BeforeStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, Armin Shimerman and Max Grodénchik made their franchise debuts as other Ferengi characters inStar Trek: The Next Generation. Shimerman and Grodénchik are most famous for playing the sibling duo Quark and Rom onDeep Space Nine. Quark was part ofDS9’s main cast of characters, appearing in almost every episode, while Rom was a recurring character who first appeared in the pilot episode “Emissary.” Together with Rom’s son, Nog (Aron Eisenberg),the trio made up the bulk of Ferengi representation onDS9.
As the first Ferengi main characters on anyStar TrekTV show, Quark and Rom expandedStar Trek’s Ferengi historyand lore, making the species more sympathetic and complex. This was no small feat, as when the Ferengi were created forStar Trek: TNG, they were meant to be the series' main villains.Despite some of the Ferengi’s less likable qualities, Quark and Rom as characters went a long wayto making them a stapleStar Trekalien race. However, Quark and Rom were not the first Ferengi either Shimerman or Grodénchik played.
Armin Shimerman Played 2 Other Ferengi On Star Trek: TNG Before DS9’s Quark
Shimerman was one of TNG’s first Ferengi characters
Not only did Armin Shimerman appear as a Feregi twice beforeStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, but he was also one ofTNG’s first-ever Ferengi characters, appearing in the species' debut episode.Shimerman played Letek in theStar Trek: TNGseason 1 episode “The Last Outpost,” one of three Ferengi antagoniststhat appeared after they stole a Federation energy converter and were pursued byCaptain Picard (Patrick Stewart)and the USS Enterprise-D crew. Given how important Quark would become, it seems fitting that Shimerman was an integral part of the Ferengi’s inaugural episode in the franchise.
All 5 Star Trek Roles Played By Armin Shimerman (Including DS9’s Quark)
Although Armin Shimerman is most well-known for portraying Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Quark, he appeared as four other characters in Star Trek.
Aside from Letek, Shimerman appeared as one other Ferengi inTNG, this time in the season 2 episode “Peak Performance.“Shimerman’s character in “Peak Performace” was named Daimon Bractor, the Captain of a Ferengi vesselthat inadvertently became caught up in a war games simulation the Enterprise-D was participating in as preparation to fight the Borg. While both Bractor and Letek were relatively small roles for Shimerman, it’s hard to believe that didn’t contribute to him ultimately being cast as Quark onStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Max Grodenchik’s 2 Other Ferengi Roles On Star Trek: TNG Before DS9’s Rom
Grodenchik’s star in the franchise mirrored Shimmerman’s
Like his fictional brother, Max Grodénchik also made two appearances onTNGbefore being cast as Rom, the first in the season 3 episode “Captain’s Holiday.“Grodénchik played Sovak, the episode’s main Ferengi villain opposing Vash (Jennifer Hetrick) during her and Captain Picard’s searchfor the mysterious Tox Uthat on Risa. Although Sovak was a fairly forgettable villain, “Captain’s Holiday” is a memorable episode for its introduction of both Risa and Vash, who would go on to be one ofPicard’s most significantTNGlove interests.
After its initial appearance in “Captain’s Holiday,” Risa becameStar Trek’s most infamous pleasure planet, appearing in one episode ofDS9, two episodes ofStar Trek: Enterprise, and even becoming important toStar Trek: Discoveryseason 4 as the home planet of Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle).
Grodénchik’s second and finalTNGappearance was season 5’s “The Perfect Mate,” where he once again played a villain.Grodénchik played Par Lenor, one half of the episode’s Ferengi duo that attempted to steal the empathic metamorph Kamala (Famke Janssen)while she was being escorted to an arraigned marriage by the Enterprise-D. Once again, Grodénchik’s Par Lenor wasn’t a huge part of the episode, which focused more on the relationship between Kamala and Picard, but his appearance likely contributed to him later being cast as Rom onStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.
