For years, the running joke in Hollywood has been that all actors really just want to direct. However, for many Star Trek actors, it's not a joke but a truism. Acting is a fickle career and sometimes talent alone isn't enough to put food on the table. Some of the more resourceful actors, including many of Star Trek's familiar faces in front of the camera, have honed their skills behind the lens as well.

With half of the Star Trek feature films having been directed by Trek actors, one can spot a bit of a trend. Although the Original Series is the only Star Trek series that doesn't feature a single episode directed by a main cast member, at least two of the actors made good on their desire to direct and eventually took their seats behind the camera. Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner both sat in the director's chair for feature films; Nimoy for "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and Shatner for "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier." Prior to their movie making, both had already cut their teeth directing episodic television.

Beginning with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a new crop of actors wisely saw their opportunity to learn a new trade and embraced the show's willingness to both tutor them on directing and then allow them the chance to do their own episodes.

While playing their roles on TNG, cast members Patrick Stewart ("Jean-Luc Picard"), Jonathan Frakes ("William Riker"), LeVar Burton ("Geordi La Forge") and Gates McFadden ("Beverly Crusher") all got their first directing jobs on TNG. Michael Dorn ("Worf") would also eventually follow, although his first helming assignment was on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Jonathan Frakes

The First Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D may have moved on to take the Captain's chair of the U.S.S. Titan after "Star Trek Nemesis," but Frakes continues to work behind the scenes, thanks to his TNG directing start. Frakes — the first of the TNG actors do an episode — started his now-burgeoning directing career with season three's classic "The Offspring." Before long, he was a regular TNG director, helming the episodes "Reunion," "The Drumhead," "Cause and Effect," "The Quality of Life," "The Chase," "Attached" and "Sub Rosa."

Frakes continued his directing with the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "The Search, Part II," "Meridian" and "Past Tense, Part II," then moved on to Star Trek: Voyager, directing three episodes that begin, coincidentally, with the letter P: "Projections," "Parturition" and "Prototype." Frakes then made the leap to the big screen with "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Star Trek: Insurrection" and has since moved on to other feature film projects such as "Clockstoppers" and the upcoming "Thunderbirds" adaptation.

Frakes has also branched out into producing for television, having served as an executive producer for the science fiction series Roswell, along with directing multiple episodes.

LeVar Burton

The actor behind Geordi La Forge has now directed more Star Trek episodes than any other Trek actor, spanning every post-TOS series to the present — TNG, DS9, Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise.

Burton first took the director's chair for the TNG episode "Second Chances," the first of over two dozen various episodes he's directed for the franchise. Other highlights include: DS9's "The Sword of Kahless," "Rules of Engagement," "Soldiers of the Empire" and "Behind the Lines." For Voyager, Burton has directed "Dreadnought," "Timeless," "Live Fast and Prosper" and the final Neelix episode, "Homestead." Still going strong on Enterprise, Burton has already helmed half a dozen episodes, including: "Terra Nova," "Fortunate Son," "Cogenitor," "First Flight" and the upcoming episode "Similitude."

Burton's directing career has also branched out beyond Star Trek. He directed the television biography "The Tiger Woods Story" in 1998, the comedy "Smart House" in 1999 and the holiday family film "Blizzard" in 2003, featuring the voice of TNG alum Whoopi Goldberg ("Guinan") as the titular enchanted reindeer.

Patrick Stewart

Not to be left behind by his character's onscreen subordinates, Patrick Stewart also spent some time behind the camera on TNG. He cut his television directing teeth with the episode "In Theory," followed by "Hero Worship," "A Fistful of Datas," "Phantasms" and the penultimate episode of the series, "Preemptive Strike."

Gates McFadden

The U.S.S. Enterprise-D's resident Chief Medical Officer took a spin behind the lens with the truly harrowing episode "Genesis." McFadden has pointed out that she was very experienced as a theatre director and choreographer, both of which helped her to understand the process and the art of directing for television. The multi-talented McFadden had also choreographed the films "Dreamchild," "The Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth," the latter two films for Jim Henson, for whom she also worked for as a "Muppeteer" prior to her stint on TNG.

