5 Star Trek: The Original Series Actors Who Appeared On Bonanza

"Star Trek: The Original Series" ran alongside the legendary Western "Bonanza" on NBC, and numerous actors took the opportunity to appear on both shows. With 14 seasons coming out between 1959 and 1973, "Bonanza" remains NBC's longest-running Western series to date and arguably stands among the best shows in the Western genre. Focusing on the endeavors of the Cartwright family in mid-1800s Nevada, "Bonanza" won three Emmys during its tenure and was revered for its lovable cast and fun storytelling. 

Although much shorter in length, "Star Trek" left just as much of a lasting impression on television history — if not more so – breaking new ground in the science fiction genre. A few "Star Trek" main cast members took on brief roles on "Bonanza," while other stars — like Ricardo Montalban, Morgan Woodward, and John Hoyt – guest-starred on both series. Landing parts on two shows in a short time period, these five performers were among the most noteworthy "Star Trek" actors to appear on "Bonanza."

Before Leonard Nimoy captivated TV audiences as Mr. Spock on "Star Trek," he had a small role in one episode of "Bonanza." Season 2, Episode 14, "The Ape," aired in 1960 and features Nimoy as Freddy, a rather disgruntled employee who works at the local saloon Arnie (Cal Bolder) shows up at. Freddy can be seen managing card games at the establishment and talking to his co-worker, Sheribelle (Karen Sharpe). Nimoy's character is also the one to discover that Arnie has killed Sheribelle in a fit of rage. 

That wasn't the end of Nimoy's adventures with "Bonanza," though, as he went on to play Frank James in the 1995 TV movie "Bonanza: Under Attack" — a sequel to the original series. This time, Nimoy portrayed Frank James, who was a real-life outlaw. In the film, Frank is on the run from law enforcement and runs into the Cartwrights while in search of help. Nimoy is far from the only actor to play multiple characters in "Bonanza" projects, but he's one of the most easily recognizable faces to appear in the Western. 

DeForest Kelley guest-starred as three different characters in four episodes of "Bonanza" in the years leading up to his role as Dr. McCoy on "Star Trek." He first appeared in Season 3, Episode 3 as Captain Moss Johnson, who shows up wounded at Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and his family's campsite. They later find out that he acted on orders to murder multiple Apache Native Americans, leading to a confrontation with the Chief Cochise (Jeff Morrow). Kelley returned to "Bonanza" in Season 4, Episode 12, where he played Dr. Michael Jons. In jail and awaiting execution for a murder, Dr. Jons ends up the only doctor available to help an injured Hoss (Dan Blocker). 

Making his final "Bonanza" guest star appearances in Season 7, Kelley portrayed Tully in Episodes 17 and 18 — which aired in 1966 a few months before "Star Trek" premiered. His character is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist who arrives in town to report on the Pony Express. Given that Kelley made a name for himself in a big way on "Star Trek" soon after, it makes sense that his presence on "Bonanza" went overlooked. 

Playing Scotty in the original show's entire run and many "Star Trek" spin-offs, James Doohan was a guest star on "Bonanza" twice. His debut in the series took place in 1962 in Season 3, Episode 21, where he played Bill Collins. A farmer struggling amid a devastating drought, Bill approaches the Cartwrights at the end of the episode, declaring his intent to take water by force from elsewhere. The Cartwrights eventually help him and other farmers find water without conflict. 

Doohan came back for another guest appearance on "Bonanza" a year later in Season 5, Episode 11. Here, the actor played the right-hand man of Colonel Abel Chapin (Dayton Lummis), who gets involved as the Cartwright sons are convinced that poachers murdered their father. Outside of his "Star Trek" fame, Doohan compiled a few gigs in Western TV shows. With "Bonanza," "The Virginian," and "Gunsmoke" under his belt, the actor appeared in the best titles the genre had to offer during his career. 

Majel Barrett had two guest star roles on "Bonanza" before becoming the one actress to have a role in six "Star Trek" shows by providing the legendary starship computer voice heard throughout many of the franchise's shows and movies. Coincidentally, her first episode in the Western series was actually the same as James Doohan's. The Season 3 episode "Gift of Water" included Barrett as Belle Ganther — the wife of the despondent farmer whom Ben and the others help for most of the tale. 

Less than a year before first appearing in "Star Trek," Barrett guest-starred in "Bonanza" Season 7, Episode 22 as Annie Slocum. In "Three Brides for Hoss," Annie is one of the three women to arrive at the Ponderosa ranch believing that they will marry Hoss thanks to a marriage proposal letter they each received from him. Aside from her small parts in "Bonanza" and "Here Come the Brides," Barrett didn't delve into the Western genre much. Rather, her involvement in "Star Trek" remains her defining work.

Kathie Browne stands out as the only actor on this list who was more of a fixture on "Bonanza" than on "Star Trek." The actress got to experience the world of "Trek" only once. Fans of the original series might remember her as the Scalosian queen Deela in the Season 3 episode "Wink of an Eye." Browne's "Bonanza" arc as Laura Dayton began and ended in the show's fifth season, playing her in four episodes. 

A widowed mother who has a romantic relationship with Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts) before marrying his cousin Will (Guy Williams), Laura emerges as a pivotal figure in "Bonanza" Season 5. But the multi-episode role wasn't Browne's first rodeo on "Bonanza." Back in 1961, she made her debut on the series as Ellen Henry — the wife of the tax collector at the center of the story. A year later, Browne stepped into the shoes of Margie Owens — a woman Hoss hopes to marry — in Season 3, Episode 16. With more "Bonanza" appearances to her name than "Star Trek" credits, Browne differs from the rest of the stars on this list.