
A Trekkie (a portmanteau of "trek" and "junkie") or Trekker is a
fan of the ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise. The show developed a following shortly after it premiered, with the first
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...
premiering in 1967. The first fan convention took place the year the original series ended.
The degree of Trekkies' devotion has produced conflicted feelings among the cast and crew of the show. Creator
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''Star Trek.'' Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up ...
initially encouraged the fan participation, but over the years became concerned that some fans treated the show with a quasi-religious zeal as though it were "scripture." While some stars have been vocally critical of the franchise's most devoted fans, others including
Sir Patrick Stewart have defended Trekkies.
There has been some disagreement within the fandom as to the distinction between the terms "Trekker" and "Trekkie." Some characterize Trekkers are "more serious" in comparison to the "bubble-headed" Trekkies, while others have chosen the term Trekker to convey that they are "a rational fan."
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...
advocated for the use of "Trekker" over "Trekkie". Overall, the term "Trekkie" is more commonly used.
History
Many early Trekkies were also fans of ''
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1964–1968), another show with science fiction elements and a devoted audience.
The first ''Star Trek''
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...
, ''Spockanalia'', appeared in September 1967, including the first published
fan fiction
Fan fiction or fanfiction, also known as fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF, is fiction typically written in an amateur capacity by fans as a form of fan labor, unauthorized by, but based on, an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted ...
based on the show. ''Star Trek'' creator
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''Star Trek.'' Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up ...
, who was aware of and encouraged such activities, a year later estimated that 10,000 wrote or read fanzines.
The mainstream
science fiction magazine
A science fiction magazine is a publication that offers primarily science fiction, either in a hard-copy periodical format or on the Internet. Science fiction magazines traditionally featured speculative fiction in short story, novelette, nov ...
''
If'' published a poem about the ''Star Trek'' character
Spock
Spock is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterpri ...
, accompanying a
Virgil Finlay portrait of the character.
Perhaps the first large gathering of fans occurred in April 1967. When actor
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...
appeared as Spock as
grand marshal of the
Medford Pear Blossom Festival parade in Oregon, he hoped to sign hundreds of autographs but thousands of people appeared; after being rescued by police, "I made sure never to appear publicly again in Vulcan guise", the actor wrote.
Another was in January 1968, when more than 200
Caltech
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private university, private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small g ...
students marched to NBC's
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...
studio to support ''Star Trek'' renewal.
The first
fan convention
A fan convention (also known as a con or fan meeting) is an event in which Fan (person), fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some also inc ...
devoted to the show occurred on 1 March 1969 at the
Newark Public Library. Organized by a librarian who was one of the creators of ''Spockanalia'', the "Star Trek Con" did not have celebrity guests but did have "slide shows of 'Trek' aliens, skits and a fan panel to discuss 'The Star Trek Phenomenon.'"
Some fans were so devoted that they complained to a Canadian TV station when it preempted an episode in July 1969 for coverage of
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...
.
However, the Trekkie phenomenon did not come to the attention of the general public until after the show was cancelled in 1969 and
rerun
A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. The two types of reruns are those that occur during a hiatus and those that occur when a program is syndicated.
Variations
In the United Kingdom, the word "repe ...
s entered
syndication. The first widely publicized fan convention occurred in January 1972 at the
Statler Hilton Hotel in New York, featuring Roddenberry,
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
, and two tons of
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
memorabilia. The organizers expected 500 attendees at the "First International ''Star Trek'' Convention" but more than 3,000 came;
attendees later described it as "packed" and like "a rush-hour subway train".
By then more than 100 fanzines about the show existed, its reruns were syndicated to 125 American TV stations and 60 other countries,
and news reports on the convention caused other fans, who had believed themselves to be alone, to organize.
Some actors, such as
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols ( ; born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer and dancer whose portrayal of Uhura in ''Star Trek'' and its film sequels was groundbreaking for African American actresses on A ...
, were unaware of the size of the show's fandom until the conventions,
but major and minor cast members began attending them around the United States.
The conventions became so popular that the media cited
Beatlemania
Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles from 1963 to 1966. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom in late 1963, propelled by the singles " Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and " She Loves Yo ...
and
Trudeaumania
Trudeaumania was the term used throughout 1968 to describe the excitement generated by Pierre Elliott Trudeau's entry into the April 1968 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election. Trudeau won the leadership election and was sworn in as prim ...
as examples to describe the emerging "cultural phenomenon".
6,000 attended the 1973 New York convention and 15,000 attended in 1974, much larger figures than at older events like the 4,500 at the
32nd Worldcon in 1974.
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
compared the 10,000 people who attended a 1975 convention at the
Americana Hotel to the largest crowd he had hosted previously, 5,000 people in
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
. By then the demand from Trekkies was large enough that rival convention organizers began to sue each other.
The first
UK convention was held in 1974 and featured special guests
George Takei
George Takei ( ; born April20, 1937), born , is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS ''Enterprise'' in the ''Star Trek'' franchise.
Takei was born to Japanese-American parents, with w ...
and
James Doohan. After this, there was an official British convention yearly.
Because ''Star Trek'' was set in the future the show did not become dated, and by
counterprogramming during the late afternoon or early evening when other stations showed
television news
News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting various news events and other information via television, radio, or the internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or tel ...
it attracted a young audience. The reruns' great popularity—greater than when ''Star Trek'' originally aired in prime time—caused Paramount to receive thousands of letters each week demanding the show's return and promising that it would be profitable.
(The fans were correct; by the mid-1990s ''Star Trek''—now called within Paramount "
the franchise" and its "crown jewel"
—had become the studio's single most-important property,
and Paramount sponsored its first convention in 1996.
)
The entire cast reunited for the first time at an August 1975 Chicago convention that 16,000 attended.
''"Star Trek" Lives!'', an early history and exploration of Trekkie culture published that year, was the first mass-market book to introduce fan fiction and other aspects of fandom to a wide audience. By 1976 there were more than 250 ''Star Trek'' clubs, and at least three rival groups organized 25 conventions that attracted thousands to each.
While discussing that year whether to name the first
Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'',
James M. Cannon,
Gerald R. Ford's domestic policy advisor, described Trekkies as "one of the most dedicated constituencies in the country".
"Unprecedented" crowds visited a 1992 ''Star Trek'' exhibit at the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
's
National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration.
Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...
,
and in 1994, when ''Star Trek'' reruns still aired in 94% of the United States, over 400,000 attended 130 conventions.
By the late 1990s an estimated two million people in the United States, or about 5% of 35 million weekly ''Star Trek'' watchers, were what one author described as "hard-core fans".
The Trek fandom was notably fast to use the
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web (WWW or simply the Web) is an information system that enables Content (media), content sharing over the Internet through user-friendly ways meant to appeal to users beyond Information technology, IT specialists and hobbyis ...
. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''s Damien Walter joked that "the 50% of the early world wide web that wasn't porn was made up of Star Trek: The Next Generation fansites".
