Performers considered for Star Trek roles This is a list of performers who were considered for roles in the " Star Trek " franchise , but ultimately did not appear in the role in the final episode or film . Performers listed here have been " verified " as having been considered by " Star Trek " personnel for a particular role on " Trek " in which they ultimately did not appear . By actor . David Gautreaux . David Gautreaux was set to play the role of Vulcan science officer Lieutenant Xon in the second " Star Trek " series , but the planned show was cancelled . Finally he played Commander Branch in . ( " Phase II : The Lost Enterprise " on ) Yaphet Kotto . was among those considered to play Captain Jean - Luc Picard before the role went to Patrick Stewart . He came to regret not accepting the role . He later was considered for a part in while it was still titled " Star Trek : Destinies " . ( Star Trek Monthly issue 15 ) Kotto is known for his numerous film roles , including Mr . Big in " Live and Let Die " , Parker in " Alien " ( 1979 ) , William Laughlin in " The Running Man " ( 1987 , with Mick Fleetwood ) , and FBI Agent Alonzo Mosely in " Midnight Run " ( 1988 ) . He is also known for his role as Lt . Al Giardello on the NBC drama series " Homicide : Life on the Street " . In addition , Kotto co - starred with TOS actress Nichelle Nichols in the film " Truck Turner " . Kotto ' s other film credits include 1968 ' s " The Thomas Crown Affair " , 1970 ' s " The Liberation of L . B . Jones " ( with Anthony Zerbe ) , 1978 ' s " Blue Collar " ( with Ed Begley , Jr . ) , 1979 ' s " Alien " , 1983 ' s " The Star Chamber " ( with Larry Hankin and James B . Sikking ) , and 1994 ' s " The Puppet Masters " ( with Julie Warner , Sam Anderson , J . Patrick McCormack , Andrew Robinson , and Michael Shamus Wiles ) . He has also guest - starred on such TV shows as " Bonanza " , " Gunsmoke " , " Hawaii Five - O " ( with Jeff Corey ) , " Fantasy Island " ( starring Ricardo Montalban ) , and " The A - Team " ( starring Dwight Schultz ) . In 1977 , he received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the TV special " Raid on Entebbe " , which co - starred Tige Andrews , Robin Gammell , Stephen Macht , and David Opatoshu . Eriq La Salle . ( born 1962 ) was among the actors considered for the role of Geordi La Forge . According to a memo regarding the review of an attached audition tape , sent from Bonnie Finnegan to Junie Lowry , she stated that La Salle had " " an interesting look but I like Wesley Snipes better . " " The part ultimately went to LeVar Burton . Several years later , La Salle was among the final group of actors considered for the role of Benjamin Sisko before the role ultimately went to Avery Brooks . ( " " ) La Salle is best known for his role as Dr . Peter Benton on the highly acclaimed medical drama " ER " , which he played from 1994 to 2002 . Outside " ER " he appeared in guest roles in series such as " Spenser : For Hire " ( starring Avery Brooks ) , " Quantum Leap " ( starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell ) , " The System " , " Without a Trace " and " 24 " . He also made appearances in feature films , including " Coming to America " ( 1988 , with Madge Sinclair ) , " Jacob ' s Ladder " ( 1990 ) , " Color of the Night " ( 1994 , with Scott Bakula , Brad Dourif , and Jeff Corey ) , and " One Hour Photo " ( 2002 ) . Roddy McDowall . ( 1928 – 1998 ) was casting director Joseph D ' Agosta ' s choice for the role of Trelane in . He was overruled by producer Gene L . Coon ' s choice , William Campbell who seemed to be more suitable for the part . McDowall was also a favorite of director Joseph L . Scanlan for voicing Armus in the " Star Trek : The Next Generation " first season episode . ( " " , p . 