Robert Ellenstein Robert Ellenstein was an actor , theater director , and acting teacher who portrayed the Federation President in . He later appeared as Steven Miller in the first season episode . Ellenstein was a longtime friend of " Star Trek IV " director and co - star , Leonard Nimoy . Both Ellenstein and Nimoy were early members of the Company of Angels , the oldest non - profit repertory theater in Los Angeles . One of Ellenstein ' s two sons , David , also appeared in " Star Trek IV " . Early life . Ellenstein was born in Newark , New Jersey . His father , Meyer , was the mayor of Newark from 1933 through 1941 . Ellenstein served in the United States Air Corps during World War II and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in Holland . After his service , he attended New York University before graduating with a degree in theater from the University of Iowa . He began his acting career in 1947 , when he joined regional theater company Cleveland Play House in Ohio . He also directed and taught acting in Cleveland during the 1940s and 1950s . In 1954 , he moved to Los Angeles , California , where he began working in film and television . Career . In a career spanning four decades , Ellenstein acted in at least fourteen feature films , five made - for - TV movies and specials , and nearly a hundred television programs . He is also noted for his extensive stage work , including numerous Los Angeles productions . Overall , he portrayed over 100 stage roles and also directed numerous plays . Theater . Ellenstein was a founding member of Theatre West in Hollywood , California , established in 1962 . In 1966 , he co - founded the Los Angeles Repertory Company , for which he was artistic director . He was also the first artistic director of the non - profit Company of Angels , of which Leonard Nimoy and Vic Tayback were founders . Both Ellenstein and Nimoy were honored at the Company ' s 50th anniversary in October 2009 . Some of Ellenstein ' s most notable stage works include a national tour of " Irma la Douce " in the 1960s and a production of " Hamlet " at the Actors Center Theatre Wing in Los Angeles in 1988 . For the latter , Ellenstein used no props and only six actors , including son David , who played Hamlet . Ellenstein was directed by his other son , Peter Ellenstein , in " Rocket to the Moon " at LA ' s Company of Characters Theater in 1992 and in " King Lear " with the Los Angeles Repertory Company in 1999 . Ellenstein has played several roles that were portrayed at another time by " Star Trek : The Next Generation " star [ [ Patrick Stewart ] ] . Besides the aforementioned King Lear , Ellenstein and Stewart have both played Ebenezer Scrooge ( in " A Christmas Carol " ) , Cassius ( " Julius Caesar " ) , and Vladimir ( " Waiting for Godot " ) . Ellenstein has also acted in and / or directed such plays as " Back to Methuselah " , " The Comedy of Errors " , " Don Juan in Hell " , " Endgame " , " Fiddler on the Roof " , " The Glass Menagerie " , " On the Town " , " Pygmalion " , and " Titus Andronicus " . Film . Ellenstein made his motion - picture debut in the 1954 film noir " Rogue Cop " , which also featured [ [ Peter Brocco ] ] . Ellenstein ' s next two films were also of the " noir " genre : 1955 ' s " Illegal " ( with [ [ Lawrence Dobkin ] ] and [ [ TOS ] ] star [ [ DeForest Kelley ] ] ) and 1957 ' s " The Garment Jungle " ( with [ [ Celia Lovsky ] ] ) . He had a supporting role in the classic 1957 western " 3 : 10 to Yuma " , which had a score composed by [ [ George Duning ] ] . In the 1958 World War II drama " The Young Lions " , Ellenstein , [ [ Paul Comi ] ] and [ [ Michael Pataki ] ] all made uncredited appearances while [ [ Parley Baer ] ] and [ [ Hal Baylor ] ] had credited roles . Ellenstein then had a featured role as kidnapper Licht in Alfred Hitchock ' s 1959 film classic " North by Northwest " . This film also featured appearances by [ [ Stanley Adams ] ] , [ [ Bill Catching ] ] , Lawrence Dobkin , and [ [ Ken Lynch ] ] . Ellenstein later appeared in the 1966 drama " Deathwatch " , which was produced by his fellow Company of Angels alumni , Leonard Nimoy and Vic Morrow . Nimoy and [ [ Michael Forest ] ] starred in the film , which Morrow also directed ; the music was composed by [ [ Gerald Fried ] ] . Ellenstein ' s other film credits during the 1960s include " Pay or Die " ( 1960 , with [ [ Barry Russo ] ] ) , " King