrain Dukat, by finding the source of the virus on the surface of the planet Bajor . ( TNG - Double Helix novel : Vectors )

In 2367 , she infiltrated the Plin Syndicate criminal organization at the Doblana Arctic Base on Bajor in order to kidnap Cardassian Glinn Gundar . The operation cost the life of Kira's brother, Kira Reon , whose sacrifice gained the resistance a chip which enabled them to monitor all Cardassian communications on Bajor. ( DS9 short story : " The Officers' Club ")

The Emissary and the Federation [ ]

After the Cardassian withdrawal in 2369 , the Bajoran Provisional Government asked for relief efforts from the United Federation of Planets , who took over command of Terok Nor and re-christened the station Deep Space 9 .

Kira was assigned to the space station as first officer under the command of then- Commander Benjamin Sisko with rank of Major .

At first, Kira did not care for Sisko or the Federation , believing them to be no different from the Cardassians. It was only after the discovery by Sisko of the Celestial Temple of the Prophets (also known as the Bajoran wormhole ), and the revelation from Kai Opaka Sulan that Sisko was the foretold Emissary of the Prophets , that Kira warmed up to the Federation. ( DS9 episode & novelization : Emissary ; DS9 short story : " Ha'mara ")

In 2370 Kira commanded the runabout USS Amazon on a mission to rescue a Horta , Ttan , who had been kidnapped by the Cardassians . Kira used her knowledge of Cardassian tactics to great effect on the mission, but also had to adapt her techniques to Starfleet team functions, working hard to be less impulsive. ( DS9 novel : Devil in the Sky )

In 2371 , Kira helped her old resistance cell leader, Shakaar Edon , ascend to the office of First Minister following a brief civil uprising when kai Winn Adami threatened to plunge Bajor into a civil war in a dispute over soil reclamators. ( DS9 episode : " Shakaar ")

When the war with the Dominion and their new allies in the Cardassian Union started in late 2373 , and the Federation was forced to evacuate the Bajoran sector, Kira stayed aboard the station and started a new resistance movement that helped the Federation retake Bajor and the station. ( DS9 novelizations : Call to Arms... , ...Sacrifice of Angels ; DS9 short story : " Three Sides to Every Story ")

In late 2374 , Kira was promoted to colonel and given command of Deep Space 9 , when Sisko took an extended leave of absence on Earth . Kira learned about the responsibilities of the captain's chair by standing down a Romulan fleet, intent on placing weapons on a Bajoran moon. Kira resumed her duties as first officer when Sisko returned. ( DS9 episodes : " Image in the Sand ", " Shadows and Symbols ")

In late 2375, Kira was granted a Starfleet field commission to the rank of commander . Along with Constable Odo (with whom she was having a romantic relationship) and the Cardassian exile Elim Garak , she traveled covertly to Dominion -occupied Cardassian space in order to help Cardassian Legate Corat Damar form a Cardassian resistance to Dominion occupation; the field commission was intended to put the Cardassians at ease by working with a Starfleet officer rather than a Bajoran one. The group eventually found itself on Cardassia in the final days of the war. ( DS9 novelization : What You Leave Behind ; DS9 short story : " Face Value ")

After the war, Captain Sisko ascended from linear existence and joined with the Prophets and command of DS9 was again granted to Kira.

25th century [ ]

By 2409 , Kira had become the Kai of Bajor. ( STO mission : " Boldly They Rode ")

Alternate realities [ ]

Major Kira and her mirror universe counterpart Intendant Kira Nerys of Bajor .

In the mirror universe , Kira Nerys was the Intendant of Bajor and the commanding officer of Terok Nor . ( DS9 episode : " Crossover ")

In the "Track A" universe , Kira was the cellmate of Lieutenant Commander William T. Riker , at a joint Romulan / Cardassian prison colony from 2362 to 2370 . His captors attempted to use Kira as an experiment to determine how broken Riker was, giving him a knife and ordering him to kill Kira in order to be given food, but Riker instead attacked and killed his captors. ( TNG novel : Q-Squared )

Major Kira in an alternate reality.

In an alternate reality , Federation and Dominion delegations met on Deep Space 9 to negotiate a treaty in response to the Dominion's peace overtures in 2371 . Kira was fearful of the consequences of a Federation-Dominion alliance for Bajor and murdered Constable Odo to prevent it from coming to pass. Although she had killed him in his quarters, she moved his remains to the Habitat ring . As she had planned, the negotiations broke down. The Dominion launched a full scale attack on DS9. Although the Federation forces were eventually able to push the Jem'Hadar back through the Bajoran wormhole , the Dominion was able to capture Kira, Commander Benjamin Sisko and Doctor Julian Bashir . They were taken to a cloaked space station in the Calonan system . Several days later, they were rescued by the DS9 crewmembers of the primary universe . Following an investigation on the alternate DS9, the Odo of the primary universe had solved his counterpart's murder and accused Kira of being the perpetrator. She did not deny that she had killed the alternate Odo but admitted that she regretted that doing so was necessary to ensure Bajor's future. After seizing control of the alternate Defiant , Kira activated the ship's self-destruct while travelling through the wormhole, leading to its collapse and putting an end to the Dominion threat. Immediately before her death, she prayed to her lover Bareil Antos that she would be with the Prophets . ( DS9 comic : " The Looking Glass War ")

In another alternate reality, accessed by an interdimensional Androssi device, Kira Nerys was the commander of the Bajoran assault vessel Li , who solicited the help of Starfleet Captain David Gold of the USS Gettysburg in finding the prophesied Celestial Temple , in the hope that its discovery would preclude a formal treaty between the Bajoran Assembly and the Cardassian Union. ( SCE eBook : Lost Time )

Kira Nerys in an alternate reality

In another alternate reality in which the Cardassian Union did not withdraw from Bajor in 2369 , Kira Nerys was the last surviving member of the Shakaar resistance cell by 2373 . Kira met Elim Garak , who helped Kira escape from Bajor with a message for the Federation . ( TNG - Myriad Universes novel : A Gutted World )

Kira Nerys in the alternate reality

In the alternate reality created by the Romulan Nero and a future created by Q 's bringing the USS Enterprise a hundred years into the future, Kira was fighting as part of the Bajoran Resistance . On Bajor, she met up with with the Enterprise 's CMO , Dr. Leonard McCoy , its XO , Commander Spock , Quark , and Doctor Julian Bashir . ( TOS - The Q Gambit comics : " Part 2 ", " Part 3 ")

Appendices [ ]

Background [ ].

• Kira Nerys was portrayed by American actress Nana Visitor in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from 1993-1999.

