Boston Legal is one of my top three favorite shows of all time. A small reason for this is the numerous Star Trek cameos. Of course, the star of the series is William Shatner (along with James Spader) who played Denny Crane, a man whose ego is bigger than most of us can even imagine. Another prominent Star Trek actor in this series is Rene Auberjonois who played Odo in
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In addition to these two, the show has featured cameo appearances by Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Scott Bakula (Captain Archer), and Ethan Phillips (Neelix).
I would like to think that this isn't an accident, but rather a conscious choice. This show might seem very different than Star Trek; it is set in the modern day, it is a dramatic comedy, it skews to an older demographic... but like Star Trek, David E. Kelley shows are morality plays. By centering the topic in a legal drama, it allows the lawyers to argue both sides of the issue thereby intellectually engaging the audience. The audience is placed in the figurative role of the juror. This can be very engaging, particularly when the advocate of one particular view is cast against type. Like a female lawyer defending a man accused of sexual harassment or a black lawyer opposing a black civil rights case. The fact that lawyers don't necessarily believe their arguments creates depth and subtext. This encourages the viewer to try to adopt beliefs that they would normally be strongly opposed to... even if it is just for the length of the episode.
Long story short, I'm watching the series for my fourth time or so and I can't help but think about other Star Trek actors I would have loved to see on this show. Of course, I won't mention any who were dead while this show was on like DeForest Kelly (although he would have made the list), so without further adieu...
10. Jolene Blalock (T'Pol)
This absolutely gorgeous woman played First Officer T'Pol in the most recent Star Trek series, Enterprise. Although the role was cast almost entirely based on her epic prow, she was actually a really good actress and I think she would be the perfect fit for any David E. Kelley show.
9. Nicole de Boer (Ezri Dax)
The cute, fast-talking replacement for Jadzia Dax in DS9 would be fantastic in Boston Legal. She is a very talented actress with a great sense of humor. If you go back and watch old episodes of Kids in the Hall, you will notice that she is a frequent actress. Her best roll was as Bruce McCulloch's girlfriend in his teenage "no one understands me" bit. Although she could definitely play a lawyer, I see her more as a legal secretary.
8. Avery Brooks (Captain Sisko)
Honestly, I'd just like to see Avery Brooks in more work. There is nothing that makes me think he would be particularly good for Boston Legal, but he is such a compelling actor. He would be great as a plaintive with a really heart-wrenching problem because he has such a powerful emotional range.
7. Jonathan Frakes (William Riker)
I didn't love Jonathan Frakes in TNG, but you have to admit that the guy has charisma and penetrating blue eyes. He is a perfect actor for a David E. Kelley script. He is good at being both confident and overtly sexual, which is exactly what Boston Legal is all about. He could have easily been a recurring character.
6. Dwight Schultz (Reginald Barclay)
Another element of Kelley's characters is that they tend to be... mentally unbalanced or otherwise odd. Dwight Schultz has shown a great ability to play odd characters, but keep it emotionally balanced. Really, his character of Barclay (although out of place on the Enterprise) would be a perfect fit on Boston Legal.
5. John de Lancie (Q)
De Lancie has appeared in guest roles in Kelley's other shows: Ally McBeal and The Practice. De Lancie can do intellectual, funny, and dickishness all in the same character. I'm not just referring to Q. All of his roles were like that. He'd make a great asshole boss or DA.
4. Jeffrey Combs (Shran/Weyoun/Brunt)
Character actor Jeffrey Combs got his start in Star Trek playing several bit parts, one of whom became a major character. His role was so compelling that the writers actually said they were from a race of clone just as an excuse to keep writing for him. He came back for a major role in Enterprise as Shran, but he was also the voice of The Question in Justice League Unlimited and starring as Herbert West in the cult classic, Re-Animator. His best talent is as a compelling villain, so like De Lancie, he would work best as opposing council or an overbearing authority figure... maybe even a judge.
3. Brent Spiner (Data)
Like Avery Brooks, I really just want Brent Spiner to do more work, but his sense of humor and timing would fit perfectly with Kelley's scripts. I could see him as a client with an odd sexual quirk, but I think I could imagine him as an eccentric lawyer as well.
2. Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard)
This one is fairly obvious. Not only is he an incredible actor, but he is hilarious. Literally, he could play any role. He could be a lawyer, boss, judge, client... Kelley's script could no doubt get the best performances from Stewart especially by playing him off of Shatner. We never really got to see these two icons play off of each other, except for Star Trek: Generations and that movie sucked. A Boston Legal crossover would have been the perfect place for that.
1. Leonard Nimoy (Spock)
This is the only one more obvious than Patrick Stewart. Reportedly, Shatner tried to get Nimoy on Boston Legal, but Nimoy insisted that he was retired. Didn't stop him from doing Fringe. Nimoy could have easily been a client of Denny's, but I also would have liked to see him as a rival... possibly Denny Crane's New York or Washington counterpart.
James McAvoy is Charles Xavier.
