this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2026
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[–] thebardingreen@lemmy.starlightkel.xyz 6 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Armin Shimmerman was just as good as Principal Snyder as he was as Quark.

I met him at a convention once and got him sign a letter as Principal Snyder, suspending my friend (who's a huge Buffy fan) from Sunnydale High and threatening to expel her. He read it and thought it was hilarious.

[–] Kirk@startrek.website 3 points 17 hours ago

That's an awesome story and I agree he was great in that role.

[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 9 points 21 hours ago

There's a an admiral in Star Trek Beyond that looked familiar, I had to look it up and it's Shohreh Aghdashloo. A forgettable role, only noteworthy because I recognized the actor.

She plays Avasarala in The Expanse. Total powerhouse performance.

[–] sanzky@beehaw.org 8 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (2 children)

Whoopi Goldberg for The Color Purple.

Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once

Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

[–] outerspace@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Michelle Yeoh in everything

[–] sanzky@beehaw.org 2 points 1 hour ago

*almost everything (you forgot about section 31?)

[–] SiliconAvatar@startrek.website 3 points 19 hours ago

Oh hell yes for Louise Fletcher...!

[–] sanzky@beehaw.org 4 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

curiously, the podcast "the incomparable" made an episode exactly about this topic (more specifically, performances before their trek appearances ) https://www.theincomparable.com/theincomparable/823/

[–] Kirk@startrek.website 2 points 19 hours ago

Oh fun I will have to check it out

[–] Dippy@beehaw.org 7 points 1 day ago

Brent Spiner was brilliant in Master of Disguise, a phenomenal movie

[–] AnchoriteMagus@sh.itjust.works 72 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Walter Koenig was a great Chekov, but his role as Bester the PsyCop from Babylon 5 was a more nuanced role that gave him way more to do.

Bester was so great. Great vilain

[–] astronaut_sloth@mander.xyz 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I came here to say this. I first saw Walter Koenig as Chekov, but I really loved him as Bester. I've heard that he lights up when people bring up Bester at conventions and such.

Can confirm. I was an avid 90s Star Trek convention attendee, and got to hear a couple quick Bab5 anecdotes from him years ago.

[–] i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

Bester still gives me the creeps.

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[–] mercano@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Andreas Katsulas had a recurring role as Commander Tomalak on TNG, but he absolutely shone as G’Kar on Babylon 5, especially in later seasons.

TIL Tomalak was G'Kar. I don't know how I didn't know.

[–] crimson_iris@piefed.social 6 points 1 day ago

He gave me goosebumps in several scenes, especially this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJmuHNDcXLQ

[–] Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world 31 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Karl Urban was an okay Dr. McCoy, but the 157 different roles he played on Xena Warrior Princess was where he really shined the brightest.

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 10 points 1 day ago

I honestly enjoyed him more in Dredd (where he had to do more with less) than in Star Trek.

[–] okwhateverdude@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

TIL!

Really only a handful, but that hilarious he had a few characters

[–] justaman123@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago

He really did have range with them. I watched Xena when I was a kid, and I had no idea they were the same actor

[–] cybervseas@lemmy.world 7 points 23 hours ago

Jeffrey Combs must have been busy.

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Damn, nearly did not recognize Keating, his performance in that gif gives heavy David Tennant to me.

[–] Kirk@startrek.website 2 points 22 hours ago

He should have won best actor for his performance as "Ian" in Jungle 2 Jungle.

[–] SiliconAvatar@startrek.website 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It would be easy to just gesture vaguely at all of Sir Patrick Stewart's career. But your question was about better performances than in Trek, and I actually think he did an excellent Picard during the original TNG run. Not quite a hot take, I know.

However, for a double off-Trek billing, I suggest Green room (2015) where he plays against Anton Yelchin among others. It's a pretty taut little thriller about a punk band on the road that realise to their horror that their gig for the night is at a neonazi club out in the sticks. It goes downhill from there.

[–] Mediocre_Bard_Redeux@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh fuck yeah. That movie was wild and Sir Patrick Stewart delivered a truly evil performance.

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[–] Zephorah@discuss.online 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Mulgrew. Flemeth. (Kidding).

Levar Burton will always be reading rainbow guy, no matter what he does.

Zachary Quinto. Silar. One of the better villains, until the writers went on strike and the show fell off the rails. Granted, this likely just marks the man’s range as an actor.

John Cho. The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.

Koenig. Bester.

You could argue that everything Stewart does is equally well done. Scrooge. X. Gurney.

[–] ValueSubtracted@startrek.website 28 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Bakula on "Quantum Leap"

Eve Harlow on "Agents of SHIELD"

[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There’s an episode of Scrubs where Bakula plays a janitor and secretly wants to leap back as a little Easter egg

Also, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

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[–] Kojichan@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Definitely Scott Bakula.

At the same time, I'm getting the feeling they weren't given the greatest scripts or directors to work with on Enterprise.

I was excited to see where Archer and Malcom would go with their characters, but now they've been distilled too far into an angry little men.

I get the reasoning, but come on. Malcom's a complete wanker past season 3, and Archer's face never changes beyond "It's all about the mission!"

Conversely, I believe Robert Picardo nails his hammy characterization of The Doctor perfectly.

[–] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

I love the fact that even still with shows like Prodigy or Academy, he’s still willing to show up with that trademark EMH snark

[–] ruuster13@lemmy.zip 17 points 1 day ago

Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act II

[–] nullPointer@programming.dev 18 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Jeff Combs was excellent in "The Frighteners"

[–] Tattorack@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago

Jeff Combs in Transformers Prime, voice of Ratchet. He did some excellent voice delivery as that character.

[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Jeff Combs was excellent in everything, though.

[–] lividweasel@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

Jeff Combs was ~~excellent~~ in everything, though.

[–] SiliconAvatar@startrek.website 7 points 1 day ago (4 children)

And Re-animator, and Castle freak. He has a very good track record in a certain subset of horror movies!

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[–] SteleTrovilo@beehaw.org 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 2 points 10 hours ago

Benny in the behind-the-scenes footage from The Hobbit in his mo-cap suit.

[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think Patrick Stewart was pretty great in that episode of Extras.

[–] SteleTrovilo@beehaw.org 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Any of his roles are awesome, but I'd hold McCoy up there with the rest. I believed he was the doctor. Criticize the script for lines and actions, but Karl nailed the mannerisms. As he always does. He's got a Gary Oldman ability to become something different every time.

[–] astronaut_sloth@mander.xyz 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

100% agree. Of all of the Kelvin cast, he felt like Bones. Karl Urban was a fantastic casting decision.

[–] dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 18 hours ago

Karl Urban is ALWAYS a fantastic casting decision!

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