Visitor commented on how she saw Kira's life unfolding after the series ended. " She definitely gets another promotion, and she`s commanding the Defiant that`s for sure. That`s for sure!" The Defiant goes out - she`s in the chair. Those things are very inappropriately important to me, and that was during the series. Now that she`s commanding the station I imagine her getting more and more politically involved in Bajor and frankly, although I don`t think this would really ever happen, I`d like to see her become Starfleet. I`d like to see what would happen when you take a loose cannon and put them clearly in that universe. That was the whole premise of the show, Starfleet against these people who really didn`t live by those rules and seeing what happens. Now, one step further to me, would be to put her right inside of it and see what kind of struggle, and what the actual struggle is, tilted that way. It seems that no one has a problem living with the prime directive. I`d like to see someone struggle with it like she would, like a real loose cannon would'"". [1]

Appearances and references [ ]

Appearances [ ], references [ ].

• STO mission : " Boldly They Rode "

Service record [ ]

Connections [ ], external links [ ].

• Kira Nerys article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Kira Nerys article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 3 Lamarr class

• Mirror Universe

Kira Nerys (mirror)

Intendant Kira Nerys was a Bajoran officer in the armed forces of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in the mirror universe .

• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Appearances
• 3.2.1 Characterization
• 3.2.2 Reception
• 3.2.3 Trivia
• 3.3 Apocrypha
• 3.4 External link

History [ ]

Mirror Kira and Kira

Kira was the Intendant of the Alliance space station Terok Nor , with her second in command Elim Garak . Kira ruled over the station with an iron fist, but used varying methods to do her job. She was manipulative where necessary, but ruthless and violent on other occasions, often rounding up Terran slaves and executing them randomly. However, she did often view certain people with affection, allowing them privileges in return for their loyalty and dedication. When Major Kira Nerys crossed through the Bajoran wormhole into her universe in 2370 , the Intendant became enamored with her counterpart. ( DS9 : " Crossover ")

Kira often displayed hedonistic tendencies, surrounding herself in her quarters with Human slaves both male and female. She also displayed sadistic behavior as she had no obvious moral difficulties about having people tortured or killed. By 2375 , she had also, apparently, engaged in a relationship with Ezri Tigan . ( DS9 : " The Emperor's New Cloak ")

She was particularly fond of Benjamin Sisko . She allowed him to have a ship and a crew, which he used to commit acts of piracy in order to collect tribute for her. She was horrified when Sisko turned against her and formed the Terran Rebellion . ( DS9 : " Crossover ")

When he returned to the station to rescue Jennifer Sisko , Sisko used this fondness to manipulate Kira into allowing him to see her. ( DS9 : " Through the Looking Glass ")

Kira was captured by the rebels in 2372 and tortured for information, but escaped having been freed by Nog , killing him shortly afterwards. ( DS9 : " Shattered Mirror ")

In 2374 , Kira and Bareil Antos crossed over from their universe in order to steal a Bajoran orb . She was prevented from doing so by Major Kira Nerys. ( DS9 : " Resurrection ")

By 2375 , Kira's failure to stop the rebels resulted in her being forced to bargain for her life. When Zek made the mistake of visiting Kira's universe to open trade negotiations, he was quickly captured. Kira arranged for Ezri Tigan to force Quark and Rom to deliver a cloaking device to the Regent's flagship , where she was imprisoned. After Rom sabotaged the cloak, leaving the flagship defenseless against the ISS Defiant , Kira parted ways with Ezri seeking to part ways with the lost vessel aboard one of its escape shuttles . ( DS9 : " The Emperor's New Cloak ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I'm Kira Nerys." " That makes two of us."

" You know, I bet if we put our... heads together, we could create a little excitement for ourselves. " " You sentenced my wife to death. " " Isn't that a coincidence? I was hoping you weren't married. "

" I'd be very disappointed if you didn't find the major... intoxicating. After all, she is me... Or the next best thing to me. "

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Crossover "
• " Through the Looking Glass "
• " Shattered Mirror "
• " Resurrection "
• " The Emperor's New Cloak "

Background information [ ]

Characterization [ ].

Like her counterpart , Intendant Kira was played by Nana Visitor .

Of the Intendant, Nana Visitor stated in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? , " It's very much me. I mean, I hope I don't send people to their deaths or anything like that, but yeah, that is more of who I am ." Visitor also described the mirror Kira as " a spoiled brat with an ego gone awry. " Speaking in 1999, she said, " She's interesting because she's Kira , she's got all, you know, it's all the same, everything is exactly the same, except in this other world, her ego's twisted one way, where Kira's twisted another. So where Kira thinks of others, and finds a justification for her life in doing things for other people, the Intendant's justification for life is in doing things for herself. She is completely the most self-involved, self-centered person, she's like a child in that sense, which makes her funny, but in her childish way, she cares so little for other people she thinks nothing of disposing of them, using them, it doesn't matter, which makes her very scary. I walked that line; sometimes I got it right, sometimes I didn't, sometimes she just became diva, sometimes it was very effective. But it was an interesting character to play. " ( Crew Dossier: Kira Nerys , DS9 Season 1 DVD , Special Features)

Speaking about the Intendant's apparent sexual orientation, which is revealed as bisexual in the episodes " Through the Looking Glass " and " The Emperor's New Cloak ", Visitor revealed, " I never intended for the intendant to be bisexual. I think that was an assumption that everyone, including the writers, made after the character fell for Kira in [' Crossover [!] ']. But that had been total narcissism on her part. It had nothing to do with sexuality. I never liked that people took her for bisexual because she's an evil character. There are so few gay characters on TV, and we really don't need an evil one. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? ) Visitor also said, " When she comes over [to the prime universe] and meets Kira, she falls in love with Kira. My intention, always, was that it was pure narcissism. It was simply someone that looked like her, it had nothing to do with it being a woman. But in subsequent episodes, she became, you know, it just didn't matter. I assume, you know, lizards would have been alright with her too. " ( Crew Dossier: Kira Nerys , DS9 Season 1 DVD , Special Features)

The Intendant's provocative uniform was created out of stretch vinyl and included three-and-one-half inch heels. Of the costume, Robert Blackman stated, " If you were to put the two uniforms together, you'd say, 'Well it's kind of a shiny gray version of the rust.' It's not that I've exposed more of her body - it's exposed pretty much the same way it always is. What's the difference? She's the difference. It's how Nana wears it. It's what she does. She walks like a provocative woman, with her legs crossing in front. She uses her hips, and a whole other kind of body English than she normally uses. " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 144)

Reception [ ]

Brian Fuller commented: "...you look at the strength of Kira Nerys, and when you go to the Mirror Universe, you see the explicit queerness of that character in a way that sets up Willow's line from 'Buffy', where she meets her Doppelgänger and was like, 'I think I'm a little queer'. [1]

In 2012, StarTrek.com placed Intendant Kira at number five in a list of the top ten recurring characters in DS9. one-trek-mind-9-top-10-ds9-supporting-characters

In The New Trek Programme Guide , the authors described Intendant Kira " as a flamboyant mixture of Cleopatra and Mae West . "

The Intendant is the only mirror universe character to appear in all five Deep Space Nine episodes dealing with that universe as well as the only mirror universe character to meet his or her primary universe counterpart on screen.

