Stars From Star Trek You Didn't Know Died

"Star Trek" has been a cultural phenomenon since the moment it was first put on the air. The original series garnered huge numbers of fans, most of whom were incredibly disappointed when NBC canceled the show in 1969. Despite all the fans who loved it, "Star Trek" wasn't cutting it in the ratings. Still, people loved the cast and crew of the USS Enterprise so much that they held conventions, lobbied the network, and effectively reignited "Star Trek" fandom, bringing it back from broadcast oblivion.

The main reason people loved the series enough to push for the creation of what ultimately became a massive franchise was the people. The cast included a plethora of incredibly talented actors of stage and screen, from the Captain's chair all the way down to a random Redshirt killed on an away mission. The people who cast "Star Trek" clearly knew what they were doing, and their expertise continued in every movie, live-action, and animated series that followed.

Because "Star Trek" has been around since 1966, many of the talented people who brought their characters to life have been "beamed up," so to speak. Countless actors have died since they appeared in a film or "Star Trek" series over the years, making a list of all of them rather cumbersome. Instead, this list features some players who took on key roles over the years, many of whom you may not realize have died.

Vulcans have long been a significant race in the "Star Trek" franchise, thanks to Leonard Nimoy's brilliant portrayal of Mr. Spock. There weren't many Vulcans in the original series, making the few who did show up incredibly important. That's certainly true of Surak, the father of Vulcan's philosophical embrace of logic over emotions. He's arguably the most important Vulcan in the species' history. Surak appeared in a single episode titled "The Savage Curtain" and was played by Barry Atwater. Other actors in various series have since portrayed the character.

Atwater's career began in 1954 when he appeared in an episode of "Gunsmoke." He continued to appear in numerous television series and some films before appearing on "Star Trek." He's probably best known for his work in "General Hospital," "The Hard Man," "The Story of Lynn Stuart," "The Night Stalker," and "The True Story of Jesse James." His work earned him significant praise and helped him gain top billing in episodes of "The Outer Limits" and many other series. He was also a talented stage actor, having appeared in theatrical productions throughout his career.

Atwater's work began to slow down in the 1970s due to a diagnosis and treatment of cancer. His cancer became terminal, and he died of a stroke in May 1978. Atwater celebrated his 60th birthday nine days before his death. Allegations of steroid use plagued his life for years, and some believed it to be a contributing factor in his death.

"Star Trek" has a complex lore that extends far into the past and future, thanks to some time travel shenanigans. Because of this, several characters are considered significant to the overarching themes. Sarak is one such character for the Vulcans, while for the humans of Earth, you can't find a more prominent figure than Zefram Cochrane, the father of warp travel. Cochrane's work brought humanity to the Vulcans' attention, opening the door for interstellar travel and making him a key historical figure.

Cochrane first appeared in the second season of "Star Trek" via the episode "Metamorphosis." He's found on an asteroid by Kirk and was artificially de-aged and living 150 years after his disappearance. The character would later be played by James Cromwell in "Star Trek: First Contact," but Glenn Corbett first brought him to the small screen. Corbett's acting career came after his stint in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a Seabee. He went on to act in theatrical productions, film, and television.

Corbett's career includes notable appearances in "Gunsmoke," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," and "The Fall Guy." His film credits put him on the same projects as John Wayne ("Chisum") and Jimmy Stewart ("Shenandoah"), among many other Hollywood stars. Corbett continued acting until his death in 1993 following six months of treatment for lung cancer. He died at age 59 and was buried at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. 

Mr. Spock is probably the most famous Vulcan to appear in any "Star Trek" series, and most fans know he's half human and half Vulcan. His mother, Amanda Grayson, met his father, Sarek, via his work as the Vulcan ambassador and representative of the Federation Council. Sarek, like his son and adopted daughter, Michael Burnham, was an intensely analytical and intelligent person. He became a prominent figure in Vulcan and Federation circles, connecting him with several notable people, including James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard.

