The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine television series lasted for seven seasons, which allowed plenty of interesting trivia to accumulate. In this article, you will encounter information tidbits, such as who was first thought of to play the role of Captain Benjamin Sisko, as well as some of the other actors who were under consideration.
Captain First Choice
We would have never gotten the chance to see Avery Brooks take on the character of Benjamin Sisko if it weren’t for Alexander Siddig’s youthful looks. He was the producer’s first choice for the role. Siddig later achieved the role of Julian Bashir, who was a genetically-enhanced character on the series. Other actors who were offered the role included Tony Todd from Candyman fame, as well as the deep-voiced James Earl Jones. Eriq LaSalle, who went on to play Peter Benton on ER, also read for the part.
Turn-Downs
The role of Jadzia Dax had been offered to Famke Janssen, who turned down the role so that she could be free to take on offers for feature film appearances. It paid off because in the long run, she landed reoccurring roles on the X-Men movies, which was based on a popular comic book series.
Art At Its Best
The spots that appeared on the character of Jadzia Dax did not come from a stencil, but were hand drawn by an artist every day. This process took more than an hour to complete.
Star Wars Connections
In the episode titled, “Man Alone,” there was a planet called Alderaan, which was also the same name given to the planet that was destroyed by the Death Star in the 1977 Star Wars trilogy.
Married Cast Members
In real life, cast members Alexander Siddig and Nana Vistor were a married couple, which took place after the show was in its fourth season. A subplot was weaved into the series that involved Kira becoming pregnant by O’Brien, which was their way of handling Visitor’s pregnancy.
Look Familiar?
Armin Shimmerman, who played the character, Quark, made an appearance during the first season of The Next Generation as one of the first Ferengi characters encountered in Star Trek’s duration.
Name Origins
The name of the aliens called “Ferengi” comes from the Persian word “Farangi,” which means “foreigner.”
Character Ranks
The ranks used to describe the various positions of characters throughout the television series are fashioned after military ranks that actually exist. For example the Starfleet rankings are based on the United States Navy: Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain, Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, and Admiral. The ranks of the United States Army, Air Force and Marines are used in naming the positions within the Bajoran ranks: 2nd lieutenant, 1st lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and General. Cardassian ranks were the same as those used throughout the ancient Roman Empire, including Gil (which was equivalent to a Starfleet/ US Naval Lieutenant), as well as Glinn (for Commander), Gul (for Captain), as well as Legate (for Admiral).