Characteristics
Stereotypes
In 1975, a journalist described Trekkies as "smelling of assembly-line junk food, hugely consumed; the look is of people who consume it, habitually and at length; overfed and undernourished, eruptive of skin and flaccid of form, from the merely soft to the grotesquely obese". He noted their fixation on one subject:
In December 1986, Shatner
hosted an episode of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. In one skit, he played himself as a guest at a ''Star Trek'' convention, where the audience focuses on trivial information about the show and Shatner's personal life. The annoyed actor advises them to "
get a life". "For crying out loud," Shatner continues, "it's just a TV show!" He asks one Trekkie whether he has "ever kissed a girl". The embarrassed fans ask if, instead of the TV shows, they should focus on the ''Star Trek'' films instead. The angry Shatner leaves but because of his contract must return, and tells the Trekkies that they saw a "recreation of the
evil
Evil, as a concept, is usually defined as profoundly immoral behavior, and it is related to acts that cause unnecessary pain and suffering to others.
Evil is commonly seen as the opposite, or sometimes absence, of good. It can be an extreme ...
Captain Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk, often known as Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterp ...
from episode 27, '
The Enemy Within.'"
Although many ''Star Trek'' fans found the sketch to be insulting it accurately portrayed Shatner's feelings about Trekkies, which the actor had previously discussed in interviews. Noting that he had worked for years as an actor, Shatner said in 1975 "I can't explain" Trekkies' devotion; "my experience gives me no answer. I can't put it down to anything but an incredible phenomenon".
He had met overenthusiastic fans as early as March 1968, when a group attempted to rip Shatner's clothes off as the actor left
30 Rockefeller Plaza
30 Rockefeller Plaza (officially the Comcast Building; formerly RCA Building and GE Building) is a skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of Rockefeller Center in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. Completed in 1933 ...
.
Shatner was slower than others to begin attending conventions,
and stopped attending for more than a decade during the 1970s and 1980s.
In what Shatner described as one of "so many instances over the years" of fan excess, police captured a man with a gun at a German event before he could find the actor.
The ''Saturday Night Live'' segment mentioned many such common stereotypes about Trekkies, including their willingness to buy any ''Star Trek''-related merchandise, obsessive study of trivial details of the show, and inability to have conventional social interactions with others or distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Brent Spiner found that some could not accept that the actor who played
Data
Data ( , ) are a collection of discrete or continuous values that convey information, describing the quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted for ...
was human,
Nimoy warned a journalist to perform the
Vulcan salute
The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture popularized by the 1960s television series Star Trek: The Original Series, ''Star Trek''. It consists of a raised hand with the palm forward and the thumb extended, while the fingers are parted between the mid ...
correctly because "'Star Trek' fans can be scary. If you don't get this right you're going to hear about it",
and Roddenberry stated
A ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' cover article in December 1986 also cited many such stereotypes, depicting ''Star Trek'' fans as overweight and socially maladjusted "kooks" and "crazies". The sketch and articles are representative of many media depictions of Trekkies, with fascination with ''Star Trek'' a common metaphor for useless, "fetishistic" obsession with a topic; fans thus often hide their devotion to avoid
social stigma
Stigma, originally referring to the visible marking of people considered inferior, has evolved to mean a negative perception or sense of disapproval that a society places on a group or individual based on certain characteristics such as their ...
. Such depictions have helped popularize a view of devoted fans, not just of ''Star Trek'', as potential fanatics. Reinforced by the well-known acts of violence by
John Hinckley Jr. and
Mark David Chapman, the sinister, obsessed "fan in the attic" has become a
stock character
A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...
in works such as the films ''
The Fan'' (1981) and ''
Misery'' (1990),
and the television series ''
Black Mirror
''Black Mirror'' is a British anthology series, anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Most episodes are set in near-future dystopias containing Science fiction, sci-fi technology—a type of speculative fiction. The series i ...
''.
Defenders
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
objected when an interviewer described Trekkies as "weird", calling it a "silly thing to say". He added, "How many do you know personally? You couldn't be more wrong."
(According to Stewart, however, the actors dislike being called Trekkies and are careful to distinguish between themselves and the Trekkie audience.
)
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
said of them, "Trekkies are intelligent, interested, involved people with whom it is a pleasure to be, in any numbers. Why else would they have been involved in ''Star Trek'', an intelligent, interested, and involved show?"
In 1998, the
fan studies scholar
Henry Jenkins published the journal article "Star Trek Rerun, Reread, Rewritten," in which he defended the behavior of ''Star Trek'' fans from an academic angle, arguing that they were "'poachers' of textual meanings who appropriate popular texts and reread them in a fashion that serves different interests." Jenkins' subsequent monograph ''
Textual Poachers'' (1992), which was written "to participate in the process of redefining the public identity of fandom", also discussed ''Star Trek'' fans.
Religion
The central trio of Kirk, Spock and
McCoy was modeled on
classical mythological storytelling.
[Social History: Star Trek as a Cultural Phenomenon](_blank)
URL accesses May 31, 2013 Shatner said:
According to Michael Jindra of the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
, the show's fandom "has strong affinities with a religious-type movement", with "an origin myth, a set of beliefs, an organization, and some of the most active and creative members to be found anywhere". While he distinguishes between ''Star Trek'' fandom and the traditional definition of religion that requires belief in divinity or the supernatural, Jindra compares ''Star Trek'' fandom to both "'quasi-religions,' such as
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...
and
New Age
New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
groups"—albeit more universal in its appeal and more organized—and
civil religion
Civil religion, also referred to as a civic religion, is the implicit religious values of a nation, as expressed through public rituals, symbols (such as the national flag), and ceremonies on sacred days and at sacred places (such as monuments, bat ...
.
As with other faiths, Trekkies find comfort in their worship. ''Star Trek'' costume designer
William Ware Theiss stated at a convention:
The religious devotion of ''Star Trek''s fans began almost immediately after the show's debut. When Roddenberry previewed the new show at a 1966 science-fiction convention, he and his creation received a rapturous response:
The showing divided the convention into two factions, the "enlightened" who had seen the preview and the "unenlightened" who had not. However, the
humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...
Roddenberry disliked his role as involuntary prophet of a religion. Although he depended on Trekkies to support future ''Star Trek'' projects, Roddenberry stated that
Religious aspects of ''Star Trek'' fandom nonetheless grew, according to Jindra, with the show's popularity. Conventions are an opportunity for fans to visit "another world...very much cut off from the real world...You can easily forget your own troubles as well as those of the world", with one convention holding an event in which a newborn baby was "baptized" into the "Temple of Trek" amid chanting. ''Star Trek'' museum exhibits, film studios, attractions, and other locations such as
Vulcan, Alberta offer opportunities to perform pilgrimages to "our
Mecca
Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
". A fan astounded Nimoy by asking him to
lay his hands on a friend's eyes to
heal them.
Ethan Peck, a later Spock portrayer, said "When I'm meeting fans, sometimes they're coming to be
confirmed, like I'm a priest".
Fandom does not necessarily take the place of preexisting faith, with Christian and New Age adherents both finding support for their worldviews.
''Star Trek'' writer and director
Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer (born December 24, 1945) is an American screenwriter, director and author known for his best-selling novel '' The Seven-Per-Cent Solution'', and for directing the films '' Time After Time'', two of the ''Star Trek'' feature films, ...
compared the show to the
Catholic Mass
The Mass is the central liturgical service of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, in which bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass "the same Christ ...
