Michael Dorn

Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon Worf in multiple Star Trek shows and movies.

Early life

He was born in Luling, Texas, but grew up in Pasadena, California. He studied radio and television production at the Pasadena City College. From there he pursued a career in music as a performer with several different rock music bands, travelling to San Francisco and then back to Los Angeles.

First appearance

He first appeared as a guest on the television show "W.E.B." in 1978. The producer was impressed with his work, so he introduced Michael to an agent who then hooked him up with acting teacher Charles Conrad to study acting for six months. He then landed a regular role on the television series CHiPs. The first movie he had a role in was Rocky (1976) as Apollo Creed's bodyguard.

Star Trek

His most famous role to date is that of the Klingon Starfleet officer Worf in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. During several interviews, he claims to have been interested in the role of Worf because of his role of playing a nice guy before on television and wanted to break away from any stereotyping of him as a "nice guy".

He said he got the role by showing up at the interview with several people. He did not smile or speak or sit, but stood in a corner in rigid attention posture, like the stereotypical Klingon warrior. When called, he marched into the room, scowled, and shook the interviewer's hand sharply. Then he turned around without saying a word and stalked out, slamming the door behind him. The director said "He's the perfect Klingon. I want him!"

Dorn has appeared on-screen in more Star Trek episodes and movies as the same character than anyone else.

His voice has also deepened from his years of playing Worf. It is very noticeable when hearing him speak in first season episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the later season episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the Next Generation movies.

Star Trek directorial credits

Other appearances

Dorn has also appeared in the Christmas movie The Santa Clause 2 playing The Sandman and in Ali as a pilot. He is the voice of I. M. Weasel in the animated series I Am Weasel, R.E.G.I.S. Mark V and Number 14 in Megas XLR, Coldstone & Taurus in Gargoyles, Kalibak and John Henry Irons/ John Henry Irons in The Animated Series, and the Fright Knight in Danny Phantom, among others. Dorn has also appeared in various computer games, including Battle for Dune, a computer game loosely based on Frank Herbert's Dune novels, as the Duke of House Atreides, Dr. John in Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, Special Agent Frank Horrigan and Marcus the Mutant Sheriff in Fallout 2, and the critically acclaimed Mission Critical as Commander Dana, captain of the spaceship. He has also been the spokesman for Neutrogena T-Gel Shampoo, and has appeared in a car commercial. Dorn has also appeared on Family Guy as Worf with fellow Star Trek: The Next Generation stars Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in the episode "Peter's Got Woods".

Hobbies

Dorn enjoys flying, something he was not permitted to do while in The Next Generation but was apparently able to do after joining the cast of Deep Space Nine. He has flown with the Blue Angels as well as the Thunderbirds. Dorn owns several planes, including an old Air Force T-33 Shooting Star trainer jet, an F-86 Sabre, and a Sabreliner twin engine jet. The T-33 is often referred to as "his starship."

External links

His filmography