All 4 Star Trek Characters Played By James Sloyan

James Sloyan has portrayed four different characters in the Star Trek universe, across three different shows. An accomplished character actor, Sloyan portrayed memorable guest stars in every one of his Star Trek appearances. On Star Trek: The Next Generation, Sloyan played Romulan Admiral Alidar Jarok in “The Defector,” and time-traveling Klingon K’mtar in “Firstborn.” Sloyan appeared as Haakonian scientist Doctor Ma’Bor Jetrel in Star Trek: Voyager’s “Jetel,” and as Bajoran scientist Dr. Mora Pol in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “The Alternate” and “The Begotten.”

Since he began acting in the 1970s, James Sloyan has appeared in episodes of many popular television shows, including Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Love Boat, Matlock, MacGyver, Murder, She Wrote, Quantum Leap, Baywatch, and The X-Files. He also had roles in 1973’s The Sting and 1980’s Xanadu, as well as numerous made-for-television movies. Sloyan has also provided his voice to several commercials and film trailers. From a Romulan defector to a Klingon time traveler to a couple of complicated scientists, here are James Sloyan’s four Star Trek roles.

4
Admiral Alidar Jarok

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 10 – “The Defector”

In Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “The Defector,” James Sloyan plays Admiral Alidar Jarok, a high-ranking Romulan officer who seeks asylum aboard the USS Enterprise-D after defecting from Romulus. Jarok once led several campaigns against Federation outposts, but now believes another Earth-Romulan war would destroy the Empire. After Jarok learned that Romulus was planning an invasion of the Federation, he stole a Romulan scout ship to warn Starfleet, knowing he could never return to his home planet.

Motivated by love for his wife and daughter, Jarok thought he was saving Romulus from being devasted by war. Jarok provides important tactical information to Picard, but it’s later revealed that he was fed incorrect information to lead the Enterprise into a trap. Captain Picard anticipated this and came accompanied by three Klingon Birds-of-Prey. Realizing that he sacrificed everything for nothing, Jarok tragically takes his own life, leaving Picard to reflect on the Romulan’s bravery. “The Defector” has some truly amazing performances from Patrick Stewart and James Sloyan, and the episode is often cited as one of TNG’s best.

3
K’Mtar / Adult Alexander

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 7, Episode 21 – “Firstborn”

Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “Firstborn” begins with Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) lamenting that his son, Alexander Rozhenko (Brian Bonsall), has no desire to become a Klingon warrior. To teach Alexander more about Klingon culture, Worf takes his young son to the Kot’baval festival at Maranga IV. Not long after they arrive, however, three Klingons attack Worf and a mysterious Klingon named K’Mtar jumps to Worf’s aid. James Sloyan brings K’Mtar to life, making the mysterious Klingon immediately compelling and selling his obvious obsession with his mission (even if his mission does not quite make sense).

K’Mtar eventually reveals himself to be Alexander from the future, who has come to the past to prepare his younger self for an assassination attempt on Worf’s life. The future Alexander believed that if his younger self chose the path of the Klingon warrior, he would be able to save his father’s life. At one point, the adult Alexander contemplates killing his younger self, which would essentially erase him from existence. When K’Mtar sees that Worf has taken more of an interest in the young Alexander’s life, he returns to his own time.

2
Dr. Ma’bor Jetrel

Star Trek: Voyager Season 1, Episode 15 – “Jetrel”

Neelix (Ethan Phillips) may not have been the most popular of Star Trek: Voyager’s main characters, but he shines in this episode alongside James Sloyan’s Dr. Jetrel. A Haakonian scientist, Jetrel was responsible for creating a weapon of mass destruction that killed over 300,000 Talaxians on the moon Rinax, including Neelix’s family. Neelix understandably wants nothing to do with Jetrel after Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) allows him on board. Eventually, Neelix allows Jetrel to examine him, and the Haakonian reveals that Neelix has a fatal blood disease called metremia, contracted from the weapon Jetrel created.

Jetrel seemingly wants to help Neelix, and the USS Voyager travels to the Talaxian system so that Jetrel can create a cure for metremia. In the end, Jetrel reveals that he lied about Neelix having metremia, and that his real goal is to bring back the Talaxians killed on Rinax using Voyager’s transporter. His far-fetched plan fails, and Jetrel dies of metremia just after Neelix offers him forgiveness. Not only is “Jetrel” a great episode of Star Trek: Voyager, but it also gives Ethan Phillips the chance to portray a more serious version of Neelix, as he plays off of James Sloyan’s incredibly compelling Jetrel.

1
Dr. Mora Pol

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 2, Episode 12 – “The Alternate” & Season 5, Episode 12 – “The Begotten”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “The Alternate” introduces James Sloyan as Dr. Mora Pol, the Bajoran scientist who studied Odo (René Auberjonois) when he was first discovered. Before Mora knew that Odo was a sentient lifeform, he performed various, often painful experiments on the Changeling. Sloyan perfectly plays Mora as a self-centered, but realistic character, who tries to act like a father figure to Odo without acknowledging the pain his initial experiments caused. In the end, Mora begins to understand the tragedy of Odo’s history and the two part on better terms.

Mora returns in “The Begotten,” when Odo comes across an infant Changeling. The two immediately clash over how to raise the Changeling, with Odo condemning the more invasive techniques Mora once used on him. Mora and Odo eventually work together to teach the young Changeling how to shapeshift, and they share in their excitement. Tragically, the infant Changeling dies, merging into Odo in its last moments. The experience helps Odo better understand how Mora must have felt when Odo left, and the two end the episode with an embrace and a promise to remain in each other’s lives. In only two appearances, James Sloyan makes Mora one of Star Trek’s more interesting and memorable recurring characters.

Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.