Many ofThe Expanse’s cast members also appeared in theStar Trekuniverse. Many have wonderedwhereThe Expanse’s cast have beensince season 6’s end in 2022, and surprisingly, several ended up in theStar Trekfranchise.
Multiple actors who were inThe Expansealso starred in various projects littered acrossStar Trek’s complete timeline- both TV shows and movies. Considering the prominence of both sci-fi franchises, it only made sense that some ofThe Expanse’s alumni also appeared inStar Trek.
6Shohreh Aghdashloo
Commodore Paris - Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Shohreh Aghdashloo, who playedThe Expanse’s Chrisjen Avasarala, also portrayedCommodore Paris inStar Trek Beyond. While Avasarala was a more prominent character inThe Expansecompared to Paris inStar Trek Beyond, the Commodore still played a significant role in the film’s events. Despite being a later addition toStar Trek Beyond,Paris was linked to pastStar Treklore, and Simon Pegg previously confirmed the commanding officer of Yorktown was a nod to Tom Paris inStar Trek: Voyager(viaX).
Star Trek Beyond Ending & Why No Sequel 8 Years Later Explained
Star Trek Beyond set up a sequel for Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk and the Kelvin Timeline crew, but it’s 8 years later and we’ve yet to see Star Trek 4.
Like any, these two characters have their differences and similarities. For example, both were highly ranked in their respective fields, and they also were responsible for overseeing large teams. However,Avasarala was far more villainous than Paris. Avasarala manipulated those around her, and she’d do anything to keep control through her role of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
5Bahia Watson
JahSepp May - Star Trek: Discovery
Despite being best known for her role of Brianna inThe Handmaid’s Tale, Bahia Watson also played Sakai inThe Expanseseason 5. While only a supporting character,The Expanse’s Sakai was a traitorand caused quite a stir. She started the show as the chief engineer of the Tycho station, but by the end, Sakai was a killer and later arrested for her crimes. Watson also played the jahSepp of May inStar Trek: Discovery, too.
The jahSepp appeared in the form of May Ahearn to Sylvia in 2257, five years after the real May’s death. Watson’s character was a great help to Tilly when she was trying to figure out how to save Terralysium, although it was later revealed that the presence of May was a mere hallucination created by mycelium spores that were attached to Tilly. The jahSepp May was later removed from Tilly’s consciousness.
4Shawn Doyle
Dr. Ruon Tarka - Star Trek: Discovery
Shawn Doyle played Sadavir Errinwright inThe Expanse, the UN Under Secretary of Executive Administration from seasons 1 to 3. Errinwright grew to become one of the most powerful people on Earth during his time on the show, and was eventually caught up in a scandal that resulted in the war between the UN and the Martian Congressional Republic, which resulted in his arrest and firing.
While these characters came from different professional backgrounds, it was great to see Doyle play two antagonists who were hidden in plain sight.
Doyle has been busy since he leftThe Expanse, and in theStark Trekuniverse,he portrayed Dr. Ruon Tarka inStar Trek: Discovery.Ruon Tarka was Star Trek: Discovery season 4’s villain, and the genius scientist’s grief made him obsessed with travelling the multiverses. While these characters came from different professional backgrounds, it was great to see Doyle play two antagonists who were hidden in plain sight.
3Brian George
Richard Bashir - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine & Ambassador O’Zaal - Star Trek: Voyager
Brian George portrayed Avasarala’s husband, Arjun, inThe Expanseseasons 1, 2, and 6.The Expanserecast Arjun Avasarala-Rao in season 4, with Michael Benyaer stepping in to play the character for a short time. However, in the years before George was cast as Arjun,the actor starred in theStar Trekuniverse not once, but twice. George played Richard Bashir in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nineepisode “Dr. Bashir, I Presume?” in 1997, and then took on the role of Ambassador O’Zaal in theStar Trek: Voyagerepisode “Drive” in 2000.
Neither Bashir nor O’Zaal were regularly seen characters, but they were interesting. Bashir was the father of Chief Medical Officer Julian Bashir, who subjected his son to an illegal genetic engineering process as a child over fears of his progress at school. O’Zaal, however, was an Antarian ambassador who was also responsible for coordinating the 2377 Antarian Trans-stellar Rally.
2Somkele Idhalama
Progenitor - Star Trek: Discovery
Somkele Idhalama only played a small role inThe Expanse, having starred as a Tychno engineer in the season 5 episode “Down and Out.” However, the Nigerian actress and model also appeared in the likes of the movies93 DaysandThe Arbitration, as well as TV shows such asGidi Up, too. Her arguably most notable TV appearance, however, was in theStar Trekuniverse.
If You Miss The Expanse & Wish Season 7 Was Happening Like I Do, Watch These 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows On Streaming
Although nothing would be better than actually getting The Expanse season 7, these other sci-fi TV shows available on streaming are worth watching.
Somkele Idhalama played the Progenitor inStar Trek: Discovery’s finale, and while she was cast right at the very end of the show’s lifespan, it was an incredible episode to be featured in. Idhalama portrayed the Progenitor in “Life, Itself” in 2024, a long-awaited moment for audiences, as Captain Michael Burnham finally came face-to-face with one of them after a lengthy search for their technology. Idhalama did a brilliant job in this role, considering she took over from the original Progenitor actressSalome Jens fromStar Trek: The Next Generation.
Admiral Terral - Star Trek: Discovery
Conrad Coates only joinedThe Expanse’s cast in the show’s final season, but UNN Fleet Admiral Sadiqi was a great part of the five episodes he appeared in. BeforeThe Expanse, Coates was known for his roles inDegrassi: The Next GenerationandFargo, too. However, before his stint inThe Expanse, Coates starred asAdmiral Terral infour episodes ofStar Trek: Discoveryseason 1.
The Vulcan was a part of some interesting moments inStar Trek: Discovery. For example, he confirmed Sarek’s disappearance while en route to Cancri IV, but refused to allow Lorca to embark on a rescue mission, an order which was ultimately ignored. While Coates’ character wasn’t a huge figure, he still played a part in the early days of theStar TrekTV showand gave him sci-fi acting experience which later saw him cast inThe Expanse.
The Expanse
Cast
The Expanse is a sci-fi series set in the distant future where humanity has spread out across the solar system, but the alliances between the three most potent governing bodies have reached a state of the cold war. In the series, a mixed crew finds themselves at the center of a dangerous intergalactic conspiracy that threatens to bring war to the colonized worlds.
Star Trek
Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.
