What Star Trek's Gowron Looks Like In Real Life

There's a lot to appreciate about the "Star Trek" franchise. It's full of unique projects that speak to a wide swath of science fiction enthusiasts, the lore is rich and fascinating for those into fictional deep dives, and well over 50 years after its creation, it's still adding new entries left and right. Not to mention, the "Star Trek" saga is full of all kinds of alien beings that come to life with the hard work and dedication of makeup artists and actors. The actors do what they do best in front of the camera while the makeup artists transform them into other-worldly beings.

Among the most impressive makeup jobs in the "Star Trek" world is the one done on actor Robert O'Reilly, who looks nothing at all like his Klingon alter ego, Gowron. O'Reilly goes under layer after layer of makeup and prosthetics to play the cutthroat chancellor of the Klingon High Council in multiple projects. Gowron first appears during "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Season 4, going on to feature in Season 5 and Season 6 as well. He returns on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and features sporadically from Season 3 to Season 9.

O'Reilly may be best known for his work as Gowron, but it's worth remembering that the Klingon isn't his only contribution to the "Star Trek" franchise.

Throughout his entertainment career, Robert O'Reilly has appeared in numerous noteworthy projects. Following his television acting debut in a 1979 episode of "Fantasy Island," he brought his skills to small-screen projects like "The Incredible Hulk," "MacGyver," and "Dallas," to name a few. As for movies, he's known for such features as "Under Surveillance" and "The Mask." Still, O'Reilly's work in the "Star Trek" franchise is what he's synonymous with, and Gowron is his best-known role within it. However, it's not his only one.

Before making his "Star Trek: The Next Generation" debut as Gowron, O'Reilly popped up in Season 2's "Manhunt" as the gangster Scarface. The actor then took on yet another role within the franchise via the "Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive VHS Board Game," where provides the voice of a Klingon named Kavok. O'Reilly is also responsible for playing a casino accountant in the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang," Kago-Darr in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" installment "Bounty," Krindo in "Star Trek: Elite Force II," and Aakar in "Star Trek Online."

With all of that said, it's safe to say that O'Reilly is nothing short of a "Star Trek" legend — even though it's near-impossible to see his actual face when he's playing his most well-known character, Gowron.