Every Star Trek Actor Who Also Directed TV Episodes Or Movies

When Gene Roddenberry created "Star Trek," he presented a hopeful image of the future. Rather than alien invaders, dystopian societies, or end of the world scenarios, the visionary writer depicted a reality where racism, poverty, and xenophobia were largely eliminated. And whenever those outdated ideas reared their ugly heads, Starfleet and the Federation tried to focus on bringing different worlds and cultures together through peace and understanding.

Over the years, Roddenberry's work has evolved from the original pitch that painted the project as a "space western." But fans (including the ones who work on each new show and movie) continue to get invested. In addition to beloved cast members reprising their roles in various capacities in front of the camera, some have gotten involved behind the scenes by jumping from the bridge of a starship to the director's chair. 

In honor of the creative minds that wear multiple hats in the "Star Trek" universe, here is a list of every actor who also directed TV episodes or movies of the seminal sci-fi franchise (so far).

While some fans may still be mad with J.J. Abrams over his version of "Star Trek," the acclaimed filmmaker brought the franchise back to movie theaters after nearly two decades. Though the 2009 production featured a talented group including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and others, there was a rather surprising cast member listed in the credits. No, we're not talking about Leonard Nimoy as Spock. It was the director himself.

In the beginning of the movie, a young James T. Kirk is seen speeding in a red Corvette through the plains of Iowa. A police officer on a hovercruiser pursues him and only catches up with the juvenile delinquent after he jumps from the car, sending it plunging into a quarry. This cop is played by stunt performer Jeremy Fitzgerald, whose face was digitally hidden by a mask in post-production. However, Abrams provides the voice for this character.

Akiva Goldsman is best known as a director and producer on many of the Paramount+ "Star Trek" projects. But before helming episodes of "Discovery," "Picard," and "Strange New Worlds," Goldsman appeared on the big screen in two "Star Trek" cameos, thanks to Abrams.

As seen in the picture above on the right, he played a member of the Vulcan Science Council in the 2009 film "Star Trek." He would return for another cameo in "Star Trek Into Darkness," but this time he played a Starfleet admiral. The reason that he was able to land these blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments is due to his time as a writer, director, and consulting producer on "Fringe" alongside Abrams. When his friend and collaborator set up shop on the Enterprise, Goldsman also went along for the ride.

While she had been in the mix to play Sarah Connor in "The Terminator" at one time, Lea Thompson is most notable for her roles in the "Back to the Future" trilogy. But when she was finally able to step into another iconic sci-fi franchise, she was able to utilize her skills as both an actor and a director.

Thompson's entryway into "Star Trek" came during "Picard" season two, when she directed episodes "Assimilation" and "Watcher." Then, she moved to the other side of the camera for episode five, "Fly Me to the Moon." Her character was 21st century human Dr. Diane Werner, who served on the board of doctors who revoked Dr. Adam Soong's license and funding for his genetic research.

Before playing Dwight Schrute in "The Office," Rainn Wilson appeared in a movie that many consider to be one of the best unofficial "Star Trek" movies ever: "Galaxy Quest." Even cast members from the legendary franchise appreciated it. But when "Star Trek: Discovery" came calling, the actor had an opportunity to join the real thing.

In the first season, Wilson played Harry Mudd, a con man who first appeared in "Star Trek: The Original Series." After two episodes of "Discovery," the thief was featured in the "Short Treks" episode "The Escape Artist." Not only did Wilson reprise his role as Mudd and play android versions of the character, but he also directed the episode.

Primarily known for the roles of Teri Bauer on "24" and Anita Gibbs on "Suits," Leslie Hope has appeared in many major TV shows from the 1980s through the 2010s. But in 1998, she made her way to "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." In the episode "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night," Hope guest-starred as Bajoran refugee named Kira Meru, who turned out to be the mother of Nana Visitor's character Major Kira Nerys and the vile Gul Dukat's mistress. 

Hope would later return to "Star Trek" in 2022 to direct the "Strange New Worlds" episode "Ghost of Illyria," where the crew of the Enterprise are threatened by a contagion that only Rebecca Romijn's Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley can cure.

