Star Trek: TNG's Lt. Barclay Actor Came From A Hard-Hitting '80s TV Show
You'd think Starfleet wouldn't enlist somebody who was "howling mad," and yet that's exactly who actor Dwight Schultz was most famous for playing before he joined the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Trekkies know Schultz as Lt. Reginald Barclay, the Enterprise's nervous engineer, but fans of '80s action might better recognize him as H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock from "The A-Team."
The "A-Team," which ran for five seasons on NBC, was Schultz's breakout role following a handful of one-off appearances in cop shows like "Hill Street Blues." Though Murdock was a patient in a military psychiatric hospital, he regularly escaped to help the rest of the titular team of falsely accused commandos — Mr. T's "B.A." Baracus, Dirk Benedict's Faceman, and George Peppard's team leader "Hannibal" Smith — whenever they went on dangerous missions for hire. Murdock was the group's pilot and he had a myriad of other talents as well.
Shultz played Murdock for 97 episodes until the series ended in March of 1987. Three years after that, he made his debut as Barclay on "TNG." His appearances were occasional — just five episodes total — but Barclay returned in "Voyager" for six episodes that included a unique contribution to the final season.
Barclay was not confident like Howling Mad Murdock, which some viewers found relatable
"The A-Team" was not an especially subtle show. It was cartoonish, and H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock's insanity (which he may or may not have been faking) was hardly a nuanced depiction of mental illness. Instead, Murdock's unhinged confidence mostly just allowed for funny antics.
Reginald Barclay, meanwhile, was anything but confident. Stuttering, clumsy, and anxious, Barclay would often turn to the Enterprise's Holodeck to escape reality. He was not the typical ultra-competent and self-assured member of Starfleet, which made him relatable to many fans and made it all the better when he had a genius breakthrough that saved the day. Several Trekkies have identified with Barclay's struggles and the ways he overcomes them to be a valuable member of Starfleet.
"It makes my heart feel warm and fuzzy to hear something like that," Dwight Schultz said in an interview with the "TNG" podcast "Earl Grey" when the hosts said that many shy, introverted Trekkies saw themselves in Barclay. "I'm so grateful it had that impact."