As Counselor Deanna Troi on the sci-fi TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, British-American
actor Marina Sirtis played one of the most iconic female characters in the Star Trek
franchise.
Keep watching to catch up with this talented actress and find out what she's up to today.
To boldly go
Although Next Generation came to a close in 1994, that wasn't the end of Sirtis' work
with the Federation.
She reprised her role as Counselor Troi in all four Next Generation films alongside much
of the original Next Generation cast.
Troi also popped up in three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager from 1999 to 2000, and also
in the 2005 series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise, marking her last appearance as Deanna Troi.
Though with the planned return of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series
on the horizon, can she be too far behind?
"HE'S BACK!"
Gargoyles
After The Next Generation, Sirtis began voice acting, joining the cast of the Disney animated
series Gargoyles.
From 1994 to 1996, Sirtis voiced Demona, a villain with a thirst for vengeance against
the humans that slaughtered her clan.
While many fans who approach Sirtis at conventions are fans of her work in both Star Trek and
Gargoyles, she says that quite a few prefer Demona over the more "passive" Deanna.
Sirtis wasn't the only Next Generation actor that ended up on Gargoyles; Jonathan Frakes
appeared as David Xanatos, Michael Dorn played Coldstone, and Brent Spiner voiced Puck.
That wasn't the end, though.
She provided the voice of antagonist "Queen Bee" and several other characters in the Cartoon
Network animated series Young Justice, and a dog warrior on Adventure Time, among other
shows and video games.
"The stars have paired you with a goddess."
"I like the way you talk, but you are crazy."
Notably, Sirtis played Matriarch Benezia in 2007's Mass Effect, and most recently Elena
Dragunova in 2014's XCOM 2: War of the Chosen.
Back to sci-fi
After taking some time away from traditional sci-fi with roles in mystery-themed productions
like Gadgetman and Diagnosis: Murder, Sirtis returned to science fiction in 1999 with a
role in the Showtime series The Outer Limits.
In "The Grell," Sirtis plays Liv Kohler, whose family finds themselves in a moral quandary
when their alien slave demonstrates an unexpected loyalty to them, forcing her and her husband
to rethink their bigoted worldview.
In 2000, Sirtis made an appearance in another popular science fiction franchise when she
guest-starred as Russian scientist Dr. Svetlana Markov in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Watergate."
In the episode, Markov struggles with a broken Stargate, body-controlling aliens, and a mysteriously
murdered crew.
Of course, it's nothing that Deanna Troi hasn't seen before.
"Pain!
Such pain!"
She followed this up with a couple of guest spots in the British hospital drama Casualty,
and its spin-off series, Holby City.
But that wasn't all.
She also picked up brief roles in a variety of American TV shows, but before long, it
was back to sci-fi again.
Annihilation Earth and beyond
In 2009, Sirtis landed a starring role in the SyFy movie Annihilation Earth, as Paxton,
the leader of a secretive U.N energy project called EVE, whose decisions will determine
the fate of the mankind.
Again, not too far from Troi's deep space adventures.
In 2015, she appeared in the investigative thriller, A Dark Reflection, a British indie
film directed and produced by former British Airways pilot Tristan Loraine in order to
expose an alleged cover-up involving toxic cabin air in commercial jets.
NCIS
From 2013 to 2016, Sirtis played a recurring role on the police procedural drama series
NCIS as Mossad director Orli Elbaz.
Elbaz takes over the position as Israel's top spy in the show's tenth season, and subsequently
appears in episodes during season 11 and the season 13 finale.
According to Sirtis, she didn't have to read for the role and was thrilled to have been
offered the part.
Sirtis told the A.V.
Club,
"I love to play strong women.
I love it.
Because that’s who I am.
And [she] can kick anyone’s ass."
New life and new civilizations
Sirtis is showing no signs of slowing down.
Notwithstanding her time travelling adventures in Sharknado 6: The Last Sharknado, or appearing
in Little Dead Rotting Hood, she's signed on for a second season episode of The Orville,
Seth Macfarlane's sci-fi comedy on Fox.
Not coincidentally her episode will also be directed by fellow Next Gen alum, and former
on-screen boyfriend, Jonathan Frakes.
More than any other Next Gen star, Sirtis seems willing to put on her Starfleet uniform
again and again, almost assuring fans that we'll be seeing her again as Deanna Troi in
CBS' upcoming series based on fan-favorite Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
"Make it so."
"Sir?"
"Do it."