In a space station like Deep Space Nine, you're bound to find an eclectic group of people. For example: Elim Garak, an exiled Cardassian spy who works as a tailor on DS9. Initially planned as a one-off character, Garak became a fixture of the series due to actor Andrew J. Robinson's nuanced performance as an optimistic and polite individual with a mysterious, deceitful side.  

Around the same time that he started playing Garak, Robinson also co-founded the Matrix Theatre Company in Los Angeles, CA and started directing plays. After he won a few awards, he made the transition to directing television thanks to "Deep Space Nine." After helming the 1996 episode "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places," he would also go on to direct two episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager."

We can't talk about Garak without Dr. Julian Bashir. After all, the two characters are arguably the most important relationship in "Star Trek." Just as Robinson dabbled in directing, his co-star Alexander Siddig followed suit. But rather than continuing to dabble, the performer formerly known as Siddig El Fadil hung up his slate after two episodes.

Siddig directed the season five episode "Business As Usual" and the season six episode "Profit and Lace." After "Deep Space Nine" wrapped up its seven-season run, he began to develop a film about the Soviet Union's Night Witches, the first female airborne combat squad in history. While it was his intention to direct the project, his dance card filled up quickly. Due to acting commitments, courtesy of the growing demand for Islamic and Arabic characters in 2001 and onward, the project was indefinitely shelved.

Prior to playing the Changeling security chief Odo on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," Rene Auberjonois built an incredible career in movies and TV shows as a prolific character actor. With over 200 credits to his name, fans may recognize him as Clayton Endicott III on "Benson," Paul Lewiston on "Boston Legal," or the voice of Chef Louis in the Disney classic "The Little Mermaid." But as comfortable as he was in front of the camera, he stepped out of his comfort zone when he tried to transition to the director's chair.

Producer Rick Berman planted the idea in Auberjonois' head. Then, as the actor prepared by shadowing other directors, going to script meetings, and generally learning the ropes, he was thrown in the deep end and ended up directing eight "Deep Space Nine" episodes. While he felt out of his element in the job, the producers probably wouldn't have kept asking him back for more if he didn't measure up.

Captain Benjamin Sisko is a busy man. Beyond his role as the Emissary to the Prophets, Avery Brooks' character had a full plate thanks to his duties on the space station Deep Space Nine. But the actor may not have felt that way, since he added another mission to his docket during his time on the show in the form of directing nine episodes.

In 1976, Brooks became the first African American student to receive an MFA in acting and directing from Rutgers University. He went on to become an associate professor of theater and heavily involved in the Smithsonian Institute's Program in Black American Culture. With credentials like those, it's no wonder that he was the right person to direct the episode "Far Beyond the Stars," which focused on racial justice in 1950s America. When it comes the best episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," this favorite of Avery's is always in the conversation.

Tim Russ has a deep history in the "Star Trek" franchise. A dedicated Trekkie in his youth, he auditioned for the part of Geordi La Forge in 1987. While that role in "The Next Generation" ended up going to LeVar Burton, Russ was later cast as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok in "Voyager" in 1995. Although, before he portrayed the Vulcan Starfleet officer, the actor stepped into several other roles across "Star Trek" films and TV shows. 

He added yet another role when he directed the 1998 episode "Living Witness." After that experience, he was prepared for more. However, when Russ inquired about directing another "Voyager" episode in the sixth season, his request was denied.

In addition to directing this Doctor-focused episode, Russ also directed and co-starred in unofficial fan-made projects, including the 2007 series "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men" and the 2015 feature "Star Trek: Renegades."

The Doctor from "Voyager" has been around for a long time. Based on his appearances in "Starfleet Academy" (where he has the same old personality but a slightly older look), the Emergency Medical Hologram (or EMH for short) has managed to survive for over 800 years. In that time, he's worn a lot of hats, such as medical professional, teacher, and father. While actor Robert Picardo may not have lived as long as his character has (yet), he has worn a few hats in the "Star Trek" universe as well, and that includes the director hat.

Picardo directed two episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager" that focus on smaller, character-driven stories rather than epic battles or a nefarious villain. In "Alter Ego," Tuvok and Harry Kim become become enamored with a holodeck character who is hiding a secret. Then, in "One Small Step," the Voyager crew stumbles upon an Earth spacecraft from a 21st century mission to Mars and learns what happened to the explorers aboard.

