And the hope that things will be better, that we will be able to go beyond ourselves is the lasting attraction of Star Trek.” “Teamwork is what Star Trek is about… the Star Fleet people (who are members of the United Federation of Planets) are all about teamwork and solving problems. And there is also the hope amongst people that everyone can come together and live together. “Many people I have met who have been afflicted see in Star Trek that in time the illness that they suffer from will be cured. “ Star Trek has the hope that in the future people will live together, solve their problems and reach out and understand the cosmic questions that face us today that those questions will be finally answered,” he said. Should the fans show up between now and the closing of the play December 13, he says, they may find a certain similarity between The Seafarer and the various Star Trek series in that both offer “a sense of hope.” While at times, that permanent meshing in the public’s mind of an actor and a character can be a psychological burden, Shimerman says it also has its advantages.įor example, he said, his seven seasons as the devious bartender Quark may prompt died-in-the-wool Star Trek fans to come watch him perform as blind, hard-drinking Richard Harkin in the San Diego Rep production of Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer.

He said he knows that “Quark,” the role of the Ferengi which he made famous in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, will probably be written on his tombstone. I remember, for example, how Henry Winkler practically growled at reporters at a United Jewish Federation event who wanted to talk about his role as Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli on television’s Happy Days. SAN DIEGO-Some actors shy from the roles that made them famous.

Quark actor