Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, and Terry Farrell led the crew of the series’ eponymous space station.

*Deep Space Nine *cast: See the crew of one of *Star Trek’*s best series, then and now

Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, and Terry Farrell led the crew of the series' eponymous space station.

By Chris Snellgrove

May 25, 2026 6:00 p.m. ET

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It's raining tribbles! The 'Deep Space Nine' crew has an adorable infestation. Credit:

*Deep Space Nine* was like no other *Star Trek* show before or since. From 1993 to 1999, the series eschewed episodic storytelling in favor of long narrative arcs and layered character development.

By happy accident, that approach has made it one of the most binge-friendly series to stream from the the franchise's Golden Age. It seems more fans discover the show each year, quickly falling for *Trek*’s most gloriously dysfunctional family.

But what has the family been up to since *Deep Space Nine* warped into the sunset? Some cast members have since retired, while others have stuck around as regulars in genre entertainment and beyond.

Keep scrolling to see the stars of *Deep Space Nine*, then and now.

Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisko)

Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko; Brooks at a 'Star Trek' convention in Las Vegas in 2012.

Everett; Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Avery Brooks played the commander (and eventual captain) of the eponymous space station. The character had to ride the line, abiding by the rules of Starfleet while also serving as Space Jesus to the Bajorans.

By occupying this intersection of duty, politics, and religion, Brooks’ character effectively signaled to audiences that *DS9 *would be darker and more complex than any *Star Trek* series before it.

“I was very grateful for the part, and remain very grateful today for… it giving me a worldwide forum and letting the world see Black and brown people doing all types of things without their color being the critical aspect of what or who they are,” Brooks said in a 2012 interview.

Before *Trek*, Brooks was best known to TV audiences as Hawk on *Spenser: For Hire *and its short-lived spinoff, *A Man Called Hawk*. You may also recognize him as Edward Norton's former teacher in *American History X *(1998).

Beyond the screen, he has had a lengthy and acclaimed career on stage and has otherwise been involved in the arts as a teacher and artistic director.

He and his wife, Vicki Bowen, have been married since 1976 and have three children.

René Auberjonois (Odo)

René Auberjonois as Odo; Auberjonois at Florida Supercon in 2016.

Everett; Gustavo Caballero/Getty

René Auberjonois played Odo, the station’s shapeshifting chief of security. Eventually, he discovered that his race, the Changelings, posed an existential threat to Starfleet and the Federation. Forced to choose between two worlds, he helped Sisko defeat his people.

“There is something about the darkness of the show, the sort of neurotic nature of the characters, the complexity of the characters that has made it sort of like a Russian novel that you can keep returning to and that stays fresh,” the actor said in 2011.

Before *DS9*, Auberjonois was already a Tony-winning actor, having taken home the prize for the 1969 Broadway production of *Coco*, opposite Katharine Hepburn. Over the next two decades, he earned three more Tony nominations.

The native New Yorker was a Robert Altman regular in the early 1970s, featuring prominently in *M*A*S*H *(1970), *Brewster McCloud *(1970), *McCabe and Mrs. Miller *(1971), and *Images *(1972). He later appeared in *King Kong *(1976) and *Where the Buffalo Roam *(1980), and played the head doctor at Arkham Asylum in *Batman Forever* (1995).

In the ’80s, he starred on the Emmy-winning sitcom *Benson*, alongside Robert Guillaume. After *DS9 *left the air, the veteran actor remained a regular presence on TV, including on *Boston Legal*. He also worked with acclaimed filmmaker Kelly Reichardt on *Certain Women *(2016) and *First Cow *(2019).

Auberjonois died in 2019 at age 79. He was survived by his wife of 56 years, Judith Mihalyi. The couple shared two children.

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Alexander Siddig (Julian Bashir)

Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir; Siddig at a 'Star Trek' convention in Vegas in 2019.

Everett; Gabe Ginsberg/Getty

Alexander Siddig played the fresh-faced Dr. Bashir. The youthful character was attracted to the romantic notion of practicing “frontier medicine,” but he had to grow up very quickly due to the traumas of the war with the Dominion. That’s in addition to the revelation that he was a genetically engineered human, the same kind as feared franchise villain Khan Noonien Singh.

Before *DS9*, the British actor was best known for the TV movie *A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia* (1990), in which he played Faisal, a role famously portrayed by Alec Guinness in the 1962 epic *Lawrence of Arabia*. That performance helped him land in the *Star Trek* universe.