Several "Star Trek" cast members from up and down the call sheet tried their hand at directing on their respective shows. However, an edict from the network stated that no main cast member could direct for "Star Trek: Enterprise." Although, this restriction didn't extend to "Star Trek" alumni. One of the former cast members brought in for the rotation over the course of four seasons was Roxann Dawson from "Voyager," who directed 10 episodes of UPN's final "Star Trek" series before it shut down.

Before calling the shots on "Enterprise," Dawson starred as Voyager's half human/half Klingon chief engineer B'Elanna Torres. The actor also made her directorial debut with 1999's "Riddles" and the second part of the two-parter "Workforce." This got the ball rolling on a prosperous directing career outside of "Star Trek," which includes credits on a number of popular shows such as "Charmed," "Lost," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", and "House of Cards."

Another "Voyager" alum who occupied the director's chair during "Enterprise" was Robert Duncan McNeill. The actor behind Lieutenant Tom Paris helmed four episodes of each series. But when he got the call for his first episode as a director, it came much sooner than expected.

Originally, "The Next Generation" star Jonathan Frakes was meant to direct "Sacred Ground" during the third season of "Voyager." However, something came up, and he had to back out. With only two weeks to prepare for the shoot, McNeill stepped up to the occasion and received rave reviews from his castmates on his prowess behind the camera. Riding that high, he would go on to find more directing work on "Dawson's Creek," "Desperate Housewives," "The Orville," and more. Eventually, he returned to "Star Trek" to reprise the roles of Tom Paris and Nicholas Locarno on memorable episodes of "Lower Decks."

20 years before J.J. Abrams lent his voice to a minor character in his first "Star Trek" movie, Rob Bowman was doing the exact same thing on "The Next Generation." Before moving on to work on high profile projects such as "Castle," "Elektra," and both the film and TV versions of "The X-Files," he directed 13 episodes of the acclaimed "Star Trek" series. Among his credits in the final frontier was "Q Who," the episode that introduces arguably the best "Star Trek" villains ever: The Borg.

But Bowman didn't just introduce the world to the terrifying technologically enhanced threats to the Federation and Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He also voiced the characters during their first appearance. Whenever you hear the Borg Collective speak in this episode, you hear his synthesized voice, along with writer Maurice Hurley and Bowman's assistant. However, the voice more synonymous with the Borg belongs to Jeff Coopwood, who speaks the signature phrase "Resistance is futile!" in "Star Trek: First Contact." 

While Dr. Beverly Crusher rarely had a chance to shine in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Gates McFadden possesses a wide array of tools in her acting arsenal. Throughout her career, she cultivated skills in dance, stage combat, and puppetry while honing her craft. But as part of her time in "Star Trek," she also had the opportunity to explore directing as well.

McFadden became the first female "Star Trek" cast member to direct an episode of the show when she helmed season seven's "Genesis." In the 1994 episode, the crew of the Enterprise begins to devolve into prehistoric versions of themselves after Dr. Crusher accidentally awakens dormant DNA during a medical procedure. 

With such a special effects heavy episode to contend with during her first (and only) outing in the director's seat, the script called for the doctor to be blinded by venom from a proto-Klingon Worf. That way, McFadden was able to dedicate more time to her directing duties without having to be onscreen too much.

With nearly 300 appearances under his baldric, Michael Dorn holds the record for for most physical onscreen appearances in all of "Star Trek." This is particularly impressive considering the hours of make up application necessary to become the legendary Klingon Starfleet officer Worf each time. It's no wonder that the actor almost quit "The Next Generation" over the make up process. But luckily, he stuck around and even picked up a new skill from his fellow castmate.

One of Dorn's favorite "TNG" episodes is "The Offspring," which sees Data create a daughter. One reason for his adoration is Jonathan Frakes, who started his directing career with this episode. By watching Frakes learn the craft over the course of TNG's run, Dorn discovered that he wanted to try his hand at directing as well. His wish was fulfilled when Worf was moved to "Deep Space Nine," where Dorn would direct three episodes, followed by one episode of "Enterprise."

