Star Trek

Max Grodenchik

Max Grodénchik played Rom, the former barkeep/technician/waste extraction engineer on station Deep Space 9 who has moved up to the position of Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance. A highly unconventional Ferengi — he has very little business sense but he's a mechanical genius and has a keen social conscience — Rom is brother to Quark, father of Nog and husband of the sexy Bajoran dabo girl, Leeta.

Prior to his recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Grodénchik played two other Ferengi characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation: Sovak in "Captain's Holiday" and Par Lenor in "The Perfect Mate." He has a history in other science-fiction and similar genre films and TV shows. He played a NASA flight dynamics officer in Ron Howard's "Apollo 13" (Howard's children are big fans of DS9). He also played the title role in the 1996 horror film "Rumpelstiltskin," and was mangled to death by Timothy Dalton's henchman in "The Rocketeer." His other TV appearances include Sliders, Tales from the Crypt, and the 1995 TV movie "Here Come the Munsters."

It was Grodénchik's murder at the hands of Harvey Keitel that forced fellow Star Trek alum Whoopi Goldberg to don a habit in 1992's "Sister Act." His film credits date back to 1981 with the comedy "Chu Chu and the Philly Flash" starring Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin. His TV credits also include The Drew Carey Show, Night Court, Civil Wars, Doogie Howser and thirtysomething.

The Bronx, New York-born actor has played regional theatres across the United States, from Yale Rep to the Guthrie Theater to the Mark Taper Forum.

Grodénchik enjoys attending Star Trek conventions because most of what he's learned about the show comes from talking with fans. In fact, in addition to his acting talents, Grodénchik is an expert on the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, and can quote them by memory.

Note: his appearance in "Captain's Holiday" was credited as "Michael Grodenchik".