10 Star Trek Actors Who Were On Criminal Minds

The Star Trek universe may not have much in common with the world of Criminal Minds, but several Trek stars appeared in the dark crime drama. With its focus on exploration and its optimistic version of the future, Star Trek celebrates the best of humanity. Criminal Minds, on the other hand, explores the depths of human depravity, but still has moments of light as the heroes fight to put the bad guys behind bars. The familiar Star Trek faces on Criminal Minds display their range as actors, often playing characters very different (and significantly more homicidal) from their Trek characters.

With the nature of procedural crime dramas like Criminal Minds, every episode has a cast of characters involved in the crime of the week. Criminal Minds follows a group of FBI agents who work as profilers in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), and take on cases too complex or far-reaching for local law enforcement to handle. After its premiere in 2005, Criminal Minds became a ratings hit for CBS and remains popular today. Whether they were playing a victim or an unsub (unknown subject) or a member of law enforcement, these 10 Star Trek stars all appeared in at least one episode of Criminal Minds.

10

Todd Stashwick

Captain Liam Shaw in Star Trek: Picard

Todd Stashwick’s Captain Liam Shaw became a surprise fan-favorite in Star Trek: Picard season 3, thanks in large part to Stashwick’s compelling performance. As Captain of the USS Titan-A, Shaw did things by the book and was none too pleased when Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) pulled his ship into a dangerous rescue mission.

Todd Stashwick has appeared in numerous genre television shows, including a guest spot on Supernatural and a starring role on Terry Matalas’s 12 Monkeys. In Criminal Minds season 9, episode 5, “Route 66,” Stashwick plays a robber who abducts his estranged daughter and later becomes a spree killer.

9

Jeffrey Combs

Shran in Star Trek: Enterprise, Weyoun & Brunt in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, & Others

• 

  Star Trek: Enterprise

  Cast

  Scott Bakula
  , John Billingsley
  , Jolene Blalock
  , Dominic Keating
  , Anthony Montgomery
  , Linda Park
  , Connor Trinneer
  , Jeffrey Combs

  Release Date

  
  September 26, 2001
  

  Seasons

  4

  Streaming Service(s)

  Paramount+

  Franchise(s)

  Star Trek

  Writers

  Brannon Braga
  , Rick Berman
  , Manny Coto

  Showrunner

  Brannon Braga
  , Manny Coto

• 

  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

  Cast

  Avery Brooks
  , Rene Auberjonois
  , Cirroc Lofton
  , Colm Meaney
  , Armin Shimerman
  , Alexander Siddig
  , Nana Visitor
  , Michael Dorn
  , Nicole de Boer
  , Terry Farrell
  , Andrew Robinson

  Release Date

  
  January 3, 1993
  

  Seasons

  7

  Streaming Service(s)

  Paramount+

  Franchise(s)

  Star Trek

  Writers

  Michael Piller
  , Ira Steven Behr
  , Ronald D. Moore

  Showrunner

  Michael Piller
  , Ira Steven Behr

The always versatile Jeffrey Combs has played numerous Star Trek characters across multiple series, and has become one of the franchise’s favorite guest stars. Combs appeared in all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise as the Andorian Thy’lek Shran, who sometimes butted heads with Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Combs portrayed every Vorta Weyoun clone, a role created especially for him.

Combs also appeared as a couple of different Ferengi, most notably as Liquidator Brunt on DS9, as well as an unknown alien named Tiron and Tsunkatse coordinator Penk. Combs has had a prolific television career, and he appeared in Criminal Minds season 9, episode 12, “The Black Queen” as serial killer and computer hacker John Nichols.

8

Ethan Phillips

Neelix in Star Trek: Voyager

Ethan Phillips portrayed Talaxian chef Neelix in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager. Neelix joined the crew of the USS Voyager soon after the ship found itself in the Delta Quadrant, and he acted as a consultant and guide for the unexplored area of space. Neelix’s personality contrasted sharply with Security Chief Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) and the two developed an antagonistic friendship.

Neelix and Tuvok became one of Star Trek’s best duos, and Neelix developed into a valuable and versatile member of Voyager’s crew. Ethan Phillips has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including several crime procedural dramas. In Criminal Minds season 1, episode 17, “A Real Rain,” Phillips portrayed Marvin Doyle, a schizophrenic serial killer who believed himself to be a vigilante.

7

John Billingsley

Dr. Phlox in Star Trek: Enterprise

In all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise, John Billingsly portrayed Dr. Phlox, the Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise NX-01 under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). A member of the Denobulan species, Phlox cared deeply about his patients and often used unorthodox methods of treatment to cure their ailments. He kept a menagerie of alien animals in his sickbay to assist in various healing practices.

During his time on the Enterprise, Phlox became good friends with Captain Archer, and Archer often went to Phlox for counseling and advice. Like many television actors, John Billingsly has popped up in numerous crime dramas, including Bones and NCIS: Los Angeles. Billingsley appeared as budding serial killer Hugh Rollins in Criminal Minds season 4, episode 21, “A Shade of Gray.”