Michael Dorn

In addition to playing Worf, the longest running regular character of the modern Trek era, Michael Dorn also got in on the directing side by helming several DS9 episodes ("In the Cards," "Inquisition" and "When It Rains") and the Enterprise episode "Two Days and Two Nights." He also directed, wrote and starred in the 2002 short film "Through the Fire," acting alongside TNG costar Marina Sirtis ("Deanna Troi").

Avery Brooks

For a captain, Avery (Benjamin Sisko) has certainly directed the most Star Trek episodes (nine to date), all DS9. Brooks came to the job with so much experience in theatre, television and movies that he seemed a natural for the job. His first episode, "Tribunal," was helmed in the second season and the other episodes that followed include: "The Abandoned," "Fascination," "Improbable Cause," "Rejoined," "Body Parts," "Ties of Blood and Water," "Far Beyond the Stars" and "The Dogs of War." [What is it about captain's directing penultimate episodes? – Ed.]

Rene Auberjonois

With his quiet professionalism and almost endless resume, Rene Auberjonois ("Odo") has used his impressive acting credentials to help serve his directing abilities. Helming eight DS9 episodes, Auberjonois ranks right up there with the top Trek directors. His episodes include: "Prophet Motive," "Family Business," "Hippocratic Oath," "The Quickening," "Let He Who is Without Sin ...," "Ferengi Love Songs," "Waltz," and "Strange Bedfellows."

Siddig El Fadil a.k.a. Alexander Siddig

Helming "Business as Usual" under his original acting name, and then "Profit and Lace" in his second incarnation as Alexander Siddig, the British actor ("Dr. Bashir") came to the job with plenty of stage directing on his resume, dating back to his days in London with the Arts Threshold Theatre.

Robert Duncan McNeill

While he didn't begin his directing career until he was a star of Star Trek: Voyager, Robert Duncan McNeill got his foot in the Star Trek sliding door as an actor in the TNG episode "The First Duty," playing the headstrong Starfleet cadet Nicholas Locarno. Returning to Star Trek as a series regular as Tom Paris on Voyager, McNeill jumped at the chance to expand his skills and began a directing career that continues to this day.

He first directed the Voyager episode "Sacred Ground," followed by "Unity," "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Body and Soul," before moving on to Enterprise, helming the episodes "Cold Front," "The Breach" and the recent instant classic "Twilight." McNeill has also directed episodes for other series such as Dawson's Creek, Everwood and Dead Like Me.

Roxann Dawson

With a TV, stage and film career already well in hand, Dawson ("B'Elanna Torres") also turned to directing on Voyager ("Riddles" and "Workforce, Part II"). Enjoying her directing work, Dawson is now one of the most used directors on Star Trek: Enterprise ("The Andorian Incident," "Vox Sola," "Dead Stop," "Dawn," "Bounty," "Exile" and "Chosen Realm"), as well as other television shows. A true talent.

Tim Russ

If there is any pattern here, it is that actors also like to be involved in other projects. Tim Russ ("Tuvok") is a classic example of this. A talented musician, Russ plays guitar, sings and writes and records his own music. He also has worked on a recorded children's tale called "Bugsters" featuring fellow Trek thespians Ethan Phillips and Chase Masterson. As a director, Tim took his spell behind the camera for the episode "Living Witness."

Robert Picardo

Yet again, a man of many hats and talents (he's also a top-notch singer) Picardo (the Doctor) took his turn behind the camera for the episodes "Alter Ego" and "One Small Step."

O.K., the list could go on and we could talk about guest stars like Andrew Robinson ("Garak") directing (DS9's "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places" and Voyager's "Blood Fever" and "Unforgettable") or even famous offspring directing (Adam Nimoy did "Rascals" and "Timescape" for TNG), but we'd better stop while we can. Also, it should be noted that this list does not include Star Trek: Enterprise actors, as no one in the cast took the leap into directing Trek.

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