:
Meyer has also said:
Anthropology
From before ''Star Trek''s television début, Roddenberry saw the show as a way of depicting his utopian, idealized vision of the future. According to Andrew V. Kozinets of
Northwestern University
Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
, many Trekkies identify with Roddenberry's idealism, and use their desire to bring such a future into reality as justification for their participation in and consumption of ''Star Trek'' media, activities, and merchandise, often citing the Vulcan philosophy of
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Such fans view ''Star Trek'' as a way to be with "'my kind of people'" in "'a better world'" where they will not be scorned or mocked despite being part of "stigmatized social categories". Shatner agreed: "If we accept the premise that
he ''Star Trek'' storyhas a mythological element, then all the stuff about going out into space and meeting new life – trying to explain it and put a human element to it – it’s a hopeful vision. All these things offer hope and imaginative solutions for the future." Richard Lutz wrote:
Rather than "sit
ing
Ing, ING or ing may refer to:
Art and media
* '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film
* i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group
* The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''
* "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
here and wait for the future to happen", local fan groups may serve as
service club
A service club or service organization is a Volunteering, voluntary nonprofit organization where members meet regularly to perform Charity (practice), charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. ...
s that volunteer at
blood drives and
food bank
A food bank or food pantry is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distrib ...
s. For them,
Despite their common interests fans differ in their levels of—and willingness to display and discuss—their devotion because of the perceived social stigma, and "
ercoming the Trekkie stigma entails a form of freedom and self-acceptance that has been compared to
homosexual uncloseting." To outsiders the wearing of
Starfleet uniforms, usually devalued as "costumes", is a symbol of their preconceptions of and unease with Trekkies. Kozinets cited the example of a debate at a ''Star Trek'' fan club's board meeting on whether board members should be required to wear uniforms to public events as an example of "not only...the cultural tensions of acceptance and denial of stigmatized identity, but the articulation and intensification of group meanings that can serve to counterargue stigma". The "vast majority of the club's time was spent discussing previous and upcoming television and movie products, related books, merchandise, and conventions", and club meetings and conventions focused on consumption rather than discussion of current affairs or societal improvement. (Perhaps appropriately, "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" originated in a third-season episode, "
Is There in Truth No Beauty?", in which Roddenberry inserted a speech by Kirk praising the philosophy and associated medal. The "pointless" speech was, according to Shatner, a "thinly-veiled commercial" for replicas of the medal, which Roddenberry's company
Lincoln Enterprises soon sold to fans.)
There is a persistent stereotype that among Trekkies there are many speakers of the constructed
Klingon language
The Klingon language (, ''Klingon scripts, '': , ) is the constructed language spoken by a fictional alien race called the Klingons in the ''Star Trek'' universe.
Described in the 1985 book ''The Klingon Dictionary'' by Marc Okrand and delibe ...
. The reality is less clear-cut, as some of its most fluent speakers are more
language
Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...
aficionados than people obsessed with ''Star Trek''. Most Trekkies have no more than a basic vocabulary of Klingon, perhaps consisting of a few common words heard innumerable times over the series, while not having much knowledge of Klingon's
syntax
In linguistics, syntax ( ) is the study of how words and morphemes combine to form larger units such as phrases and sentences. Central concerns of syntax include word order, grammatical relations, hierarchical sentence structure (constituenc ...
or precise
phonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that studies how humans produce and perceive sounds or, in the case of sign languages, the equivalent aspects of sign. Linguists who specialize in studying the physical properties of speech are phoneticians ...
.
However, some fans have found that learning the languages of Klingon helps their abilities to enjoy the escapist immersion qualities of the show. They may try to get into character by cos-playing and acting as a member of an alien society by learning the language. The English classical work 'Hamlet' written by
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
and translated into Klingon has been added to the
Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States. It has the world's largest collection of the printed works of William Shakespeare, and is a primary repository for rare materia ...
. There are courses and apps to help teach the Klingon language.
Demographics
, according to
Akiva Goldsman
Akiva Goldsman (born July 7, 1962) is an American screenwriter, producer, and director.
Goldsman's filmography as a screenwriter includes ''The Client (1994 film), The Client''; ''Batman Forever'' and its sequel ''Batman & Robin (film), Batman ...
, in a
comparison of ''Star Trek'' and ''Star Wars'', the latter's fan base is larger; the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
's fan base is larger than either. Although more ''Star Trek'' content is available on television than ever, Frakes said that of the fans he meets at conventions "very, very, very few" came to the franchise from new shows; "'Star Trek' fans, as we know, are very, very, very loyal — and not very young". Despite fans' stated vision of ''Star Trek'' as a way of celebrating diversity, Kozinets found that among the Trekkies he observed at clubs "most of the members were very similar in age, ethnic origin, and race. Out of about 30 people present at meetings, I noted only two visible minorities".
While many stereotype ''Star Trek'' fandom as being mostly young males and more men than women watch ''Star Trek'' TV shows, female fans have been important members since the franchise's beginning. The majority of attendees at early conventions were women over the age of 21, which attracted more men to later ones. The two most important early members of fandom were women.
Bjo Trimble
Betty JoAnne Trimble (née Conway; born August 15, 1933), known as Bjo (, ), is an American science fiction fan and writer, initially entering fandom in the early 1950s.
Introduction to fandom
Trimble's introduction to science fiction fandom ...
was among the leaders of the successful effort to persuade NBC to renew the show for a third season, and wrote the first edition of the important early work ''
Star Trek Concordance'' in 1969.
Joan Winston and others on the female-dominated committee organized the initial 1972 New York convention and several later ones; Winston was also one of the three female authors of ''"Star Trek" Lives!''
While men participate in many fandom activities such as writing articles for fan publications and organizing conventions, women historically comprised the large majority of fan club administrators, fanfiction authors, and fanzine editors, and the
Mary Sue
A Mary Sue is a type of fictional character, usually a young woman, who is portrayed as free of weaknesses or character flaws. The character type has acquired a pejorative reputation in fan communities, with the label "Mary Sue" often applie ...
-like "story premise of a female protagonist aboard the ''Enterprise'' who romances one of the ''Star Trek'' regulars,
ecamevery common in fanzine stories".
So many single female fanzine editors left fan activities after getting married that one female fanzine editor speculated that the show was a substitute for sex. One scholar speculates that
Kirk/Spock slash fiction
Slash fiction (also known as "m/m slash" or slashfic) is a genre of fan fiction that focuses on Romance (love), romantic or sexual attraction, sexual relationships between fictional characters of the same sex.Bacon-Smith, Camille. "Spock Among ...
is a way for women to "openly discuss sexuality in a non-judgmental manner".
Trekkie vs. Trekker
''Star Trek'' fans disagree on whether to use the term ''Trekkie'' or ''Trekker''. The ''
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'' dates 'Trekker'—"A (devoted or enthusiastic) fan" of ''Star Trek''— to 1967, stating that it is "sometimes used in preference to ''trekkie'' to denote a more serious or committed fan".
'Trekkie' is thus, according to a 1978 journal article, "not an acceptable term to serious fans".
The distinction existed as early as May 1970, when the editor of fanzine ''Deck 6'' wrote:
By 1976, media reports on ''Star Trek'' conventions acknowledged the two types of fans:
In the TV special ''Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special'' (1991),
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...
attempted to settle the issue by stating that "Trekker" is the preferred term. During an appearance on ''Saturday Night Live'' to promote the
2009 ''Star Trek'' film, Nimoy – seeking to assure
Chris Pine and
Zachary Quinto, the "new" Kirk and Spock, that most fans would embrace them – initially referred to "Trekkies" before correcting himself and saying "Trekkers," emphasizing the second syllable, with a
deadpan
Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of Comedy, comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant t ...
delivery throughout that left ambiguous whether this ostensible misstep and correction were indeed accidental or instead intentional and for comic effect.
