Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon character Worf in the Star Trek franchise, appearing in all seven seasons of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994), and later reprising the role in Seasons 4 through 7 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1995–1999) and season three of Star Trek: Picard (2023). Dorn has appeared more times as a regular cast member than any other Star Trek actor in the franchise's history, spanning five films and 284 television episodes.[1]
Michael Dorn
Outside of the Star Trek franchise, Dorn has appeared in the television series CHiPs (1979–1982), and has had voice roles as Coldstone and Taurus in the animated series Gargoyles (1994–1997), Kalibak and Vandal Savage in the DC Animated Universe, I.M. Weasel in I Am Weasel (1997–2000), Lord Darkar in the Nickelodeon dub of Winx Club (2011), and Captain Mozar in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2015–2016).
Outside of shows and movies, he has had voice roles in several Star Trek-related games, as well as more obscure voice roles such as his role as the main antagonist Frank Horrigan of the action RPG game Fallout 2 (1998) and a Krogan character in Mass Effect 2 (2010), among many other similar roles.
Early life[edit]
Dorn was born in Luling, Texas, the son of Allie Lee (née Nauls) and Fentress Dorn Jr.[2] He grew up in Pasadena, California, where he studied radio and television production at Pasadena City College. Following his graduation, he pursued a career in music as a performer with several different rock music bands, traveling to San Francisco and then back to Los Angeles.
Career[edit]
Early work[edit]
Dorn first appeared on-screen in Rocky, in an uncredited role as Apollo Creed's bodyguard.[3] Two years later, he appeared as a guest star on a 1978 episode of the television show W.E.B.. Impressed by his work, the show's producer introduced Dorn to an agent, through whom he met acting teacher Charles E. Conrad. Dorn studied with Conrad for six months, until he landed a regular role on the crime drama series CHiPs.[3]
Personal life[edit]
A member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association,[14] Dorn is an accomplished pilot. He has flown with the Blue Angels as well as the Thunderbirds.[3] He has owned several jet aircraft, including a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, which he jokingly refers to as his "starship",[15] a North American F-86 Sabre, and currently owns a North American Sabreliner. Dorn also serves on several aviation organizations, one of which is the Air Force Aviation Heritage Foundation,[16] where he is on the advisory board. Dorn was interviewed for the "Private Jets" episode of Modern Marvels on The History Channel.
Dorn stated in a 2010 interview that he had been diagnosed with an "early early" stage of prostate cancer, which led him to become a vegan.[17]