Star Trek: Enterprise Bosses Told Michael Dorn A Terrible Lie About Scott Bakula

Jonathan Frakes was the start of the trouble. Frakes, while playing Commander William Riker on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," started to develop an interest in directing. He approached the show's producers, and they reluctantly agreed to let Frakes direct. He would eventually become one of the more prolific actor/directors in the franchise. That favor to Frakes, however, eventually came back to bite the "Star Trek" producers, as several other cast members began asking if they, too, could direct. LeVar Burton, Patrick Stewart, and Gates McFadden all took turns directing.

Michael Dorn, who played the Klingon Worf on both "Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" also eventually got a chance to direct, starting on the latter program. Dorn's first episode as director was "In the Cards," which aired during the fifth season of DS9, and he landed gigs directing single episodes of its sixth and seventh seasons as well. It was impressive that Dorn was able to fit directing into his busy schedule, given that Worf was a ubiquitous character across the franchise; Dorn still holds the record for appearing on camera in more "Star Trek" episodes than any other actor. 

When "Star Trek: Enterprise" debuted in 2001, Dorn wanted to keep on directing, and the producers actually negotiated a contract for Dorn stating that he'd be allowed to direct multiple episodes of the new series. Dorn didn't appear in "Enterprise," so this would be a new experience for him; he wouldn't have to worry about learning lines or getting in the Worf makeup. But after Dorn directed one episode of "Enterprise," he wasn't invited back. As he revealed on the podcast "The D-Con Chamber" (transcribed by Cinemablend) the producers said Dorn wasn't welcome back because "Enterprise" star Scott Bakula disliked him. 

This was a lie. 

The "Enterprise" episode that Dorn directed was called "Two Days and Two Nights," and it followed the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they traveled to Risa, the vacation planet. It's an amusing episode with several plotlines. Captain Archer (Bakula) is lured by a mysterious woman in the hotel room below him. Trip (Connor Trinneer) and Malcolm (Dominic Keating) go to a dance club where they are eventually mugged by a pair of shape-shifters. Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) hits it off with a handsome alien man. It's a lightweight but very enjoyable episode. 

According to Dorn, he was supposed to do more, and even signed a contract to that effect, agreeing to appear in the 2002 movie "Star Trek: Nemesis," but only if the studio also did him a favor. As he put it: 

"[T]hey said, 'Well, what do you want?' And I said I want to direct ... And I was supposed to do three episodes of 'Enterprise.' Three or four. And it was my fault, because ... They said, 'Look, we'll give you one guaranteed, and three pay-or-play.' And I should've said, 'No. Guarantee.' And so, I did the one, and they paid me off for the other three." 

And why did the studio pay him off for the other three? It's hard to say. Dorn's directing was perfectly capable on "Two Days and Two Nights." Perhaps the studio didn't want yet another actor horning his way into the directorial space. Regardless, Dorn was told an outright lie about Scott Bakula disliking him, giving the studio an excuse to not hire him again. It was, of course, B.S.

No matter how one slices it, Dorn's disinvitation from further directing jobs was disappointing. Dorn initially assumed that he did something grievously wrong or bad, forcing the studio to reject his efforts. And to be blunt, /Film did call his episodes one of the 15 worst of the series. He learned from his agent that Scott Bakula hated him. This, he definitely knew instantly, was a lie. He said. 

"[It was] extremely disappointing, because you kind of go, 'You mean I was that bad?' That they're saying, 'We don't want to see him ever again.' It was just terrible ... And then also, my agents called them and said, 'Look, what the hell is going on?' And they said, 'Scott Bakula hated Michael.' It's bulls***. So that's why they didn't want me."

Luckily, Dorn had a chance to spend time with Scott Bakula a few years later. They were both, after all, attending "Star Trek" conventions and other events where "Star Trek" actors hung out together. When Dorn met Bakula at one of these events, Bakula was totally kind and warm and not hateful at all. There were no secrets. There was no bad blood. Someone at the studio made up Bakula's hate. As Forn put it: 

"I had talked to Scott. He was in London at Patrick [Stewart]'s place, and [we] had a lovely time. And I knew it wasn't true. Scott [and] everybody on that show, the actors, were consummate professionals. There wasn't 'stuff' going on." 

Dorn, now 73, is still acting to this day, and, perhaps out of spite, is still directing as well. In 2025, he directed two episodes of the TV series "Thee Third Act." The makers of "Enterprise" didn't stop him.