In the documentary ''
Trekkies
A Trekkie (a portmanteau of "trek" and "junkie") or Trekker is a fan (person), fan of the ''Star Trek'' franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise. The show developed a following shortly after it premiered, with th ...
'',
Kate Mulgrew stated that Trekkers are the ones "walking with us" while the Trekkies are the ones content to simply sit and watch ''Star Trek''.
The issue is also shown in the film ''
Trekkies 2'', in which a ''Star Trek'' fan recounts a supposed incident during a ''Star Trek'' convention where
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''Star Trek.'' Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up ...
used the term "trekkies" to describe fans of the show, only to be corrected by a fan that stood up and yelled "Trekkers!" Gene Roddenberry responded with "No, it's 'Trekkies.' I should know – I invented the thing."
Other names
''Star Trek'' fans who hold ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' to be the best series of the franchise adopted the title of "Niner" following the episode "
Take Me Out to the Holosuite", in which Captain
Benjamin Sisko formed a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
team called "The Niners".
Activities
Artistic multi media expressions of Trek fandom
There is a phenomenon of defacing the
Canadian five-dollar notes that depict 19th century Canadian Prime Minister
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier (November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and Liberal politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadians, French ...
, as Laurier's facial features on the notes resemble Spock. In 2015, this was done as a tribute to
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...
after his death. This was referred to as "Spocking fives".
''Star Trek'' has inspired commercially produced works of literature such as volumes of
novels. However, fans have also produced numerous fan fiction productions and literature that seek to explore and continue hypothetical adventures of canonized characters.
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orvill ...
, creator of ''
The Orville'', filmed a fan production as a teenager. ''Star Trek'' alumni thespians have occasionally starred in these fan productions, such as ''
Star Trek Continues
''Star Trek Continues'' is an American Fan labor, fan-made web series set in the ''Star Trek'' universe. Produced by the nonprofit Trek Continues, Inc. and Dracogen, and initially co-produced by Far from Home LLC and Farragut Films (who previous ...
''. The erotic '
slash fiction
Slash fiction (also known as "m/m slash" or slashfic) is a genre of fan fiction that focuses on Romance (love), romantic or sexual attraction, sexual relationships between fictional characters of the same sex.Bacon-Smith, Camille. "Spock Among ...
' genre of fan fiction (
Literotica) was rooted in the
homoerotic pairings of Kirk and Spock in ''Star Trek'' fanzines of the 1970s written by female fans.
Fan clubs and conventions
As with any immersive subculture fandom, for example, historical reenactors, or supporters of spectator sports, there are formalized bodies within the Trekkie subculture to facilitate immersion into the creation of
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''Star Trek.'' Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up ...
often by hosting conventions.
A
Mecca
Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
of the Star Trek fandom is the
Albertan township of
Vulcan, Alberta. The town has embraced ''Star Trek'' themes as part of its community identity. An annual convention is held entitled Vul-con.
There are many ''Star Trek'' fan clubs, among the largest being STARFLEET International and the International Federation of Trekkers. Some Trekkies regularly attend
''Star Trek'' conventions (called "cons"). In 2003, STARFLEET International was the world's largest ''Star Trek'' fan club;
as of January 1, 2020, it claimed to have 5,500+ members in 240+ chapters around the world.
STARFLEET International
Within STARFLEET International (SFI), the local chapters are represented as 'ship' crews.
Eighteen people have served as president of the association since 1974. Upon election, the president is promoted to the fictional rank of Fleet Admiral and is referred to as the "Commander, Starfleet". Since 2004, the president has served a term of three years. Wayne Killough became the association's president on January 1, 2014. April 17, 2016 marked the first time a Commander, Starfleet died while in office. The late Wayne Killough was succeeded by Robin Woodell-Vitasek. As of January 1, 2020, Steven Parmley assumed office as the President of the association.
Since 1990, STARFLEET awards scholarships to post-secondary students who have been a member for a year of up to $1,000 to accomplish
Roddenberry's Utopian futurist vision. Applicants must also be involved in organization, as they are required to submit a two-page essay of their involvement. The scholarships are named after the portrayers of characters such as: The
James Doohan/
Montgomery Scott Engineering & Technology Scholarship,
DeForest Kelley
Jackson DeForest Kelley (January 20, 1920 – June 11, 1999) was an American actor, screenwriter, poet, and singer. He was known for his roles in film and television Western (genre), Westerns and achieved international fame as Dr. Leonard McCoy ...
/Doctor
Leonard McCoy
Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anima ...
Memorial Medical & Veterinarian Scholarship, Gene Roddenbery Memorial/Sir
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
Scholarship for Aspiring Writers and Artists, Space Explorer's Memorial Scholarship,
Armin Shimerman
Armin Shimerman (born November 5, 1949) is an American actor known for his role as Quark (Star Trek), Quark the Ferengi in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, appearing as the character in all seven seasons of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–199 ...
/
George Takei
George Takei ( ; born April20, 1937), born , is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS ''Enterprise'' in the ''Star Trek'' franchise.
Takei was born to Japanese-American parents, with w ...
/
LeVar Burton
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host. He played Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994), Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''Roots'' (1977 ...
Scholarship for Business, Language Studies, and Education. The funds are contributed by fund-raising crew members.
Whitewater jury
During the 1996
Whitewater controversy
The Whitewater controversy, Whitewater scandal, Whitewatergate, or simply Whitewater, was an American political controversy during the 1990s. It began with an investigation into the real estate investments of Bill and Hillary Clinton and their ...
, a bookbindery employee named Barbara Adams served as an alternate juror. During the trial, Adams wore a ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation''-style
Starfleet
Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduct ...
Command Section uniform, including a combadge, a
phaser, and a
tricorder.
Adams was dismissed from the jury for conducting a sidewalk interview with the television program ''
American Journal''.
The major news media incorrectly reported that she was dismissed for wearing her Starfleet uniform to the trial. However, Adams noted that she had been dismissed because she had spoken to a reporter of ''American Journal'' about her Starfleet uniform but not about the trial. Even though nothing she had said was deemed a trial-enclosure violation, the rule had been clearly stated that no juror was to communicate with the press in any manner whatsoever.
Adams stated that the judge at the trial was supportive of her. She said she believed in the principles expressed in ''Star Trek'' and found it an alternative to "mindless television" because it promoted tolerance, peace, and faith in mankind.
Adams subsequently appeared in the documentaries ''
Trekkies
A Trekkie (a portmanteau of "trek" and "junkie") or Trekker is a fan (person), fan of the ''Star Trek'' franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise. The show developed a following shortly after it premiered, with th ...
'' and ''
Trekkies 2''.
In popular culture
Trekkies have been parodied in several films, notably the science fiction comedy ''
Galaxy Quest
''Galaxy Quest'' is a 1999 American satirical science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. It stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mit ...
'' (1999). Actors such as Stewart and
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of William Riker in the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and subsequent films and series. He has also hosted th ...
have praised the accuracy
of its satiric portrayal of a long-canceled science-fiction television series, its cast members, and devoted fans known as "Questerians".