Sarek featured heavily in several "Star Trek" properties, including the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth theatrical films. Through it all, he was portrayed by Mark Lenard, who remained with the franchise for a considerable time. In addition to his appearances on "Star Trek," which included playing an unnamed Romulan commander, he played Sarek on "Star Trek: The Animated Series" and several episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." In addition to working on the franchise, Lenard had roles in numerous high-profile films, including "Hang' Em High" and "Annie Hall."

Despite his film roles, Lenard is best known for his time on the small screen. Throughout his 42-year-long career, Lenard played parts on "Hawaii Five-O," "Gunsmoke," "The Incredible Hulk," and much more. Still, he's probably best known for playing Sarek, if his obituaries are any indication. Lenard died at the age of 72 from multiple myeloma, a type of white blood cell cancer that is treatable but incurable.

Ask any non "Trek" fan to name a species from the franchise; odds are, you'll hear "Klingon" more than anything else. The Klingons have been a significant part of "Trek" lore, which goes back to the original series. The first episode to feature the aggressive species was "Errand of Mercy, but you may not recognize the makeup as being Klingon these days. There's an in-universe explanation for this, but needless to say, whatever they look like, the Klingons are a big part of the franchise. An early standout was Kor, an unusually charismatic Klingon.

John Colicos played Kor in the original series, and he continued playing the character for decades. While he didn't return for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Kor — and Colicos — returned for three episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." The same actor slapped on some era-appropriate makeup and became Kor once more. He was finally killed in "Once More Unto the Breach," a full 31 years after his first appearance. Colicos' work on the franchise kept him in fans' minds for years, though he did diversify into feature films and theater throughout his 49-year career.

He spent decades working on various television series as a character and voice actor. He voiced Apocalypse in "X-Men: The Animated Series," and outside of "Trek," he's probably best remembered for playing Count Baltar on "Battlestar Galactica." Colicos died in 2000 following a heart attack at the age of 71.

Thousands of people have worked on various "Star Trek" projects over the years, but only one of them can be called the "First Lady of 'Star Trek.'" Majel Barrett's career began in comedy and was instructed by Lucille Ball. She appeared on several prominent series, including "The Lucy Show," "Leave it to Beaver," and more, but she's best known for her association with "Star Trek." Barrett eventually married series creator Gene Roddenberry, and she appeared in every incarnation of the franchise made during her lifetime. In this capacity, she played over a dozen characters, all of which are notable.

In the pilot episode, she played the Enterprise's first officer, called "Number One" by Captain Pike. The character didn't work out well for various reasons, so Majel Barrett played Nurse Christine Chapel (in a blonde wig) when NBC picked up the series. Nurse Chapel appeared on the show several times and played a prominent role in a few episodes. When "Star Trek" was revived via "The Next Generation," Barrett was brought back via the newly created Lwaxana Troi. Her character was incredibly unorthodox and captivating, and she returned for several episodes of "Deep Space Nine."

Perhaps Barrett's most significant contribution to the franchise was her voice. From the beginning, she provided the voice of the Enterprise (and other Starfleet) computers. Before she died at 76 from leukemia in December 2008, she recorded a library of phonetic sounds and dialogue so that her voice could continue functioning on Starfleet vessels long after her passing.

While the captains of Starfleet's vessels are essential in the overall scheme of things, they aren't the highest echelons of command. Starfleet is structured much like the U.S. Navy, with a hierarchical command structure overseeing its operations in the Alpha and Beta quadrants of the galaxy. That said, just because someone is of considerably high rank doesn't mean they aren't susceptible to the same problems as everyone else, which brings us to Commodore Matt Decker. He commanded the USS Constellation in the "Star Trek" episode, "The Doomsday Machine."

