StarTrek.com is saddened to report the passing of veteran British actor and four-time Star Trek guest star, William Morgan Sheppard. The actor passed away in a Los Angeles hospital on January 6, according to his son, actor Mark Sheppard, himself a Trek guest, having played Leucon in the Voyager episode, "Child's Play." The elder Sheppard was 86 years old.
Sheppard first graced the Star Trek universe in The Next Generation episode, "The Schizoid Man, in which he portrayed Dr. Ira Graves.
He appeared as a Klingon Commandant on Rura Penthe in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Then as Qatai in "Bliss," an episode of Voyager.
He made his final visit to Trek in 2009 with an uncredited appearance as a Vulcan Science Minister in Star Trek (2009).
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Sheppard was an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company for 12 years. His stage, film, TV and voiceover credits spanned six decades and included Shogun, Max Headroom, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Wild at Heart, Quantum Leap, Babylon 5, Gargoyles (voicing the father of Jonathan Frakes' character), Star Wars: Force Commander, Charmed, Alias, The Prestige, Transformers, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Legend of the Seeker, Doctor Who, Last Man Club and an installment of The Librarians (directed by Jonathan Frakes and also featuring Trek figures John Larroquette, Vanessa Williams and Rebecca Romijn).
Mark Sheppard, in a statement posted on Instagram, wrote, “We went to spend some time with my father today. Though he couldn’t speak, we held hands, he laughed and was so happy to see us. We left and came home. A good day. He was rushed to hospital and passed at 6:30pm, my mother by his side. I am so grateful that he didn’t have to suffer any longer. Thank you for all your kind thoughts, love and prayers.”
Please join StarTrek.com in offering our condolences to Sheppard's family, friends, colleagues and fans.