There is an unofficial running gag that The mirror universe version of Kira always seems to kill or order the death (either directly or indirectly via subordinates) of a mirror universe Ferengi in every Deep Space Nine mirror universe episode (with the exception of " Resurrection ", however even though this episode has mirror universe characters it takes place in the prime universe during the entire episode). First, it was Kira ordering Quark 's death in " Crossover ", then it was Rom executed by Elim Garak after torture in " Through the Looking Glass ", then it was personally murdering Nog in " Shattered Mirror ", and finally when she personally murdered Brunt in " The Emperor's New Cloak ". This was never mentioned by the writers but we can assume that since the prime universe of Kira originally at first annoyed the greed, sexism and typical cowardice of the Ferengi race (Especially for her distain for Quark for being a collaborator with the Cardassians on Terok Nor during the Occupation of Bajor ). Although Kira Nerys of the prime universe eventually came to respect the Ferengi she knew - and even grew to care about them - it may have intentionally been written as an in house joke between Kira's previously rocky relationship with the Ferengi.

Apocrypha [ ]

Intendant Kira was killed in the novel Warpath and replaced by the Obsidian Order Agent Iliana Ghemor who was surgically altered to replace Kira in the prime universe. A different author also killed Iliana Ghemor off in The Soul Key . The events between Intendant Kira's last television appearance, and her death are portrayed in the novella Saturn's Children .

External link [ ]

• Kira Nerys (mirror) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

Playing Kira Nerys On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Changed Nana Visitor [Exclusive]

In the latest episode of " Star Trek: Lower Decks ," called "Hear All, Trust Nothing," the U.S.S. Cerritos visits Deep Space Nine, the space station featured in the 1993 "Star Trek" series of the same name. The last audiences had seen of the station was in the final episode of "Deep Space Nine," which aired in 1999. In the timeline of "Star Trek," however, only about seven or eight years had passed since that episode ("DS9" left off in 2375 and "Lower Decks" is currently in 2382 or 2383), meaning the station would look more or less familiar to fans. The Promenade is still in business,  Morn is still drinking at Quark's , and some familiar characters are still living there. Returning to reprise their roles are Armin Shimerman as Quark and Nana Visitor as Col. Kira Nerys. 

Col. Kira, like so much of "Deep Space Nine," was a unique creation in "Star Trek." She was not a Starfleet officer and had no impulses toward protocol the way the relatively upright characters on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" did. Kira was a Bajoran whose planet had been left in ruins by the violent Cardassian military occupation. Kira, during said occupation, committed many violent acts of terrorism as a resistance fighter. She now served as the second in command on Deep Space Nine, eager to aid her planet's reconstruction. 

Kira, however, was the opposite of a Starfleet diplomat, and hated the emerging opportunistic Bajoran theocracy. She hated a lot things. Kira was gruff, annoyed, forthright, determined. 

/Film's Danielle Ryan was able to interview Visitor recently, and she admitted that seven seasons playing Kira transformed her. Indeed, Kira altered Visitor's brain chemistry.

How does aging work in space?

Visitor, rather amusingly, points out that she had no control over the way Kira was to look on the animated "Lower Decks," so she was eager to see how she was to be caricaturized. She also seemingly wasn't entirely clear as to the timeline on "Lower Decks," so she didn't really know how old Kira was meant to be. Very quickly, however, she pointed out that time is kind of fluid on "Star Trek," and any number of spatial phenomena and biological alien quirks could alter someone's age and appearance. The showrunners ultimately selected a look for Kira that more or less matched the way she looked in the final episode of "Deep Space Nine," that is: short haircut and the same uniform. Visitor said:

"I was really interested to see how she would be drawn, how 30 years might look on her if that's what it was. But of course, it's not, it's their own timeline and who knows what space does in terms of all those things anyway. So it was fun that she was really recognizable to me. I enjoyed that."

"Lower Decks" was the first animated "Star Trek" series since 1973, so the experience of being rendered directly in animation is new for many "Trek" actors of this generation. And, seeing as "Lower Decks" exists at least partly to make references to old Trek characters and events, the phenomenon will only expand. To date, likenesses of Visitor, Shimerman, Colm Meaney, Tim Russ, John de Lancie, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, and multiple others have appeared on the show.

Altering brain chemistry

When Ryan asked Visitor about returning to the role years after the fact, Visitor admits that it was the most natural thing in the world. Indeed, she admitted that, in playing the same role for seven seasons of television, she and Kira became very close. After a while, The character's thought processes began to resemble those of Visitor's and, curiously, vice versa. Being Kira allowed Visitor to think about her own thought processes, and she found herself thinking like Kira would. Coming back to the role, then, took no time at all, as she was carrying Kira with her ever since the last time. Visitor said:

"[T]hose seven years were like dog years. One year equals seven years. So I was Kira for 49 years, and she is so ingrained in me. Really, she actually shifted who I was, which makes sense when you think of ... You dropped thoughts in your head, and it actually changes the way your brain synaptically forms. So I was shifted by this character in really good ways, in having to accept foibles and having to self-examine. She did a lot of good for me. So it's joyful for me to step into who she is."

Visitor married her "Deep Space Nine" co-star Alexander Siddig in 1997, and the two had a son together named Django. They divorced in 2001. She and "DS9" co-star Terry Farrell also had asteroids named after them . "Deep Space Nine" has seemingly altered a great deal of Visitor's life. Her last film credit was in Patrick Wang's exhilarating small town epic " A Bread Factory ."

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Published Jan 4, 2011

DS9's Major Kira Nerys - Nana Visitor Part 2

Yesterday, in the first half of our interview with Nana Visitor, the former Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star talked in great detail about her time on the show. Now, in part two of the conversation, Visitor chats about life after Star Trek . Among the topics: her role on Wildfire , the family show created and produced by her DS9 boss and champion, the late Michael Piller ; her decision to stay in New Mexico with her husband, Matthew Rimmer, and her sons Buster and Django, after Wildfire concluded its run; and a question she has for you, the StarTrek.com readers.

What do you think Major Kira is doing now?

Visitor: If I have one regret, it’s that I didn’t have one season at least of running the station. Not that I didn’t want Sisko to never come back. I would assume that he would be an orb and would be there in every sense. But I would have loved to have run the station.

When the show ended, were you excited about the future, scared about what it might hold, both?

Visitor: I was devastated. I was completely devastated. I’m very much a tribal person, and I felt that group was my tribe. I felt that Paramount, by the end of the show, was my home. And I deeply loved my character. I was not ready to give up playing her. My children practically grew up at Paramount. It was very difficult for me to leave. I was in my 40’s, being put out in the world. And if you think about it, I was a Star Trek actor, in my 40’s, female, and it was hard not to think, “This is NOT going to be good.” But, actually, I got to do some of my most satisfying work since then, so there you go. All the clichés and presuppositions you think will rule your life… they don’t always rule your life.

