Updated 12.09.07

Michael Dorn portrays Lieutenant Commander Worf, the first Klingon warrior to serve in the Federation Starfleet. After serving seven years on the U.S.S. Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Worf was brought to Deep Space Nine by Captain Benjamin Sisko to act as a diplomatic liaison with the Klingons.

No matter where his career might take him in the future, Dorn will always boast one of the most unique accomplishments in Star Trek history. As Worf, he has appeared on-screen in more Star Trek episodes and movies as the same character than anyone, having been a regular in two Trek casts. The character's impact on both TNG and DS9 is undeniable — over the years, he became a vital, integral part of each series.

Indeed, Worf's own personal saga was often interwoven with the epic drama of the Klingon Empire, making for a multi-layered storyline that was both character-driven and focused on a larger canvas. On TNG, Worf often took center stage, perhaps most memorably in the grand-scale two-parter "Redemption." Here, Worf's ideals as a Klingon warrior were somewhat at odds with his duty as a Starfleet officer — we were able to view the sweeping story of the Klingon civil war through his eyes, making it more personal. On DS9, Worf found himself romantically involved with Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), resulting in one of the most popular pairings in Trek history. The duo shared a very memorable wedding episode (it was a traditional Klingon wedding, naturally) and their combined chemistry and charisma made Jadzia's death in Season 6 all the more heart-wrenching. On both series, Dorn's considerable magnetism and talent gave Worf's story even more depth and meaning. He also contributed behind the scenes, directing several episodes of DS9.

Background

Though he has played Worf for years (he even acted as the Klingon's grandfather in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"), Dorn is a man of varied talents. Prior to Trek, he co-starred for three seasons as Officer Jed Turner on the popular NBC series CHiPS and guest-starred on many more primetime series including Knots Landing and Falcon Crest.

But his ambitions weren't always to be an actor. Born in Texas and raised in Pasadena, California, he studied radio/television production at Pasadena City College and took his turn in front of the student cameras. When he left school his interests settled in music and it was there that he pursued his early professional career as a performer.

He moved to San Francisco in 1973, then back to Los Angeles in 1976, making his living during that time playing and singing in several rock bands. Then in 1977 Michael landed a small part on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and thought his moment had arrived. Actually, his moment was still a few years away, but it was certainly a start.

Recent Work

Since the end of DS9, Dorn has continued to act in a variety of projects, and is quite in demand for his voice work — he's provided voices for a plethora of animated series, including Spider-Man, Kim Possible and Gargoyles (with fellow Trek thespian Marina Sirtis). He also wrote, directed and starred in a TV sitcom pilot, "Through the Fire," and directed an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "Two Days and Two Nights."

Besides the "Star Trek" films, Dorn has been seen in theaters in such independent features as "Timemaster" in 1995 and "Shadow Hours" in 2000. He played the "Sandman" in Disney's "The Santa Clause 2" and "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause." On the smaller screen he starred in the 1995 Showtime tele-film "Amanda and the Alien," and also did a star turn in the Showtime series The Outer Limits, and acted as host of the Discovery Channel's popular series The World of Wonder.

More recently you might have seen him on the Sci-Fi Channel in "A.I. Assault" with Robert Picardo and George Takei — which has now been released on DVD under the title "Shockwave" (related story).

Look for him soon in movies called "Fallen Angels" and "The Deep Below," the latter with Marina Sirtis.

In what free time he has, Dorn enjoys flying in his single-seat military training jet, an F-86. He flies to air shows around the country and uses his plane as the ultimate private getaway.

He also appears regularly at conventions, often with good pal Sirtis. At the 40th anniversary Star Trek celebration in Las Vegas in 2006, Dorn said he was celebrating his 30th year in show business. "And my mother is still waiting for me to get a job. She still wants me to work at the post office, because 'they have good benefits'!" he exclaimed.

Well, the Postal Service's loss is our gain.