After losing his entire crew to an alien planet killer, the Commodore fell into a fit of depression. With his ship crippled and nobody else around, he became overwhelmed with grief. That's a complex emotion to play, and William Windom managed it splendidly. The actor is well known for his role as Commodore Decker, though it's not his only credit. Windom began acting in 1950, and he found his way onto numerous popular programs, including "Columbo," "Gunsmoke," and "Magnum, P.I.," among others. 

Windom was also a celebrated feature film actor, appearing in "To Kill a Mockingbird, "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles," and many more. He was considered "TV's Everyman" for his plethora of performances on the small screen, where he worked until 2004. His final franchise credit is a reprisal of Matt Decker in "Star Trek: New Voyages," a fan film. According to The Washington Post, Windom died in 2012 at the age of 88 from congestive heart failure.

Captain James T. Kirk is arguably the central protagonist of "Star Trek," but he didn't venture through space alone. Among his crew, Mr. Spock is undoubtedly the closest friend Kirk has, and he's also a vital member of the crew. With his brilliant mind, Spock can calculate the necessary trajectory to fly back in time by slingshotting around the sun, and that's just one example of many concerning the Vulcan's brilliance. Mr. Spock was largely created by Leonard Nimoy, who incorporated aspects of his Jewish faith and came up with the Vulcan nerve pinch, as he thought it was a better and more sophisticated option than using a weapon.

Nimoy's portrayal of Spock wasn't simply a good addition to the series; it made a significant cultural impact on the zeitgeist. Spock became internationally known by people who had never watched an episode or film from the franchise. Nimoy played Spock throughout his life, beginning with the pilot episode completed in 1965 and ending with his final performances in the rebooted film franchise via "Star Trek" in 2009 and "Star Trek Into Darkness" in 2013. 

Spock wasn't all Nimoy did during his life; he wrote an autobiography called "I am Spock." Granted, his earlier work was titled "I Am Not Spock," so he eventually embraced his cultural impact and the character he brought to life. He had a music career, directed films, acted, and much more. Nimoy died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after becoming comatose in February 2015, at the age of 83.

There are few characters from the original series as iconic as Marta, the Orion slave girl from the episode "Whom Gods Destroy." Marta wasn't merely beautiful; she was delusional and had to be held at the Federation asylum on Elba II. She often quoted famous works of literature, including passages from William Shakespeare's many plays. Marta met Captain Kirk and Spock when her master, Garth of Izar, captured them, placing the trio in a room together. Seeing Kirk, Marta attempts to seduce him, but when that doesn't work, she tries to stab him (spoiler: that didn't work either).

Eventually, Garth used Marta as an example, killing her on the planet's toxic surface. Marta became an iconic character in the franchise despite appearing in only one episode. The "Orion Slave Girl" trope remains popular today and was the subject of the third season of "Star Trek: Discovery." Marta was played by Yvonne Craig, who starred as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the "Batman" television series before switching from a superhero to an Orion woman on "Star Trek." She was called a "pioneer of female superheroes on the small screen" by HuffPost, and it's an apt description.

Craig continued acting, primarily on the small screen, after her work on "Star Trek." She appeared in numerous series, including "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Starsky & Hutch," and "Fantasy Island." She died in August 2015 from breast cancer that spread to her liver. She was 78 when she died.

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" was an incredibly popular series, so several episodes featured guest stars who usually appeared only once on the show. This was often the case in episodes dealing with the holodeck, which often glitched out, undid the safety settings, and threatened the ship, as any good recreational activity will do. Among the many characters to act in unusual ways on the holodeck, the ones from the episode "Emergence" are the most interesting, as they represent aspects of the USS Enterprise's burgeoning sentient consciousness.

In the episode, a train and various passengers head to New Vertiform City, and the conductor doesn't only direct the train; he also changes the course of the Enterprise. This creates several problems for the crew, and they intervene. Ultimately, a new, complex lifeform is borne from the Enterprise, suggesting the ship itself was an intelligent being. While that never came back as a plot element following the episode, the crew nonetheless remembered the conductor, who was played by famed character actor, David Huddleston.