Post- DS9, you landed a recurring role on Dark Angel , realized your lifelong dream of starring on Broadway (in the show Chicago ), made guest shots on Frasier and Battlestar Galactica, and appeared in such films as Mini’s First Time and Swing Vote. But your most significant projects – in terms of film and TV -- were probably Wildfire, Friday the 13th and Family Guy . Tell us a bit about each of those experiences.

Visitor: Michael Piller was once again involving in changing my life. I hated the countryside. I was one of those obnoxious New Yorkers that believed in that poster that shows New York and then absolutely nothing in the middle of the country and then L.A. When I heard that we were going to shoot Wildfire in New Mexico, I was devastated. And for the first two weeks being here, shooting, I thought, “I can’t do this. I can’t be here.” Then something transformative happened and I stopped fighting and I started listening to my environment and to myself. When you’re in this environment, you can’t avoid yourself, and I think I really needed that in my life. So I’d say Wildfire was hugely important because of the location of it and what it’s meant to me. And, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the show, loved the people, loved that Michael hired me again, hated that we lost him so early in our run, and was very proud of the work that we did. But mostly I was thrilled that I discovered that middle of the country that I’d never had enough respect for.

You were the murderous Mrs. Voorhees in the Friday the 13th remake and you’ve provided the voice for several characters on Family Guy …

Visitor: Friday the 13th , to me, is just a memory of discomfort, standing with a knife in the pouring rain. And my start point was in this bed of poison ivy. Then, after I jumped out at the girl from my bed of poison ivy I got to fall down in the sludge mud many times. The only really fun thing was being decapitated. I thoroughly enjoyed that. That was a fascinating process. And in terms of Family Guy, I think I’ve done eight episodes, that or more. You know, whenever Seth MacFarlane calls, I go, because I adore him and he’s one of the major talents I’ve ever worked with, which is saying a lot, because I’ve worked with a lot of amazing people.

Wildfire ended and so as to not uproot Buster and Django, you stayed in New Mexico. Beyond raising the boys, how have you been keeping busy?

Visitor: I do act whenever there’s an opportunity, but something I’ve done, that I love, is I started a dessert business. It’s called Un Petit Morceau . We do all kinds of things and we serve the Village of Corrales, but mostly we’re an Internet business. I came up with a pastry called a bouboulette , and they are intensely flavored pastries with an equally interesting filling in each, like chocolate-cherry chipotle and lavender-Earl Grey-plum, things like that. We’re doing really well. My partner Kim (Montalvo) is a former businesswoman. She’s a neighbor. She started coming over for dinner and we became fast friends. She said, “My God, your food is incredible. We should do something with this while we’re both sitting here in Corrales, in a village with horses and goats and alpacas.” And that’s what we did. We’re now in our second year.

The boys are getting older now. How ready are you to get back in the acting game?

Visitor: I’m there. Now I can. I’ve got much more flexibility. You want to feel like time has passed? Buster is a Marine. Isn’t that wild? So he’s off at Camp Pendleton and Django is a very independent 14-year-old, very interested in alternative music and very into computers, just like Siddig . Actually, it just looks like Siddig spit and there’s Django. It’s exactly Siddig’s DNA.

OK, we’ve heard dogs barking, but what’s that other loud, piercing noise in the background? Is an alarm going off?

Visitor: That is my parrot, Luciano. My sister and I have been doing cooking videos, which really are just the way we are in real life and always have been, being idiots and having fun and giving good recipes and a little advice, with a bit of banter, too. We call ourselves The Kitchen Witches, and you can usually hear Luciano in the background. He wants attention, and that’s what he wants right now, but he’s not going to get it.

If we stopped by to visit you today, would we find any trace of DS9 or Major Kira in your house?

Visitor: No. No, you wouldn’t. Well, it’s funny… This is something I’ve always been careful about. I want to be an actor, a verb, and not an actor, the noun. I don’t want people to know that I’m an actor when they walk in the house. I want them to know that I care about their comfort, that I’m a fine cook, that I love to entertain and that I appreciate beautiful things. But what I do for a living… I don’t want that to be at the forefront. The only place where I have some things – like a big poster of me from when I did Chicago on Broadway, or pictures from shows and movies I’ve done, or a Deep Space Nine comic book with a Kira cover that I absolutely love; it’s her looking sad and weary – is in the laundry room. I have boxes of things that I treasure, that I’ll sometimes look through, but I try very hard, as I said, not to be Gloria Swanson. Really, that’s all about acting being what I do, not who I am.

It’s been a long time since DS9 ended. Do you think at this point you’ve played Major Kira for the last time?

Visitor: That’s what I feel. I never think of playing Major Kira again, but I could and I would in a moment. She’s somebody I had difficulty actually dropping. I had to watch myself so that I wasn’t frightening to people or so that I wasn’t a little aggressive in my own life after playing her for seven years. I had to wean myself off of being Major Kira. So she’s right there. She’s so totally available to me. It would be a joy to play her again and, like I said, it’d be a joy to see her as a mature commander, as a colonel on the station. I’m not counting on it, but I would love it.

Before we let you go, is there something we didn’t ask you that you want to talk about, about Kira or DS9 or anything else?

Visitor: I have a question for the fans. How would Kira have changed post 9/11? If the show was still on in 2001, would they have changed her? And if the show had come on after 9/11, would they even have had the character? That’s a question I have. Kira was called a freedom fighter, but she was a terrorist. So that’s a question I have, and I know it’s a question that makes a lot of people nervous. It’s the biggest question I have, and I wonder what people think.

To read part one of this interview, click here .

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She Played Kira Nerys on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. See Nana Visitor Now at 65.

By Christopher Covello | April 21, 2023

Best known for her role as Major Kira Nerys on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Nana Visitor has accomplished quite a bit over the years.

You’d think she’d show signs of slowing down after nearly five decades in film and television, but she remains going strong.

Between Star Trek, film, television, print, and other media, it seems there’s nothing Nana Visitor can’t do. Let’s look back at some of her biggest career moments and catch up on what she’s up to today!

Acting Career

Nana Visitor began her career in film and television under her real name, Nana Tucker, starting in 1976 with a recurring role on TV series Ivan the Terrible. She would appear briefly in the feature film The Sentinel one year later as well.

In 1978, she would land a regular role in the soap opera Ryan’s Hope, appearing in 79 episodes total.

This would become Visitor’s most substantial role for over a decade, as the ‘80s only offered guest appearances and minor recurring roles on a handful of shows including The Doctors, The Colbys, MacGyver, and more. It was during this period she officially changed her billing name from Nana Tucker to Nana Visitor.

Visitor would finally land a main cast role in 1990 as Bryn Newhouse on situation comedy Working Girl, starring Sandra Bullock as the lead, but the show was canceled after one season.

In 1993, more than fifteen years after her first film cred, she finally was cast in the defining role of her career on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine aired in 1993, coming hot off the heels of The Next Generation which set precedents for the franchise.

Over seven seasons, DS9 aired 176 episodes, 173 of which included Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys, a former freedom fighter turned Starfleet First Officer and Commander Benjamin Sisko’s second-in-command.

