The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Character You Likely Forgot Iggy Pop Played

In the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Magnificent Ferengi" (December 29, 1997), Quark (Armin Shimerman), one of the franchise's best characters, learns that his mother Ishka (Cecily Adams) has been captured by the evil Dominion. At first, Quark wants to assemble a team of crack Ferengi commandos, consisting of his brother Rom (Max Grodénchik), his nephew Nog (Aron Eisenberg), his cousin Gaila (Josh Pais), and a fighter named Lek (Hamilton Camp) to get her back, but soon comes to understand that his "crack squad" kind of sucks at military maneuvers. Instead, he arranges a meeting on an abandoned Cardassian space station called Empok Nor where he, with a Vorta prisoner in tow, will negotiate a prisoner exchange, using his keen sense of Ferengi deal-making.

On Empok Nor, Quark meets a Vorta general named Yelgrun, a smooth-talking creep with every intention of listening to Quark's terms for the exchange. Yelgrun, perhaps surprisingly, is played by Iggy Pop, the famed punk rocker and frontman for the Stooges. Pop had, of course, already racked up an impressive acting resume before "Star Trek," but it's surprising that he would agree to play a role in such a notoriously mannered franchise. Before "Deep Space Nine," Pop had played the randy Belvedere Ricketts in John Waters' "Cry-Baby," a criminal named Rat Face in "Tank Girl," and a Western criminal in a dress in Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man." He was also in five episodes of "The Adventures of Pete and Pete," and in the sci-fi-ish revenge film "The Crow: City of Angels." He was no stranger to weird genre stuff, and had certainly developed his chops as an actor. 

But it was weird (and exhilarating) to see the stentorian pop icon in outsize Vorta ears talking to a bunch of Ferengi on "Deep Space Nine." He instantly joined a new pantheon of Star Trek guest stars.

The Ferengi are typically treated as comic relief characters on "Deep Space Nine." They're shrewd, intelligent, and unscrupulous, but also presented as non-threatening and sometimes bumbling. Pop, kind of an outsize rock figure, is matched perfectly with the Ferengi, able to bring a winking energy to his character. The Vorta are typically seen as power-hungry and willing to murder whoever they need to win a fight, but they also come across as egotistical, perhaps too assured for their own good. Iggy Pop understood that about his character, and played the part to the utmost of his abilities.

Pop appeared on "Deep Space Nine" because the showrunner, Ira Steven Behr, was an enormous fan. He had been after Pop for years to play a part on "Star Trek," and, according to Terry J. Erdmann's and Paula M. Block's "The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion," even wrote a role specifically for him in the episode "Past Tense, Part II." Pop was to play a 21st-century vagrant named Grady. He was unable to take on the role, however, as he was busy touring in Spain. 

Three years after, something very unlucky happened for Pop that was actually very good luck for Behr. The singer incurred a minor shoulder injury in a mosh pit accident, and had to take a little time off touring to recover. During the recovery period, Pop was mobile enough to act, and Behr slotted him into "Deep Space Nine" while he still could. "For Iggy," Behr was quoted as saying, "I would not be denied." Pop was committed to the role, too! He didn't have a mere cameo, but played a major role throughout his episode's entire second half. 

"The Magnificent Ferengi" (once declared the best Ferengi episode of "DS9" by /Film) was co-written by Behr and longtime "Deep Space Nine" staff member Hans Beimler, and Beimler remembers how stoked Behr was to secure the services of Pop: 

"Ira was thrilled! For cryin' out loud, Iggy Pop has been a hero of his for years. I've heard about Iggy Pop since I've known him. I've seen Iggy Pop posters in his home. What can I say? The man was in heaven."

Behr, however, admitted to a skosh of trepidation when it came to casting Iggy Pop as a Vorta. He was concerned that Pop, ordinarily a very large performer, would have to be still and restrained. He also knew that he only got Pop on set because of an injury, and was sensitive to the physical struggles he might have been going through. Behr said: 

"I knew that the role was going to be tough for Iggy, because he's a very kinetic performer. [...] His physicality is certainly part of who he is, and unfortunately we cast him as a Vorta, one of the most immobile of characters. [...] You could see that he clearly was uncomfortable for all the hours he had to be there on set, but he never complained. [...] [But he] really got that demented quality the Vorta have, like Weyoun has; think Caligula! He was just a delight."

Weyoun is the central Vorta character on "Deep Space Nine," and is played by the versatile Jeffrey Combs, and it's no small compliment to be compared to Jeffrey Combs. Not incidentally, Combs also appeared in "The Magnificent Ferengi," playing a Ferengi character named Brunt. Perhaps Pop received a few tips from his co-star.