Huddleston's career includes significant roles in dozens of television series and movies. Modern audiences likely recognize him as the eponymous character in "The Big Lebowski," while others may recognize him from "Blazing Saddles," "Santa Clause: The Movie," "The Producers," or any of his many, many roles. USA Today reported that Huddleston died in August 2016 from advanced heart and kidney disease, and he was 85 years old at the time of his death.

When the Ferengi were introduced in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the plan was to make them a new villainous race for the franchise. That didn't pan out, and by the time "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" aired, the species had been fleshed out into a far more reasonable and entertaining group of commerce-driven con artists. The Ferengi were a central species in the series, with several prominent characters. One such character was Nog, a young Ferengi who joined Starfleet, becoming the first of his species to do so.

Nog embraced his culture while serving in Starfleet, proving a Ferengi could not only serve but do so with distinction. He lost a leg in combat during the Dominion War and served a vital role aboard the USS Defiant through several important battles during the conflict. Aron Eisenberg played Nog, and it was a role that dominated his career. While he appeared in over a dozen TV series and films, he's best known for playing Nog, and during his life, Eisenberg was a regular at "Star Trek" conventions.

Eisenberg was born with only one kidney, requiring and receiving a transplant when he was 17. Decades later, he was again diagnosed with kidney failure, requiring a transplant. While he did receive a successful transplant, his health remained a problem. Variety reported that Eisenberg died at the age of 50 in September 2019. He was honored in a "Star Trek: Discovery" episode featuring an Eisenberg-class starship named the USS Nog.

Admiral Owen Paris was the father of Tom Paris, the helmsman who piloted the USS Voyager throughout most of the series. While he didn't have many scenes in the series and appeared in only a handful of episodes, he was a pivotal figure in reestablishing communications with the lost vessel. Voyager was believed lost for some time before the Pathfinder project established communications via Reginald Barclay's breakthrough research into micro-wormholes. 

Admiral Paris' determination to bring the Voyager and its crew home remained a continuous plot throughout the series. The man hired to play the character was Richard Herd, who is probably best known for his many supporting and guest roles in dozens of television series between 1973 and 2018. While he often had recurring roles, he primarily played supporting characters. Despite this, fans likely recognize him from his time playing Admiral William Noyce in "SeaQuest DSV "and "Seinfeld," where he played Mr. Wilhelm, George Costanza's boss at the New York Yankees.

Herd even played a Klingon called L'Kor in two episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," though you'd be hard pressed to recognize him under all that makeup. Some of his most notable film credits include "Private Benjamin" and "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles," so he had a strong comedy background. Herd also spent considerable time behind the microphone, recording characters for a variety of video games. Herd continued working into his mid-80s and died of colon cancer in May 2020, at the age of 87.

David Warner is another outstanding actor to spend time in the "Star Trek" franchise, having played three iconic characters between 1989 and 1991. His first contribution to the franchise came via "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," in which he played St. John Talbot. Two years later, he played Chancellor Gorkon, the leader of the Klingon Empire, in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." Perhaps his most notable performance came not in a movie but in a two-part episode, "Chain of Command" in "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

The episode features Captain Picard's interrogation at the hands of Gul Madred, played by Warner. The Cardassian interrogator's expertise in terrorizing his captive as he attempts to break down his indomitable will is the stuff of "Star Trek" legend. It's arguably the best performance by a guest star from the entire series, and it's easily one of Warner's best characters on television. That's saying something, as the man dominated televisions for 60 years. He appeared in episodes of "Doctor Who," "Twin Peaks," and dozens of animated series via his fantastic voice.

Warner was also a notable stage and screen actor, having performed in numerous Shakespeare adaptations and award-winning movies. He played Keith Jennings in "The Omen" and had significant roles in "Tron" and "Titanic." The man was prolific and continued working for 18 months following a lung cancer diagnosis, which he kept from his fans. He died of the disease in July 2022 at the age of 80.