The main character Jason Nesmith, representing Shatner, repeats the actor's 1986 "Get a life!" statement when an avid fan asks him about the operation of the fictional vessel.
''Star Trek'' itself has satirized Trekkies' excessive obsession with imaginary characters, through
Reginald Barclay and his
holodeck addiction.
One episode of ''
Futurama
''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central, and then Hulu. The series follows Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1 ...
'' called "
Where No Fan Has Gone Before" was dedicated to parodying Trekkies. It included a history whereby ''Star Trek''s fandom had grown into a religion. Eventually, the Church of ''Star Trek'' had grown so strong that it needed to be abolished from the Galaxy and even the words "Star Trek" were outlawed.
The romantic comedy ''
Free Enterprise
In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any ot ...
'' (1999) chronicled the lives of two men who grew up worshipping ''Star Trek'' and emulating
Captain Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk, often known as Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterp ...
. Most of the movie centers on William Shatner, playing a parody of himself, and how the characters wrestle with their relationships to ''Star Trek''.
A Trekkie featured in one episode of the television series ''
The West Wing
''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...
'', during which
Josh Lyman
Joshua Lyman is a fictional character played by Bradley Whitford on the television drama series ''The West Wing''. The role earned Whitford the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2001. For most of the se ...
confronts the temporary employee over her display of a ''Star Trek'' pin in the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
.
The comedy film ''
Fanboys'' (2009) makes frequent references to ''Star Trek'' and the rivalry between Trekkies and ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' fans. William Shatner makes a cameo appearance in the film.
The comedy-drama film ''
Please Stand By
''Please Stand By'' is a 2017 American Comedy drama, comedy-drama film directed by Ben Lewin and based on the 2008 Michael Golamco#Short plays, short play of the same name by Michael Golamco, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Dakota ...
'' (2017) chronicles Wendy Welcott, a brilliant young woman with autism and a fixation on ''Star Trek''. She runs away from her group home in an attempt to submit her 450-page script to a ''Star Trek'' writing competition at Paramount Pictures.
The ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'' episode "
Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" features a ''Star Trek'' convention and many Trekkies. One Trekkie comes to the convention with the
mumps
MUMPS ("Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System"), or M, is an imperative, high-level programming language with an integrated transaction processing key–value database. It was originally developed at Massachusetts Gen ...
, and upon
Peter Griffin
Peter Löwenbräu Griffin Sr. ( né Justin Peter Griffin) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. He is voiced by the series' creator, Seth MacFarlane, and first appeared on television, a ...
seeing him, he impulsively pushes his daughter
Meg into the Trekkie and forces her to take her picture with him (believing him to be
in costume as an
alien from ''Star Trek''). Since Meg was not
immunized, she catches the mumps from the Trekkie and ends up bedridden.
On the
CBS-TV sitcom ''
The Big Bang Theory
''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for CBS. It aired from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes.
The show originally centered on five charact ...
'', the four main male characters are shown to be Trekkies, playing the game of "Klingon Boggle" and resolving disputes using the game of "
rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock".
Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor and writer. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me (film), Stand by Me'', ...
of ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation'' fame has made multiple guest appearances playing an evil version of himself.
LeVar Burton
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host. He played Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994), Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''Roots'' (1977 ...
,
Brent Spiner, Leonard Nimoy (as a
voice actor
Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...
),
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
and
George Takei
George Takei ( ; born April20, 1937), born , is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS ''Enterprise'' in the ''Star Trek'' franchise.
Takei was born to Japanese-American parents, with w ...
have also appeared on the series.
The films ''
Trekkies
A Trekkie (a portmanteau of "trek" and "junkie") or Trekker is a fan (person), fan of the ''Star Trek'' franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise. The show developed a following shortly after it premiered, with th ...
'' (1997) and its sequel ''
Trekkies 2'' (2004) chronicled the life of many Trekkies.
Famous fans
Actors and comedians

*
Kawa Ada - Afghan-Canadian actor, writer and producer, watched ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and used to collect unopened Star Trek figurines.
*
Freema Agyeman - Actress (played
Martha Jones in ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
''), watched ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and at least once attended a convention.
*
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor and comedian. Over the course of his career he has received an Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Golden Globe ...
- Actor and comedian, wanted to guest star on a ''Star Trek'' episode, ended up being on ''
Star Trek: Voyager''.
*
Bill Bailey - British comedian, named his child after the ''Deep Space Nine'' character
Dax. "I may just have given him too much baggage," Bailey has joked. "I'll tell him he's named after the
German stock exchange."
*
John Barrowman - Actor (played Captain
Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-off ''
Torchwood''), is a huge fan of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''.
*
Candice Bergen - Actress, attended at least one convention in 1976.
*
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...
- Actor, when asked in January 2023 if he would be willing to join the ''Star Wars'' universe, he responded: “No is the answer, and I’m not really down... I’m a Trekkie man. I’m on the Enterprise. That’s where I roll.”
*
Robert Carlyle - Actor (played Dr.
Nicholas Rush on ''
Stargate Universe
''Stargate Universe'' (often abbreviated as ''SGU'') is a military science fiction drama television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the An ...
''), has admitted to being a huge fan of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series'' as a child.
*
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
- Actor and comedian. Regularly impersonated William Shatner on ''
In Living Color''.
*
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English television presenter, journalist, farmer, and author who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for hosting the television programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), T ...
- Television personality. Stated in 2013 during Series 20, episode 3 of ''
Top Gear'' that he was a huge fan of the franchise during an interview with
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Benedict Cumberbatch, various accolades, including a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurenc ...
.
*
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
- Actor, comedian and television host, interviewed
George Takei
George Takei ( ; born April20, 1937), born , is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS ''Enterprise'' in the ''Star Trek'' franchise.
Takei was born to Japanese-American parents, with w ...
on ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...
'' in 2016 and told him that he had been a ''Star Trek'' fan since he was "knee-high to a grasshopper" and that it was "one of the greatest shows ever on television".
*
Rosario Dawson - Actress, claimed that ''Star Trek'' is "one of
erfavorite things in the world". When ''
Conan'' was on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
, the actress revealed she and her brother have argued in Klingon. She also held an online petition to appear in ''
Star Trek Into Darkness
''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise ...
''.
*
Jim Davidson - British comedian.
*
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film ''Holiday in the Sun (film), Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such a ...
- Actress
*
Whoopi Goldberg - Actress and comedian, she specifically requested a role in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' because the character
Nyota Uhura inspired her early acting career. She played the recurring role of an alien named
Guinan on the television series and in the film ''
Star Trek Generations
''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the Star Trek (film series), ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek: The Original Ser ...
''. She also had an uncredited appearance in ''
Star Trek: Nemesis'' during the wedding scene towards the movie's beginning.
*
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained fame for his role as the psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984–1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993–2004, and again F ...
- Actor, is a huge fan of ''Star Trek''. He guest-starred on the ''Next Generation'' episode "
Cause and Effect" and had
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
and
Brent Spiner each guest star in two episodes of his sitcom ''
Frasier
''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...
''. Furthermore, he speaks Klingon in the ''Frasier'' episode "Star Mitzvah".
*
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
- Actor, and a huge fan since childhood. He is purported to know the title of every ''Next Generation'' episode.