Up to this point, Star Trek fans were accustomed to soft-spoken female characters like Dr. Beverly Crusher and Counselor Deanna Troi.

Because of her character’s former affiliation with the Bajoran resistance against Cardassian occupation, Visitor chose to play the character with more intensity and toughness, traits viewers associated with male characters in the early ‘90s, which led to negative criticism from fans and critics alike.

The producers took note of the negative feedback and told Visitor that she was playing the role too gruff and “walking like John Wayne.”

Visitor did not want to change the character’s demeanor, but offered the suggestion of having Major Nerys wear heels to feminize her gait.

The producers accepted the suggestion, and Visitor would go on to portray the same character with the same “male” personality traits but, now wearing high heels, viewers, critics, and production were all more accepting of it.

Despite the initial criticism, Visitor’s portrayal of Kira Nerys earned her four OFTA (Online Film & Television Association) nominations, three OFTA Television Awards for Best Actress in a Syndicated Series, and one Universe Reader’s Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Genre TV Series between 1995 and 1999.

As it would turn out, Deep Space Nine wasn’t Visitor’s only interest in portraying characters in a Star Trek series.

While DS9 was still on the air, Paramount Pictures commissioned a new series entitled Voyager to serve as the flagship series for its new network UPN.

Production went well until the lead actress, Geneviève Bujold, quit the job after a few long days on set.

This left the lead role of Captain Kathryn Janeway wide open, and Visitor was eager for the chance to portray another strong female character on a Star Trek series.

Visitor pitched her idea to producer Rick Berman to simultaneously portray Kira Nerys and Captain Janeway, but Berman gave her a firm no.

What did Nana Visitor do after Deep Space Nine?

After DS9 wrapped, Visitor went back to her usual occasional guest appearance, popping up in single episodes of shows like Frasier, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Battlestar Galactica. She also appeared in six episodes of James Cameron’s sci-fi drama Dark Angel.

In 2005, Visitor landed her next big role as Jean Ritter on ABC Family series Wildfire.

The show revolved around lead character Kris, played by Genevieve Cortese, who leaves a teen detention center to work on a family-run ranch, owned by the Ritters, due to her special bond with the titular horse Wildfire.

Wildfire aired for four seasons and 52 total episodes, all of which Visitor appeared in.

After Wildfire, Visitor appeared as a guest on various TV shows, including Torchwood, Grimm, and Castle, lent her voice to twelve episodes of the popular cartoon Family Guy, and landed minor roles in films like Friday the 13th and Ted 2.

What is Nana Visitor doing now?

Most recently, Visitor reprised her role as Colonel Kira Nerys on the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks on an episode entitled “Hear All, Trust Nothing.”

In the episode, the crew of the USS Cerritos are called to the space station Deep Space Nine to assist in trade negotiations.

In addition to Visitor, Armin Shimerman reprises his role as the shady bartender Quark, who is abducted during an unexpected power outage during the episode.

Visitor will appear in two upcoming films as well. The first, entitled Six Feet Apart, tells the story of two single people living in Los Angeles who are matched on a dating site one year prior to COVID.

Visitor will play a character named Sharon, and the film is in post production as of December 2022. 

The second upcoming film featuring Nana Visitor is a 14-minute short called The Dinner Party. No details regarding when and where to watch the short have been released so far.

A Woman’s Trek: From Uhura to Burnham

In 2021, Visitor announced that she was working on a book entitled A Woman’s Trek: From Uhura to Burnham. 

The book will feature interviews with actresses from every Star Trek series, from the 1960s to the present day, to uncover intimate details of the experience, including all the good, the bad, and the very ugly truths that have not been brought to light previously.

Visitor is also filming the interviews, considering creating a documentary of the content as well. The book is currently expected to release in September 2023.

Star Trek After Star Trek

Just because Deep Space Nine wrapped decades ago, the show, cast, and character still remain near and dear to Visitor’s heart.

Recently, in September 2022, Visitor joined fellow cast mates Colm Meaney and Terry Farrel in a miniature roundtable reunion hosted by IGN.

She also appears at Star Trek conventions regularly and plans to be present on the Star Trek Cruise in February 2023.

For $100 on Cameo, Visitor will send a personal message from Kira Nerys herself.

Social Media and Podcast

Outside of her career as a Hollywood actress and Star Trek alumnus, Visitor maintains a social media presence on Instagram and hosts a podcast with her son, Django, in which the two share “candid conversation” and pre-dinner drinks covering everything and anything going on in the world.

On her Instagram, @visitornana , Visitor goes by Mama Nana and provides motherly advice to her nearly 20,000 followers.

Her podcast, called Sunday Dinner with Nana Visitor and Django El Siddig , is available on Spotify.

Personal Life

Between 1989 and 1994, Visitor was married to fellow actor Nick Miscusi. The two had a son together, Buster Miscusi, prior to divorcing.

After the divorce, Visitor began dating her co-star, Alexander Siddig , and the two were married in June 1997. Prior to this, Visitor became pregnant and the Deep Space Nine writers and producers looked for a way to incorporate the pregnancy into the show’s plot.

They found their way to include the pregnancy in the penultimate episode of Season 4, “Body Parts,” which found Dr. Julian Bashir, played by Siddig, transferring another character’s child into Kira Nerys’ womb to save the baby’s life.

The pregnancy was incorporated into Deep Space Nine’s plot until Season 5 episode “The Begotten” which featured the child’s birth. In real life, Visitor’s second son, Django El Tahir El Siddig, was born in September 1996.

Visitor and Siddig would divorce in April 2001, and Visitor began dating film writer Matthew Rimmer in 2002. Visitor and Rimmer were wed in 2003 and have been together ever since.

Kidnapping/Sexual Assault 

Visitor struggled with PTSD from an assault that took place in 1994 where she was the victim of a brutal kidnapping and sexual assault.

She described in detailed her ordeal on the Gates McFadden podcast .

The actress was driving home from the set of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine one night, when she was followed by home and abducted by two men at gunpoint. She revealed that the two men stuffed her in the passenger seat leg area and took her to a secluded place

They had me tied and on my knees in a bush, facing a bush while they talked about what they were going to do with my body. They were going to dump it out near Las Vegas. And I was shaking so hard. I went, okay, this is it. I’m going to die. This is it.

The kidnappers took her back to her house, where her child was sleeping, hog-tied her and ransacked the house. She remembers that one attacker rummaged through her belongings while the other one held her at gunpoint, and even going so far as to eat a cookie that she had baked and played with her dog.

After some time, her attackers put a pillow of her head and left.

Her two attackers were eventually caught and given multiple life sentences with the kidnapping being an aggravating factor in their sentencing.

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About Christopher Covello

Christopher Covello is a professional freelancer and published author. He writes copy, content, and SEO-focused material in various niches including music, entertainment, fitness, video games, business, travel, pet care, and eCommerce. More from Christopher

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Odo-Kira Relationship Wasn't Planned

"Star Trek" has long been known as a bastion of tolerance, understanding, and unintended or unplanned relationships and dynamics between its characters. This is because the performance of actors can paint a completely different picture than what is written simply from mannerisms, facial expression, and tone. However, a good writer and showrunner will know how to read the proverbial tea leaves, and it looks like "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" never intended to have Odo (René Auberjonois) and Kira (Nan Visitor) develop such a potent relationship.