60 ) McDowall was an acclaimed character actor , who began his career in Hollywood as a child , acting in countless films from 1938 onward . His big break came at the age of 15 with the starring role in " Lassie Come Home " ( 1943 ) . He also appeared in Orson Welles ' 1948 film version of " Macbeth " , which also featured Morgan Farley . Afterwards , he appeared in numerous film and television roles , including " The Longest Day " ( 1962 , with Jeffrey Hunter and John Crawford ) , " Cleopatra " ( 1963 , with John Hoyt ) , " Pretty Maids All in the Row " ( 1971 , with James Doohan , William Campbell , Dawn Roddenberry and written by Gene Roddenberry ) , " The Poseidon Adventure " ( 1972 , with John Crawford , Bill Catching , and George Sawaya ) , and " Funny Lady " ( 1975 ) . McDowall also voiced the role of V . I . N . CENT , a robot in Disney ' s " The Black Hole " ( 1979 ) . McDowall is probably best known for his roles in four out of the five " Planet of the Apes " movies ( which also featured James Daly , Lou Wagner , Paul Lambert , Billy Curtis , Jane Ross , Ricardo Montalban , William Windom , Jason Evers , Walker Edmiston , Janos Prohaska , James B . Sikking , Paul Comi , France Nuyen , Paul Williams , and David Gerrold ) , and the subsequent television series ( which co - starred Mark Lenard ) . On television , McDowall appeared in a famous 1960 episode of " The Twilight Zone " entitled " People Are Alike All Over " , which co - starred Paul Comi , Susan Oliver , Byron Morrow , and Vic Perrin . He also appeared as " The Bookworm " in two 1966 episodes of " Batman " , which also featured John Crawford , and guest - starred in a 1972 episode of " Columbo " with James Gregory , William Windom , and George Sawaya . Toshiro Mifune . ( 1920 – 1997 ) was a legendary Japanese actor appearing in almost 170 movies , best known for his roles in director ' s Samurai epics . Mifune was planned to play the main Klingon villain in the proposed " Star Trek " movie , " " in 1976 . ( " The Star Trek Compendium " ) Director / screenwriter said , " " My version was really built around Leonard Nimoy as Spock and Toshiro Mifune as his Klingon nemesis . . . My idea was to make it less " cult - ish " , and more of an adult movie , dealing with sexuality and wonders rather than oddness ; a big science fiction movie , filled with all kinds of questions , particularly about the nature of Spock ' s [ duality ] - exploring his humanity and what humanness was . To have Spock and Mifune ' s character tripping out in outer space . I ' m sure the fans would have been upset , but I felt it could really open up a new type of science fiction . " " Edward James Olmos . is an Emmy Award - winning , Academy Award - nominated actor . Leonard Nimoy expressly wanted Olmos to play Kruge in , but the role ultimately went to Christopher Lloyd . ( " " special features ) A few years later , Olmos was offered the role of Jean - Luc Picard on . ( " Battlestar Galactica " Panel , FedCon XIV , 24 May 2015 ; ) He had to turn it down as he was busy with other projects . His Hollywood Walk of Fame star is right next to Patrick Stewart ' s . On film , Olmos is known for playing Gaff in the 1982 sci - fi thriller " Blade Runner " and for his Oscar - nominated role in 1988 ' s " Stand and Deliver " . He received two Emmy nominations – winning his first – for his supporting role as Lt . Martin Castillo on " Miami Vice " . Now he has acquired new fame for his portrayal of Admiral Adama in Ronald D . Moore ' s hit re - imagining of the sci - fi series " Battlestar Galactica " , which originally aired on SyFy . As it turned out , Olmos has been on record of being less than enamored with the science fiction genre , particularly for its portrayal of alien s , and having been seriously considered for the part of the Klingon Kruge was therefore somewhat ironic . Olmos only accepted his role in " Battlestar Galactica " when it became apparent to him that the series was to be primarily drama - driven and not to feature any " outlandish " life forms . ( " Battlestar Galactica : The Complete Series " Blu - ray - special features , " Cast And Crew Take A Look Back " ; " The Last Frakkin Special " )