Who Plays Mark Twain On Star Trek?
If you call yourself a fan of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," you know the series boldly went where few Star Trek shows had before on the narrative front. The "TNG" creative team seemed to delight in dropping Captain Jean-Luc Picard and company into the wildest scenarios they could imagine. But it's safe to say one of their wildest arcs began in the time-traveling Season 5 finale, which finds the crew hanging out with famed author — and legendary curmudgeon — Samuel Clemens.
Of course, Clemens is better known by his pen name Mark Twain. During the second half of the 19th century, many considered him America's finest author. As it happens, the exceedingly well-read Picard is a fan of Twain's work, so the author finding his way onto the U.S.S. Enterprise in the two-part "Time's Arrow" arc is quite the event. The appearance was even more thrilling as veteran character actor Jerry Hardin is at his scene-stealing best in the role.
As for Twain's part in the story — which begins in the Season 5 finale and carries through the Season 6 premiere — he primarily plays the observer, with Hardin bringing a stately, wickedly intelligent presence to the proceedings. The actor's guest spot as Twain is regularly ranked among the series' best. The episode is also highly regarded, with some believing it's one of the best from any Star Trek show.
Hardin has a fascinating resume in his decades-long career
Jerry Hardin's celebrated two-episode turn as Mark Twain was not the first time he guest starred on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as the actor also plays stubborn Aldean leader Radue in a Season 1 episode. Hardin was likely far more recognizable in that appearance since he wasn't decked out in full Twain regalia. There's little question you would've known him, as Hardin's face has been a regular fixture in the film and television realms for the past few decades.
Hardin made his first screen appearance in Robert Mitchum's beloved 1958 bootlegging thriller "Thunder Road." He spent the better part of the 1960s and '70s making a name for himself on the small screen with roles on hits series like "Ironside," "Gunsmoke," "Starsky & Hutch," "Little House on the Prairie," and "The Rockford Files," among dozens of others. He also landed a small part in Steven Spielberg's divisive World War I romp, "1941." The 1980s and '90s would see Hardin continuing to land roles at a staggering clip, with big screen highlights including "Reds," "Cujo," "Big Trouble in Little China," and "The Firm."
On the small screen, Hardin seemingly booked work for every significant series of each decade. But sci-fi devotees recognize the actor from one of his best-loved '90s gigs, playing the all-knowing Deep Throat in "The X-Files." Hardin slowed down considerably in the 2000s but still booked gigs on hits like "Nip/Tuck" and "The Middle." And in what may become a fitting career-capper, he's set to play Mark Twain again, this time for the upcoming movie "At the End of the Santa Fe Trail."