“I look back on the series with great affection,” he said in a 2021 interview. “As my fledgling career started to take shape and I could achieve some sense of perspective, I realized how ridiculously lucky I was to have been part of such a noble enterprise.”

He’s since built a career as an in-demand character actor, having appeared on *Game of Thrones* and *Gotham*, on which he played Ra’s al Ghul. His big-screen credits include Stephen Gaghan's *Syriana* (2005) and Ridley Scott’s *Kingdom of Heaven *(2005). He currently features on the Apple TV series *Foundation*.

Siddig and his wife, Shana Collier, have been married since 2015. He also shares a son with his ex-wife, *DS9* costar Nana Visitor.

Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax)

Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax; Farrell at Star Trek Day in L.A. in 2022.

Everett; Jesse Grant/Getty

Terry Farrell played Jadzia Dax, a young science officer with a special “symbiont” inside her body. She has access to the memories of previous hosts, which is why she remembers mentoring a young Benjamin Sisko as "Curzon Dax." She is killed by Gul Dukat at the end of season 6, and her symbiont is passed on to a new host, Ezri Dax.

Add Farrell to the chorus of voices who appreciated *Deep Space Nine*’s bold tonal shift within the greater *Star Trek *franchise.

“I like it when it’s dark,” she said in 2015. “It makes it more interesting because there’s so much we don’t know, so it’s nice to have some mystery and depth.”

Before she joined the cast, she had been a guest player across television for a few years, including in episodes of *The Twilight Zone* and *Quantum Leap*. Once her time on *DS9* came to an end, she found another starring role on *Becker,* opposite Ted Danson.

In recent years, the Iowa native has receded from the spotlight, though she still takes acting roles here and there. She has one son with her ex-husband, Brian Baker.

Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko)

Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko; Lofton at a 'Star Trek' convention in 2016.

Everett; Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Cirroc Lofton played Jake, son of Captain Sisko. While still reeling from the death of his mother, Jake developed a deep friendship with Nog, a rambunctious Ferengi. Jake also became a writer, one who transitioned from fiction to journalism amid the Dominion War. As a journalist, he even risked his life by staying behind on DS9 so that he could better report on the station’s occupation by enemy forces.

*Deep Space Nine* was Lofton’s breakout television role — and he admits it remains an enviable one.

“It would be a dream of mine to reprise the role of Jake Sisko and do it again,” he said in 2023. “So I will never close the door on those dreams.”

That dream came true when he reprised Jake for a memorable cameo on *Starfleet Academy*.

Before that appearance, he guested on shows like *7th Heaven*, *CSI: Miami*, and *Days of Our Lives*.

Lofton has kept the *Trek *flame alive, appearing in multiple fan-made projects and hosting the *DS9 *podcast *The 7th Rule*.

Colm Meaney (Miles O’Brien)

Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien; Meaney at the Rome Film Festival in 2024.

Everett; Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty

Colm Meaney showed a more tender side when reprising his *Next Generation *role of Miles O’Brien for *DS9. *When he wasn’t chumming it up with Dr. Bashir, O’Brien did his best to keep the station running. His technological skills were invaluable during the Dominion War.

In addition to his long tenure in the *Trek* universe, Meaney has been a regular character actor on the big screen for decades. After moving into film and television, he appeared in hits like *The Last of the Mohicans *(1992), *Under Siege* (1992), and *Con Air *(1997).

It was his busy film career that nearly kept him from accepting the *DS9* gig.

“My concern was that I wouldn’t be able to do the movies I wanted to do,” Meaney said in a 2014 interview. “Rick [Berman] basically said, ‘If it’s a script you really want to do, I’ll find a way to make it work for you.’ And he was as good as his word.”

After *DS9*, the Irish actor starred on AMC’s *Hell on Wheels *while maintaining his film output, which includes roles in *Layer Cake *(2004), *Law Abiding Citizen *(2009), *Marlowe *(2022). Most recently, he appeared in Netflix's *Remarkably Bright Creatures *(2026).

Meaney has been married to his wife, Ines Glorian, since 2007. They have one daughter together. He also has another daughter from a previous marriage.

Armin Shimerman (Quark)

Armin Shimerman as Quark; Shimerman at the premiere of 'Lucky' in 2017.

