What The Cast Of Star Trek: The Next Generation Is Doing Today

Premiering in 1987, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" completely reinvigorated the "Star Trek" franchise on television. The series ran for seven seasons before ending in 1994 as the show's cast transitioned their spacefaring adventures to the big screen later that year. These cinematic outings came to a close in 2002, with the release of the widely maligned "Star Trek: Nemesis." Since then, most of the main "TNG" cast reconvened for the Paramount+ revival series "Star Trek: Picard," which concluded in 2023 after three seasons.

Even beyond "Picard," many of the main and recurring cast of "TNG" have kept busy with acting jobs since their time on the Enterprise-D ended. For some, this includes additional "Star Trek" projects, maintaining that professional link to the franchise in different capacities. Fortunately, the entire main cast of "TNG" is also still alive, kicking, and working throughout the industry. Here is what the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" looks like today and what they've been up to.

The captain of the Enterprise-D was Jean-Luc Picard, played commandingly by British actor Patrick Stewart in his breakout Hollywood role. Stewart not only starred as Picard across all seven seasons of "The Next Generation," but also all four movies featuring the "TNG" cast and the revival series "Picard." Though Stewart admittedly started as a severe, imposing figure when "TNG" began, he softened his on-set demeanor and performance of the character as the show progressed. During Stewart's theatrical run, reprising his role as Picard in "Star Trek" movies, he also found blockbuster movie success starring as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies.

Stewart has stayed active with his career in both film and television, along with the theatrical stage work where he began acting. In addition to starring in "Picard," which concluded its three-season run in 2023, Stewart penned a memoir that was published the same year. Plus, Stewart's next major on-screen role has him returning to his fan-favorite Charles Xavier character in 2026's "Avengers: Doomsday."

Picard's first officer on the Enterprise was William Riker, played throughout the series and its subsequent movies by Jonathan Frakes. In the final "TNG" movie, 2002's "Star Trek: Nemesis," Riker was promoted to captain of the USS Titan and married his longtime paramour Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Frakes reprised his role as Riker on "Star Trek: Enterprise," the animated series "Star Trek: Lower Decks," and, of course, on "Picard." Apart from playing Riker, Frakes has been a directorial mainstay for the "Star Trek" franchise, getting his first "Star Trek" directorial gig for the "TNG" episode "The Offspring."

Though Frakes has acted sporadically in between "Star Trek" projects, he has been focusing his creative energies lately on directing. Frakes has directed key episodes throughout the new "Star Trek" series streaming on Paramount+, from "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Picard" to "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." Given his extensive experience with the franchise, Frakes even offered advice for "Strange New Worlds" Season 3. A staple in the convention scene, Frakes lives in California with his wife and fellow actor Genie Francis.

The Enterprise's counselor was Deanna Troi, who draws from her empathic powers inherent to the Betazoid species she belongs to. Played by British actor Marina Sirtis, Troi's abilities extend to a degree of telepathy, able to instinctively sense what others are feeling. The pilot episode of "The Next Generation" establishes that Troi and Riker had a serious romantic relationship prior to the series. This is finally rekindled in the 1998 movie "Star Trek: Insurrection," with the two characters marrying shortly thereafter and starting a family.

Sirtis was nearly fired from "TNG" early on, saved by the exit of another main cast member in its first season. Since then, she became a firm fixture for the franchise, not just during the "TNG" era, but reprising her role in "Lower Decks" and "Picard." Sirtis has worked steadily in film and television since then, including in a supporting role on "The Orville." Following the death of her husband, Michael Lamper, Sirtis relocated to her native London in 2021, where she continues working.

The chief engineer during Picard's captaincy was Geordi La Forge, who starts the series wearing a visor to help him overcome his impaired eyesight. Played by LeVar Burton, La Forge receives ocular implants in 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact," enabling him to see without the visor. Burton later reprised his role as La Forge in the third and final season of "Picard," with his actual daughter, Mica Burton, playing his character's daughter Alandra. Like Frakes, Burton has become a prolific television director, not just directing episodes of multiple "Star Trek" series, but also various "NCIS" installments.

