Captain Rachel Garrett of "Yesterday's Enterprise"
Tricia O'neill was the first female captain of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation's season 3, episode 15, "Yesterday's Enterprise". Captain Rachel Garrett was the captain of the USS Enterprise-C, which was lost in action while defending a Klingon colony from Romulan invasion. When the starship collides with a temporal anomaly, resulting in a dark parallel history, Garrett and her crew boldly decide to sacrifice themselves by returning to the past to face their fate. Garrett was briefly honored with the Red Lady statue during Star Trek: Picard season 3, but it was destroyed by terrorists.
According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, Tricia O'neill was an avid Star Trek fan before being cast as Captain Garrett. This is perhaps why, in an interview with StarTrek.com, O'Neill says she auditioned for a few TNG parts before "Yesterday's Enterprise". Those auditions eventually led to the TNG crew calling Tricia O'Neill and directly proposing her the position of Captain Rachel Garrett. In the same interview, O'Neill reflected on his time as captain of the Enterprise, saying: "Everything becomes very real, and if you let go of not believing, you can sail right into a whole world." For over a week, I was sitting in that chair as captain of the USS Enterprise. "It was an extraordinary experience."
Kurak from "Suspicions"
Tricia O'Neill returned to Star Trek: The Next Generation, but viewers could be forgiven for not recognizing her. Kurak, a Klingon warp field specialist summoned aboard the USS Enterprise-D to observe a metaphasic shield test, was played by O'Neill in Star Trek: TNG season 6, episode 22, "Suspicions". Kurak is an interesting figure who sheds light on how Klingon scientists are perceived in the larger Star Trek world. Tricia O'Neill's moments in "Suspicions" show that she enjoys the opportunity to play such a multifaceted character: a renowned scientist with the burning temper of a Klingon warrior.
In a 2013 interview with StarTrek.com, Tricia O'Neill discussed the contrasting parts of Kurak's character. Despite the hours spent in make-up to become Kurak, O'Neill clearly enjoyed the part of a Klingon scientist. Read Tricia O'Neill's quote below. "The makeup was difficult, but once I saw it, it was such a help to believe the world and get into character [....] I was aware of the challenge this specific Klingon was facing because she was advancing. She was carrying a lot of weight on her shoulders as an intelligent scientist who was breaking down obstacles. However, as a Klingon, she was physical rather than cruel.
Korinas on "Defiant"
Tricia O'Neill and Marc Alaimo appeared together in an episode of The Fall Guy before reuniting in Star Trek: DS9 for the season 3 episode "Defiant". O'Neill played Korinas, an Obsidian Order member tasked with observing Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Gul Dukat (Alaimo) while they led the search for the stolen USS Defiant. It was stated that Tricia O'Neill's character on DS9 had a lot to lose if the rogue Thomas Riker (Jonathan Frakes) discovered the Obsidian Order's plans to build a new fleet of Cardassian vessels.
Despite having previously portrayed a Klingon in Star Trek, Tricia O'Neill was taken aback by the oppressive effect of the Cardassian makeup necessary to play Korinas. In an interview with StarTrek.com, O'Neill stated that it was "hard breathing" in the "rigid" Cardassian costume. Despite this, Tricia O'Neill delivers an intriguing portrayal as the enigmatic Cardassian spy, demonstrating her flexibility as a performer both before and after Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Tricia O'Neill's Star Trek roles: a legacy of memorable characters.
Tricia O'Neill is most recognized for her role as Captain Rachel Garrett in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but she has played three different roles in the franchise. Tricia O'Neill, an actress with a successful career as a stage performer and TV guest star, appeared in popular 1980s television shows such as Dynasty, Murder, She Wrote, and The A-Team. O'Neill later appeared in two episodes of TNG but had no scenes with her former A-Team co-star Dwight Schultz as Lt. Reginald Barclay. Tricia O'Neill did, however, exchange scenes with her The Fall Guy co-star, Marc Alaimo, during her one-time cameo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Interestingly, Tricia O'Neill was considered for the recurring role of Kai Opaka on Star Trek: DS9 in season 1, but Camille Saviola was cast instead. Perhaps because O'Neill was so well-known as the captain of the USS Enterprise-C, it was determined that a Bajoran nose ridge would not be sufficient to conceal Kai Opaka's physical similarity to Captain Rachel Garrett. This could also explain why Tricia O'Neill's following appearances after Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 15, "Yesterday's Enterprise" necessitated extensive alien prosthesis.
Tricia O'Neill's Star Trek Journey: From Captain to Klingon and Cardassian
Tricia O'Neill's roles in the Star Trek franchise show her amazing range as an actor. Her ability to convincingly represent individuals from other races with distinct appearances and characteristics demonstrates her talent and commitment to her craft. From Captain Rachel Garrett's commanding presence to Kurak's fiery drive and Korinas' enigmatic personality, Tricia O'Neill has left an indelible mark on the Star Trek world.
Her contributions to the franchise have amused fans and added to the legacy of Star Trek, highlighting the numerous and interesting worlds that occupy this cherished science fiction universe.
The World of Star Trek: Exploring the Galaxy
Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise, following the exploits of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in primarily self-contained episodes that explore crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had various overarching narratives that would unfold over the course of the individual episodes, with four films produced concurrently with the series to expand on some of these story components.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, generally known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running science fiction franchise Star Trek. Rick Berman and Michael Piller produced DS9, which stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series involves a group of people in a space station near the planet Bajor. The series is recognized for its intricate plots, examination of political and religious subjects, and wide array of characters.