of the Roaring 20 ' s : The Story of Arnold Rothstein " ( 1961 , assistant directed by [ [ Lindsley Parsons , Jr . ] ] ) , and " The Legend of Lylah Clare " ( 1968 , with [ [ Lee Meriwether ] ] ) . His next film role was a cameo appearance in the 1979 horror comedy " Love at First Bite " , which also featured [ [ Barry Gordon ] ] and the aforementioned Michael Pataki . His final film was the 1985 comedy " Brewster ' s Millions " , in which fellow [ [ Star Trek films | " Star Trek " film ] ] actor [ [ Stephen Collins ] ] was a principal cast member . Television . Ellenstein acted in dozens of television programs throughout the 1950s , 1960s , and 1970s . He first acquired recognition for his portrayal of Quasimodo in a live airing of " The Hunchback of Notre Dame " for " Robert Montgomery Presents " in 1954 . He performed in several more productions for " Robert Montgomery " , including one with [ [ William Windom ] ] in 1955 . Many other television shows have featured more than one appearance by Ellenstein . The actor performed in at least three productions of " The United States Steel Hour " , working with such actors as [ [ Theodore Bikel ] ] , [ [ David Opatoshu ] ] , and [ [ Nehemiah Persoff ] ] . He later appeared in three episodes of " Perry Mason " , including one with [ [ Leslie Parrish ] ] . In 1959 , Ellenstein was directed by [ [ John Newland ] ] in two episodes of " One Step Beyond " . He guest - starred in five episodes of both " The Wild Wild West " and " Mission : Impossible " . On the former , he acted with [ [ Anthony Caruso ] ] , [ [ Chuck Courtney ] ] , [ [ Michael Dunn ] ] , [ [ Sherry Jackson ] ] , [ [ Reggie Nalder ] ] , [ [ Susan Oliver ] ] , [ [ Vic Perrin ] ] , and [ [ William Schallert ] ] . Three of Ellenstein ' s episodes were directed by [ [ Marvin Chomsky ] ] . On " Mission : Impossible " , Ellenstein appeared in three episodes with Leonard Nimoy , who was a regular on the show from 1969 through 1971 . Others Ellenstein worked with on the show include [ [ Arthur Batanides ] ] , [ [ Michael Bell ] ] , [ [ Victor Brandt ] ] , [ [ Stanley Kamel ] ] , [ [ Alfred Ryder ] ] , and director [ [ Alexander Singer ] ] . Ellenstein was also a frequent guest star on " The Lawless Years " ( starring [ [ James Gregory ] ] ) , " The Untouchables " ( working with [ [ Meg Wyllie ] ] and director [ [ Vincent McEveety ] ] ) , and " Ironside " ( working with [ [ Gene Lyons ] ] , [ [ John Rubinstein ] ] , [ [ Paul Sorensen ] ] , and director [ [ Leo Penn ] ] ) . In addition , he has appeared in two episodes of such shows as " The Man with U . N . C . L . E . " ( including an episode with [ [ Michael Ansara ] ] ) , " The Big Valley " ( with [ [ Paul Fix ] ] and [ [ Byron Morrow ] ] ) , " Marcus Welby , M . D . " ( with [ [ Steve Ihnat ] ] ) , " McCloud " ( working with [ [ Lou Antonio ] ] , [ [ Ken Lynch ] ] , [ [ Diana Muldaur ] ] , and [ [ Dean Stockwell ] ] ) , and " CHiPs " ( with [ [ Robert Pine ] ] ) . One of Ellenstein ' s most memorable television roles was that of the villain in the pilot episode of " Moonlighting " , directed by [ [ Robert Butler ] ] and co - starring [ [ Sam Hennings ] ] and [ [ Brian Thompson ] ] . Ellenstein ' s other notable one - off TV appearances include spots on " The Rifleman " ( with Paul Fix ) , " Ben Casey " ( with [ [ Arlene Martel ] ] ) , " Get Smart " ( with Arthur Batanides ) , " The Virginian " ( with [ [ John Hoyt ] ] ) , " Mannix " ( with [ [ Hal Baylor ] ] , [ [ Whit Bissell ] ] , [ [ Sally Kellerman ] ] , and [ [ Jason Wingreen ] ] ) , " Columbo " ( directed by Leo Penn ) , " The Rookies " ( with [ [ Fred Williamson ] ] ) , " The Rockford Files " ( with [ [ Sid Haig ] ] ) , " The Bionic Woman " ( with [ [ Henry Darrow ] ] and [ [ Charles Lucia ] ] ) , " Quincy , M . E . " ( with Whit Bissell , [ [ Robert Ito ] ] , and [ [ Garry Walberg ] ] ) , " Hawaii Five - O " ( with [ [ Chuck Couch ] ] ) , and " V " ( with [ [ Jeff Yagher ] ] ) . Death . Ellenstein [ [ Star Trek deaths # October | died ] ] of natural causes in a Los Angeles nursing home on 28 October 2010 . He was 87 years old . He is survived by his wife of 58 years , Lois ; their two sons , David and Peter ; a daughter , Jan Ellenstein - Keeva ; and four grandchildren . [ [ de : Robert Ellenstein ] ] External links . [ [ es : Robert Ellenstein ] ] [ [ Category : Performers ] ] [ [ Category : Film performers ] ] [ [ Category : TNG performers ] ]