From bit parts to leads, these are 10 Star Trek actors who landed permanent roles after guest starring.

With shows like Star Trek: Picard and Strange New Worlds helping to revitalize the franchise, fans of Star Trek have a wealth of great new characters to look forward to. Trek has always shined because of its characters, and the actors that play them can often wear multiple hats in the franchise.

Whether they were promoted or simply recast, some actors in the Trek franchise find themselves landing bigger roles after playing smaller parts. Though plenty of actors have played multiple roles over the years, only the very best got cast in permanent roles because of their previous work in the franchise.

Instantly recognizable for his amazing vocal talents, actor Rene Auberjonois was a veteran of TV work long before he landed his role as Odo on Deep Space Nine. Despite his TV credentials, Auberjonois' first Star Trek role came in the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

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Briefly appearing as Colonel West, the noted voice actor was eventually called back to portray the gruff constable Odo on DS9. In his larger role, he was able to do much more than he had before, and Odo's character arc was one of the strongest parts of the highly regarded series.

Some actors only play one small role before landing the big one in the Trek franchise, but Tim Russ was practically a Star Trek veteran by the time he appeared as Tuvok in Voyager. His first brush with Trek came in the Next Generation episode "Starship Mine", but he would also appear in the film Generations and DS9 as well.

Having played a human, a Klingon, and a Vulcan, Russ was shown to be a multitalented actor who could inhabit the emotional space of those disparate alien races. Though fans most remember him as Tuvok, Russ is one of those rare actors who had a huge impact on the franchise during the '90s and early-'00s.

First appearing in one of the best episodes of TNG, Robert Duncan McNeill returned several years later in a much larger capacity in the Trek franchise. Making waves as the arrogant Cadet Locarno in the TNG episode "The First Duty", McNeill was perfectly cast as Tom Paris in Voyager.

Playing a character, not unlike his earlier role, McNeill imbued Paris with a cocky and rebellious attitude that would help make him a notable character on the show. Though McNeill wasn't the most flexible actor in Trek history, he nailed both the roles he was cast in.

It takes a truly talented actor to shine under a ton of makeup, and Ethan Phillips put that talent on full display throughout his Star Trek career. Debuting in the franchise as Dr. Farek in the TNG episode "Ménage à Troi", Phillips soon traded in his Ferengi ears for a bigger role as Neelix on Voyager.

Playing a somewhat silly character each time, Phillips' performance helped make "Ménage à Troi" one of the best Ferengi episodes in the franchise. As Neelix, he brought much-needed comic relief to a show with a dour premise. Considering the similarities between the two roles, it is obvious that Phillips made a great impression in his one-off TNG appearance.

Some actors are always going to play villains, and Marc Alaimo's unique look meant he was somewhat typecast in the Trek franchise. Though he played multiple characters throughout the run of TNG, it was his role as Gul Macet in the episode "The Wounded" that got him cast as his most recognizable role on DS9.

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Forever a Cardassian in the eyes of Trek fans, Alaimo's reappearance as Gul Dukat on DS9 meant that he was firmly lodged as the series' biggest heel. Practically oozing with smarminess as the infamous Gul, Alaimo put his best work forward on the show and proved that returning actors could make a splash in the franchise.

Veteran TV actor Dwight Schultz is a unique case in the Trek franchise in that his one-off appearance was upgraded to a recurring character. His signature character of Lt. Barclay first appeared in the TNG episode "Hollow Pursuits" but was brought back on numerous occasions as a side character.

Most remembered as one of the best TNG characters introduced after the first season, Barclay had one of the best arcs in the entire series. The success of the character can be chalked up to Schultz's brilliant performance, and Barclay even returned in the films and Voyager as well.

Michelle Forbes' time in the Trek franchise was a brief one, but she managed to play multiple characters in one season. Making her debut as the character Dara in the TNG episode "Half a Life", Forbes made a complete 180 and was cast as Ensign Ro not long after.

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The fiery Bajoran recruit was introduced later in the series and added intrigue in the handful of episodes that she appeared in. While Ro was somewhat of a dead end when it came to storylines, her character was the inspiration for DS9's Major Kira, though the part eventually went to Nana Visitor.

Some actors are so synonymous with their most successful characters that it is hard to even remember that they played others. Character actor Armin Shimerman helped to put the Ferengi race on the map when he appeared in their very first episode, "The Last Outpost", during the first season of TNG.

Shimerman would play a Ferengi a few more times on TNG before once again revolutionizing the race as Quark on DS9. The mean-yet-lovable bartender allowed Shimerman to shine, and it is interesting to observe how far the Ferengi came between their first appearance and Quark's brilliant DS9 arc.

Star Trek is mostly populated by established TV actors, but Brock Peters made a name for himself starring in one of the best movies of the 1960s. The actor best known for his role in To Kill a Mockingbird first graced Trek in the fifth and sixth movies but would get more consistent work on DS9.

Portraying Captain Benjamin Sisko's rather cantankerous father, Joseph, Peters leant an air of respectability to the show that Trek had never had before. Though he only appeared in six episodes, Peters was always a bright spot any time he was on the scene.

Many actors returned again and again during the TNG era of the Trek franchise, but Diana Muldaur was a rare Original Series alumnus to make a reappearance. Always playing a doctor in every Trek role, Muldaur first appeared in the TOS episode "Return to Tomorrow" though she would return in the same season to appear in "Is There In Truth No Beauty?"

Starring in almost every episode of TNG's second season as Dr. Pulaski, Muldaur played the stern doctor with her usual rigid perfection. Though the character would depart with the return of Dr. Crusher in season three, Pulaski still left an indelible mark on the Enterprise crew through the rocky sophomore season.

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Dalton is a freelance writer and novelist from Orlando Florida. He currently lives in Los Angeles and pursues writing full time. He is an avid reader and film buff.