Though Burton has made the occasional live-action acting appearance, his voiceover acting work has really taken off since appearing in "TNG." This includes Kwame, one of the Planeteers on the beloved '90s animated series "Captain Planet and the Planeteers." Outside of "Star Trek," Burton is best known as the host of "Reading Rainbow," a role he held until 2006, though he has continued working with subsequent iterations. Recently, Burton became the host of "Trivial Pursuit," a television version of the popular board game that premiered in 2024 on The CW.

The Enterprise's chief operations officer and second officer was Data, a synthetic being created by the scientist Noonien Soong. Brent Spiner played multiple roles throughout the "Star Trek" franchise, including Data and his synthetic brothers, as well as Soong and his family members. In this multifaceted capacity, Spiner appeared in a number of "Star Trek" shows and movies, but his main role has always been Data. Though Data died peacefully in the first season of "Picard," he was resurrected in an older synthetic body in the show's final season, reflecting Spiner's age.

Spiner has continued working extensively, both in live-action and voiceover roles in film and television, between his "Star Trek" appearances. In 2016, Spiner reprised his other quirky sci-fi role, playing the extraterrestrial-obsessed scientist Brackish Okun in "Independence Day: Resurgence." On television, Spiner had a supporting role in the 2020 horror series "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels" and, more recently, as a memorable guest star on "Night Court." While he may be most recognizable under the usual white makeup Data was known for, Spiner certainly has been prolific over the years.

"The Next Generation" was the first "Star Trek" series to feature a Klingon, Worf, on the bridge, which was something suggested by its creator, Gene Roddenberry. Michael Dorn brought this fan-favorite character to life, not only in "TNG" and its accompanying movies, but also on the spin-off series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Dorn reprised his role as Worf in the final season of "Picard," playing the Klingon as a more even-keeled and philosophical warrior. On the Enterprise, Worf became the ship's chief security officer midway through the first season before becoming the strategic operations officer on DS9.

While still acting in live-action, Dorn has also become one of the most prolific voice actors in Hollywood. This includes voicing Battle Beast on the "Invincible" animated series and Crispin Mulcahy on "Uncle Grandpa." In addition to acting, Dorn has also written for DC Comics, including a series starring Steel, the character he voiced on "Superman: The Animated Series."

For most of "TNG," the Enterprise's chief medical officer was Beverly Crusher, played magnificently by Gates McFadden. Though Beverly Crusher was cut from Season 2, she returned at the start of the third season and stayed for the remainder of the series and its subsequent movies. McFadden has since reprised her role as Crusher in animation on "Star Trek: Prodigy" and in live-action on the final season of "Picard." In the case of the latter, Crusher was revealed to have struck up a romance with Picard, leading to the birth of a second son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers).

McFadden's connection to the "Star Trek" franchise has extended beyond conventional acting roles in recent years. In 2021, McFadden hosted and executive-produced the multi-part documentary series "The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek." That same year, McFadden launched "Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?," a podcast series that she hosts, speaking with former co-stars and friends. Outside of this, McFadden's acting roles have primarily been on television, including a supporting voiceover role on the Netflix animated series "Masters of the Universe: Revelation."

When Picard took command of the Enterprise, he bristled at the presence of children on the starship, most notably Beverly Crusher's teenage son Wesley. Played by Wil Wheaton, Wesley quickly proved his quality in action, leading Picard to recant his previous stance and recognize Wesley as an acting ensign. Midway through the series, Wesley joined Starfleet Academy only to leave the show when he was invited by a cosmic traveler to explore other realities. In his capacity as a traveler, aware of changes to the fabric of time and space, Wesley resurfaced in the second seasons of "Picard" and "Prodigy."

After taking a break from acting to work in tech, Wheaton returned to appear in television and indie movie projects in the late '90s. Wheaton's most notable live-action acting role outside of "Star Trek" was playing a fictionalized version of himself on "The Big Bang Theory," becoming a recurring staple. In 2024, Wheaton announced he was retiring from live-action roles, but would continue his involvement in voiceover acting and narration. Beyond his voiceover work, Wheaton hosts "The Ready Room," an aftershow program that debriefs the latest episodes of Paramount+'s growing "Star Trek" programming lineup.