Speaking with the official Star Trek website , Auberjonois was asked directly about the dynamic between Kira and his character, and he replied that he knew for a fact that the showrunners never intended or anticipated their relationship. Auberjonois then brought up the Season 2 episode "Necessary Evil," where it is revealed that Kira has been involved with a murder. He added, "I can't remember the exact words of how they described him looking at her, but it was clear that he understood that this person who was his only real friend on the station has betrayed him in some way. I don't know what it was that I did or if it was how it was shot, but the next day, when they were looking at the dailies, the writers said, 'Oh my God, look, Odo loves Kira.'"

Auberjonois and Visitor loved working with each other professionally

René Auberjonois continued, "And they went with that. Both Nana and I, when that started to become a theme, went, 'What? Oh my God, look at that. Isn't that interesting?' Ours is not to question why as actors. So we went with it. We loved working with each other, Nana and I. We still love working with each other. We have tremendous respect for each other as actors and we're very comfortable working with each other."

What's interesting about Odo and Kira is that both come from an alien species that are not only apprehensive about the intentions of the Federation, but also of each other. This is because Odo is a Changeling and Kira is a Bajoran. Changelings are essentially amorphous blobs in their natural state, and he was cruelly experimented on by Bajorans. Likewise, Kira is actually a resistance fighter who once battled the Cardassians when they occupied her home planet, and later becomes one of the highest ranking officers on the space station Deep Space Nine. Still, Odo and Kira are definitely one of the most unique interpersonal relationships in "Deep Space Nine," with some of their episodes being a part of the highest rated episodes on IMDb , and it shows that opposites really do attract — even in the farthest reaches of space.

1 Star Trek Episode Made DS9's Showrunner Say: I Am A Moron

• DS9's "Meridian" was a Star Trek take on Brigadoon, but faced budget and production challenges.
• Ira Steven Behr called himself a "moron" for pitching the episode idea based on Brigadoon.
• Despite its reputation, "Meridian" had strong character moments, especially for Terry Farrell and Avery Brooks.

One episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was so poorly received among the production team that Ira Steven Behr called himself a " moron " for even considering the story idea. DS9 season 3, episode 8, "Meridian" was pitched as " Star Trek does Brigadoon " in reference to the Gene Kelly movie musical. In Brigadoon , Tommy Albright (Kelly) stumbles into a Scottish village that only appears once every 200 years, where he falls in love with Fiona Campbell (Cyd Charisse). Directed by Jonathan Frakes , DS9 's "Meridian", the USS Defiant discovers a planet that only appears every 60 years.

In Star Trek: DS9 's version of Brigadoon , Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) is the Deep Space Nine character who plays the Gene Kelly role. In "Meridian", Dax falls in love with Deral (Brett Cullen), but is unable to stay with him when the planet phases out of her home dimension. There's some strong material for Terry Farrell and Avery Brooks to play, but ultimately the DS9 team were disappointed with how "Meridian" turned out . In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , Ira Steven Behr took the blame for the episode's failings, explaining:

I love Brigadoon so Im idiot enough to say, Lets do an episode based on Brigadoon, I am a moron

1 Star Trek: DS9 Episode Was So Complex That Every Writer Worked On It

It takes a village to bring Star Trek to life, but one particularly difficult episode of Deep Space Nine season 3 was truly a team effort.

Why Star Trek: DS9s Meridian Caused Ira Steven Behr To Say I Am A Moron

Brigadoon was a Hollywood studio picture with a budget of $3.019 million, which was a lot of money back in 1954. For perspective, when adjusted for inflation (via Federal Reserve Bank Minneapolis ), Brigadoon 's budget would be over $34 million in 2024. Quite simply, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did not have anywhere near this level of budget per episode, meaning that "Meridian" could never hope to replicate Brigadoon . As Ira Steven Behr noted in Captain's Log Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Voyages :

"...to make that show really work, we would have needed another $200,000 for opticals."

Visual effects' supervisor Glenn Neufeld echoes Ira Steven Behr's assessment , recounting the " horrendous " session they endured trying to make the inhabitants of Meridian phase out of existence in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion . The book recounts how difficult "Meridian" was in terms of writing and visual production. Ronald D Moore doesn't think "anyone likes [Meridian] ", while Hilary Bader reveals it's the least favorite of the Star Trek episodes she worked on. 30 years after it aired, is "Meridian" really as bad as the production team thinks it is, and is Ira Steven Behr's " moron " insult justified?

To realize the planet of "Meridian", the production team hired a 270-degree backdrop from another movie musical, Mary Poppins .

Is Star Trek: DS9s Brigadoon Episode Really All That Bad?

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 8, "Meridian" is nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests . While the episode definitely has its technical shortcomings, there is some strong character material for the regulars. Firstly, "Meridian" features an enjoyable comedy subplot involving the sleazy alien Tiron, played by Jeffrey Combs in his first-ever Star Trek appearance. The increasingly elaborate attempts by Quark (Armin Shimerman) to acquire a holo-image of Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) lift the slower material taking place on Meridian itself.

Jeffrey Combs' role in "Meridian" meant that he spent a lot of time with Rene Auberjonois, who would later cast the actor as Liquidator Brunt in "Family Business".

However, even though the main plot for Jadzia Dax in "Meridian" is quite flat and unengaging, there's still some terrific material for Terry Farrell to perform. The scene in which Jadzia and Sisko discuss her decision to stay behind with Deral is genuinely moving. By this point in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Terry Farrell and Avery Brooks have incredible chemistry together, and that helps to lift one of season 3's weaker episodes. It just goes to show that Ira Steven Behr's assessment of himself as a " moron " is too harsh, as even the weakest episodes of Star Trek have at least one aspect - like performances - to recommend it.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Cast Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Rene Auberjonois, Nicole de Boer, Michael Dorn, Andrew Robinson, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig

Release Date January 3, 1993

Genres Drama, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

Network CBS

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller, Ronald D. Moore

Showrunner Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller

Rating TV-PG

Where To Watch Paramount+

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Wrongs Darker than Death or Night

• Episode aired Apr 1, 1998

After receiving some disturbing information from Gul Dukat, Major Kira seeks Sisko's approval as Emissary to travel back in time to find out the truth about her mother. After receiving some disturbing information from Gul Dukat, Major Kira seeks Sisko's approval as Emissary to travel back in time to find out the truth about her mother. After receiving some disturbing information from Gul Dukat, Major Kira seeks Sisko's approval as Emissary to travel back in time to find out the truth about her mother.