Everett; Michael Kovac/Getty

Armin Shimerman played Quark, a Ferengi bartender and affable super-capitalist. Thanks to his illegal wheelings and dealings, Quark frequently ran afoul of Odo, the station’s chief of security. But despite claiming he cares only about latinum, Quark has a heart of gold and risked his life to help drive away Dominion forces.

“The two shows that came before us were wonderful shows… But there was… relatively little stories about family and about personal agendas, about maturing, and about the things that make up humans,” he said in a 2019 interview. “It is not so much about saving a world from itself, but finding out how a person can grow from their experiences.”

Shimerman has carved out a durable career as both a character actor and voice performer over the years. He had a lengthy resume before landing on *DS9*, with the Linda Hamilton-led *Beauty and the Beast *series among his most prominent credits.

The New Jersey native also played Sunnydale High’s principal on *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*.

He and his wife, Kitty Swink, have been married since 1981.

Nana Visitor (Kira Nerys)

Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys; Visitor at a 'Star Trek' convention in 2016.

Everett; Albert L. Ortega/Getty

Nana Visitor played Kira, a Bajoran former resistance fighter who helped drive the Cardassians from her home planet. She works with Sisko as he helps Bajor slowly rebuild from a painful occupation. Despite her well-earned reputation as a warrior, Kira is also the spiritual center of the show thanks to her unwavering faith in the Prophets.

In a 2024 interview, she credited *DS9 *with helping her discover her own identity. “It’s like Kira was my chance to be the full-spectrum human that I happened to be that was unacceptable at the time… Kira taught me how to be me… That character shifted my brain.”

Visitor established herself on soap operas and later found guest work on popular series like *Knight Rider*, *MacGyver*, and *Night Court*. Since her breakthrough on *DS9*, she has appeared in a handful of other sci-fi hits, including *Dark Angel*, *Battlestar Galactica*, *Torchwood*, and *Resident Alien.* She also had a regular role on ABC Family's *Wildfire*.

Visitor has two children from previous relationships, including a son she shares with *DS9* castmate Alexander Siddig.

Michael Dorn (Worf)

Michael Dorn as Worf; Dorn at a 'Picard' screening in 2023.

Everett; Jesse Grant/Getty

Michael Dorn returned to his signature *Star Trek: The Next Generation* role as Worf on *DS9*. The series saw him get married, join a new Klingon House, and help coordinate Starfleet’s war efforts with the Klingon Empire. He even killed Gowron in ritual combat, ending Gowron’s leadership of the Klingon Empire.

With *DS9*, the *TNG* film series, and the third season of *Picard*, Dorn is among the most prolific actors in *Star Trek* franchise history.

The veteran actor gives the series’ original creator a great deal of credit for allowing Worf to become such an indelible figure.

“When I started, before I came onto the set, I went to Gene Roddenberry and said, ‘Hey, what do you want from this guy?’” Dorn said in a 2010 interview. “He said, ‘Don’t listen to what you’ve heard or read or seen in the past, nothing. Just make the character your own.’ … *That *is how you get an actor to really invest in a role.”

Before *TNG* made him an icon, Dorn was best known for his role in *CHiPs*. The Texas native has booked regular voice work over the course of his career and currently appears on the Amazon Prime series *Invincible*.

Dorn has been married to his wife, Jennifer Joseph, since 2007.

Nicole de Boer (Ezri Dax)

Nicole de Boer as Ezri Dax; de Boer at Star Trek Day in 2022.

Everett; David Livingston/Getty

Nicole de Boer had the unenviable task of replacing Terry Farrell. She played Ezri, the subsequent host of the Dax symbiont.

While she only spent one season on the show, de Boer did an admirable job making her character distinct from Jadzia. She ultimately ended up with the gentle Dr. Bashir rather than the fierce Commander Worf.

Before joining the *Star Trek* family, de Boer was a certified fan of *The Next Generation* — and even fan-girled out over getting to kiss a *Trek* icon on *DS9*. “It was exciting for me to kiss Worf! Because I'd grown up watching the show… It was like, ‘Wow! I just kissed Worf!’”

Prior to landing on *Deep Space Nine*, the Canadian actress had appeared in a string of shows in her native country, in addition to the sci-fi cult classic *Cube *(1997). She followed up her stint as Ezri with a leading role on USA's *The Dead Zone*. She later appeared on the Canadian series *Private Eyes *and in the CBS reboot of *Matlock. *

Where can I watch Deep Space Nine?

*Deep Space Nine* is currently available to stream on Paramount+.

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Source: “EW Sci-Fi”