Star Trek: Actors Who Could Have Played Benjamin Sisko Before Avery Brooks

When it comes to ranking "Star Trek" captains, Commander Benjamin Sisko of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" might not seem like the flashiest on paper. But because of his calm exterior, chill space dad energy, solid work-life balance, passion for baseball, and talent for serving up tasty Cajun cuisine, he's arguably one of the best commanding officers in the Star Trek franchise. And a big part of what makes Sisko tick is the actor behind him. In a science fiction franchise elevated by the performances of iconic stars like Patrick Stewart and Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks is considered by many fans to be one of the finest actors in the "Star Trek" universe.

But according to a set of casting notes released in 2018, Sisko might look very different in a parallel universe where another actor got the gig. Although "Doctor Who" actor Peter Capaldi, who also auditioned for Sisko, isn't on the list, the names that are might surprise you. Posted by X user trekdocs, an account that shares vintage Star Trek images and documents, the lengthy two-page document is a casting memo dated 7/22/92. Written up ahead of the "Deep Space Nine" pilot "Emissary" from the desk of casting director Junie Lowry-Johnson, this wish list of potential Siskos is full of interesting names that will be familiar to many science fiction fans, alongside some fairly big-name actors. The list, which includes more than 50 actors, includes names like Colin Firth, Tim Matheson, and Gary Busey.

One of the most interesting things about the "Deep Space Nine" casting notes for the role of Sisko is what they reveal about how attitudes toward television and sci-fi have changed through the years. While many TV productions are considered every bit as prestigious as film these days —  even the sci-fi gigs — this certainly wasn't the case in the 1990s. Because of this, we can hardly fault the actors who heard the words "'Star Trek' TV show" and took a hard pass, even if fans think the franchise is the next best thing to "Masterpiece Theatre." Several actors on the 1992 casting sheet were noted as having "No interest in TV Series." Included among them was Liam Neeson, who probably made the right decision; the actor was cast in his breakout role in the Oscar-winning film "Schindler's List" the same year.

Also listed as having no interest in a TV series is Bill Paxton of "Aliens" and "Twister" fame, an actor who would go on to star in the critically acclaimed HBO series "Big Love" 14 years later. Other stars who declined auditions based on their desire to stay out of television at the time include Jamey Sheridan (Randall Flagg from "The Stand"), Rubén Blades (Daniel from "Fear the Walking Dead"), Gary Busey, Pierce Brosnan (James Bond from 1995-2002), Chris Cooper ("Adaptation" and "American Beauty"), Mr. Darcy himself Colin Firth, and Laurence Fishburne (listed as Larry on the casting memo).

Although it's not specifically noted that the desire to stay out of television played a role in their decision, quite a few other now big-name actors are annotated with "not interested" or "passes." Included among them are David Beecroft ("Melrose Place"), Vondie Curtis-Hall ("Chicago Hope" and "Daredevil"), Gary Cole ("The Good Fight"), David Duchovny (Fox Mulder from "The X-Files"), Will Patton ("Falling Skies"), and Ray Wise ("Twin Peaks"). Terry O'Quinn, who later starred as John Locke in ABC's "Lost," passed specifically because he was not interested in working on sci-fi projects.

Several actors were listed as unavailable because they were already working on other projects. Joe Morton, who would go on to win an Emmy for his role on "Scandal" and star in the sci-fi hit "Eureka," was working on the short-lived Fox series "TriBeCa" at the time, and Jeff Perry ("Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," "Nash Bridges") was involved in a Chicago stage production. James Avery was busy playing Uncle Phil on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Tim Curry was working on "Loaded Weapon," and John Slattery ("Mad Men") was starring in the ABC period drama "Homefront." Tim Matheson ("The West Wing"), Carl Lumbly (MCU's Isaiah Bradley), and Keith David ("Platoon," "The Flash") were all also too busy to take on the role Avery Brooks would eventually fill as Benjamin Sisko. And Richard Beymer, who had just finished playing Benjamin Horne for three seasons on "Twin Peaks," is listed as directing a feature.

Although there's no way to know for sure, several actors on the casting memo may simply have been out of the Paramount budget. Next to Stephen Collins's name, who would go on to star in "7th Heaven" from 1996 to 2007, a handwritten note reads "NY — lots of $$," indicating location and salary expectations worked against his casting. The name of BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning actor Tom Conti, who played Einstein in "Oppenheimer," appears next to the note "Interest Doubtful, lots of Money." Louis Gossett Jr., listed as Lou Gossett, Jr., is listed as "Tech Avail, Interest Questionable. Offer only." Gregory Harrison ("Trapper John, M.D.") is also listed as "Offer Only."

And then there were the actors who simply had something else going on in their lives at the time, like Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs on "Spongebob Squarepants," among other roles), who had back surgery scheduled at the time. Actor John Kani, who plays T'Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is listed as only working in South Africa at this point in his career, and eventual "Australia's Got Talent" judge Tom Burlinson is listed as working only in Australia.

Even though not everyone on Junie Lowry-Johnson's casting memo got a turn at Sisko, a few would eventually make it into "Star Trek," even if some of them were roles you may have forgotten about. In 2002, Clancy Brown played a welcoming alien leader who turns out to be a terrorist in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode, "Desert Crossing." 

Ray Wise, who had already appeared in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Who Watches the Watchers" back in 1989, later returned to the franchise as a refugee from the Borg's assimilation of his people named Arturis on "Star Trek: Voyager" in 1998. He also appeared in the fan film "Star Trek: Captain Pike" in 2016 along with veteran Trek actors Chase Masterson (dabo girl Leeta on "Deep Space Nine") and Linda Park (Hoshi Sato on "Star Trek: Enterprise"). 

By 1994, it seems Terry O'Quinn had moved past his embargo against sci-fi enough to appear as Starfleet Rear Admiral Erik Pressman in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Pegasus." And Gary Cole would provide the voice acting for Leonardo da Vinci in the "Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "Crisis Point."