• Jonathan West
• Gene Roddenberry
• Rick Berman
• Michael Piller
• Avery Brooks
• Rene Auberjonois
• Michael Dorn
• 11 User reviews
• 4 Critic reviews

• Captain Benjamin 'Ben' Sisko

• Constable Odo

• Lt. Cmdr. Worf

• Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax

• (credit only)

• Chief Miles O'Brien

• Doctor Julian Bashir

• Major Kira Nerys

• (as Tim deZarn)

• Station Computer Voice
• (as Judi Durand)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia The term "comfort women" was used by the Japanese during World War II, for Chinese, Korean and Phillipine women forced to be sex slaves for their soldiers.
• Goofs When Kira is sent back in time, she arrives with a new set of clothes and different hairstyle but the same large earring on her right ear. In Bajoran culture, that earring is very personal and denotes identity and family history. Seeing her with it would give away her identity to the family members she sees in the past, or at least raise their curiosity about how she has a symbol of their family.

Kira Taban : [in a recorded message to his wife, who has become a Cardassian comfort woman] Meru, I hope the Cardassians aren't lying to me, and that they really will send this message to you. I know it's only been a few weeks that we've been back home; but you should see the children. It's like they've been transformed. Reon and Pohl are laughing and playing together; they've never been happier. And I swear, little Nerys must have gained five pounds. Of course, they keep asking for you. I've told them that you're still at the refugee center. I think that's best, at least for the time being. I can't believe how much I miss you. I think about you all the time. You've saved all our lives. I hope you realize that. Never forget it, not even for an instant. Every day, I pray to the Prophets that you'll find some peace in this new life of yours. I believe that even in the worst of times, we can still find moments of joy and kindness. If you can find that kindness, hold on to it. And remember, no matter what happens, I love you, Meru. I'll always love you.

• Connections Features Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Crossover (1994)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Main Title (uncredited) Written by Dennis McCarthy Performed by Dennis McCarthy

User reviews 11

• Jun 1, 2023
• April 1, 1998 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 47 minutes

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Recasting star trek: ds9 for a movie reboot.

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Star Trek: DS9 Had A Totally Different Concept For Dax

Major kira's best star trek ds9 episodes, star trek: ds9 never punished quark for an unforgivable crime.

• A DS9 movie reboot could explore Dominion War with a trilogy, but casting may face challenges due to a large ensemble cast, and the love for the original actors.
• Actors like Asante Blackk, Brian Gleeson, and Daryl McCormack are great options for roles in a DS9 movie reboot.
• Cast options such as Jodie Comer, Winston Duke, and Elisabeth Moss bring versatility and experience to iconic DS9 characters.

In a world where J.J. Abrams' Star Trek: The Original Series reboot led to other shows getting the same treatment, which stars would be cast in a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine movie? Given that DS9 was the show that pioneered serialization in Star Trek TV shows, it would be hard to boil the story of Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) into one movie . However, where the Kelvin Timeline movies were effectively big-screen episodic Star Trek , a trilogy of movies could give DS9 's Dominion War the theatrical treatment.

Another huge challenge facing a hypothetical Star Trek: Deep Space Nine movie reboot would be the show's enormous ensemble. The cast of Deep Space Nine is one of the largest in the Star Trek franchise, meaning that a movie reboot may have to make the difficult decision to excise some beloved supporting characters. Thankfully, this is a hypothetical scenario for now, and the recasting of this DS9 movie reboot will stick to the regular cast and some of the bigger recurring characters in Deep Space Nine .

Recasting Star Trek: The Next Generation For A Movie Reboot

If Star Trek: The Next Generation got the reboot treatment, who would play Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D?

10 Asante Blackk as Jake Sisko

Originally played by cirroc lofton.

As this is a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine movie reboot, it's possible to skip a few years of Jake Sisko's life so that he's a young man. Some of the best Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) episodes of DS9 in later seasons were emotionally demanding stories about grief and trauma. Any attempt to adapt episodes like "The Visitor" or "Nor the Battle to the Strong" would require a young actor who could handle such powerful themes. Asante Blackk is one such actor who could pull off the darker Jake Sisko stories , given his roles in shows like This Is Us and the recent movie Story Ave .

Asante Blackk's most powerful performance, however, was his heartbreaking role in Ava DuVernay's powerful miniseries When They See Us . Blackk played Kevin Richardson, one of the Central Park Five, the group of teenagers wrongfully convicted of a brutal attack on a jogger. When They See Us ' entire young cast were extraordinary, but there's something about Asante Blackk's quiet vulnerability that makes him a good fit for Jake Sisko in any Star Trek: Deep Space Nine reboot.

When They See Us also starred Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's William Sadler in the role of Detective Michael Sheehan.

9 Brian Gleeson as Chief O'Brien

Originally played by colm meaney.

In many ways, Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) was the heart of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Unlike Star Trek 's many Starfleet officers, O'Brien was a hard-working family man, and was seen by the writers as an audience identification figure. DS9 's writers decided that O'Brien must suffer because they knew that the audience would feel it more due to Colm Meaney's everyman performance. Irish actor Brian Gleeson excelled as a working father out of his depth in Apple TV+'s Bad Sisters , which proves how good he would be at playing Chief O'Brien.

Beyond the Irish connection, Brian Gleeson and Colm Meaney both excel at playing everyman figures, and both have terrific comic timing. Brian Gleeson's titular role in Frank of Ireland is a terrific example of the actor's comic chops . Gleeson also has prior experience with huge sci-fi franchises, having recently appeared in The Mandalorian as Brendol Hux. Brian Gleeson's comic skills, his everyman charm, and his Irishness make him a perfect successor to Colm Meaney's legacy.

Colm Meaney’s Best 10 Acting Roles (Including Star Trek: DS9’s Chief O’Brien)

DS9's Colm Meaney is one of the best actors to appear in Star Trek and these brilliant roles display the depths of the iconic Chief O'Brien star.

8 Daryl McCormack as Dr. Julian Bashir

Originally played by alexander siddig.

Daryl McCormack's terrific chemistry with Brian Gleeson in Bad Sisters makes him an ideal choice to play Dr. Julian Bashir in a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine movie reboot. O'Brien and Bashir are best friends in DS9 , and the complicated relationship between McCormack and Gleeson's characters in Bad Sisters bears similarities . Half-brothers connected by their father's financial mistakes, Matthew and Thomas Claffin had a rocky road, but were bonded by the end of the series, not unlike Bashir and O'Brien's relationship in DS9 's early years.

Daryl McCormack starred in Pixie , which also featured Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Colm Meaney as Dermot O'Brien.

Alexander Siddig always played Dr. Julian Bashir in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine with a youthful enthusiasm and awkward charm . Daryl McCormack has this in spades in the movie Good Luck To You , Leo Grande, but also in Bad Sisters , in which he embarks on an awkward relationship with one of the sisters under investigation. McCormack is also able to show the grit and determination with which Julian approaches medical and ethical dilemmas in DS9, as seen in the gripping mystery series, The Woman in the Wall .

7 Jodie Comer as Lt. Jadzia Dax

Originally played by terry farrell.