6

Wil Wheaton

Ensign Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Fresh off of the success of Stand By Me, Wil Wheaton joined the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the show’s first season as the young Wesley Crusher. As the son of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Wesley had more freedom on the USS Enterprise-D than most children. Wes was a bit of a child prodigy and often helped the Enterprise crew find solutions when the ship encountered problems.

Wesley left TNG in the show’s fourth season to attend Starfleet Academy but later dropped out to join the enigmatic Traveler (Eric Menyuk) on his journeys throughout time and space. Wheaton has since become a fixture of the Star Trek franchise, hosting the official Star Trek aftershow, The Ready Room. In a very atypical role for Wheaton, he portrayed a psychopathic serial killer named Floyd Hansen in Criminal Minds season 4, episode 4, “Paradise.”

5

Tim Russ

Commander Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager

Lieutenant Tuvok served as the Chief of Security of the USS Voyager for all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager. As a Vulcan, Tuvok often served as the logical voice of reason on Voyager, and he was one of Captain Kathryn Janeway’s (Kate Mulgrew) most trusted advisors. Tuvok and Janeway were also close personal friends, who had met several years prior to the Vulcan’s assignment on Voyager.

Tim Russ is no stranger to police procedurals, having appeared in episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and NCIS, among others. One of the few actors on this list who didn’t portray a suspect in Criminal Minds, Tim Russ appeared in season 13, episode 2, “To a Better Place,” as Agent Lawrence. Lawrence was one of the committee members who helped reinstate Special Agent Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler).

4

Connor Trinneer

Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker in Star Trek: Enterprise

Trip served as the Chief Engineer on the Enterprise NX-01, under the command of his good friend, Captain Archer. Outgoing and down-to-earth, Trip was a gifted engineer who was largely self-taught before joining Starfleet in 2139. Despite their differences, Trip and Vulcan Sub-commander T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) developed feelings for one another over the course of Star Trek: Enterprise, but their romance was cut short by the show’s cancelation in season 4.

Trip was supposedly killed in Enterprise’s controversial series finale, but the events were only seen via holographic recreations on the holodeck. Connor Trinneer had a memorable 10-episode stint on Stargate: Atlantis, and has appeared in 24, NCIS: Los Angeles, and ABC’s 9-1-1. In Criminal Minds season 4, episode 3, “Minimal Loss,” Trineer portrayed Dan Torre alongside Luke Perry’s cult leader, Benjamin Cyrus.

3

René Auberjonois

Constable Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

The late René Auberjonois portrayed the stern but lovable Changeling, Constable Odo, in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. As Chief of Security on DS9, Odo was a brilliant detective who was aware of nearly everything and everyone on the busy space station. He ran a tight station and often butted heads with Ferengi bartender Quark (Armin Shimerman) who regularly participated in illicit activities.

Throughout his time on the station, Odo developed feelings for Bajoran Major Kira (Nana Visitor) and she later came to reciprocate those feelings. René Auberjonois starred alongside William Shatner in Boston Legal, and has also appeared in episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and Warehouse 13. Auberjonois portrayed attempted proxy killer Colonel Ron Massey in Criminal Minds season 7, episode 9, “Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.”

2

Doug Jones

Mr. Saru in Star Trek: Discovery

Used to being covered in heavy prosthetics and make-up, Doug Jones has made Mr. Saru on Star Trek: Discovery one of Star Trek’s best new characters. The first Kelpian in Starfleet, Saru has grown and changed a lot over the course of Discovery’s five seasons, and even found love in an incredibly sweet relationship with the Vulcan President of Ni’Var, T’Rina (Tara Rosling).

With his tall stature and distinctive look, Doug Jones has had a prolific career playing monsters and creepy creatures in horror films, often working with director Guillermo del Toro. Jones played two different characters in two episodes of Criminal Minds: drug addict Domino Thacker in season 1, episode 11, “Blood Hungry” and fight club captain Beanie in season 4, episode 10, “Brothers in Arms.”

1

Jonathan Frakes

William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Picard

Jonathan Frakes began his Star Trek career portraying Commander William Riker, the First Officer on the USS Enterprise-D, on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played Riker for seven seasons of TNG and four films, before reprising the role in Star Trek: Picard seasons 1 and 3. In TNG season 3, Frakes tried his hand at directing, and he has since become one of Star Trek’s most beloved and prolific directors.

Frakes has directed episodes of numerous popular television shows, including crime procedurals like Castle and NCIS: Los Angeles. In Criminal Minds season 5, episode 12, “The Uncanny Valley,” Frakes portrayed child psychiatrist and pedophile Dr. Arthur Malcolm, the father of serial killer Samantha Malcolm (Jennifer Hasty). Frakes is just one of the many recognizable Star Trek faces that have appeared on Criminal Minds throughout its fifteen seasons.

Criminal Minds & all of the Star Trek shows mentioned above are available to stream on Paramount+.