Ian Spelling Ian R . Spelling , though having guest starred in two " Star Trek " television episodes , is actually best known as freelance journalist and entertainment writer for his numerous " Star Trek " – related interviews for magazines , websites , and newspapers . Spelling was born on Long Island , New York and attended the State University of New York at Albany where he graduated with a major in English . He has been a " Star Trek " fan from early age on and started to interview people while still in college and working for the Albany Student Press . He attended several conventions and located the famous guests in their hotels , reaching out to them in their rooms in order to arrange sit - down interviews . Using this method , Spelling interviewed Mark Lenard , Walter Koenig , James Doohan , and George Takei , who invited him to go jogging in Central Park and then sat for an interview . While attending one convention in New York City that featured Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett - Roddenberry among the guests , Spelling got Barrett - Roddenberry to talk and then chatted with Gene Roddenberry , who didn ' t have time for an interview but agreed to grant one by phone . Spelling called Roddenberry ' s office soon after and the interview ran in Spelling ' s college paper around the time of ' s release . In the meantime , Spelling had sold his first feature to " " magazine , an interview with about and then managed to sell the Roddenberry and Barrett - Roddenberry interviews to " Starlog " , ultimately published in issue 108 , July 1986 , the first of many more to follow . He subsequently interviewed every major actor , including William Shatner , Nichelle Nichols , Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley , Majel Barrett - Roddenberry , Walter Koenig , James Doohan , George Takei , and Mark Lenard , and from the mid - 1980s onward his " Star Trek " interviews and articles have been published in dozens of " Starlog " and " Starburst " magazines , as well as the official , licensed magazines devoted to the various " Star Trek " series and feature films , virtually all of them Starlog Press publications . His writing for the Starlog Press group did not limit itself to " Star Trek " only , but extended to other science fiction franchises , most notably " Star Wars " , as well . Spelling has said he was proud to conduct the final known interview with DeForest Kelley and considered writing a Kelley obituary / remembrance his saddest day as a " Trek " fan and correspondent . His special connection to the " Star Trek " phenomenon allowed him access to various " Trek " sets , including , , , , , , , and , where he interviewed cast and crew members , guest actors , and people behind the scenes , notably executive producer Rick Berman , whom Spelling interviewed monthly for years for the Official " Star Trek " Magazine . He saw James Doohan slip into the water tank on the Paramount lot during the filming of the San Francisco Bay / Bird - of - Prey sequence in " Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home " , watched William Shatner , James Doohan , and Walter Koenig filming the deleted orbital skydiving scene from " Star Trek : Generations " , and visited , at the time , the biggest set ever built for a " Trek " production : the " Enterprise " - E hull scene with Patrick Stewart , Michael Dorn , and Neal McDonough in " First Contact " . Spelling was also on set during the filming of the series ' finale of " The Next Generation " , " Deep Space Nine " , " Voyager " , and " Enterprise " . He also wrote " Inside Trek " for " The New York Times Syndicate " which was later renamed " Strange Worlds " , and continues to run weekly and has been , from the mid - 1990s onward , a prolific contributor to " Star Trek Monthly " / " Star Trek Magazine " , writing for the UK Titan Entertainment Group , after Starlog Press went into decline and ultimate default . In addition , Spelling co - wrote " " with Lou Anders and Larry Nemecek . Spelling worked on the actors ' profiles for the book . As a full - time freelance entertainment writer covering the entertainment industry , Spelling has been contributed articles and interviews to " The New York Times Syndicate " , " TV Guide " , " Reader ' s Digest " , the " Chicago Tribune " , the " Denver Post " , " On Direct TV " , " The Bergen Record " , " Dreamwatch " , " Variety " , the official licensed magazines for " Charmed " , " 24 " , " The X - Files " , " Prison Break " , " Smallville " , " Buffy the Vampire Slayer " , etc . , and websites such as FilmStew . com , UGO . com , and SciFi . com . For an " Official Charmed Magazine " feature , Spelling made another jump in front of the camera , this time with a brief speaking part . In the eighth season " Charmed " episode " Kill Billie : Vol . 1 " in , he portrayed the unfortunate Ian , a demon assistant who just asked a question and was sent to hell by a demon , Dogan played by Eric Steinberg , who blasted him with a fireball . As of 2008 / 2009 , he ' d interviewed about " Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystall Skull " ( 2008 ) , and about " Twilight " ( 2008 ) , the cast of J . J . Abrams ' " Fringe " ( pieces running in 2008 and 2009 ) during a visit to the set in Long Island City , Frank Langella about " Frost / Nixon " ( 2008 / 2009 ) , about " Doubt " ( 2008 / 2009 ) , and written a movie review about the comic adaptation " The Spirit " ( 2008 ) . At last word , he was preparing to cover the new film . " Star Trek " appearances . Spelling himself appeared two times in a " Star Trek " production . He was invited to portray a Bajoran officer in the DS9 episode in . In his scene , filmed on the OPS set , he stopped behind Colm Meaney and watched the viewscreen . During this time he was also photographed with Avery Brooks , Terry Farrell , Colm Meaney , Nana Visitor , and guest actress Deborah May . he interviewed cast and crew members of and DS9 and found himself portraying a Drayan soldier in the episode of the former series . His experiences crisscrossing the sets , talking to the actors ( from leads to guests to background ) and crew ( from writers to editors to craft services people and the Paramount security guard protecting the " Star Trek " sets ) , were chronicled in the article " A Day in the Life of Star Trek " in the May " Starlog " edition , Issue # 226 . His costume from his latter " Star Trek " appearance was sold off on the " It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction " on eBay .