He was considered for the role of
Zefram Cochrane in ''
Star Trek: First Contact'', but had to turn it down due to a scheduling conflict.
*
Susannah Harker - Actress, played Jane Bennet in ''
Pride and Prejudice
''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813.
A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...
'' (1995).
*
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
- Actress, confesses to having a childhood crush on
Mr. Spock.
[
* Gabriel Köerner - A profilee in ''Trekkies'' who went on to guest star on '']The Drew Carey Show
''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995, to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionaliz ...
'' and as the "''Star Trek'' Geek" on the game show
A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
'' Beat the Geeks''.
* Mila Kunis - Actress, told '' GQ'' in 2011 she has vintage ''Star Trek'' figures and a signed photo from Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy ( ; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor and director, famous for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes Development of Spock, originating Spock in Star Trek: T ...
. She's even attended a ''Trek'' conference. "I went to the Star Trek Experience in Vegas maybe five years ago. I hung out with a bunch of fake characters inside Quark's bar. There were all these actors there pretending to be the different characters from the different shows. Yes, I loved it." Her favorite series is ''The Next Generation''.
* Virginia Madsen - Actress, is a huge fan of the original series, and in an interview, admitted that she was sobbing so hard when Spock died in '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', she had to go home right away. She also guest starred in the '' Star Trek: Voyager'' episode "Unforgettable
Unforgettable may refer to:
Film
* ''Unforgettable'' (1996 film), a thriller starring Ray Liotta
* ''Unforgettable'' (2014 film), a Bollywood film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2016 film), a South Korean film
* ''Unforgettable'' (2017 film), an America ...
".
* Bill Maher
William MaherStated on ''Finding Your Roots'', January 12, 2016, PBS; on a series that lists "Jr." and "Sr." distinctions, Bill Maher's birth name was listed simply as William Maher, while his father was William Aloysius Maher Jr., and his pa ...
- Comedian, remarked in an interview with George Takei
George Takei ( ; born April20, 1937), born , is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS ''Enterprise'' in the ''Star Trek'' franchise.
Takei was born to Japanese-American parents, with w ...
that he had seen every ''Star Trek'' episode.
* James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters (born August 20, 1962) is an American actor, musician, singer, comic book writer, and audiobook narrator.
He is best known for his role as the British punk vampire Spike in The WB series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ...
- Actor, played Spike on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
''. Auditioned to play Shinzon in '' Star Trek Nemesis''.
* Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
- Actor and comedian, he nearly starred in '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' and when his million-dollar contract with Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
arrived to be signed, Murphy delayed signing it for nearly an hour because he was so engrossed with an episode of the original series.
* Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage and television. His accolades included an Academy Aw ...
- Actor, was a contemporary of William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
in Canadian theatre and enjoyed watching the series. Played General Chang in '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country''.
* Freddie Prinze Jr. - Actor, stated he grew up watching ''Star Trek''.
* Dan Schneider - TV actor, writer and producer, known for being the creator of Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
TV series like '' All That'', '' The Amanda Show'', ''Drake & Josh
''Drake & Josh'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) as they live together despite their opposite personalities. Na ...
'', '' Zoey 101'', ''iCarly
''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...
'' and more. In an interview with ''Fanlala'', he spoke to releasing ''iCarly'' on the same date as the original ''Star Trek'' premiere, saying that he is "a huge fan of the original ''Star Trek''." He also said that he learned a lot from Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''Star Trek.'' Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up ...
and that the show meant a lot to him as a child.
* Mira Sorvino
Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born ) is an American actress. She rose to stardom with her performance as a prostitute in the comedy film ''Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995), which won her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Academy Award for Best S ...
- Academy Award-winning actress, stated in an interview with Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...
that she was a huge fan of the original series. Her father, Paul Sorvino
Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law.
Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...
, appeared as Nikolai Rozhenko, in the ''Next Generation'' episode " Homeward" the human brother and biological child of Worf's human foster parents.[
* ]Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...
- Actor and comedian, has been a huge fan of ''Star Trek'' since he was a kid. Stiller's production company, "Red Hour Films", is named after an alien population's "specified riot time" featured in the original series episode " The Return of the Archons". A clip of the original series episode "Arena
An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
" was shown in his film ''Tropic Thunder
''Tropic Thunder'' is a 2008 Satire (film and television), satirical Action comedy, action comedy film directed by Ben Stiller, who wrote the screenplay with Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen. The film stars Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., ...
'' (2008). In the film '' Zoolander'' (2001), Stiller named the villain "Mugatu", after a similarly named simian creature in the original series episode " A Private Little War". Stiller's film '' The Cable Guy'' (1996) features a scene where Chip and Steven duel at Medieval times, Chip chants the battle music from the episode " Amok Time" and quotes several lines from the same episode.
* William Tarmey - Actor, played Jack Duckworth on ''Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
''. He changed his character's final line before his death to match Captain Kirk's at the end of ''Star Trek Generations
''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the Star Trek (film series), ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek: The Original Ser ...
''
* Karl Urban - Actor, has been a huge fan of the series since he was seven years old and was cast in the role of Leonard McCoy
Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anima ...
in the 2009 ''Star Trek'' film. He actively pursued the role after rediscovering the series on DVD with his son. In his Blu-ray commentary, director J. J. Abrams stated that a line in the film explaining the origin of the character's nickname, "Bones", had not been scripted and instead was thought up by Urban while filming the scene.
* Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde (born Olivia Jane Cockburn, , March 10, 1984) is an American actress and director. She played Thirteen (House), Remy "Thirteen" Hadley on the medical-drama television series ''House (TV series), House'' (2007–2012), and appeared ...
- Actress, Wilde told i09 she's been a huge fan since she was very young. "I grew up as a Trekkie, which is really funny," said Wilde. "I think ''Star Trek'', they were always great female roles, but there's no reason the captain shouldn't be a woman."
* Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
- Actor and comedian, according to Walter Koenig's book ''Chekov's Enterprise'', Williams visited the set during filming of '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' and admitted he was a huge fan of the series. He was originally considered for the role of a time traveling con-man in the ''Next Generation'' episode " A Matter of Time" but was unable to star due to a scheduling conflict with ''Hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
'' (1991). Williams made reference to Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine (born Annika Hansen) is a fictional character introduced in the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Voyager''. Portrayed by Jeri Ryan, she is a former Borg drone who joins the crew of the Federation starship ...
in his "Weapons of Self-Destruction" comedy special.
* Some of the principal actors in second-generation ''Star Trek'' productions were fans of the franchise at the time of their selection, including Michael Dorn, Jolene Blalock
Jolene Blalock ( ; born March 5, 1975) is an American actress and model. She is best known for playing the Vulcan first officer and science officer T'Pol on the science-fiction series '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. Her other work includes guest-st ...
, Wil Wheaton
Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor and writer. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me (film), Stand by Me'', ...
and (according to Wheaton), LeVar Burton
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host. He played Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994), Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''Roots'' (1977 ...
.
Hollywood movie and television directors and producers
* Mel Brooks
Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...
- Film director, screenwriter, comedian, actor, producer, composer and songwriter, is a huge fan of the series (according to Brent Spiner in the documentary ''Trekkies
A Trekkie (a portmanteau of "trek" and "junkie") or Trekker is a fan (person), fan of the ''Star Trek'' franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise. The show developed a following shortly after it premiered, with th ...
