Often making lists of not only the best “Star Trek” villains but also of fan-favorite “Star Trek” characters in general, Gul Dukat is the franchise’s most prominent member of the Cardassian race. Though the Cardassians made their debut on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Dukat was a recurring character on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” where he took turns being both friend and foe to Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks).
Dukat was portrayed by actor Marc Alaimo, who not only looks different in real life but helped to originate the Caradassians as a whole. This is because Alaimo had also played another Caradassian, Macet, in the species’ first appearance on “The Next Generation.” Additionally, he played four other non-Cardassian characters across the run of “The Next Generation.” Among his more noteworthy roles in which he doesn’t appear under intricate prosthetics that completely transform his face are Mars Security Force Captain Everett in the original “Total Recall,” and eight episodes as Gene Scapizzi on the 1980s police procedural “Hill Street Blues.”
Alaimo told a crowd at a 2015 convention that, while he wasn’t officially retired from acting, he was no longer actively seeking roles (though the official “Star Trek” X account tweeted that he was retired back in 2013). His most recent screen credit is a 2010 episode of “Family Guy.”