Jodie Comer is a hugely talented and versatile actress who gave a memorably chameleonic performance as Villanelle in Killing Eve . Comer's ability to play multiple aspects of Villanelle's character makes her the perfect choice to play Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's beloved Trill character, Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell). Casting Jodie Comer would allow a DS9 movie to change how Jadzia uses the experiences of every Dax host . Rather than use their experiences to dispense advice to her fellow crew, Comer's Dax could bring subtle changes that hint at the characteristics of Jadzia's predecessors.

Terry Farrell was incredibly confident and charismatic as Jadzia Dax throughout Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Jodie Comer is also an incredibly charming performer, who has an incredible level of confidence as an actor. From a genre perspective, Comer is just as capable of performing in high-concept sci-fi blockbusters like Free Guy as she is in more serious, low-key science fiction like The End We Start From . All of which makes her the perfect actress to take on the role of Jadzia Dax in any DS9 recast.

Before creating DS9's beloved Jadzia Dax, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine planned for a different alien species to fulfil the role of science officer.

6 Winston Duke as Lt. Commander Worf

Originally played by michael dorn.

Michael Dorn's Worf is one of Star Trek 's best-loved characters, and its longest-serving. It would therefore be incredibly daunting for any actor to take on the role in a reboot movie. Technically, a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine reboot movie could simply avoid using Worf, given that he doesn't appear until season 4. However, Worf's integral to the story of the Dominion War and its effect on the Klingon Empire . As for who would play Worf in such a movie, a recast DS9 movie could do a lot worse than Black Panther 's Winston Duke as Star Trek 's favorite Klingon.

Winston Duke played M'Baku in both Black Panther movies, and his performance as the second most powerful warrior in Wakanda is a great audition for Worf. Winston Duke is also very funny, and can easily shift gears from exaggerated bombast to deadpan humor. There are shades of this in the Black Panther movies, but he's also incredibly funny in The Fall Guy , too. In Star Trek , Worf is a great warrior, who is also unwittingly hilarious, making Winston Duke an ideal casting.

Winston Duke played Hawk, the role originated by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Avery Brooks, in the 2020 movie Spenser .

5 Elisabeth Moss as Major Kira Nerys

Originally played by nana visitor.

In shows like Top of the Lake , The Handmaid's Tale , and more recently, The Veil , Elisabeth Moss excels at playing brittle women who take action against injustice. Each of these Elisabeth Moss roles feels like good trial runs for playing hardened war veteran, and former freedom fighter, Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . In The Handmaid's Tale , Moss plays June Osborne, who resists the patriarchal and oppressive state of Gilead. DS9 's Major Kira also took part in a resistance movement, fighting back against the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor .

Many of the best Major Kira episodes in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine center around her reconciling her violent past. In Jane Campion's miniseries Top of the Lake and its sequel China Girl , Moss played Robin Griffin, a female detective struggling to put her dark and traumatic past behind her. Based on her previous roles, Elisabeth Moss could bring the required edge to the role of Major Kira in a DS9 movie , perhaps even pushing the character into darker territory.

A breakthrough Bajoran hero, Major Kira Nerys' arc in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was one of the most nuanced in all of Star Trek.

4 Matt Smith as Constable Odo

Originally played by rene auberjonois.

Matt Smith has the perfect face to play Constable Odo in a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine reboot, but that's not the only reason he'd be a good successor to the late, great, Rene Auberjonois. Matt Smith's physicality as a performer has been referred to as being like both a drunken giraffe and a baby gazelle by former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat. That awkward physicality would be perfect to play Deep Space Nine 's Changeling , who has never been able to fully master the humanoid form.

Odo's awkwardness and detachment is not unlike Matt Smith's portrayal of the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who . Smith's Doctor always had an edge, and often kept secrets from his companion. Smith's mastery of the Doctor's insular nature is perfect for playing Odo in a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine movie reboot. Having spent years on Doctor Who before starring in House of the Dragon , Matt Smith is no stranger to the rigors of working with visual effects on genre shows.

3 Joe Lo Truglio as Quark

Originally played by armin shimerman.

Best known as Detective Charles Boyle in Brooklyn Nine-Nine , Joe Lo Truglio would be excellent casting as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Quark . Although he was overtly a comedy character, Armin Shimerman played Quark with nuance, tapping into the Ferengi bartender's more vulnerable side from time to time. With Boyle on Brooklyn Nine-Nine , Joe Lo Truglio did something very similar. By far one of the show's weirdest, most overtly comic characters, the audience grows to love Boyle due to Lo Truglio's winning performance.

Boyle in Brooklyn Nine-Nine doesn't have Quark's villainous edge, but he has played slightly scuzzier characters. Francis the Driver in Superbad , for example, had a weird energy to him, due to an outstanding warrant for a " totally non-violent crime ." The way that Francis tries to negotiate with the boys to stay out of prison and also supply them with booze is hilarious, and utterly sleazy. Perfect, therefore, for playing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Quark.

Quark committed various crimes during Star Trek: DS9, but one particular indiscretion was so severe that it's lack of consequences feels wrong.

2 Daniel Kaluuya as Captain Benjamin Sisko

Originally played by avery brooks.

Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya would make an excellent Captain Benjamin Sisko in a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine movie. DS9 's Avery Brooks was a powerhouse performer, capable of some astonishing tonal gear shifts. Kaluuya's Oscar-winning role as civil rights activist Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah showed the actor's ability to deliver empassioned and powerful speeches, and draws comparisons with Avery Brooks' own pre- DS9 career . Prior to playing Sisko, Brooks had played actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson on-stage, and Brooks' politics inflected some of DS9 's very best episodes.

Just like Avery Brooks, Daniel Kaluuya is a commanding screen presence who knows exactly how quiet or how loud to pitch his performance . Daniel Kaluuya is also no stranger to genre TV or movies, having worked with horror director Jordan Peele on Get Out and Nope after early roles in Doctor Who and cult sitcom Psychoville . Daniel Kaluuya's versatility as an actor, and his critical acclaim would make him a great leading man for any Star Trek: Deep Space Nine movie reboot.

1 Jon Hamm as Gul Dukat

Originally played by marc alaimo.

The crucial thing about Marc Alaimo in DS9 was that he played Gul Dukat as someone who didn't see himself as the villain. Gul Dukat was a vain and malevolent villain, who genuinely believed that he was a good man. That kind of complexity is something that has defined Jon Hamm's best dramatic roles from Mad Men to Fargo . Given that Jon Hamm previously wanted to play Mr Sinister in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he's clearly comfortable with the idea of donning heavy alien prosthetic make-up.

Jon Hamm's defining role of his career so far is Don Draper in Mad Men , who had a deeply complex and problematic relationship with the women in his life. If Jon Hamm brought some of that to the role, he could perfectly tap into what made Gul Dukat Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's best villain. Like Don Draper, Gul Dukat does have a degree of charm and charisma to him, but there's always an edge and a darkness that hint both characters are never too far from descending into outright villainy.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.