Even though LeVar Burton was glad to get rid of it in "Star Trek: First Contact," Geordi La Forge's visor is one of the most recognizable items in all of "Star Trek." Even people who aren't fans can associate the character's eyewear with the franchise. Though the visor may have obstructed the actor's view, it didn't stop his creative vision as he moved from the helm of the Enterprise to the helm of production.

At one point, Burton held the record for most episodes of "Star Trek" directed by a cast member. Across "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," "Voyager," and "Enterprise," he directed a total of 29 episodes. Though he has been dethroned (for now), he has still collected a number of credits outside of "Star Trek" that include two different "NCIS" shows, the original "Charmed," and Disney Channel Original Movie "Smart House."

If you're wondering who took that top spot away from LeVar Burton, the answer is Jonathan Frakes. The star behind Commander Will Riker started his directing career on "The Next Generation" with the 1990 episode "The Offspring." But before the studio would allow him to get to that point, he had to shadow various members of the crew for around 300 hours as he learned the ins and outs of editing, pre-production, scoring, and more.

After he mastered lenses and keeping his actors until all the coverage was shot, Frakes would go on to direct 31 episodes of television, which includes eight for "TNG," three for "Voyager," six for "Picard," one "Starfleet Academy," and more, with no signs of slowing down. Plus, he directed the feature films "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Star Trek: Insurrection." For all his hard work on the franchise between 1990 and 2026, he would earn the nickname "Two-Takes Frakes" due to his efficiency on set.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a pop culture icon. It's hard to imagine what the world would be like without Sir Patrick Stewart playing the role. But based on the terrible first meeting between the classically trained actor and "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, it almost didn't happen. Thankfully, someone along the way decided to take a chance and let him tackle the role in seven seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and four "Star Trek" feature films, which would also lead to three seasons of "Star Trek: Picard."

Stewart took a big chance in accepting the role in the first place, but that wasn't the only challenge that he approached as part of "Star Trek." He also directed five episodes of "The Next Generation," including the memorable "In Theory," "A Fistful of Datas," and Phantasms." But in the end, it would seem that these episodes were just an experiment for the renowned actor, and he would rarely pursue directing projects beyond "Star Trek."

For the majority of the actors on this list, they only directed their respective episodes of "Star Trek" after being part of the cast first. Typically, the series that they were tapped to direct for was the one that they initially appeared in. But when it comes to Larry Dobkin, things worked out in reverse.

Dobkin's first "Star Trek" gig saw him directing the original series episode "Charlie X" in 1966. After 25 years, he would return to the franchise when he landed the guest starring role of Ambassador Kell of the Klingon High Council on "The Next Generation." Because of this, he is the only person to hold the distinction of directing "Star Trek: The Original Series" and acting in one of its spinoffs. That's an accomplishment like that certainly deserves a toast of Klingon bloodwine.

Now for the Mirrorverse version of Dobkin's journey. Richard Compton was a day player for "Star Trek: The Original Series." He played a Starfleet officer named Washburn in his first episode, then a Romulan technical officer in the second. The actor was on set for a total of three days. Though his technical officer likely didn't play a major role in the Romulans' storied "Star Trek" history, he's still part of the family.

With that in mind, he returned 24 years later to direct the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" season one episode "Haven," which focuses on Counselor Troi and her impending arranged marriage.

Having played the character of Spock on and off for 49 years from 1964 to 2013, it's safe to say that Leonard Nimoy's career was defined by "Star Trek." In turn, the franchise would not be the same without him. His influence is still being felt in newer "Trek" properties, as "Starfleet Academy" alludes to one of his most famous quotes. But in addition to starring in the original series, the actor also brought the cast to the big screen as a director.

While starring in the first six "Star Trek" films, Nimoy also directed "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." Though the concept of "best" is subjective, these two are frequently mentioned near the top of most "Star Trek" movie rankings.

Based on the success of Nimoy's "Star Trek" films, the franchise hoped to replicate it by giving another cast member from the original series a chance to direct the fifth movie. That's when William Shatner decided to move from the captain's chair to the director's chair. 

Unfortunately, for the actor behind Captain James T. Kirk, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" was a critical and commercial failure. For many fans, it was widely considered the worst "Star Trek" movie (until Paramount+'s "Section 31" was released).

Shatner would never direct another "Star Trek" project. However, for his part in pioneering sci-fi on television, he will always remain an icon.