P.C. Shannon

Bruce Campbell is the best known of a stratum of middle-class actors who make their living primarily in straight-to-video movies. I think there must be a similar stratum of actors who work mainly in syndicated TV shows and make guest appearances on network shows. At least, that’s what a keen mind for trivia, a sharp eye for faces, and a lifetime of bad television have led me to believe.

For example, actors from a Star Trek series who have appeared in an episode of either Stargate series. On SG-1, both Q and the holographic doctor have had recurring roles, and Counselor Troi made an appearance as a Russian scientist. Chief O’Brien has been on Atlantis, along with one of the Agents Johnson from Die Hard. Somewhat more obscurely and back on SG-1, Lt. Barclay shows up in one episode, and the art collector who kidnaps Data played the documentary filmmaker. All this is to say nothing of Ben Browder and Claudia Black, who played lovers on Farscape, showing up in the last season, nor of Wayne Brady’s notable guest appearance (which was sadly devoid of improv, singing, or him smacking MacGyver in the face and shouting, “I’m Wayne Brady, bitch!”).

But that’s kid stuff, really. Let’s try a harder category: Star Trek actors who have appeared on The O.C.. The holographic doctor, again. He’s in damn near everything; he was in an episode of E.R. where he played the escrow agent or something for the nurse who tried to kill herself by ODing on barbiturates. Also, Chief O’Brien’s wife plays the headmaster at Harbor, the private school in The O.C..

But the most wonderfully mashed-up set of guest stars ever—even surprassing Hulk Hogan on The A-Team—was on an episode of MacGyver. In it, Mac is helping Shaft, who’s both a sex machine to all the chicks and running a program to rehabilitate gangs in South Central. Seriously. Commander Chipotle from ST:Voyager is also working for Shaft, but he goes vigilante to stop the rich white dudes who are supplying cocaine to the gangs. It’s up to Mac and Shaft to talk him down. No, really. It wasn’t some crazy dream. It was one of the most magical hours of my life.