'').
* David A. Goodman - ''Family Guy'' executive producer, is a major fan of ''Star Trek''. He has written an episode of ''Futurama'' entirely devoted to ''Star Trek'', and later four episodes of '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. He even paid tribute to the 20th anniversary of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' by spoofing the cliffhanger ending of " The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" and using it as the cliffhanger ending of the 100th episode of ''Family Guy'', " Stewie Kills Lois".
* Justin Lin
Justin Lin (, born October 11, 1971) is a Taiwanese Americans, Taiwanese-American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. His films have grossed over $3 billion USD worldwide . He is best known for his directorial work on ...
- Director of some of the ''Fast and Furious'' movies is a huge fan of the franchise and was chosen by J. J. Abrams to direct and co-produce ''Star Trek Beyond
''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the third installment in List of Star ...
'' because of that.
* George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
- The ''Star Wars'' creator amazed Clint Howard by, during an audition, immediately citing his role years earlier as Balok from " The Corbomite Maneuver". Howard said that he wanted to yell "Get a life" at the filmmaker.
* Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orvill ...
- The creator of ''Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'', ''American Dad!
''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker (producer), Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the r ...
'' and '' The Cleveland Show'' is an avid fan. He has embedded dozens of ''Star Trek'' references in his shows, and twice guest starred on ''Enterprise''. He says his favorite ''Star Trek'' series is ''The Next Generation'' and he reunited the cast of that show for the ''Family Guy'' episode " Not All Dogs Go to Heaven". His sci-fi comedy-drama series '' The Orville'' was inspired by ''Star Trek''.
* Trey Parker
Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative part ...
and Matt Stone
Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, and musician. He is best known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon (musical), The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his cre ...
- Creators of ''South Park
''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...
'' are ''Star Trek'' fans and have put many references to the franchise in their show.
Musicians
* Welsh rock group Lostprophets
Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets or LOSTPROPHETS) were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The group was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruit ...
members are huge fans of the series.
* Mick Fleetwood
Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician, songwriter and actor. He is the drummer, co-founder, and leader of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of the group's bassist John Mc ...
- British musician, appeared in an episode of ''The Next Generation''.
* Eat Static - English DJ whose name Eat Static comes from the film ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''.
* Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English retired musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album ''Tubular Bells'' (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a gu ...
- Musician.
* Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...
- The singer-songwriter was a huge fan of ''Star Trek'' and would often play the original series theme at the beginning of his shows. In '' Star Trek: First Contact'', his recording of " Ooby Dooby" is the first piece of human culture ever shared with an (acknowledged) alien race.
* Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
- Singer and actor.
* Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
- The singer has been a huge fan of ''Star Trek'' since she was a child and was introduced to the series by her father. She also recorded the song " Sledgehammer" for the reboot film ''Star Trek Beyond
''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the third installment in List of Star ...
''.
* Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
- Singer and actor, "never missed" ''The Next Generation''.
* Carrie Underwood - Country singer, is a huge fan of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and admits to having a crush on Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
.
* D'arcy Wretzky
D'arcy Elizabeth Wretzky (born May 1, 1968) is an American musician. She was the original bassist of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins and is credited on their first six studio albums. She left the band in 1999. She has also been a ...
- Former bassist of The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...
, said she was "a big 'Star Trek' fan, but I'm not into the conventions or the ears or anything like that".
* Zakk Wylde - Former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of Black Label Society.
Politicians and world leaders
* King Abdullah II of Jordan - As crown prince, he has a cameo appearance in an episode of ''Star Trek: Voyager''.
* Pete Buttigieg - Former United States Secretary of Transportation
The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secre ...
and former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Lifelong fan of ''Star Trek''.
* Hans Dijkstal - Dutch politician, Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister.
* Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
- Forty-fifth Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
from 1993 to 2001. He watched the series more than he studied, according to his Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
roommate Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Tommy Lee Jones, various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Scre ...
.
* Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes (born August 7, 1950) is an American politician, political scientist, and perennial candidate who served as the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 1985 to 1987. A member of the Republican P ...
- American conservative (known best for his career runs for president) has stated his favorite television program is ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. He once said about ''Star Trek'', "There's something basically clean and decent and all-American about the respect for human dignity that ''Star Trek'' creator Gene Roddenberry showed."
* Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
- reportedly described himself to Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols ( ; born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer and dancer whose portrayal of Uhura in ''Star Trek'' and its film sequels was groundbreaking for African American actresses on A ...
as "the biggest Trekkie on the planet", for the message (controversial at the time) that it sent about white people and black people working together as equals and urged Nichols to remain on the show, which she had planned to leave.
* Jack Layton
John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian politician and academic who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on T ...
and Olivia Chow - The married couple, Layton leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada and Chow a Mayor of Toronto, were "devoted Trekkies" and had tailor-made Starfleet uniforms.
* John Horgan - New Democratic Party Premier of British Columbia
* Lewis "Scooter" Libby - His Yale classmate Donald Hindle said Libby had the "decidedly nonpolitical talent" of remembering all 79 ''Star Trek'' episodes and "knew all the titles, too".
* Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
- Leonard Nimoy hinted that Obama greeted him with the Vulcan salute
The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture popularized by the 1960s television series Star Trek: The Original Series, ''Star Trek''. It consists of a raised hand with the palm forward and the thumb extended, while the fingers are parted between the mid ...
. Obama further requested a screening of the new ''Star Trek'' film at the White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
.
* Dan Maffei - Congressman, ( Democratic Party- NY-25) participated in Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
's "Better Know a District" segment on ''The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late night television, late-night Late-night talk show, talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December ...
''. In the interview, Maffei and Colbert donned goatees in reference to Spock in the original series episode " Mirror, Mirror". At the end of the interview, Maffei and Colbert exchanged the Vulcan salute
The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture popularized by the 1960s television series Star Trek: The Original Series, ''Star Trek''. It consists of a raised hand with the palm forward and the thumb extended, while the fingers are parted between the mid ...
.
* Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell ( ; – ) was an Americans, American diplomat, and army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American to hold the office. He was the 15th National Security ...
- United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State.
The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the ...
from 2001–2005, visited the set of ''The Next Generation''.
* Carlos Alvarado Quesada
Carlos Andrés Alvarado Quesada (; born 14 January 1980) is a Costa Rican politician, writer, journalist, and political scientist who served as the 48th president of Costa Rica from 8 May 2018 to 8 May 2022. A member of the Citizens' Action Pa ...
- President of Costa Rica
The president of the Republic of Costa Rica is the head of state and head of government of Costa Rica. The president is currently elected in direct elections for a period of four years, which is not immediately renewable. Two Vice President of ...
.
* Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
- Former President, visited the set of ''The Next Generation'' in 1991 during filming of " Redemption". He remarked "I like them he Klingons They remind me of Congress."
* Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond ( ; 31 December 1954 – 12 October 2024) was a Scottish politician who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure in the Scottish nationalist movement, he was Leader of the Sc ...
- Scotland's former First Minister, with his favourite being '' The Original Series'' and '' Star Trek: Voyager''.
* Leo Varadkar
Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2017 to 2020 and from 2022 to 2024, as Tánaiste from 2020 to 2022, and as leader of Fine Gael from 2017 to 2024. A Teachta Dála, ...