After Roddenberry prevented her from playing Deanna Troi, Denise Crosby was instead cast as the Enterprise's chief security officer, Tasha Yar. Though part of the main ensemble, Yar was killed before the end of the first season in the episode "Skin of Evil." After leaving the show, Crosby returned to play an alternate-timeline version of Yar, who joined the crew of the Enterprise-C decades in the past. Crosby later guest-starred as Yar's half-Romulan daughter Sela, while Crosby would also voice Yar in the popular game "Star Trek Online."

After her initial "TNG" departure, Crosby had a prolific television career in the '90s, including recurring roles in "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" and "Diagnosis: Murder." On the big screen, Crosby's biggest movie role to date was in 1989's "Pet Sematary," the first adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel. More recently, Crosby had recurring roles on "Ray Donovan" and "Suits," introducing her to newer and wider audiences. Crosby's involvement with "Star Trek" extends beyond acting, with her serving as an executive producer on the 1997 documentary "Trekkies" and its 2004 sequel.

Though she appeared in 29 episodes of "The Next Generation," with her participation starting in its second season, Whoopi Goldberg was technically considered a special guest star. This distinction didn't stymie her connection to "Star Trek," of course, with Goldberg reprising her role as the Enterprise's bartender Guinan in two "TNG" movies and five episodes of "Picard." Guinan is revealed to be part of the El-Aurian race, a species with significantly slower aging, enabling Picard to interact with a younger Guinan several centuries in the past. Though much of the El-Aurians' place in the franchise remains shrouded in mystery, Guinan implies that they have a contentious history with the Q Continuum and Borg Collective.

Outside of acting projects, Goldberg has been a co-host on the afternoon talk show "The View" since 2007. Beyond her daily talk show commitments, Goldberg has lent her talents to both live-action and voiceover projects, with the latter including a number of narrator roles. In live-action, Goldberg's more notable recent appearances include playing the pivotal character of Mother Abagail in the 2020 adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand." Goldberg also played recurring roles in the Epix crime series "Godfather of Harlem" and the Prime Video comedy series "Harlem."

The very first adversary the "TNG" crew faced together was the omnipotent Q, who put humanity's existence on a literal trial in the series premiere. Q appeared in eight episodes of "TNG" in all, sometimes as a foe, a friend, or a character in need of the Enterprise's help. Q resurfaced in "Deep Space Nine," "Voyager," "Lower Decks," and the second season of "Picard," always up to his reality-bending mischief. Amusingly, actor John de Lancie got the role of Q after ditching his first audition for the show, impressing Roddenberry over a subsequent lunchtime audition.

With his distinctly eloquent intonation, de Lancie has built up a considerable voiceover career in animation and video games. This includes a role as the fan-favorite Discord in the animated series "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" and multiple DC Comics projects. In live-action, de Lancie had a recurring role in the second season of "Breaking Bad" as Donald Margolis, turning the entire season finale on its head. De Lancie is also a prolific writer, having published novels, comic books, and symphonic stage plays across his distinguished career.

Operations officer Miles O'Brien maintained a steady presence on the Enterprise since the series premiere before becoming the ship's chief engineer. Played by Irish actor Colm Meaney, O'Brien appeared in 52 episodes of "TNG" across its first six seasons. Before leaving to become part of the main cast of "Deep Space Nine," O'Brien married Keiko Ishikawa (Rosalind Chao), with the couple going on to have two children. Though O'Brien hasn't reappeared since "DS9," his legacy is cited favorably in an episode of "Lower Decks."

Though Meaney is unsure if he'll ever play O'Brien again, he has certainly been staying busy with his work. Meaney has gone on to appear in the main cast for the crime series "Gangs of London" and, more recently, "Safe Harbor." Notably, Meaney played the biological father of Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day) in the 15th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." While hopefully O'Brien will resurface someday in Paramount+'s "Star Trek" revival, Meaney remains hard at work creating memorable characters elsewhere.