Summary
OneStar Trekactor set the record straight about the potential return of his character in the franchise. While he is not closing his door on possibly returning toStar Trek, reprising his role in the popular sci-fi action adventure is not his top priority.
TheStar Trekfranchise has thrived since its debut in 1966 withStar Trek: The Original Series. It has spawned multiple movies and series, and several celebrities have appeared in the franchise over the years. Whoopi Goldberg, Jean Simmons, Kurtwood Smith and even Stephen Hawking appeared onStar Trekas special guest stars. Many celebrities also appeared in the franchise before they made a name in Hollywood, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Joan Collins, Ashley Judd, Seth MacFarlane, Kirsten Dunst, and Terry O’Quinn, to name a few. But it also was home to several celebrities who catapulted to fame for playing the beloved characters in the franchise. One of them had been asked about a possible comeback and he just shared his thoughts about it.
Colm Meaney recently spoke withComicBookMovie.comabout his memorable role in the new thriller action movieDuchess, starring Charlotte Kirk. During the interview, he was asked about the chances of him reprising his role as thefan-favorite Miles O’Brien, a human Starfleet non-commissioned officer who served as transporter chief on board the USS Enterprise-D after his service during the Federation-Cardassian War and was later promoted to chief of operations aboard starbase Deep Space 9. Meaney portrayed O’Brien in two shows –Star Trek: The Next Generation(1987 - 1994) andStar Trek: Deep Space Nine(1993 - 1999). Meaney was asked if he was interested in playing hisStar Trekcharacter again, especially afterPicardbrought fans back toThe Next Generationera. Many Trekkies were sad that O’Brien was missing because they expected to see him again on the small screen.“I think seven years in a space suit was enough, you know?” Meaney saidabout his absence in thePicardseries, while making a reference to his seven-year appearance inTNG.
As for potentially returning to the show, he clarified that his door was open but didn’t think he was still fit to portray the character anymore. He added, “I’m often asked that question and you never say never, of course, but first of all I wouldn’t fit in it anymore [Laughs] and…I remember people saying at the time whenVoyagergot going, ‘How many times can you go to the well? How many times can you revamp this? They successfully did it withStar Trekand they’re still doing it. Good luck to them.'” However, the actor admitted he wasn’t sure if fans wanted to see a new version of O’Brien because he definitely aged. It has been 25 years since he last portrayed O’Brien in the franchise. While he is still interested in portraying hisStar Trekcharacter, it’s not among his top priorities at present.Meaney said, “Do you want to see an elderly Miles O’Brien? I don’t know. It’s certainly not at the top of my agenda of things I’d like to do at the moment.”
There is no doubt that Trekkies would love to see Meaney as O’Brien again for many reasons – nostalgia, attachment to the character, continuity of the storyline, and to see the character’s evolution.Star Trekhas been a significant part of fans’ lives and seeing old characters reprising their roles brings back fond memories. O’Brien has been one of the fan favorites in the franchise, so some are attached to the character and they would definitely love to see more of him, including his growth, changes and progress. Also, with the franchise bringing fans back toThe Next Generationera, it only makes sense to see O’Brien again. The presence of the senior chief petty officer is also necessary to continue his storyline and honor the legacy of the series where he appeared previously. Seeing oldStar Trekactors back in the franchise gives the universe a cohesive feel and adds depth to the ongoing narrative.
Trekkies would surely welcome formerStar Trekactors, including Meaney, back warmly. It was evident on how they supported Patrick Stewart’sStar Trek: Picard, which ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2023. Stewart made hisStar Trekdebut inThe Next Generation, like Meaney. Stewart and his Picard co-stars are all open to reprising their roles inStar Trek: Legacy. Fans have beenwaiting for Paramount Plus to greenlightLegacy, the proposedPicardspinoff, which will be a post-TNGshow. Hopefully, Meaney will appear on the series once it’s greenlighted.
