Lt. Worf of Star Trek

Background:

Actor Michael Dorn is best known to many as the Klingon Worf on one of the most popular syndicated series of television history, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-1994), and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” (1995-1999) and the movies “ Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (1991), “Star Trek Generations” (1994), “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996), “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998) and “Star Trek: Nemesis” (2002). Prior to his coveted role in “Star Trek,” the Texas native was known for playing Officer Jebediah Turner on the hit series “ChiPs” (1979-1982). Dorn has also acted in many other films like “Jagged Edge” (1985), “Timemaster” (1995), “Menno's Mind” (1997), “Shadow Hours” (2000), Michael Mann's “Ali” (2001), “Shade” (2003), “The Santa Clause 2” (2002) and “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (2006), “Fallen Angles” (2006) and “Night Skies” (2007). He also appeared in the television series “Knots Landing,” “Falcon Crest” and “Without a Trace.”

Apart from his acting career, the former musician is known as an accomplished pilot. He owns several aircrafts, including an old F-86 Sabre jet that he got from the South African Air Force, an old Air Force T-33 trainer jet and a North American Sabreline. He has flown with the Blue Angels and the USAF Precision Flight squad and is currently a member of the Air Force Aviation Heritage Foundation.

Singer

Childhood and Family:

Michael Dorn was born on December 9, 1952, in Luling, Texas. He was raised in Pasadena, California, by parents Allie Lee and Fentress Dorn, Jr., and attended Pasadena City College where he studied radio and television production. After leaving school, he began his musical career. He moved to San Francisco in 1973 and returned to Los Angeles three years later to launch a career as an actor.

ChiPs

Career:

Texas-born, California-bred Michael Dorn kicked off his career as a performer with several rock groups before eventually making a switch to acting. Returning to Los Angeles in 1976 after spending three years in San Francisco, he made his feature acting debut as Apollo Creed's bodyguard on the Sylvester Stallone vehicle “Rocky” (1976). He followed it up with an unaccredited part in the 1977 horror/thriller “Demon Seed,” starring Julie Christie. It was also in 1977 that Dorn landed a small part in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” but it was his guest staring role on the series “W.E.B.” (1978), a show based on the Sidney Lumet hit film “Network” (976), that won the actor an agent who soon had him working with acting couch Charles Conrad. Following six months of training, Dorn nabbed a regular role on the well-liked series “ChiPs,” playing Officer Jebediah Turner. He stayed with the NBC show for three years until 1982.

Dorn remained busy on television with guest spots on series like “Knots Landing,” “Hotel” and “Hunter” and in 1985, he landed a recurring role on the soap opera “Capitol,” portraying Senator Ed Lawrence. Also that year, he had his third big screen outing with “Jagged Edge,” a crime/thriller starring Glenn Close and penned by productive screenwriter Joe Eszterhas. He had a season semi-regular role as Jimmy on the long-running soap “Days of Our Lives” the next year and spent the rest of the decade appearing in episodes of “Falcon Crest,” “227” and “Punky Brewster.”

It was in 1987 that the longtime fan of “Star Trek” won the regular role of Lieutenant Worf, a Klingon graduate of the Starfleet Academy, on the syndicated science fiction drama “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” The series went on to become one of the most flourishing syndicated shows in the history of television and during its seven seasons run (from 1987 to 1994), the hit series won a total of 18 Emmy Awards.

While working on the show, in 1991, Dorn was cast as Lt. Worf's grandfather in the popular motion picture “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” a gig that made him the first of the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast to join “Star Trek” on the wide screen. Three years later, in the fall of 1994, the rest of the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast members joined him in their first film, “Star Trek Generations,” directed by David Carson. Dorn again reprised his role as Lt. Worf on the series “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” which he played from season four in 1995 to its final season in 1999, and in the movies “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996) and “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998).

Outside of “Star Trek,” Dorn appeared as a Chairman in the independent film “Timemaster” (1995), costarred with John Diehl and Stacy Keach in the Showtime film “Amanda & the Alien” (1995), portrayed Bill Campbell's friend in the sci-fi thriller “Menno's Mind” (1997), supported Tracey Gold, Tom Irwin and Sharon Gless in the drama made-for-TV film “The Girl Next Door” (1998) and had a feature role on the Dennis Hopper vehicle “The Prophet's Game” (1999). He also made guest appearances on such shows as “Silk Stalkings” and “The Pretender” and did several voice-overs, including working on the series “I Am Weasel” (1995) and “Superman: The Animated Series” (1996).

Entering the new millennium, Dorn could be seen playing Detective Thomas Greenwood on the drama movie “Shadow Hours” (2000), which was directed and written by Isaac H. Eaton. He also appeared as Alby on a “Martial Law” episode called “No Quarter.” Next, he costarred with Shannon Lee and Robert Vitelli in “Lessons for an Assassin” (2001), appeared in the David Portlock film “The Gristle” (2001), portrayed a hit man in Michael Miller's “Face Value” (2001), had a supporting role in the drama “Mach 2” (2001) and was featured on Michael Mann's biopic “Ali” (2001), starring Will Smith as the boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

Dorn made appearances in “7th Heaven” (2001), “The Outer Limits” (2002) and “The Guardian” (2002) and was seen the television movie “Through the Fire” (2002), which he also directed and wrote. He returned to film to support Tim Allen in the sequel “The Santa Clause 2” (2002) and revisited the “Star Trek” franchise as Lt. Commander Worf on the box office disappointment “Star Trek: Nemesis.” Dorn followed it up with a bit part in the action/thriller “Shade” (2003), a supporting turn in the Ken Tipton drama “Heart of the Beholder” (2005) and a costarring role opposite Luke Perry and Natalie Brown in the sci-fi television film “Descent” (2005). He also lent his voice to the animated series “Justice League” (2003-2005, as Kalibak), “Duck Dodgers” (2003-2005, as Centurion Robot) and “Danny Phantom” (2004-2005, as The Fright Knight) as well as in the cartoon film “Thru the Moebius Strip” (2005).

In 2006, Dorn appeared in the volleyball themed movie “All You've Got,” starring Sarah Wright, Ciara, Jennifer Peña and Taylor Cole, starred as Taylor in Jeff Thomas' “Fallen Angles,” which won Britain's Festival of Fantastic Films for Best Independent Feature, and was cast as General Buskirk on the sci-fi television movie “A.I. Assault.” The same year, he also reprised his role as Sandman for “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” and appeared with Jason Connery and A.J. Cook in the horror/thriller “Night Skies.” He then costarred with Jason Dohring and Marina Sirtis in Rod Slane's “The Deep Below” (both 2007), in which he also served as an associate producer. On television, he provided the voice of Dr. Vicktor on two episodes of “Ben 10” and made guest appearance as Nathan Riggs on “Without a Trace” (also 2007).

Awards:
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