- The former Taoiseach
The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
of Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
was a huge fan of ''Star Trek'' growing up.
* David Wu - Oregon Congressional Representative, delivered a heavily ''Trek''-infused speech to the House of Representatives on January 10, 2007.
* Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (born October 13, 1989), also known as AOC, is an American politician and activist who has served since 2019 as the United States House of Representatives, US representative for New York's 14th congressional distric ...
- New York Congressional Representative, recalled watching Voyager as a young child.
Science fiction writers
* Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
- A close personal friend of Gene Roddenberry. He attended the first public screening of "Where No Man Has Gone Before
"Where no man has gone before" is a phrase made popular through its use in the title sequence of the original 1966–1969 ''Star Trek'' science fiction television series, describing the mission of the starship ''Enterprise''. The complete int ...
" and attended numerous conventions during the 1970s.
* Malorie Blackman - Author and former UK Children's Laureate
Children's Laureate, now known as the Waterstones Children's Laureate, is a position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field". The rol ...
. The blurb to the UK edition of her novel '' Noughts and Crosses'' says that she is a huge fan of ''Star Trek'' and her dream job would be to captain the USS ''Enterprise''.
* Bjo Trimble
Betty JoAnne Trimble (née Conway; born August 15, 1933), known as Bjo (, ), is an American science fiction fan and writer, initially entering fandom in the early 1950s.
Introduction to fandom
Trimble's introduction to science fiction fandom ...
- who helped spearhead the letter writing campaign that convinced NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
to continue ''Star Trek'' for a third season.
Scientists, engineers, inventors and entrepreneurs
* Jeff Bezos
Jeffrey Preston Bezos ( ;; and Robinson (2010), p. 7. ; born January 12, 1964) is an American businessman best known as the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce and clou ...
- billionaire who made his fortune as a technology and retail entrepreneur. He is also an electrical engineer and computer scientist. He appeared in a cameo as an alien Starfleet official in the film ''Star Trek Beyond
''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the third installment in List of Star ...
''.
* Sir Richard Branson - The founder of the Virgin Group
Virgin Group Ltd is a British multinational venture capital conglomerate founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell in February 1970.
Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding compa ...
. He named the first spacecraft of his Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is a British-American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group conglomerate, which retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and opera ...
venture VSS ''Enterprise'' and the second one VSS ''Voyager''.
* Martin Cooper - Invented the first Mobile phone
A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...
, was inspired to do so after seeing Captain Kirk use his communicator.
* Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking (8January 194214March 2018) was an English theoretical physics, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Between ...
- Scientist, who played a holodeck version of himself on the ''Next Generation'' episode " Descent" (thus becoming the only person in a Star Trek episode or film credited as "Himself"). While on the set he wanted to see the ''Enterprise''s warp engine room set. After seeing it he commented, "I am working on that."
* Michael Jones - Chief technologist of Google Earth, has cited the tricorder's mapping capability as one inspiration in the development of Keyhole/Google Earth.
* Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...
- A billionaire business magnate, investor, engineer and inventor. Famous for Tesla and SpaceX and was referenced in '' Star Trek: Discovery''.
* Bill Emerson - President and Chief Operating Officer of Rocket Companies, Inc.
* Bill Nye - Scientist and television host of '' Bill Nye the Science Guy'', praised ''Star Trek'' by stating that "In all the versions of ''Star Trek'', the future for humankind is optimistic. They've solved all the problems of food, clothing and shelter. And you know how they solved them? Through science. Not only that, in the ''Star Trek'' future, everybody gets along..."
* Randy Pausch - The late Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
professor who wrote '' The Last Lecture''. He appeared in a cameo in the 2009 ''Star Trek'' film.
* Steve Wozniak
Stephen Gary Wozniak (; born August 11, 1950), also known by his nickname Woz, is an American technology entrepreneur, electrical engineer, computer programmer, philanthropist, and inventor. In 1976, he co-founded Apple Inc., Apple Computer with ...
- A computer engineer and entrepreneur who credited watching ''Star Trek'' and attending ''Star Trek'' conventions while as a youth as his source of inspiration for co-founding Apple Inc. in 1976.
* Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysics, astrophysicist, author, and science communication, science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia Univ ...
- Astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, and science communicator. He mentioned in an episode of '' StarTalk Radio'', while talking to Wil Wheaton, that he styles his sideburns in a point as an homage to ''Star Trek''.
Astronauts and NASA personnel
* Franklin Chang Díaz - Third NASA Latin American astronaut, first Latin American immigrant and first of Costa Rican descent into space.
* Samantha Cristoforetti - First Italian astronaut considers herself to be a huge fan of ''Star Trek''. She famously drank the first espresso in space while wearing her ''Star Trek'' uniform.
* Michael Fincke - Astronaut. He was a guest star on the final episode of ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' along with fellow astronaut Terry W. Virts. He was also featured in the ''Star Trek: First Contact'' Blu-ray special features, talking about working in space and Star Trek influences.
* Chris Hadfield - Whose Exchanges on public media (Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
, Tumblr
Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...
, YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
and Google+
Google+ (sometimes written as Google Plus, stylized as G+ or g+) was a Social networking service, social network owned and operated by Google until it ceased operations in 2019. The network was launched on June 28, 2011, in an attempt to challe ...
) with William Shatner and other ''Star Trek'' actors are famous.
* Mae Jemison
Mae Carol Jemison (born October 17, 1956) is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. She became the first African-American woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavou ...
- An American physician and NASA astronaut. She became the first African American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' on September 12, 1992. Appeared as Lt. Palmer in the ''Next Generation'' episode " Second Chances".
* Ronald McNair - The second black person in space and one of the seven astronauts who died in the January 28, 1986 ''Challenger'' disaster. According to his brother, ''Star Trek'' had a positive impact on his brother.
* Swati Mohan
- An Indian-American aerospace engineer
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is s ...
and was the Guidance and Controls Operations Lead on the NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Mars 2020
Mars 2020 is a NASA mission that includes the rover ''Perseverance (rover), Perseverance'', the now-retired small robotic helicopter ''Ingenuity (helicopter), Ingenuity'', and associated delivery systems, as part of the Mars Exploration Progra ...
mission.
* Terry W. Virts - Astronaut. He was a guest star on the final episode of ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' along with fellow astronaut Michael Fincke. He was also featured in the ''Star Trek V: The Final Frontier'' Blu-ray special features, talking about NASA and Star Trek influences.
Others
* Tracey Emin
Dame Tracey Karima Emin (; born 3 July 1963) is an English artist known for autobiographical and confessional artwork. She produces work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, Neon lighting, neon text ...
- A British artist, who created a hand-sewn blanket entitled ''Star Trek Voyager'' which was auctioned for £800,000 in 2007.
* Gustavo Gómez Córdoba - Colombian radio journalist. He is an anchor at '' Caracol Radio''.
* Damon Hill - Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
world champion of 1996. In his autobiography, he stated he watched the original series as a child.
* Hosts of the Cum Town podcast: Nick Mullen, Stavros Halkias and Adam Friedland - occasionally reference the show to mock its actors and celebrities who happen to look like them (notably Eric Trump and Odo).
References and footnotes
{{Fan fiction
Television fan clubs
Film fan clubs
Nerd culture
Star Trek fandom
1960s neologisms